Knight Rider 2008 Alternate Storyline – Episode 13 – Fright Knight

Chapter 1

F.L.A.G Underground Compound

Carmen stood up and stretched. She had been working most of the morning and her muscles were stiff and achy. She rubbed the back of her neck as she looked around the nearly empty Main Lab. Only Pierce and Rei were around, both working at their desks.

Carmen frowned. "Man, it sucks when KITT and Katherine aren't here." She announced.

"There's still plenty of work to do." Pierce said, not looking up from his work.

"Yeah." Carmen agreed. "Work never ends when you have David for a boss. But where's the fun? Those two have been gone for weeks."

Pierce frowned at his monitor. "What do you want from me?" He said. "David's not around right now, so go take a break." He looked up for just a second. "Preferably not here."

Carmen gave him a dark look. Then her expression cleared. "David's not around?" She asked. "Where is he?"

Pierce sighed, his hands stilling over his keyboard. He gave Carmen his full attention. "He's out fund-raising. Trying to get new investors for our project."

Carmen looked confused. "I thought we were okay. The government bailed us out, right?" She walked over to Pierce's desk.

"Knight Industries is in the black." Pierce assured her. "But this project still costs millions a year. More investors are always a good thing."

Carmen thought that over a bit, then opened her mouth to speak again. Pierce cut her off. "No, no more. I need to get back to work. Go bother someone else." He made a shooing motion with his hand and went back to his work.

Carmen narrowed her eyes at him, but walked away, muttering under her breath in Spanish.

********

"Okay KITT, come on, what's the scoop?" Kat asked. She sat behind the wheel as they sped down a dark highway. She wasn't the one driving though. Mostly because she didn't exactly know where they were going.

"I've told you the Mission details several times already." K.I.T.T pointed out.

But Kat shook her head. "There is no way our next Mission is investigating a haunted house." She said. "Especially on Friday the Thirteenth. So, out with it. What's the real Mission?"

"For the last time, that IS the Mission." K.I.T.T told her. "The Crawler has brought up several blog entries over the past few weeks indicating strong paranormal activity at the location in question." He brought up a picture of a large mansion on his windshield. "This is Eastgate, owned by a Mrs. Walker."

Kat scrutinized the picture. "The house looks pretty normal." She said. "As mansions go. It definitely doesn't look haunted. Fresh coat of paint, in good repair. No dark clouds overhead, or ominous lightning strikes."

"Not in this picture." K.I.T.T told her. "But there is a storm coming in."

Kat looked through the windshield, up at the dark gray clouds rolling overhead. It was a few hours till nightfall, but you couldn't tell to look at that sky. She made a face. "It's pretty nasty out. Hopefully we get there before it starts pouring."

"We will be arriving shortly." K.I.T.T assured her.

"Okay, another question, assuming that this is the Mission, which I am still skeptical about." Kat said. "Let's just say that this huge mansion is haunted. So what? We're not exactly equipped to deal with the paranormal."

"Maybe you're not." K.I.T.T retorted. "But I am equipped with nearly every type of sensor known to man. Surely one of them can pick up a spectral presence."

"Are you taking this as a personal challenge?" Kat asked incredulously. "Can't we just leave the 'ghosts' alone? You're not exactly the Mystery Machine."

"There is a possibility that the events described in the blogs are NOT related to paranormal activities." K.I.T.T finally admitted.

"That's a big surprise." Kat muttered under her breath. Louder, she said "Well, tell me about the incidents."

"A maid was injured just last week. She was pushed down a flight of stairs by an 'unseen force'. She suffered a broken leg, but is otherwise all right. Several small items belonging to Mrs. Walker have mysteriously disappeared as well."

"Hmmm... sounds like a very troublesome spook." Kat said. She sighed heavily. "Okay, we'll check it out."

The house soon came into sight. It was bigger than the picture let on. It looked like many side buildings and additions had been built over the years. "Looks like there's a party going on." Kat remarked. The front gates were open and a long line of expensive cars were heading up a steep hill to the house. The path up was winding, but well lit.

"Indeed, Mrs. Walker's annual Costume Party." K.I.T.T told her. "Held every Friday the Thirteenth. Invitation only."

Kat frowned at his voice modulator. "Well, how am I supposed to get in to check for ghosts?" She asked him dryly.

"The Crawler has unearthed an email Mrs. Walker sent to a local printer." K.I.T.T brought up the email. "The invitation was included as a PNG file. It even specifies the type of paper to be used. I'll print one up right now."

