Title: "Comes the Darkness"
Chapter 2 of ? in novel form.
By: Shawn
Summary: Kimberly and Tommy arrive in Silver Cliff, Colorado to begin their investigation of the Darkness. Katherine and Jason share a moment of clarity. The Darkness reveal themselves and their shocking plans.
Rated: R The story will contains adult language, graphic violence, torture, drug use, and sexual situations.
Category: Drama
Couples: Tommy/Kim, Tommy/Katherine, Jason/Kim, Jason/Katherine
Characters: All of the Rangers are around 24 to 27 years old here.
Timeline and Spoilers: Assumes general knowledge of both Power Rangers movies up until the end of the Space Rangers series. You won't need to know all the details. AU after the Space Rangers series. All is explained in the Authors Notes below.
Disclaimer: I won't make a dime from this series.
Email: Notes: These are details you need to know before reading this novel.
1. After the War of 2003 against Overlord Delex, due to a part mystical/part radioactive explosion, teleportation is no longer possible on Earth. The Rangers can no longer teleport in any way, shape, or form. Neither can any of their enemies. Teleportation on Earth is no longer possible.
2. All the Ranger powers are gone now. All of them. The current rangers have the Command Center and their technology, but there are no Power Coins, Zords, Morphing Grid or Morphers. The Rangers all take injections created by Billy and his team of scientists that taps genetically into their already altered bloodstream. They are all three times stronger, faster, and more agile than a normal human at the peak of his or her physical conditioning.
4. It's a new day and age in the world. The technology and magic of all the enemies that have ever attacked Earth has found it's way into the hands of various governments, regimes, scientists, organized crime syndicates, terrorist groups, and other organizations that have every intention to use those things for their own benefits. It's a dangerous world indeed.
5. Three years ago, due to the new dangers facing the planet, especially considering weapons not of this world were falling into the wrong hands, the United States Government now works the former rangers. Together, they have built an underground network of agents to seek out and eliminate these new threats to the safety of Earth. All twelve of Zordon's first Rangers were contacted and asked if they would like to become undercover Federal Agents. Some answered the call, some did not. For those that did, they are the last line of defense against the new threats to the free world.
6. There are no other Rangers on Earth at this time.
7. Trini passed away in a tragic car accident three years ago.
8. Nothing in Power Rangers Dino Thunder took place in this universe.
9: All else is explained in the story.
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love I gain nothing Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away... And now these things remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
--1 Corinthians 13:1-8, 13
Assumption Cemetery
Right off of Highway 96 and Mill Street.
Saturday, March 13, 2005 9:45 PM
Silver Cliff, Colorado
'... a problem at all. You and the misses are in luck. We've had a few delays on our end and some of the other guests are late in arriving as well. The meeting's been pushed back till 11:00 PM.'
Clearly relieved as he gazed through the glass hub of the Mach-One's cockpit, Tommy kept his tone of voice even while on the cell phone, as well as his eyes sharp for any unexpected visitors. He leaned back in his chair. "That's good to hear. Now I just hope what we're gonna see tonight is worth our trip from the Big Apple."
'Trust me, Mr. Ford. Once you witness what we have to offer, you'll see the whole world in a new light. And you'll want to be a part of the organization we're building. Christopher Lockheed is about aiding the world in reaching it's infinite potential. And trust me, you'll want in on his dream.'
What was veiled as a dream, was in fact a nightmare Tommy knew he and Kim would have to stop by any means necessary. "We'll see, Mr. Raul. My wife and I look forward to meeting you tonight. We expect to be amazed. I'll see you then."
'Very well, Mr. Ford. We'll see you at eleven. Drive safe, and welcome to Silver Creek.'
Tommy flipped his phone when the line went dead, then tucked in his jacket pocket. They're late already for their very first meeting with the Darkness's contact, Cortez Raul. Having gunned their ships engines for the last hour straight, there was no way they were going to be on time, so Kimberly suggested Tommy call their contact. Luckily they aren't the only perspective sign-ups late tonight. Lucky indeed.
Having landed the Mach-One behind a huge mausoleum in the back of Assumption Cemetery, Tommy watched Kimberly walk from around the back of the ship with their equipment bags, loading the back of their 2002 black Jeep Grand Cherokee. He offered to do the unloading himself, but could tell she wanted... needed to get away from him as fast as she possibly could. She hadn't even checked back in since she began unloading their gear, nor has she even looked his way.
Maybe she had the right idea?
Typing in his command code and instructions, Tommy tried to keep his mind on his task, programming the Mach-One for it's autopilot return flight to the Command Center. Try as he might, the phantom caress of Kim's lips brushing against his own haunted him as surely as any spirit that might inhabit this cemetery.
Giving in to temptation, Tommy shut his eyes, allowing himself a short trip back in time, if only in his mind. The feel of her warm, writhing body beneath his as he laid within the cradle of her slim thighs... in the here and now he can't forget that brief moment of exquisite torture.
Honest to God, he hadn't meant to lean down, closing that short distance between them. He could have easily rose to his feet and backed away. But once his body fell flush onto hers... he was lost in her soft brown eyes. In the sheer beauty of his one true lo... He simply could not resist, and shock of all shocks, she arched her neck to meet him half way.
That's what's been puzzling him. That's what's been driving him crazy the last ninety or so minutes when the inside of the ship was as quiet as a tomb. Either he was imagining things or she wanted that kiss as badly as he did. And if she did, then things were about to become a thousand times more complicated.
The last of their suitcases and gear were packed away in the back of the truck. Kim had to fold away two seats, but everything fit and they're finally ready to hit the road. Given a moment to herself, she leaned her back against the trunk door and sighed.
Enjoying the brisk night air as it ghosted her hair, Kim knew she should jog back inside the Mach-One and see how Tommy's call to their contact went, as well as tell him they are loaded and ready to go.
She should have, but she didn't. Couldn't quite face him yet. The silent treatment worked wonders, and she's a master at it. One of a woman's most powerful weapons. Tommy received that and no more the rest of their trip to Colorado following their... Jesus, Kim could barely allow herself to place a label on it.
He kissed her.
Tommy kissed her.
True, it lasted a fraction of a second. Only long enough to reawaken every nerve ending in her body and set her skin on fire. The solid, strong weight of him covering her left her wanting to draw him closer, throwing all caution and common sense to the wind. She hasn't wanted to kiss him in so many years, and yet the very second the opportunity presented itself, she reached for him, met him half way, and enjoyed a moments worth of paradise.
Dear God, she can't begin to imagine what would have happened had they not been interrupted. Would she have had the strength to push him away? Would he? Or would they have just lost themselves in the moment?
Why? Why now, after all these years?
It's not love. It couldn't be. Not after all this time. After other loves, lovers, and distance, what they shared passed away as all things inevitably do. Perhaps it's simple attraction, she pondered. That never ending question mark of your first true love. The one that got away, now so close to touch and feel at last. No, Kimberly couldn't deny it to herself. He still pushes all her buttons. He's still the sexiest man she's ever known.
And in that brief moment they shared, she came closer to giving into desire than she did last night with Jason, when the right mood at the right time in the right place simply felt wrong at the end of the day.
No matter and no time. They're here for important business and that's that. "Get your head back in the game, Kim," she scolded herself. Lifting her line of vision, the rumbling sound of the Mach-One's boarding ramp raising caught her attention. From around back came Tommy, walking toward her, his face hidden in the shadows as he approached. "How did the call go?"
Tommy accepted his set of car keys from her outstretched hand. "Cortez said that the others invited to their little gathering are late as well. The new meeting time is 11:00 PM. We don't have time to get settled in our house, but we can make the meeting on time."
Kimberly checked her watch, then nodded, hands now in her pockets. "I guess we should hit the road then."
She's every bit as nervous as he is, though not only for the prospect of having to talk about the kiss. "Are you in a rush to get out of this cemetery, Kim?" he teased her with a smile, to which she rolled her eyes.
"I could care less about this cemetery, Tommy. I just want to begin our mission."
"What's wrong. You not up for a little ghost busting?"
"Are you coming on to me," she dared to say with a smirk.
"No, but I am driving since you flew us here. Get in." When she walked away he couldn't help but to take a good long look at the way her firm backside moved in those tight jeans. Damn her.
Impossible to ignore, she felt his hungry eyes every step of the way... and reveled in his intense focus. Enough of that. Kim climbed in the drivers side, looking on as Tommy ignited the Mach-One's engines from his specially augmented cell phone. The craft slowly rose from the ground, as quiet as a mouse, and lifted off into the night sky, flying away. The mission has truly begun.
Now inside the truck, Tommy started the engine and strapped in his seat belt. "You got the map?"
Kim tapped it against his thigh, then opened it in her lap. "Head east, twenty two miles, then make a left at Kostner Lane. That turns into Kankakee Road four miles down. The Comeback Inn should be on the right side of the road."
Lights, camera, action as the truck pulled onto the highway. Tommy's hand reached for the stereo the same time Kim did, causing their hands to brush, only to see them both draw back so fast, as if children that touched something scalding hot.
"Sorry," Tommy spoke first. "Ladies choice."
"Nah, forget it. It was probably a sign telling us we need to talk... about the mission," she quickly added, wanting no part of any other kind of talk.
Tommy exhaled a relieved breath of air. "What's on your mind?"
"We are both professionals here, and friends, right?"
"Of course."
"Well, we know on this undercover assignment we are supposed to be married. From the reports we have from the incarcerated friends of Benjamin and Kelis Ford, they were a very passionate couple. We're going to have to act the part in public, if for no other reason than we don't know what reports the Darkness might have on the Fords. My point is we'll have to act married. We have to pretend to be in love."
"It's a matter of realistic affection in public, Kim. We aren't expected to go over the top, but we have to give off the vibe of being together. We'll sit close to each other and play it cool, but add in little affectionate touches every now and then. I think we cleared the air on allot of things on the way here, so we should be okay."
His easy going tone of voice both calmed and pissed her off. On one hand she wants to applaud his understanding, while on the other she wants his insides to be tied in knots they way hers are. "We have to act like lovers," she gazed his way, and out of the corner of his eyes, he gazed back.
"... it won't be easy."
"No, it won't." Her attention focused on the lonely dust roads ahead, Kimberly fended off all her feelings toward the man beside her. If she needed to suppress, then she'd choke down her heart and bury it deeper than any grave. The mission will come first, and nothing during it will deter her mind or focus. Not even the pull she begrudgingly admits she still feels so strongly for Tommy.
The Command Center
The Tech Division that covered the entire 7th floor.
