Jen looked around. "Sky!" she called. "Sky, where are you?" She pushed herself to her feet and stumbled over to Wes. "I can't find Sky!" she cried.
Wes blinked. "Jen, there's a lot of people in here. He probably didn't know what to do or what was going on and is hiding somewhere." He placed his hands on her shoulders. "Let me look at your injuries."
She brushed him off. "Hiding? He's five! He doesn't hide. What if whatever got us got him? He could be bleeding, unconscious or worse. We have to find him."
Finally, Wes nodded. "Okay, but let's just calm down first, all right? He's around here somewhere." He walked slowly over to the first row of pews, where mostly shocked and nervous guests sat. Bending down, he peered under them. "Sky, it's ok. We're ok. You can come out."
By now, other Rangers were looking too. Eric and Taylor searched the choir loft. Shayla, Cole and Katie hunted in the lobbies off the sanctuary. Danny, Max and Lucas helped Jen and Wes look around the church pews.
As they searched, Danny asked Lucas, "Where was Trip? Wasn't he supposed to be here?"
Lucas shrugged. "Kid got sick. Even though he can see the future, guess that doesn't make him immune to the stomach flu."
The search continued for another ten minutes before Wes and Jen finally admitted the truth.
Schuyler Tate Collins was nowhere to be found.
* * Miranoi * *
On their way to the Bike Repair Shop, Kendrix decided to pick up the girls early, just in case the agonizing attack on her and Maya about ten minutes ago was a prelude to something worse.
"What do you think is going on?" Maya asked. "Think it hit everyone?"
"Hopefully nothing bad. And I dunno. Leo said it got him and Kai and Mike but he didn't know about Damon and no one's talked to Karone yet, I guess. But I hope this doesn't get worse. Leo and I are just now getting used to the normal routine." Kendrix replied. She pulled her small car into a spot at Terra Venture colony's only school. As she turned off the motor, she looked at Maya. "You don't have to come in, ya know."
"I know," Maya got out of the car and headed inside with Kendrix. "But I want to. Just to be sure."
The two women walked into the building. After they checked in with the office, they went to Mrs. Cooper's K-4 class.
"Why, hello there, Mrs. Corbett! I didn't expect to see you again today." The fiftyish woman with graying hair greeted them enthusiastically.
Kendrix forced a smile. "I know. Unfortunately, I need to get the girls early. Could you help them pack up their things? It's urgent."
Mrs. Cooper frowned. "Mrs. Corbett, Lila and Jessie have already been picked up not fifteen minutes ago."
"Wha-what?" Kendrix stammered. "Who picked them up?"
"He had a note from you saying he had permission. The office called the girls there - he didn't come to the room. I suppose they have a record of him at the front desk." Mrs. Cooper wrung her hands together. "They would have the records," she repeated.
Kendrix and Maya rushed to the office and accosted the receptionist. She didn't know who it had been - he'd signed in as Mr. Holmes - but they did have a video of him leaving with the girls. Kendrix, her hand to her mouth, watched the screen to see a figure in a green jacket, hood up, leaving hand-in-hand with her girls.
"They knew him," Maya observed quietly. Kendrix didn't even want to think about that. "Or her. It could have been anyone under that hood."
"I have to get to Leo." Kendrix whispered as she and Maya left the building. She knew one thing for certain.
Lila and Jessie Corbett were gone.
* * Mariner Bay * *
The party was slowly picking up steam again but something wasn't right. Dana Grayson couldn't quite put her finger on it but she knew there was something wrong. And it wasn't just the little pains in her gut either.
Carter was talking to her Dad over in the corner of the room. Once she finally got her feet beneath her, Dana crossed to where they stood.
"-no idea what it was. I've checked with the Aquabase and they didn't register anything on sensors. Anything." Her dad shrugged.
"Maybe we ought to call the party early and get back to base, check this thing out ourselves." Carter suggested. He reached out and wrapped an arm around Dana's waist.