Kat's eyes widened in surprise as the invitation slowly fed out from under his dashboard. She grabbed it before it hit the floor. She read it over quickly. "This party is formal wear, and I need to be in costume." She told him.

The back of the backseat lowered, revealing the contents of the trunk. "We should pick out something suitable, then."

Kat crawled to the back seat and took her suitcase out of the trunk. K.I.T.T closed the backseat up and Kat set the suitcase on the seat an popped it open. She rifled through t-shirts, jeans, a black leather jacket, and a gun holster. "I don't think I packed anything formal..."

"I had Angela add a few things." K.I.T.T told her. "Just in case the situation required formal wear."

"Uh huh." Kat said. "You had Angela add a few things? Or did Angela tell you that she should pick out my Mission clothes?"

"She might have made a few suggestions." K.I.T.T said, offhanded.

Kat pulled out a pile of shimmering black material. It draped over her hands like black water. She looked it over critically. "This is probably the best thing I am going to find in here." She mused. "But what about a costume?"

"Perhaps we should get creative?" K.I.T.T suggested.

Kat looked over at his voice modulator. "Are you having fun?"

"Maybe just a little."

********

K.I.T.T pulled up right in front of the steps leading up to the front door. A sharply dressed valet ran around to the driver's side and pulled on the door handle. The door didn't open.

"Be nice." Kat told K.I.T.T sternly. "I know how you are around valets."

"You're the only one who can drive me." K.I.T.T said stubbornly. The valet tapped on the glass, looking confused. Behind K.I.T.T, a line of cars was building up.

"Then, don't let him drive. Just give him a ride to the garage."

"He'd still have to sit in the front seat." K.I.T.T synthetic voice was sullen.

Kat sighed. "Just be nice." She opened the door and stepped out, taking care not to wrinkle her dress. Her black heels were a little taller than she was used to, so she walked carefully.

The valet walked around her, preparing to slide into the front seat. The door shut swiftly. The bewildered valet pulled on the handle to no avail. "I'll just go park myself." K.I.T.T said, only to Kat. He pulled away slowly.

"Hey, wait a minute." The valet said as K.I.T.T drove in the direction of the parking garage.

"Don't worry about it." Kat sighed. She tipped the valet and headed up the stairs. The poor valet looked at the fiver in his hand and scratched his head, looking deeply confused.

Kat turned to the steps. There was a small line of extravagantly dressed couples leading up the front steps. A large man in a tuxedo was checking invitations at the top. Kat pulled hers out of her clutch purse and waited.

She didn't feel nervous. A calm that came from years of training in intense situations had settled over her. This was just another Mission. Except this was a Mission without the threat of injury and possible death looming over her. Crashing a party should be a piece of cake in comparison.

Soon, she was at the head of the line. The tuxedo-ed security guard took her invitation and inspected it closely. "Welcome, Miss Knight." He said as he passed a hand-held metal detector over her.

Kat smiled politely. The guard held her invitation back out to her, but pulled it away before she could take it. He scrutinized her closely. "What are you supposed to be?" He asked.

Kat arched a brow delicately. "Can't you tell?" She was wearing a long, strapless black dress. A long slit went up the side of her leg. The strap of an empty holster could be seen strapped to her leg. "I'm a spy." She winked.

The guard laughed. "I'll have to keep my eye on you, then." He handed her the invitation back. "Have a good evening."

Kat entered the house. The front hall was huge. Two white marble staircases led to the upper floors. The marble floor was polished to a high gloss. To the right, double doors were open, showing the ballroom. All of the other doors were closed.

Kat scoped the large, lavishly decorated ballroom. It was lit by a huge crystal and brass chandelier, with several smaller ones all around. Kat couldn't remember ever being inside of an honest to goodness ballroom before. This place put the party hall she had had her sixteenth birthday in to shame. "Maybe we should have waited for another day." She muttered, eying the large crowd.

"What? You don't like parties?" K.I.T.T asked.

"Ones I'm not invited too." She grabbed a champagne flute from a passing waiter and took a sip. She was letting nervousness break through her calm, perhaps the champagne would settle her. "I've been here all of ten minutes and I have yet to see a ghost, or anything paranormal of any kind. Then again, if I were a ghost, or anyone pretending to be one, I don't think I would be keen on exposing myself to such a large group of people."

"Perhaps you should investigate the upper floors."

Kat heard a tinkle of laughter to her left. She turned to see a middle-aged woman surrounded by a group of admirers. She was showing off a piece of paper and laughing lightly. She was dressed extravagantly in royal blue. Real Peacock feathers adorned her dress. Kat guessed her to be the head of the house. K.I.T.T confirmed it a second later. "Visual analysis reveals that as Mrs. Walker." He told her.