Laboratory B-1
Saturday, March 13, 2005 10:25 PM
Angel Grove, Ca
Webster's Dictionary defines the word 'smile' as a facial expression formed by an upward curving of the corner of the mouth indicating pleasure, affection, and or amusement. A fairly accurate, albeit technical definition for something so special. The dictionaries explanation only scratched the surface of what it meant to smile. For boys, perhaps their true smiles blended together one and all. But for a girl, they meant so much more.
There are so many smiles a girl is capable of.
Consider that electric smile of pure excitement that lights up a girls eyes like she's opening presents on Christmas morning. There's the all-encompassing smile of a sweet surprise, when none were expected, that could send any frown to it's bitter grave. Then there's that trusting smile of a parent or loved one that fortified the safety net around her life. Girls lived for that first, unsure smile of young love, when everything's new and perfect in
her eyes. Girls always remembered that first smile of inner strength following a breakup when she realized that she's over it and it's finally out of her system. Thereafter, came the smirking smile of physical satisfaction as she blossomed into womanhood and found her feminine groove. But the best, all-time favorite and most wanted smile a girl could ever experience, was the most elusive of all.
The gentle, humble smile of contentment. The soft expression of curved lips and freedom of heart that spoke of a moment in your life where you possessed all you needed, wanted no more than you had, and trusted your heart completely with whomever you shared it with at that time.
The head of the Rangers Technology and Research Division, Katherine Hillard, at age twenty-six, has experienced all of those smiles save that last precious one. But that minor disappointment hasn't deterred her from living vicariously through others. Across the table from her, as she was re-connecting a DNA signature identifier to a homing beacon, sat a smiling twenty-three year old, Lynn Saunders. Katherine's personal assistant, and one of M.I.T's youngest and most brilliant graduates. A favorite among the new staff, having worked at the Command Center for the last nine months, the friendly, focused red head had a glow about her this evening. One that Katherine recognized could only mean one thing. "Lynn, spill. Now."
Lifting her gave over the LCD monitor she's working at, Lynn's emerald eyes shone a sense of pure amusement, complimented by her lovely olive skin. "Excuse me, Ms. Hillard?"
"I said spill it," Katherine repeated herself, sitting back in the chair with her legs crossed. She tucked a few errant strands of her luminous blond hair behind her ear. "It's late and you're smiling like it's the best day of your life. I want answers, Ms. Saunders," she questioned her assistant playfully enough. Despite their rank, there's a easy going friendship that's bloomed between them. "What are you so happy about at this late hour?"
Sighing wistfully, Lynn shifted in her seat, kicking the balls on her chair so that she could face her boss. "I... I, uhm... I was snooping around Mark's apartment last night, and I found something," she managed to say around the widest grin imaginable.
Mark Johnson, age twenty-four. A thoroughly handsome fireman with unruly dark hair and a rugged, untamed attitude, but a sincere heart of gold beneath the surface. A real sweetie in Katherine's eyes. She's met him twice when she took her staff out for drinks. She was damn impressed. "Snooping around your mans apartment is a girls right. Whatever did you find?" Lynn's serene facial expression could only be described as wondrous. Her mood's stuck on Cloud 9. She's beaming, and doing her best to contain what she probably felt was an unprofessional amount of glee.
"An engagement ring," Lynn finally forced herself to say, allowing the words and their meaning to surround her as they had all day long. Her bosses hand slowly lifted to cover her smiling mouth as she sprinted from around the table and hugged her so tight. "We're going out for breakfast at his grandparents house tomorrow morning, and it's a twenty-minute drive from there to this lake his Dad asked his Mom to marry him at." She's measuring her breathing to calm down as her boss looked on, so happy for her. "Mark told me that his Mom thought that lake was the most beautiful setting in the world to her, and that if he ever asked anyone to marry him, he should do it there. He's so close to his Mom, and he told me when we first started dating that he was going to do just that."
Although she's genuinely happy for her friend, Katherine tempered her joy with a bit of a reality check. "Are you absolutely sure he's going to ask tomorrow? I wouldn't want you to get your hopes up in case he doesn't."
As Lynn considered the possibility, too many curious events in the past week have led her to one, inescapable conclusion. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure. It's a two hour and a half hour drive to his grandparents home, and we never go there for breakfast, ever. We have to get up very early, and I can't help but to think he's looking to set the mood right. He loves watching the sun rise. I think he's going to propose then."
Lynn's practically reeking with unbridled joy. A welcome emotion around these somber parts. "I'm so happy for you," Katherine offered with a gentle hug. "You two make a great couple. It's going to be wonderful," she assured her nervous assistant, who probably didn't need it, but welcomed it just the same.
"Thank you. I'm just so excited."
Nodding understandably, Katherine leaned over her assistants shoulder and pressed a few keys on Lynn's keyboard, then shut off her computer. "It's time you called it a night, Lynn. Get out of here. Go home and get some sleep. You have a big day ahead of you."
"You're the best," Lynn said graciously. She quickly grabbed her purse and jacket, barreling towards the door. "Are you sure this is okay? I mean I could stay if you need me."
Katherine shook her head, shooing her away with a hand wave. "Get out of here and get engaged. Don't come to work on Monday without a diamond on your hand."
"You're so invited to the wedding, boss," Lynn teased hopefully, waving goodbye as she left the
laboratory. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
Alone, as usual and darkly thought, as always. Katherine walked back to her work station and began saving the files she was working on, then she shut down her own computer. With the other nine consoles shut down for the evening, she sat in her high-back chair for a brief moment and relaxed, wishing away any lingering bridesmaids feelings. Never the bride and never asked, she bitched to herself, wishing it were otherwise. But as lonely as some of her nights are, what would she truly do if Tommy asked her to marry him? She couldn't answer that, and yet, she does love him. He's her first love. Her first lover. The man she trusts above all others in her life. He's also a royal pain in the ass, no matter how sexy he is. She adores him, but is not blinded by his faults. Sometimes she wonders if she sincerely wants him forever, or wants the thought of him since there is no one else.
Pushing aside those thoughts until later when she has ice cream and Aisha's comforting voice on the phone, Katherine grabbed her purse and car keys, then hit the lights. The wall hand-prompt was her next
destination. "Command Center Security Protocol R-1. Katherine Hillard. Lock-down code Beta 489-Q2334. Shows over."
After confirming her DNA with a quick bio-scan, the Command Centers automated verbal security system spoke to her in it's usual monotone voice. 'Lock-down code verified. Tech Division Laboratory 7# is secure. We are starting your cars engine in the parking garage and moving it toward the exit on the North wall. Would you require anything else this evening, Ms Hillard?'
"No, thank you. That will be all."
'Okay, then. Take care hot stuff. You are one fine Australian chick.'
"What the..." Katherine's laughing as she shut the door behind her. She's sure she'll choke Rocky for yet again messing with the Security Systems verbal replies. "That bastard," she swore under her breath.
"If you think that's bad," Jason said from the end of the hall, catching her luminous gaze, holding an elevator for them, "The bathroom in my personal office, when I flush the toilet, it says 'Go to hell, Jason. And eat more fiber.' Rocky's sense of humor gets stranger and stranger as the years pass."
Smiling at her good friend, she thanked his chivalry with a pat on the chest, stepping aside as he entered the elevator. "Two months ago every time Tommy walked in his office the system shouted 'You Steven Seagal wannabe.' He so did not like that."
Jason could only imagine. "Yeah, well Tommy did wear that pony tail for years."
"And he used to like Steven Seagal's earlier movies."
"He deserved it."
"Yes he did, though I never told him that," Kat revealed as the silver-streamed walls blurred past. The elevators gravity shell descended rapidly. Having always enjoyed the others company, this is the end of a long day for both of them, and there's not much to say except for what they probably don't want to talk about. "Kim and Tommy should be meeting with their Darkness contact soon."
Jason checked his watch, nodding. "You worried?"
"Depends on what you're asking," Katherine shrugged as the doors opened, She walked out first, followed by Jason as their cars sat waiting for them just ahead. The large duel exit doors were open. The attendants waved and walked off, as usual. "Professionally speaking, it's a scary assignment and I just want them both home safe and sound as soon as possible."
Jason rested his hand on her shoulder, motioning her to talk for a minute. "So this worry isn't just professional?"
"I'll answer that if you do."
A stand-off was brewing. He wasn't surprised. Katherine did not mince words, nor did she shy away from uncomfortable conversations. He always liked that about her. "Professionally speaking, they can handle anything that's thrown at them. It's just there's so little intelligence for what they are walking into. To many unknown variables. It's very dangerous."
His serious tone of voice couldn't shadow a lingering sense of doubt that was anything but professional. "That's not the only thing on your mind, is it?"
With his arms crossed his chest, he quirked a brow her way. "Are you a psychic now?"
"Just asking you like you asked me."
"I'm just avoiding that the same way you did."
"Touché." He certainly had a presence about him. And a gorgeous smile. Now when exactly was the last time she appraised his looks?
Jason leaned against his black 2005 Nissan Maxima, keys dangling off his fingertip. What he was about to confess, he doubted anyone else would understand that wasn't close to Tommy. "I miss my brother."
Before she'd ever known a Angel Grove existed, Tommy and Jason were like brothers. That undeniable bond that's been stretched to it's limits in recent years. "He misses you too." Jason looked as if he wanted her to elaborate, but she choose not too. Grown men needed to work out their own differences.
"I don't know how to fix things."
"Just talk to him when he gets back."
"It's not that simple."
As if a light switch was suddenly turned on, it struck Katherine what this was really about. "Oh, I get it. That ole guy rule. Never let a girl come between you and your friend."
"I broke that rule."
His grimace said it all. "Kim was single, Jason. She broke up Tommy years ago. You can't feel guilty about dating her."
"The guy rule doesn't have a expiration date, Kat. You're not supposed to date your buddies ex's. That's how it goes."
"Then why did you break the guy rule?"
"Becasue I was lonely. And Kim is a extraordinary woman."
She's just a woman like any other, Katherine thought bitterly to herself, then smacked the hell out of that inner bitch trying to get a rise out of her. Kim's a good, trusted friend and no amount of old school jealousy was going to affect her opinion of her. "She's obviously worth your friendship with Tommy."
Jason averted his gaze, quietly wishing for what was not there. "... she doesn't love me."
Why did that echo sound eerily familiar, only with the word 'he' at the beginning? "Looks like you strike out twice."
Her candor surprised him. "Aren't you supposed to tell me I'm wrong and try to cheer me up?"
"You know her better than I do. You know if she feels something or not."