Kat drew closer to the woman, blending into the crowd. "So, it's not a ghost?" One man asked Mrs. Walker, smirking good-naturedly. He was dressed as a vampire, complete with glistening 'bloody' fangs.

Mrs. Walker laughed again, it was a merry sound. Kat could see heavy laugh lines around her eyes. Her gut told her that this was a fun and gentle woman. "Oh, I wish." She said, laying the paper on her breast. "That would be ten times more interesting than a thief."

Kat's interest peaked. Thief? That sounded right up her ally. Better than a ghost anyway.

"What is he after?" A woman dressed as a Witch asked.

"It's right here in the note he sent." Mrs. Walker showed the note again, but too briefly for Kat to read anything. "It says here that he plans to steal my black star sapphire." She laughed merrily again. "I would like to see him try." A blue glitter caught Kat's eye. A large dark blue oval hung from Mrs. Walker's neck. The chain it was attached to was thick and adorned with diamonds. Though the size of the sapphire made it more valuable than all the smaller diamonds combined.

"What kind of thief sends a note ahead of time?" The Witch giggled. "How silly. It sounds made up. Like something on television."

"Who knows?" Mrs. Walker shrugged. "Perhaps he really will show up, just like he said." She winked merrily. "It's rather romantic, if you think about it." The circle of guests laughed.

Kat shivered suddenly. "Are you all right?" K.I.T.T asked. "Your heart-rate just jumped abnormally."

She wrapped hands around her elbows. "Just someone walking over my grave." She whispered, looking around quickly.

"I'm afraid you have confused me once again with your folksy sayings." K.I.T.T said.

Kat suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. "It's nothing, just a weird feeling. Haven't you ever felt like something bad was headed right for you, for no reason whatsoever?"

"I can honestly say I have never felt any such thing." K.I.T.T replied. "But, if your intuition is telling you something bad will happen, perhaps it's time you left. We can continue our investigation in the morning." Before Kat could reply, a gloved hand grabbed her upper arm and spun her around.

Her body was tensed for a fight, but the man who had grabbed her had already released her arm. She blinked at him in surprise as he held out a hand to her, his head inclined. He said nothing, but it was obvious he was asking for a dance.

Kat hesitated. Dancing with a stranger was one thing, but she couldn't even tell what this man looked like. His head was completely covered in gauze bandages, save for two eye holes and a slit for his mouth. Dark eyes glittered from the eye holes. What she had initially taken for gloves was cloth tape, deftly wrapped around his hand and each finger. He wasn't that tall. In her heels, they were the same height. His tuxedo was filled out nicely, and his posture was perfect.

Still... it wasn't just that she couldn't see his face. That shivery feeling had increased. The bad omen that she had sensed bearing down on her was here. Just looking at this man made her wary.

He waited patiently, still not saying a word. Kat swallowed, trying to push down the choking feeling in her throat. Why not? She said to herself, taking his hand. She couldn't think of a sound, concrete reason not to dance with him. And the other guests were starting to stare. It was better if she didn't make a fuss.

The music picked up as he pulled her towards the other dancing couples. He faced her while doing so, not taking his eyes off of her. It was making her nervous again. She tried to concentrate on something else, to ease her tension. Something like what song was playing, that way she would know what to dance steps to perform.

The bandaged man placed his other hand on her waist. He led her through the dance purposefully rather than gracefully. Kat turned her concentration to her feet, but kept her eyes on her partner, and they managed to move through the steps. Meanwhile, she puzzled over why this man made her feel so on edge. She took herself to be a pretty good judge of character, so there had to be something off about him. Other than the fact that his face was hidden.

He certainly was the most suspicious guest here. Nobody else's costumes completely hid their features like this man's did. He obviously didn't want people recognizing him. She pondered over the reason for that. Could it really be that easy for her to encounter the supposed phantom thief that was targeting Mrs. Walker?

Nah, that would just be silly.

But still... There was something off.

The song ended and they stopped dancing. The man's hand dropped from her waist, though he still held her hand. He leaned in to her, bringing his mouth close to her ear.

Kat didn't usually tolerate invasions of her personal space like this, but the reaction to step away, to pull her hand from his, was slow to respond. It died altogether when she heard him speak.

"You shouldn't be here." He whispered in her ear.

He pulled away from her and dropped her hand. He turned away from her. Kat reached a hand out to stop him. This was bad! Had she been found out already?

Just then, all the lights went out and the ballroom was plunged into darkness.