"How about you and Tommy?"
"What about us?"
"Does Tommy love you?"
The truth or a lie? Sometimes the lie sounded so much better, even to yourself. "As much as he can."
"Is that enough?"
"No. But the sentiment is mutual," she attempted to explain. "I think we're waiting until we're both in the same place. Unfortunately, we've been dating off and on for years."
"And now he's on a mission with the woman he once loved more than anything else in the world."
"Way to dampen a girl's evening, Jason," she teased with a smile.
"Do you worry about them falling in love again?"
"No," she replied truthfully as she opened her car door. "I worry they never fell out."
Not another word was spoken as they exited the Command Center's parking garage, driving off into the night.
The Comeback Inn bar
Saturday, March 13, 2005 11:10 PM
Silver Cliff, Colorado
Dark, whirling storm clouds set a foreboding tone from above. Nearing their destination, it sat on a long lonely dirt road, practically in the middle of nowhere.
The worn, scruffy exterior of the Comeback Inn bar hardly resembled a meeting place for potential investors looking to join a terrorist organization. Then again, the mere fact of what's taking place tonight is evidence alone of how looks can be deceiving.
Armed and ready, Tommy held the rusty, creaking door open as Kim glided past him inside. It's typical seedy bar atmosphere greeted them, right down to the dart boards, cigarette machine, and a old jukebox in the corner. The place looked nearly deserted, save the overweight bartender, a blonde female patron near the door sitting at one of the tables, and three guys playing pool near the back wall.
All eyes immediately turned the newcomers way as Kimberly and Tommy took their first tentative steps. The scent of beer and cigarettes was as expected as the posters of scantily clad women bent over cars plastered on the wall nearest to the bar. Having studied photos of their contact, Cortez Raul, in the car, they haven't spotted him yet. Dressed in all black for business, they stuck out like a sore thumb, leaving no doubt they were out of towner's. That's the whole point. So far so good as Tommy gently grasped Kim's hand. Her instant flinch went unnoticed by everyone around them except the man whose she's hand she now held. He didn't have time to ask why she reacted the way she did. "Let's take a seat over there."
Professionalism beat out the slight electric charge Kim felt course through her when Tommy took her hand
in his. Her gun's loaded, safely tucked in her jacket holster, just incase. Unlike the other patrons in the bar, Kim noticed the woman sitting alone hadn't taken her eyes off of them yet. Was she simply taken by Benjamin's good looks, or is she the look out?
After pulling Kim's chair, Tommy sat down across from her. They could easily see over each others shoulders, wary of trouble. A team in every way. Suddenly, the blonde woman's on the move, coming up behind Tommy. He saw Kimberly's hand slip just inside her jacket, and with a shift of his eyes, warded her off. This felt like it was supposed to happen. He had a instinct about these things. Kim followed his lead.
"Benjamin and Kelis Ford?" the stranger called out from over Tommy shoulder, her voice deeper than expected for a woman.
"Yes," Kim acknowledged with a pointed stare, as any wife would when a woman she did not know moved a little to close to her husband. "And you are?"
"Marian," she replied coldly, meeting Kim's possessive glare with her cobalt blue eyes. "I work with
Mr. Raul." Sparing a secondary glance Kim's way, the strangers hand traced slowly over Tommy's shoulder as she leaned down between them. "The party's in the back. Follow me."
Pushing aside the urge to shoot the woman, as that would be stupid, Kim held her peace.
Cracked hardwood floors clicked beneath her heels when Marian walked off suddenly. Neither the bartender nor the guys playing pool paid them any mind, not even looking up their way as they walked by. So far, so
good. "Showtime," Tommy muttered under his breath as he and Kim followed her to the back area, past a curtain screen.
Just ahead down the hallway was a small, dimly lit room. Marian entered first, but Tommy and Kim's path was quickly blocked by a huge hulking bald man with a dragon tattoo covering most of his right arm. Wearing a leather vest over a dark plaid shirt, his menacing presence was formidable.
"You got guns?"
A odd question to ask, Tommy thought. Why not check for them? "Yeah. Both of us," he stood his ground, meeting the mans cold expression with an equal one.
Suddenly, the bald man seemed to suppress a smirk. "Everyone here got guns. You'll feel right at home." He's amused by the somewhat surprised expression on their faces. He's seen the same on the other guests as well. Lifting a dark metallic rod, he held it out in front of Tommy first, screening him from his feet to up over his head, then did the same to Kim. "Just checking for listening devices."
"You care if we're bugged, but not if we're carrying weapons?" Kim half-asked as her and Tommy were permitted entrance to the room. The bald man did not reply, simply excusing himself to the front of the bar.
Once inside the small room, Tommy recognized him first, followed by Kim. Cortez Raul sat behind a desk in the corner of the room. Reports say the patch he wore over his left eye stemmed from a murder attempt on his life several years ago in prison. He did sixteen long years in Marion County Prison and survived to tell about it. The deep course lines drawn across his hardened face spoke of a man who knew little of the comforts of life. Nonetheless, with his good eye he conveyed a man of purpose by the set of his shoulders and the way he held his head.
The walls were a dingy color of gray and the floors were made of the same hardwood as the front area. On the right side of the room sat a small table with three Dell laptop computers, all turned on. On the left side of the room sat two men neither Kim nor Tommy had ever seen before. The ultra high-tech digital camera embedded in a button on Kim's jacket snapped rapid fire pictures as she turned around. Having passed a detection screening already, their spy-ware seems to be holding up. They'll be plenty of photos to go over tonight and email to the Command Center.
"I see the last of our guests have arrived," Cortez's gravely Mexican-accented voice greeted them as he stood to his feet, rounded the table and shook Tommy's hand with a firm grim. An appreciative, and slightly lecherous leer for Kim, followed by a curt nod. "I trust you did not have trouble finding this place?"
"No problem at all."
Cortez neither looked pleased nor that he cared. Nonetheless, he drank in the sight of Kimberly just a little
to long. "You are a very lucky man to have such a lovely wife, Mr. Ford."
As their first act of affection, Tommy slowly lifted Kim's hand to his lips and pressed a tender kiss there for show. "I tell myself that every day."
"You're far to kind, Mr. Raul," Kim offered with a mock of a smirk the older mans way, for appearances sake. She didn't like the way he was looking at her, but if he's attracted to her it could be an advantage to be exploited later on. She played it cool.
"No. It is you that are far to beautiful."
Beautiful... No man that has ever said 'that' word to her failed to ever make her 'feel' it the way Tommy did. No time for those thoughts at the moment. Kim leaned into Tommy's side, her eyes focused on Cortez. Just playing the game.
Temptation aside, Cortez felt it was time to get down to business. "I'd like to introduce you all to Benjamin and Kelis Ford out of New York City. They own Eagle Wings Airways," he proceeded to explain. "Like all of you, they have the foresight, the frustration, and see the need for radical change in a corrupt society on a global
scale." With a wave of his hand, he motioned Kim and Tommy to take the last two empty chairs near the other men. "Before we start, I'd like to finish the introductions." Cortex leaned against the edge of his desk. "My friend sitting in the chair against the back wall is Gao Xu Hong. He represents the Guangdong Grand Resources International Investment Corporation in China. He's traveled half way around the world to be here, and for that I am most gracious."
Gao quietly nodded his confirmation, impeccably dressed in a dark blue suit. "I hope my trip was worth it, Mr. Raul," he said in a heavily Asian accent. Nonetheless, his English came off very fluent.
"Trust me, Mr. Hong. You will be astounded," Cortez confidently assured him. "The gentleman sitting next to him is Adar Mikati. He is the son of the owner of Kawkab Oil Company based in Syria. A billionaire in his own right, and a man with vision. He too has traveled here under extreme circumstances. Especially considering this countries current political climate. We are most welcome you could attend."
Adar acknowledged the group without a word spoken, his demeanor as understated as his dress.
"Ladies and gentleman," Cortez began almost somberly, as if recalling a none to fond memory. "The world stands on a precipice of chaos. Famine, war, disease, and the ever present bickering of Governments with far to much power and even grander egos threaten humanity now more than ever. No one, no where, is safe anymore. It's time something was done about it." Making direct, formal eye contact with everyone in the room, he continued. "The Darkness is a brotherhood of men and women with the vision and commitment to seek out a better society by any means necessary." He allowed the seriousness of his words to linger in the air, pausing for effect. "Nuclear weapons are in the hands of Governments that seek to handcuff their own people while trying to rule everyone else. We have diseases ravaging whole countries. We have wars breaking out in small countries that will lead or have already led to greater conflicts with far more powerful nations. Then there is the ever present and known threat from forces outside our planet. Day after day after day news reports discuss the freaks and mutants running rampant all over the world, doing who knows what. The Power Rangers are a shell of their once formidable selves, and everyone knows it. With Zordon's death, came the end of the Morphing powers. The end of those huge battle machines. They no longer wield the ultimate power on this planet. And after their last war, they lost their greatest asset," he seemed to smile at the very end. "The Darkness is preparing a campaign to reshape, focus, and lead this world into a new age. One of peace and prosperity, where famine and disease are wiped clean from the face of the planet."
"All of us are obviously very intrigued, Mr. Raul," Gao commented. "But how does the Darkness plan on accomplishing such a lofty goals? The reports I have on your organization had you barely numbered at five thousand members. You are seeking financial backers, and yet you claim your brotherhood can reshape the world. I fail to see how any of this is possible."
Cortez understood his reasoning, welcoming the opportunity to explain. "Our numbers won't matter when the time comes to change the world, Gao." He nodded respectfully. "As far as the financial backing goes, we have the ability as of this very moment to take any amount of money we want from anywhere on the planet, but such a brash move might attract unwanted attention our way. We have a time-table and we want no surprises. Procuring finances from the likes of you all will hide our activities while we work. Ours is a secret society, and grandiose displays of power are not necessary... yet."
"I sincerely hope you have something of value to show us tonight, Mr. Raul," Kim interjected in the meeting. "So far we have words, but no substance to back them up."
"Quite perceptive, Mrs. Ford." Cortez walked back around his table, took a seat in his chair and pulled a small squared keypad from his pocket, laying it face down on the desk. "You have all been instructed to stay nearby in town, as you will be meeting our leader in the next few days. The time and place are secret, and you are advised to be ready to move at a moments notice."
"Again?" Tommy declared. "Why should we not catch the very next flight out of Colorado after we leave here?"
"Because, Mr. Ford, if you did you would miss out on a chance to witness this." Lifting the keypad in his hand, Cortez pressed a small red button. A flash of blinding white light illuminated the room to the point that everyone had to shut their eyes and look away. When the light faded, what they all were shocked to see was Cortez sitting in his chair, but the desk was gone. He was wearing a positively maniacal expression. "Teleportation, as you all well know, is now impossible on Earth. Not the Rangers, nor their US Government sponsored scientists, nor their enemies know how to break through the cascading waves of unknown radiation surrounding the Earth that would wreck havoc on any attempted teleportation. It is their one weakness, and our greatest advantage that will allow us to create anew what is broken and frayed. Imagine," his voice rose as he spoke, "A united people of the world. One nation. One ruling body. No disease. No famine. No separation of nations over religion or politics. There would be one faith for all in our perfect society." Cortez methodically walked towards the door, holding the small
keypad in the palm of his hand. "Teleportation is a power now held solely in the Darkness's hands, and we hold far more than that. What you have seen, and are about to see is but a drop in the bucket of what we have planned and are capable of." Satisfied that he has their undivided attention, Cortez finished things up. "Now, if you'll all show us a sign of your sincere interest, please walk over to the laptops and transfer twelve million dollars each into the account listed on-screen. You have five minutes. Expect to hear from us soon if you want in. If not, leave Colorado immediately and never speak of this meeting, or you and your entire family will die." Pressing another button, the blinding light flashed around him, and he was gone.
Tommy heard similar sounds coming from the front area, and quickly jogged back there to look around. The bartender, the blonde, the big guy and the guys playing pool were all gone. Teleported away... his heart fell. He was far to young, as were all the Rangers when they held such power at their fingertips. Teleportation could be an incredible tool for good, or a twisted weapon of unimaginable evil. Zordon, despite the many pleas from every nation on Earth for humanitarian reasons, never, ever shared the technology with them.
He often told the Rangers it could be converted into a genocidal weapon. Now it seems they are facing that all to real possibility.
Racing into the back room again, Tommy found Kimberly typing away at the laptop, alongside the other two gentleman. He agreed, and knew she would do what was necessary to get them on the inside. Paying the money was but a first step. What was once a mission to discover a biological weapon and hunt down a former enemy, has now become a thousand times more dangerous. The power of teleportation being in the hands of a terrorist group had world-wide implications of the terrible kind.
The 'funds transferred successfully' screen gave Kim a brief sigh of relief. The first she's had ever since that desk disappeared. She knew all to well how horrifically dangerous the Darkness were now that they possess the single most powerful tool on Earth. To what degree, she doesn't know yet, but even that small demonstration had her very concerned. Standing from the desk, she thought over Cortez's last words. "Five minutes," she whispered to herself. The other to men rose as well, staring at her. She looked back at them, as realization hit them all. "I think we need to get out of here. Now!"
They all sprinted from the back room, passing the pool tables as they ran for the front door, exiting outside the bar as a light rain began to fall. Tommy and Kim ran to their car, as did the other two men, both of whom had men waiting for them. No doubt bodyguards.
Suddenly a massive array of brilliant light enveloped the entire bar, whisking it away whole in a mighty cloud of dust as the gentle rains fell faster, soaking the ground. Nothing was left before them save a large vacant lot and a memory they won't soon forget.
"Not even Billy, whose been working on the problem for almost two full years, is anywhere near close to solving how to teleport again," Kim said as she stood next to Tommy in the pouring rain. "How did they do it?"
"I don't know, Kim. But we will find out."
415 Broadway St 415
Sunday, March 14, 2005 12:30 AM
Silver Cliff, Colorado
"Home sweet home," Tommy declared after he turned off the trucks engine in the two-car driveway. "For however long we're here."
Thankfully, the rain storm subsided on their way over. Kim's first out of the truck, welcoming any distance, however slight, she can place between her and Tommy. As if the tension between them wasn't enough to worry about, what they've learned tonight only added to their troubles. The majority of drive over was spent in silence, with each collecting their own thoughts about the evening. Having just arrived, at least a good nights sleep was on the horizon.
With her hands in her jacket pockets, Kimberly stood in the driveway and took a good long look at her new
home. "Not bad at all."
The large ponderosa pine and aspen trees in the front yard gave the two-story home a country feel with the convenience of small town living nearby. By Tommy's early estimation, this home was everything one would expect from a family home, right down to the tire swing hanging from a tree alongside the house. "Let's get inside and get settled."
His 'leader voice' came off somewhat harder than she expected. Something's bothering him and it's not the mission thus far. Great, just great. Shaking her head, Kim grabbed her bags from the back of the truck and followed Tommy up to the door. Thankfully, the keys were exactly where Janine said they would be, under the welcome
mat. Tommy handed Kim one of them, then used the other to open the front door.
A click and a door knob twist later.
Once inside, Tommy flipped the light switch on, illuminating their way. The living room was large and inviting, as well as fully furnished. Navaho white walls complimented plush Beaulieu Innocent Blush carpeting throughout the room and up the stairs to the second floor. There's a hand-crafted wood burning fireplace, and the entertainment center consisted of a 35'inch flat-screen TV with a DVD player and a X-box. Two gorgeous Chinese Dragon oil paintings and a couple of mahogany lamps, along with a four-piece bronze sectional couch and matching inn table made up the rest of the modest ensemble.
Kim trailed her fingers along the soft fabric of the furniture. "Well, if we're going to be here for a while, at least it we'll be comfortable."
Tommy dropped his bags to the floor next to Kim's. Pressing his finger to his lips, she knew what he was saying from the gesture alone. They each went through their tech-bag and each produced a silver, ruler-sized baton. One small red button on the handle turned them on, with a faint blue glow emitted from the tip. Meticulously, from every phone jack to wall outlet, testing the digital cable wires, under all the furniture, the central air unit vents, the lamps, the entertainment center, and behind both oil paintings they searched for any listening or video devices. Billy, Katherine and their teams not only had the best spy-ware in the known galaxy, they also possessed the best detection devices imaginable.
"It's a nice downstairs, so far," Kim added, cryptically informing Tommy when she returned from the kitchen that all was clear there. He nodded as they walked upstairs to the second floor. Two hallway closets were clean, as was the first bathroom. The master and guest bedrooms were their next destinations. Kim worked her way through the master bedroom, with it's master bathroom coming up clean as well.
Tommy took the guest room, finding nothing to report. He exited to find Kim approaching him. "The house is all clear. And we don't have an attic to worry about."
"Someone could have tailed us when we left the bar."
"It doesn't matter if they know where we are. Only that they aren't able to monitor any of our conversations or information transfers."
"Agreed," Kim noted after a thought. They reached the bottom of the stairs, heading back to their luggage. Next up, each retrieved a thick, bubble-wrap lined bag filled with bottle-cap sized black disks. "I'll take the basement, and everywhere down here. You do the upstairs."
Tommy looked up with a hint of a smirk dancing along his lips. "Who made you the boss?"
"Since when have I not been the boss of us?" she had all the nerve in the world to tease. "Back when we were dating, when I wanted you to go to the mall with me, didn't you always go?"
"Usually after we made out for an hour with you sitting on my lap," Tommy replied with a devil of a grin. "Should I take a seat?"
"You wish," she taunted, backing slowly towards the living room. She spun on her heel when she heard his footsteps going upstairs. Exhaling a deep breath she didn't know she was holding, Kim set the first black disk underneath the kitchen table. It's adhesive surface clung immediately, holding it steady. "One down. Twenty to go."
Created by Billy and his staff five months ago using the best Earth and alien technology available, the small black disks were called 'L.O.V.E' bugs. It stood for 'Listening Objects Video Emitter'. Bugs at the end just for the heck of it. The small devices could track any signal being transmitted from or to where it is located, as well as trace it back to it's source of origin. If any hidden cameras or listening devices were aimed at the house, tracking visual, audio, or even heat signatures, the devices would arm and scramble the signal instantly. They worked in unison, each wirelessly connected to the other to join as one.
After planting her last disk on the small basement window facing the backyard, Kim made her way back to the kitchen, and then the living room. She found Tommy unpacking their personal lap tops on the inn table. "Here, let me get you the pictures."
While waiting for the lap-tops to boot up, Tommy tried not to stare when she bent over her coat to retrieve the light-weight hidden camera. She looks fantastic and smells even better, but none of those truths had any place here on this mission. And while he knows himself well enough to know he won't have a problem 'faking' an affection for her, he doubted she could say the same. That's a conversation for later, no matter how tired they are. "I'm transmitting our Command Center passwords now."
"Our first report will certainly stir up a hornets nest." Beating back a yawn courtesy of the late
hour, Kim added. "Afterwards, let's order a pizza from that all-night diner we passed on the way here. I'm starved."
"Cheese, sausage, pepperoni, and mushrooms, right?"
Kim tilted her head towards him with a surprised expression on her face. "You still remembered."
His gaze flickered warily towards her. "You're hard to forget."
When he turned away her heart clenched suddenly, and she for the life of her didn't know why.
One Hour Later
"You have got to be kidding."
"Hardly. I knew it. And so did everyone else."
The deep dish pizza arrived ten minutes ago, along with a two-liter of root beer. The warmth coming from the fire place was a pleasant contrast to the stormy weather of the last couple of hours. A relaxed mood, at least as relaxed as they were capable of had set in. With Tommy seated on the floor next to her, Kimberly could not fathom why he revealed what he just did. "Billy never had a crush on me. If he did I would have known it."
"Didn't you ever catch him looking at you?"
"Yeah, but no more than Zack or Jason."
"Trini told me he had it bad for you just before I moved to Angel Grove. He was just shy, you know."
"She never told me, and I know she would have."
"She was protecting Billy's feelings."
"I've known Billy since I was seven years old. If he ever had a thing for me I would have seen it coming a mile away."
"And why are you so sure of that?" Tommy fixed her with a curious expression, all the while forcing himself to not stare when her tongue darted out after a stringy length of cheese. "Kim, guys can hide crushes
just as well, if not better, than girls."
"You couldn't."
Denying that would be futile so he shoved another slice of pizza in his mouth before she noticed. Setting the half eaten slice back down on the box, he reached for a napkin. "I was never very good at hiding how I felt about girls because I didn't know anything about them. Girls made me nervous."
A wealth of amusement laced her voice. "So you're saying Billy knew more about us girls than you did at that age?"
"Probably," he laughed, then finished off the rest of the slice. "Two of his best friends were girls since he was little. Up to that point in my life I was casually friendly with girls, but I didn't have one that I could point to and say she was a close and personal friend."
"Not until me?" Kim asked, even surprising herself a little.
Honey, with a dash of cinnamon best described her voice at times. Tommy ducked away from her. "Yeah, I suppose so."
Every time he licked pizza sauce from his fingers she struggled to maintain her sanity. They've been together mere hours and his presence is already wrecking havoc on her senses. "Did Billy ever confide in you that he had a crush on me?"
"Yeah, at a poker game at Adam's place one night, years ago. He told me that he had thought for a while, not long after freshman year started that just maybe you would be receptive to him if he asked you out, but then after he saw you watching me," Tommy alluded to with no small amount of pride, "He knew he didn't stand a chance."
With a snort Kim rolled her eyes at his cocky display. "Oh, whatever." He shrugged, digging back into another slice of pizza. The mood between them is comfortable so far. A little to comfortable for her liking. In fact, if they weren't on a serious mission she'd be worried about how the night would end. When their eyes made contact, sparks were flying everywhere. She knows he can feel it too.
"Did you ever have a thing for Jason?"
That question seemed to come out of nowhere, until she gave it some thought. Present circumstances spoke volumes. "No, never really. I saw him like a brother. Plenty of girls would tell me how hot he was or how handsome and all that. I knew he was attractive, but the thought of kissing him never crossed my mind. He was just my best guy friend."
Something of a moody exhale escaped his lips. "Things certainly have changed."
"He misses you." Their separation had gone on long enough, so Kim pried for both their sakes. Tommy seemed to shift ever so much away from her, his stare now focused on the fire place. "And I can tell you miss him too."
"Let it go, Kim."
"Why can't the two of you put aside this macho bullshit, sit down, and talk things out?"
"There's nothing to talk about."
"And I suppose this is all my fault?"
The frustration he felt was etched all over his face. "You don't understand."
"Help me to understand." Kim observed a wealth of emotions play over the handsome features of his face. She at once wanted to comfort and scold him. "Look, I know everyone is busy these days and no one has time to hook up the way we used too. I get that. But you two were like brothers. So why are you not close anymore?"
Tommy started to say something quickly, then held himself in check. He laid his back to the couch, his shoulder almost touching her thigh. "We grew apart. Time, distance, our careers until we became Rangers again. We drifted until there just wasn't anything to talk about anymore."
She hoped her first thought as to why they can't work things out wasn't the true reason why. That hope is
gone. "And then he started dating me."
Tommy turned to her. "If you want me to be politically correct and say that had nothing to do with this, I'm sorry, I can't."
"At least you're honest."
"Of course I miss him," Tommy confessed at long last, if a bit angrily. "It's not like we're at each others throats or that I hate the guy. But when we're around each other we don't have anything to say."
"How is it so hard with you two when Kat and me get along just fine?"
"Guys have rules, Kim. And they don't make sense if you don't have a penis."
"Have you ever said that to Katherine before?"
"Yep."
"And what did she do?"
"She kicked me hard under a table."
"I knew there was something about that girl I liked," Kim smiled at Tommy, who returned the same, allowing their gaze to linger just a moment longer than necessary. The connection broke, with both looking away. "The bed in the guest room sure looks comfortable."
"Yeah, I think you'll enjoy it."
"Oh no, Mr. Oliver. I'm taking the master bedroom."
"And why do you get it without discussion?"
"Because I said so."
"There you go again, being bossy," he teased her. "We could share."
His offer made her body tingle. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?" His eyes held a hint of uncertainty. She took a deep controlled breath. Okay, so they're still attracted to each other. She simply had to accept it.
"The master bedroom has the bigger bed. That's the only plus in the room."
"Ouch," Kim tossed a verbal shadow his way.
"Hey, you dumped me, remember?"
"And now you're reminding me why."
Kim's a difficult woman. Privately, Tommy felt that being difficult was built in with the XX chromosome, until the one time he mentioned that in front of Katherine and she hit him in the head with a book. "If you want me to sleep in there with you, just say so. I can relate if you aren't used to sleeping alone these days."
In some ways he could have slapped her and would have achieved the same effect. "It's not the sleeping that I would miss." His scowl signaled she won that round. But dammit, even his scowl was sexy. Things between them might have been strained, but they were so much easier to deal with when they hadn't buried the past. Now all that's left is their... Kim shook herself. Time to switch gears. "How could a right-wing militia group gain access to teleportation technology, much less get it to work on Earth again?"
Tommy didn't have a clue, and that bothered him a great deal. "We've been trying for years to figure out how to teleport again, and that's with the help of some of the greatest minds in the universe. Scorpina's background didn't speak of anything scientific. Neither did her connections. She brokered genetic virus deals, but didn't create the virus's herself."
"But we know she helped the Darkness somehow. She had too. We just need to find out why."
Tommy turned reflective, closing the pizza box after he and Kim had eaten their fill. "The Darkness reportedly have a lethal airborne virus and now they have access to teleportation. The things they could do..."
Kim heard the sudden chill in Tommy's voice. It matched the one crawling up her spine. "I used to sometimes wonder why Zordon refused to share the teleportation technology with the U.N. They asked for humanitarian reasons many times. I didn't always agree with Zordon back then, but now I see why he did what he did. Teleportation is far to dangerous for anyone to have. Even us, in a way."
"My thoughts exactly. We have to move fast on this, at least in terms of gaining the Darkness's trust. They will probably want a much bigger cash deposit when they contact us next and we meet their leader. Then most likely they'll be expecting us to go home until we're called again. We need to get in their organization. We need a reason for staying in Silver Cliff."
"Since Benjamin and Kelis own their own business, a cover story for us being away for a while will sound plausible. Our company has been around for a number of years and is pretty self-sufficient judging by our reports. We just need a way on the inside of the Darkness."
"We'll think of something. At the very least from what we heard tonight there's still some time before whatever major move they have planned will take place. I think we'll get our chance." Standing to his feet, Tommy grabbed the pizza box and their glasses. "I'll take these away."
"Thanks." Kim felt shaky and a bit disoriented when he walked into the kitchen. It was almost impossible to force herself to stop staring at the way he moved, from letting her gaze linger on his smoothly powerful shift of muscles under his shirt, to the snug fit of his jeans. She frowned slightly, raking her fingers through her hair. Tommy returned, taking his place on the floor again.
For a long moment the world around them seemed to recede into nothingness. As distracting as being so close to her was, so far away from home and their past, he had to remind himself the mission came first. And to do that he felt they needed to head-on address what happened earlier today. "Kim, can we talk about what happened on the way here? You know, in the back of the Mach-One?"
Kim bit her lip, thoughtfully. "If you want to that's fine, but it's not necessary. It wasn't that big of a deal." She lied because she needed to. It was easier that way, applying no importance to a split seconds worth of bliss.
Her words were a bit of a let down if he's honest with himself, but maybe he needed her to feel that way. Shifting on the floor, he looked up at her, and found her attention focused solely on him. "I don't have an excuse for what I did... the kiss, I mean. I hope I didn't offend you. I was the one that initiated it."
"I wasn't offended," Kim assured him with compassion. "I just... I was surprised."
"You are so beautiful, Kim," he struggled to say against his better judgment, unwilling to give her the power she doesn't know she still has over him. Her features softened when he called her 'that' word. "It was a moment and..."
"Tommy, this doesn't have to be a big deal." Her hearts pounding so very hard in her chest.
"I see," he responded with a spurt of defensiveness.
His mood sank, though he tried to hide it from her. Did he want her to say what would help them accomplish their mission or the truth, which was that at the moment he kissed her, she wanted it and so much more. "Don't worry about it, alright. It was a moment, and it's over. We're cool."
Perhaps in that all to brief second their lips touched for the first time in nearly ten years, he saw what he wanted to see. A spark of interest. No matter. He shoved the slight ache aside. Her somewhat stoic demeanor was another
concern. "Now that we've settled that, there's one last thing I think we need to talk about."
"And that is?"
"Our behavior in public. Especially around town and in front of others," he began. "Look, I know this is as awkward for you as it is for me. With our past and the fact that both of us have other poeple in our lives, it's just not going to be easy."
"Spit it out already."
"I'm worried that you are going to have a hard time being close to me in public. We're supposed to be a very passionate married couple. I'm not saying we have to have outlandish displays of affection, but tonight when I touched your hand you flinched and looked very uncomfortable. That could raise eye brows in front of the wrong people."
Kim's glare said it all. It's her turn to be on the defensive. "Do you think I'm not up to this?"
"This is the only part of what we're here to do that I worry about."
"I can't believe you think I can't cut it."
"I think I affect you."
"You were the one that kissed me today, remember."
"It's wasn't in public."
"And just because I didn't grasp your hand like a love-sick teenager, I'm a liability in public?"
"Possibly."
The nerve of him enraged Kim. Her jaw tightened with anger as she felt utterly insulted. Nonetheless, the challenge laid before her would not go unbeaten. A fire in her belly had been stoked to a roaring blaze over his assumption of her abilities.
When Kimberly slinked down off the couch Tommy followed her closely with his eyes. His features smoothed into a bland mask, revealing nothing of what he was thinking. Her held her smoldering gaze with his own, and clearly saw what this was all about. If she had a point to prove to him, he intended to let her.
When she slipped over his thighs, straddling him on a low angle that aligned them fully, her arms wrapped around his neck. She pressed her body flush against his chest. Whatever madness was going through her mind had to be going through his. "I want you."
Her wide eyes a lovely shade of brown, her words spoken through lush lips, the effect was even more sensual. He resisted his first impulse with an effort. "I don't believe you."
Half the battle was already won, as she could 'feel' the hard evidence of his arousal beneath
her. "Believe this." Before she could think of the consequences, Kim enveloped his mouth, kissing him deeply. Her tongue penetrated his mouth fully, and immediately the taste, the scent, the very essence of Kimberly Ann Hart ran through him, imprinting her once again on his soul.
A rush of pure desire shot through Tommy so fiercely he could barely stand it. His mouth turned greedy, becoming the aggressor. She tasted dark and sweet and intoxicating. Oh God, how he's longed to kiss her as thoroughly as he is now.
Freeing herself of the bonds of self-restraint, Kim gave into her hunger, her unquenchable need to devour him whole. To force-feed the truth that she was his equal, capable in every way, and that he still wanted her desperately. She felt liquefied, as if she's turned into clear water and could only mold herself to the solid strength of the man pressed against her. In her mind she knew this kiss, however passionate, was to prove a point. But a far distant region of her subconscious screamed the word 'liar'.
Deep down she wanted him to remember... and to feel... and to regret and need again. When she should have felt guilty, she felt bold, plundering his mouth with such intensity.
His lashes spiked onto her face like tiny brushes. Their lips meshed, as if seeking to become one in the only way emotionally available. Somewhere deep in the back of his throat he made a soft sound. The merging of a half-growl and half-purr.
At long last Kim yanked her lips from his, unwrapping her arms from around his neck, sitting back on his thighs. Both were breathing heavy, hooded dark eyes stared. A moment of silence born of need and want and regret and duty settled in around them.
"I'm still not sure I believe you." She's his every dream and nightmare rolled into one. Alas, the temptation is simply to great. "Wanna try again?"
"Wanna fuck?"
The animal within him roared to life. Tommy's hand reached up into a swath of her hair and around the back of her neck as he tore her to him hard, capturing her lips in lustful wet kiss of decadent passion. His arms, strong and warm, encircled her waist, clutching her to him. He sucked on her tongue until she began grinding on his lap, driving him mad. The purest longing, they kissed with until Kimberly pulled back first, her chest heaving. Flushed and glorious, she rocked back against him one hard time just to hear that husky groan of his. Tommy could only watch her in awe when she lifted from his lap, took two steps backwards, wearing a smile that spoke of a confident swagger.
"You definitely believed just now that I wanted you, and so will anyone else that sees us in out in public. I can fake anything very well."
"I'm sure Jason's given you plenty of practice."
She wanted to tell him to go fuck himself. Problem was, she wanted to do it for him. Then again, as her smirk reappeared, she remembered that the truth always hurt the most. "I've never had to fake anything with Jason. Goodnight, Tommy." Before she walked upstairs she caught just enough of his angry scowl to feel damn good about herself.
Now how in the hell was she possibly supposed to get to sleep after what just happened?
The Command Center
Janine Calisters Briefing Room
Sunday, March 14, 2005 7:30 AM
Angel Grove, Ca
Billy Cranston is a genius.
To deny it would be denying that water is wet or fire is hot. The evidence to support such a claim is so immense that halfway through it you might as well throw your hands in the air and accept it.
Billy Cranston is a genius.
So that fact bears the question, what is genius? Define it. How do we give it proper meaning? Now think of scientists who embody the concept of genius. Does the name John Bardeen spring to mind? Indeed, many have never even heard of him.
Like so much in modern life, immediate name recognition often rests on a cult of personality or where it's placed in pop culture. We know Einstein, for example, not just for his tremendous contributions to science, but also because he was a character, who loved to mug for the camera. He had a distinctive look, and his accomplishments brought about, among many things, some of the most necessary basic things we use in day-to-day life.
And our continuing fascination with Richard Feynman is not exclusively based on his body of work. It is in large measure tied to his flamboyant nature and offbeat sense of humor. He was a scientist, teacher, raconteur, and musician. He assisted in the development of the atomic bomb, expanded the understanding of quantum electrodynamics, translated Mayan hieroglyphics, and cut to the heart of the Challenger disaster. You might never hear his name mentioned on MTV, but he was a genius in every meaning of the word.
Those men, and their larger than life personalities, have come to symbolize the true nature of genius and creativity. We picture them born brilliant, ahead of everyone else from day-1. But is that an accurate picture of genius? What of others who are equal in stature to these icons of science, but whom history has awarded only a nod because they did not readily engage the public? Could a person qualify as a bona fide genius if he was a regular Joe?
Enter William James Cranston. Billy to his friends and family.
Alien technology of the highest advancement was placed in his eager hands by the time he reached age
fourteen. Before the second half of his freshman year of high school began he had already traveled to three alternate dimensions, as well as calculated how to open the portals to them and how to keep others out. By age fifteen he had visited two worlds outside of Earth, and had logged more time in space than every astronaut living, save the other Rangers. At his fingertips was the full technological knowledge of Zordon, a being well over a thousand years old. Billy did not only master what was already there, he upgraded it. Made it better, faster, and more efficient. The speed and creativity with which gained prowess was staggering.
He time-traveled twice before he experienced his very first kiss.
If known publicly, a case could be made for him as being the greatest mind the world has ever known. Alas, Billy's legacy will remain hidden one. Known only to a select few friends and family on Earth, as well as in top-secret sealed records in the United States Department of Administrative Services, specifically the Division of Archives and Records Service. His name shall never appear in a history book, nor will he ever win the Nobel Prize. But one day when he dies he will be buried with every honor this government can bestow upon a living person that was never President. He has assisted in saving the world for going on fourteen years, nearly half his life, and yes, he is absolutely a genius.
Perhaps that is why as he sat quietly, lost in his analytical inner thoughts, he felt some note of a bruised ego. It's the job of others to feel and understand the fear of the problem they now face, as it is his job to solve things like this. He held Tommy and Kim's first report in his hand, reading it over and over, glossing over every detail and possibility. Janine, Jason, and Katherine were talking around him, but he often, and with no malice, tuned them out. After the war with Overlord Delex two years ago, and subsequent radioactive explosion that shifted the kinetic, solar, and gravitational energies of the planet left the Rangers without the ability to teleport. Thankfully, their enemies couldn't either, no matter if they tried mystical or technological means.
So the notion that a right-wing militia group the F.B.I once labeled as 'barely a threat' no less than three years ago now had access to what he has spent two years arduously studying and hasn't found a answer yet puzzled him greatly. After the fifth read of the report, Billy laid it back down on the desk, took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. Suddenly, all eyes were on him. "Of course Kim and Tommy would not lie, and I trust what they saw because I trust them. Teleportation, however unlikely in my view, is now available once again. I just don't know how."
The danger of this new information came as a welcome bit of distraction for Janine Calister. Kirkland passed away this day five years ago... her beloved husband. At least this will keep her mind off more personal issues and focused on the matters at hand. Seated at the head of the table, the White House appointed leader of the Rangers glanced at the 20-inch LCD monitor on her right, then back at the three individuals present. "Adam and Aisha are both out of town for personal reasons. Aisha will return by this evening and Adam by tomorrow morning. I can't move Rocky, Zachary, or Tanya at this time. All three are involved in highly sensitive situations." Short-handed at the moment. This group will do. "I have a video conference with the President Bush in one hour and I will be updating him and his cabinet on this situation. Obviously, this teleportation wrinkle brings with it a whole new set of problems."
"With the knowledge we now have, can we afford to wait before moving on the Darkness immediately?" Jason offered while closing his file. The steam from his coffee mug's still hot enough to waft the air. "Tommy and Kim confirmed the Darkness have access to teleportation. That changes everything. With teleportation they could release their virus worldwide simultaneously and we would never be able to stop it. We'd be facing a catastrophic disaster."
Katherine sat her coffee mug down on the marble table. "With the power to teleport, moving in on them is a moot point. They'll escape and set up shop somewhere else, and we'll have tipped our hand."
"At the very least a contingency strike-force should be assembled just incase we have no choice but to make a move." Jason lifted his gaze toward Katherine. "But you are right, Kat. Moving in to fast wouldn't benefit us."
She appreciated his concession. "I also think you are right in that a strike team needs to be ready to move at a moments notice." Janine seemed enthralled by her wedding band for some somber reason, or so Kat surmised. Funny. She's never seen any pictures on her desk at all. "'J?"
Janine looked up suddenly, collected herself, and took a deep breath. She sat up straight, her shoulders set, her mask back in place. "Jason, contact Colonel Pinson at the Special Forces Association in Irvine, CA. We need Black-Ops and a Ghost team kept on standby. I want them here at the Command Center. Make sure Joshua prepares whatever is needed for their stay."
"Not a problem," Jason replied, making notes in his data pad.
Janine turned her attention to Billy, who's quiet contemplation worried her. Then again, brilliance could never be truly understood. "William, can you explain again why teleportation should still be impossible on Earth?"
Yawning after having been woken up in the middle of the night, Billy leaned back in his chair before addressing the room. "An improved understanding of the basic interactions between radiation and the atmosphere underpins practically all research in atmospheric radiation and serves as the building block upon why teleportation is not only impossibly now, but shouldn't be for decades to come. For example, an intrinsic understanding of the interactions that occur on the molecular scale is fundamental to understanding radioactive forcing of climate induced by global changes in the concentrations of greenhouse gases. Overlord Delex's electro-magnetic V-bomb detonated outside the Earth, and the particle scattering, for instance, was crucial in altering molecules on a frequency level that disrupted anything moving along the..." At that point, he knew he had lost them. Even as he's gotten older he had to dumb-down things a bit. Something of a youthful grin came over his face. Jason and Kat have seen this before, and simply waited until he realized what he'd done. "Have any of you ever seen a movie called 'The Fly?'" he asked looking around the table. "In that movie the teleportation machine scrambled a man's DNA with a fly. Well imagine any teleportation device we have would do that to anything we teleported. We have brought in mystics from Calimar-9 and some of the greatest minds from Aquitar to study why teleportation has been impossible to accomplish on Earth. After two years my findings are that we still simply don't know. We have pieces of the puzzle, but they don't make sense. There are, for lack of a simpler term, jamming frequencies that alter anything teleported into one singular object when it arrives. If we teleported three people today..."
"A grisly triple person would materialize."
"Yes, Kat. A grisly triple person," he laughed.
"Hey, don't mock me," she pointed affectionately at her longtime friend. And found Jason smiling while watching her. Whatever was that about?
"Tommy and Kimberly have to be given more time to investigate before we move in with force. We need samples of that virus to come up with a vaccine or cure. The Scorpina situation and the teleportation only underline the importance of their investigation," Janine declared as she rose from her chair and began gathering her folders. "Billy, I want you and your teams to concentrate all your research on any atmospheric changes or strange radioactive or mystical energies found in and around Colorado. We know they are teleporting and there has to be something we can trace." Billy nodded. "Jason, get those strike teams assembled and make sure they are aware whatever happens, if it happens, it's off the books. Katherine, I want full detailed reports on Gao Xu Hong and Adar Mikati. Any affiliation with any organization world-wide, I want to know about it in one hour. Meeting dismissed."
Westcliffe Supermarket
50 Main St
Sunday, March 14, 2005 9:30 PM
Westcliffe, Co 81252
"Chunky Monkey ice cream, eight dollars and fifty cents. Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream, eight dollars and twenty-five cents."
Tommy might be handsome as sin, but at the moment he's grating on Kim's last nerve. Tap dancing on it, to be precise. She's a half-second away from psychotic aimed right at him.
"Cherry Garcia ice cream, seven dollars and ninety-five cents. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream, eight dollars and seventy-five cents."
Thankfully, when Kim was a young girl her mother explained to her that men would make her want to kill them for no other reason than they acted stupid sometimes, but that she should not use murder as the only option to deal with the Y chromosome. Tommy's annoyed glare fixated on her deserved a kick in the balls. Luckily for him, she has patience. A great deal of patience. And some affection, still, for him. With a few fellow night shoppers scattered about they stood alone in the frozen aisle like two cowboys in the wild west meeting at sundown for
a shootout. "And your point is?"
Obviously this all made perfectly good sense to her. For the life of him, he couldn't understand why. "That's almost thirty dollars in ice cream, Kim. Is that really necessary?"
"Do you see me complaining about that double-sized Maxim magazine right there?" she pointed in the cart. "Or that FHM magazine over there?"
"Both of those magazines have articles on new weight training techniques that I'm interested in," he offered with a straight face even he was proud of. The snickers of two older ladies strolling by signaled his comeback wasn't a particularly good one.
"And I suppose Carmen Electra and Jessica Simpson posing on the covers in thongs don't have anything to do with why you're wasting over ten bucks on this crap?"
"I didn't even notice who was on the covers. I was reading the small print. I like the articles." Crossed arms, stiff upper lip, and a air of defiance in the face of her clear frustration. Kim has never liked anyone making fun of her ice cream addiction, and that dated back to her high school days. Of course Tommy knew that, having reenacted a fight they had almost ten years ago at a Seven-11 in Angel Grove. And to think some people still thought he had a bad memory.
"So I assume that if I tore out Carmen and Jessica and all the other half-naked girls pictures and threw them away, then gave you the rest of the magazines you would be perfectly fine with that?" He faltered only a little, searching for the right comeback. It was cute and annoying at the same time. Then again, so was he. "What's wrong? Cat got your tongue."
"She's had that many times," Tommy alluded to in a not-so-nice sort of way, just to see if he could get a rise out of her.
"She can have my leftovers all she wants." Pushing the cart past him, Kim felt oh so triumphant, and knew she held his gaze the whole while. It's been like that most of the day. The back and forth banter that's confusing as it was fun as hell. "Go down that aisle and grab us some cereal. I like Frosted Mini Wheat's. I'll take this aisle."
"Yet again with the bossiness."
"Would you rather get my tampons and other feminine items for me?" With a grumble he stalked off, reminding her of a petulant little boy. If only he was just a petulant little boy and not the moody, introspective sexy man who she couldn't decide if she wanted to punch or kiss all day long. Add to that the fact that she didn't get any sleep last night after their... whatever it was they engaged in, and she's still a bit on edge.
No contact came from the Darkness all day long, though Tommy did think when he was standing out in the front yard that he saw the same car drive by a few times. At the very least if it wasn't that car, someone, somewhere was probably keeping an close eye on them. As long as their communications with the Command Center aren't compromised they'll be okay.
"BD Ultrafine Insulin Syringes," Kim read to herself, grabbing five packs from the shelf. The Rangers daily injections were as much of a nuisance as they were necessary. They're all far weaker than they were when they were morphed Power Rangers, but the injections that blended and enhanced the Morphing properties now bonded to their DNA gave them three times the strength and agility of a normal person. An advantage was an advantage, no matter how it came about.
After finding all her personal needs, Kim went off after Tommy. Mission accomplished. She quickly found him in the prepared foods aisle going over the selection of Chef Boyardee cans. Such a man, he was. The vast majority of things he picked out already were things that could be micro waved in two minutes or less. She didn't have a clue when was the last time he had a home cooked meal that wasn't made by his mother. Kat's nickname was the 'Takeout Queen,' so it sure wasn't from her.
Spending the day together was uneasy at times, and yet all to easy at others. There were so many things they didn't know about the Tommy and Kimberly they grew into over the years, and yet, as if slipping on a pair of old comfortable slippers, they just fit perfectly together. Fundamentally, deep down, they were still the same two people that fell in love years ago. Their orals and values hadn't changed, only methods, opinions, and life experience tempered their older selves. After going over additional detailed reports of Benjamin and Kelis's airline company to better educate themselves on their counterparts, they spent a few hours apart. Kim began reading a new romantic courtroom drama novel she had been dying to get into, while Tommy got in a long workout and then played some X-box to kill time. They watched some TV, and were saddened to hear about a family's desperate search for a runaway teenage girl who's been missing for two days now. By the late evening they enjoyed watching Shrek 2 on DVD from opposite sides of the sectional couch. Sitting to close was a definite no-no, especially after last night.
Post the movie they figured the night was a bust, so they might as well get their food shopping out of the way, hence their trip here.
If the ability to sense someone's presence was a pyschic trait, then he was only able to tap into that power concerning her. Tommy sensed Kim observing him from down the aisle. He felt her presence all day long and it's kept him off balance. He's stopped trying to forget last nights haunting kiss and simply accepted it for what it was. Evidence that she could fake desire and affection for him in such a convincing way left him as pleased for their mission as he was disappointed she could do it so well. She's a new creature, this Kimberly. Older, and even more beautiful. Boy bands have been replaced with bands like Nickleback and Coldplay. She told him she doesn't own anything pink anymore, and enjoyed his slight surprise. She's confident and smart, having shed her
former 'Valley Girl-esq' side. There's a edge to her now that's dangerous and attractive in a deeply feminine sort of way. She's strong willed and possessed a sharp tongue he found as infuriating as it was captivating. If he didn't know any better he could swear she felt something for him too. But last nights revelation concerning her and Jason's sex life left him barren within. This was a mission, and when it's done Katherine is waiting for him at home.
That's that. The end of story. Everyone will just go on with their lives.
"You ready to go?"
Tommy heard the wheels of the cart approaching from behind. He grabbed six cans of Chef Boyardee and tossed them in before he acknowledged her. "All done."
Looking over his assortment of pizza roils, frozen pizza's, microwavable cheese burgers and hot wings, Kim shook her head and frowned. "However do you keep in such great shape?"
"Oh, you've noticed?" he quirked an eye brow her way. She's a bit bashful all of a sudden, with her hands on her hips, looking so sexy in faded jeans. "I rarely drink, I never smoke, and I work out five times a week. Give me a break on my eating habits, alright."
"I'll never give you a break," she fired back with her arms crossed.
"How about a kiss?"
That caught her off guard, but she quickly recovered. "You haven't earned one yet." She licked her lips for effect, and then pushed past him. He followed her to the front of the store, and in line. They loaded their goods, paid for them, bagged them for the older woman who didn't seem to have a hand tonight, and exited the store.
After walking across the parking lot, Kim popped the Jeep Grand Cherokee's back door. They loaded the truck without saying a word to each other, though Kim could feel a under current of something brewing just on the horizon. She felt Tommy closing in behind her when she lowered the back door. As soon as she spun around he invaded her personal space to such an extent her back pressed to the truck. He had a wild, untamed aura by moonlight that surrounded her. Jason and Katherine suddenly... gently... faded away into the background noise of the world.
"Are you going to tell me what I need to do to earn that kiss, or do I have to take it?"
At that very moment Kim worried if he talked to her again using that dark, husky tone she might just nod her head to anything he wanted and... No. No, no, no, no, no. "I doubt Katherine would appreciate you saying that."
"I doubt Jason would appreciate you climbing in my lap last night."
"'It's not like I climbed in your bed."
"But did you want to?" Tommy's playing with fire and he knows it. Kim's more than up for the challenge, and damn if she's not meeting his heated gaze with one of her own. The games they're playing have no place here, and yet they can't stop.
"Twenty-four hours ago you could barely stand me."
"That's not an answer."
"That's a fact."
"You drive me crazy."
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
"Which would you prefer?"
"We're not going to get anywhere with this double-talk, Tommy."
"Fine, here it is. I'm going to give you until the count of ten, and then I'm going to kiss you."
"Tommy?"
"Yes."
"Ten." She yanked him by the collar to her, and was quickly swept in his strong embrace when their lips collided in a deliciously slow, wet, hungry kiss that drug on forever and a day after that.
All of a sudden a blinding flash of light whisked them and the truck away.
A undisclosed location
Sunday, March 14, 2005 10:20 PM
Tommy and Kim broke their kiss on the wing tips of a gasp, both opening their eyes wide to their new
surroundings. Immediately, both of their right hands moved inside their jacket's for their gun holsters, only to hear the multiple clicks of hammers being cocked behind them.
"You won't be needing those, Mr. and Mrs. Ford."
Cortez Raul. His unmistakable heavy accent was accompanied by a gusts of wind rustling tree branches nearby. Lots and lots of trees. Indigenous pine and aspens marked the immensely thick, dark forest behind Cortez and nine heavily armed gunmen. Three F-150 Ford Trucks, ironically enough, were parked near a makeshift road leading into the forest.
Tommy and Kim quickly scanned the area around them, surveying the scene and situation. A, they were teleported to this location. B, no road signs or landmarks were anywhere in sight to gleam their specific location. They could be anywhere, literally. C, nine guns are aimed directly at them, and seeing as how their backs are to the truck, they had little room to run for cover if they needed to.
"You've got our attention," Tommy conceded, estimating he might have to take a bullet to take out the three on the right. That's just how a Rangers mind worked in situations like these. He could shield Kim at the very least, and would do that no matter what. "A singing telegram would have sufficed."
With a gesture from Cortez, all of the men lowered their weapons. "I apologize for our invasive method of contacting you, but our leader felt a further display of our abilities would be a strong point to make." He walked towards them slowly, aware their hands were still in their jackets. Kelis sure had a spark to her that captivated him the moment he saw her, as it did now. He imagined how fine would it be to tame a woman like her. "The Darkness is prepared to make you a more formal offer, but the time is now. If you choose, you can get in your car and drive to the nearest airport and leave Colorado tonight. If you were to breathe a word of anything you've seen or heard the results would be, shall we say, tragic. But if you join us," his voice rose above the howling wind. "Then you will become founders in the creation of a new world. The choice is yours."
Thankful the miniature digital camera embedded in her jacket could snap pictures at night, Kim felt Tommy tap her hand with his. In one of the Ford trucks sat Gao Xu Hong and Adar Mikati. Minus their bodyguards, it's easy to surmise they were caught off guard as well. Kim knew they had to just play the hand that's been dealt
to them. "We're in."
A woman answering for her man wasn't a trait Cortez particularly cared for, though this woman gave the impression she had every ability to take command. He nodded in a gentlemanly fashion, then motioned for one of the men behind him. Carrying two black blindfolds in his hands and matching handcuffs, the man walked over and behind Tommy and Kimberly. He fastened the blindfolds over their eyes with double knots, then cuffed their hands.
Blindfolds and hand cuffs don't give off the impression of an all powerful entity. As good as sign as that was, Tommy still didn't like this one bit, but had little choice but to go along with things... for now. "Is all this really necessary?" He felt a callused hand grab his forearm, leading him forward. He followed the sound of Kimberly's soft steps behind him.
"I assure you as trust is gained any and all precautions we take will be waived," Cortez explained. "For now, please bear with us. You will soon understand the scope and grandeur of what we will accomplish, and the important role you will be offered to play."
The ground was still soft from the storms that blew through Colorado last night. More than likely they are still in the state. Tommy and Kim were guided into the same truck, and heard some of the other men climbing in the back bed. Tommy extended his leg, feeling for Kim. She's seated right beside him. The trucks loud engines started and from their best estimate, they're heading north into the woods.
Hard, rugged terrain greeted them, alluding to the fact that this was no man made road. Literally, the call of the wild could be heard all around them. Birds lifting off branches, taking flight in the night sky. Large herds of deer and elk were known to live in the woods not far from Silver Creek. Kim remembered reading that in one of her reports. She listened closely for anything that might give her a clue as to where they were going. The driver and the men in the back were eerily quiet. What felt like twenty minutes transpired as the weather seemed to take a colder drop the farther in the forest they traveled. Finally, the trucks came to a stop. Someone opened the door she sat next too and she was guided out. Suddenly the sound of a knife being unsheathed caught her attention. With a quick swipe the double knot of her blindfold fell from her face. Next were her handcuffs. She squinted, her eyes searching for Tommy in the darkness. The first person he saw when he looked up was her. There was some comfort in
that. "Looks like we're here. Wherever here is."
Frowning to himself, Tommy saw no base of operations. No buildings or facilities or anything that would symbolize the true home of the Darkness. Casting his gaze around them, they're standing in a makeshift clearing surrounded by some of the largest, tallest tree's he's ever seen. The density of the woods were terrifyingly dark and foreboding. None of those things put the fear of God in him the way what he saw next did. And suddenly his blood ran cold as death. "Look."
He was a second to late, as Kim was already staring at the podium surrounded by lit torches and armed men. They were your typical biker types, at least in appearance. And while you can never judge a book by it's cover, none of them looked like they graduated Yale or Harvard with a degree in Astro physics engineering. None of them mattered. The absolute worst sight of all was the eight foot tall glass coffin, for lack of a better description, that sat in the center of the platform. One that contained a very frightened, hysterical young woman who looked to be around seventeen years old. To Kim, she looked... no, she had to be that missing runaway her and Tommy saw on television earlier today. A bitter dread settled in the pit of her stomach.
Gao and Adar were soon brought around to stand next to Tommy, with Kim on his left. The young girl in the glass prison was screaming at the top of her lungs. Her facial expression showed a woman blaring her lungs raw, even though you couldn't hear her. A sound-proof prison, no doubt. Tommy longed to save her. She had bruises around her neck and wrists from what he could tell. The white summer dress she wore appeared dirty and torn. She'd been crying for hours and appeared exhausted. He prayed she'd suffered no more than that, as if it weren't enough already.
"Welcome," came the strong, booming voice of Christopher Lockheed as he walked out from behind the podium with a slender young woman looking to be no older than the girl in the glass prison. Her platinum hair stood out, as did her features that favored Christopher's. She shadowed him, making eye contact with no one at all.
And so it begins. Christopher walked over to stand in front of the podium, ready to address his guests for the evening. His shades of gray military fatigues matched the silver hair he wore in a short style. An imposing man if there ever was one. "It is my pleasure to meet all of you face to face for the very first time. Tonight, you will be given the most unique opportunity you could possibly imagine. Instead of reading or watching history, I will help you shape it for the betterment of mankind."
Two minutes into his speech and Kim's already sick to her stomach of listening to him. That poor girl is begging and pleading inside her glass prison, staring daggers at her and Tommy and anyone else that might cast her an ounce of mercy. Bloody trails from her nails raking as hard as she could against the shell were evidence alone of her extreme fear. Kim remembered the tears of the girls mother as she begged for her daughter to come home.
"My associate, Mr. Raul has shown you but a taste of what the Darkness is capable of. Technology beyond your wildest dreams can be placed at your fingertips, but not in this kind of world. Not in a corrupt society ruled by secret organizations behind closed doors doing what is in their best interest while the world around them dies a slow, painful death." Christopher held his arms behind his back. His strong upper body fit his powerful voice, and the strong set of his jaw. "America is not the only problem, my friends. The governments of the world are warring with themselves whether the general public knows it or not. But fate has dealt mankind a cruel and yet, advantageous hand. One we will use to end war, famine, disease, bickering, and separation. All cultures will blend into one culture. All nations will become one nation. And the Darkness will herald this new era because it is the right, just, and only way to secure mankind's freedom." Giving a nod to Cortez, his second-in-command took to the podium alongside the glass prison. The girl inside shriveled back as far as she could in what little room was afforded to her. And still she screamed with no sound being her outside her captivity.
Tommy knew he could kill Cortez with one shot to the head before anyone even knew he shot his gun. His fists clenched at his sides as he willed himself in control. In his gut he felt something horrible was about to happen, and yet he had to stay his hand for the greater good. His eyes darted from Christopher to the girl and back again. He warred with himself over the right choice versus the choice that would rob him of sleep for many years to come.
"The question all of you have, is how. How do we accomplish such lofty goals. You've had a minor demonstration of our access to teleportation technology. A technology that no other force on Earth possesses. Not even the once invincible Power Rangers. That's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. We have the means to cure every disease known to man." The interested parties before him were certainly taken by that bold statement. "I am going to let you all in on a little inevitable secret. In two months time this worlds population will shrink from the five plus billion of today to half a million. The reason why is simple. We are going to kill everyone who is not worthy, or not with us."
Calm patience. Kimberly accepted with her head and not her heart. A coldness she hated tapping into was needed here. She so wanted to kill this vile man, and yet he held all the cards. While some small part of her wished the other two investors would show even an ounce of disgust, they simply listened, stoic in the night.
"The Darkness is going to build one nation under mankind, governed by no God. We will take the best, the brightest, most talented, brilliant, creative, beautiful, intelligent minds and bring them with us. We will eradicate whole unnecessary nations and rebuild this country into a powerful kingdom that will be more than a world power, but a galactic one." His voice rose with limitless ambition... and a complete faith in himself above all else. "My friends, mark your calendars. On June 5th, 2005 this world will die." With a casual wave of his hand, as if he were selling a used car, he gestured towards the girl in the glass prison. "We will wipe this planet clean of those unworthy. This poor wretched child is the daughter of a traitor. She is filth, and will be treated as such. Her fate will be the fate of all who are not with the Darkness. Your choices are simple. Join us. Help us. Build with us." A nod gave Cortez the order he had been waiting on. "Or die."
Lifting a clear plastic cylinder, Cortex opened a small oval lock near the top of the glass prison. He pushed the cylinder inside until half of it set in place, then twisted the back end that opened the front piece inside.
Neither Tommy nor Kim could move a muscle. The needs of the many... the needs of the many...
The young girl began pounding furiously with her fists against the glass shell as hard as she could, shouting and begging for her life. Pleading. She yelled obscenities and kicked with all her might as everyone looked on.
Tommy knew from where he stood he could take out three, made four guards before the others had a chance to pull their weapons. Kimberly knew she could nail three before they even knew they were hit. In the commotion and darkness they could make a run for the girl, and if all else failed Kim knew she could ram the glass prison with her shoulder and topple it over, hopefully shattering it. Tommy, if need be, could use one of the dead guards as a human shield. Hopefully the members of the Darkness would teleport away and leave the girl behind so that they could get her immediate medical attention.
Without saying a word or even making eye contact they both had a plan that not only depended on what they did individually, but what they expected the other to do. And at the exact same time they realized, to their utter horror and disgust, that they could only watch this tragedy take place as a young girl begging for her life was killed directly in front of them.
The girl began convulsing violently, as if choked by unseen hands. Her skin drew tight across her body in such a gruesome way that it was hard to believe anything like it was possible. She fell to her knees, shaking horribly until she bit her tongue. As her mouth filled with blood it drained from her lips all over her neck and dress. Her once lovely tanned skin faded into a dull gray that was much worse than old age. It was the very definition of death.
And she was dead.
The coldest wind rustled Kim's hair, as her arms were covered with goose bumps inside her jacket. She wanted... needed, to cry. She held her professional composure, stared directly at the young girls dead body so that everyone knew she had the heart to face what they felt needed to be done, and yawned as if it were no big deal at all. There's a time and place for her grief and regret, but not here. Not now. In the last twenty-four hours she's witnessed teleportation reborn on Earth, and now a airborne virus capable of killing a human in under five minutes flat. The world needs her and Tommy to hold it together. The world matters more than that poor young girl, and as unfair as that sounds, it's a fact.
"Do you want to watch history or rewrite it with us," Christopher began as he strolled around the four
individuals. "Our work will get our hands dirty. Innocents will die for the good of mankind. We will reduce this planets population down to half a million chosen ones, and start over with a perfect society. One land. One people. Paradise for all. Technological wonders that will open up the greatest mysteries of not only the Earth, but of the galaxy as well. Clone technology will provide workers, soldiers... lovers," he added. "Anything you want. Any desire. Any wish. In the new world you will have it in abundance. All you need do is trust us now. Join us. Do as I ask and all of your questions will be answered. All of your hopes and dreams will be fulfilled. But understand this. On June 5th, this world ends. You will stand with us or die. We hold the ultimate power of teleportation, and a virus of which there is no cure. We have mastered cloning and we have the assistance of someone who will broaden our ambitions further than we could have ever dreamed." Behind him a lone figure appeared from the cluster of trees. Cloaked in all black, the slim form slowly came into view. When she reached Christopher's side, the others saw a lovely Asian woman with emerald green eyes that held within not a trace of caring.
Tommy and Kimberly saw someone they knew all to well. An enemy from the past. Full confirmation. They stared at Scorpina, wondering what the Darkness could possibly have of worth to her for her to help them. There were so many questions. Things that didn't add up. Didn't make sense. But one thing was certain beyond all others.
They're in this up to their necks, and things will only get worse from here.
"I've seen enough, Mr. Lockheed," Tommy declared. He looked to Kim, finding her resolve as battle ready as
his own. "My wife and I are in."
The End of Chapter 2