"Yeah, you're probably right." Dana interjected. She was beat and didn't feel much like dancing anymore. "I'll check on the others, make sure they're all right."
She moved off and found her way blocked by Kelsey. "Hey, Kels," Dana attempted a smile but knew it was weak. "You okay?"
Kelsey nodded. "Yeah, guess so. I wish Chad would answer his phone, though – I can't get in touch with him and I don't know if he's okay or not."
Dana gave her friend a reassuring pat on the back. "I'm sure he's fine. He wasn't feeling too good anyway, remember? Maybe he was so doped up on cold medicine that he didn't feel a thing."
Kelsey nodded and walked off. Dana made her way over to Joel and Mrs. Fairweather-Rawlings. "You okay?" she asked again.
Joel had crammed his cowboy hat on his head again, though it was pretty beat-up looking and had dried blood on his chin. "Fine." He grunted. "Wish we knew what that was. Angela says she needs to get back to the lab and run some tests and stuff, figure out what's going on, so we're gonna head out. See you guys back at the Aquabase."
"I think we're all about to leave, if you wanna hang around just for a few more minutes."
Carter joined Dana as she went in search of the last member of their team. After looking around the entire building, she still hadn't found her brother.
"Wasn't he outside with Ryan?" Carter asked after they couldn't find Ryan Mitchell anywhere inside. "Maybe they're still out there."
"Oh, yeah. Right." Dana hurried to the door and yanked it open. She stepped outside and called, "Ry! Ryan, where are you guys? Ryan!" There was no answer. Something started to creep into her gut and it wasn't a happy feeling. Where was her daughter?
"I'll take this direction." Carter pointed right and ran off but not before Dana caught sight of the worried expression on his face.
Dana raced around the other side of the building and called for her brother and her daughter with no answer. She searched the shadows and along the walls, hoping, praying she'd find one or the other or preferably both. Nothing. Finally, she met back up with Carter at the door. He shook his head.
They burst back into the party and all conversation stopped instantly upon seeing the looks on their faces.
"Something's wrong." Carter announced. "We can't find Ryan or my Ryan anywhere. We've got to get back to the Aquabase."
As former Rangers and Lightspeed officials began to move out, Dana just looked around hopelessly. What could have happened to her daughter? One thing was for sure.
Ryan Elise Grayson was gone.
* * Ocean Bluff * *
Lily, Casey and Dominic weren't sure they were up to the challenge of testing new Pai Zhuq Students, much less giving Jon and Luke their trials. They sat on a stone bench outside the testing arena, waiting on the twins to show up.
"I feel like I've been run over by a rhino," Lily groaned. She had her head cupped in her hands and her legs tucked up under her.
Dominic looked at her. "Hey. No hating on the rhino. This isn't my fault." He leaned back against the wall. "We gotta figure out what that was. That was not fun."
A young Pai Zhuq student came in and bowed before the three Masters. Her name was Carly and she was a Lion spirit, one of Jarrod's students. Today, she was in charge of bringing in the apprentices for testing. Her long red hair was pulled back in a ponytail that swung in front of her face as she bowed.
"Yes, Carly? Where is our next student?" Casey returned the bow.
Carly straightened up and pushed her ponytail over her shoulder. "Nick is next and he's on his way in but I can't find Luke and Jon anywhere. They're supposed to be after Nick. I thought you and Lily, as their parents, might know where they are? They need to be getting ready for their trials."
Casey frowned. "They should be out there in the prep room." He turned to look at Lily but she just shrugged, a frown on her own face. "Go ahead and send Nick in and we'll test him. Look for Luke and Jon again, see if you can find someone who has seen them in the last five minutes. Hopefully, they'll turn up in time for their trials. If not, well, they can try again next year."
Carly nodded and bowed again. Then she jogged from the room as a small, six-year-old boy came in.
Lily smiled at the boy. "Hi, Nick. It's good to see you."
Nick bowed clumsily and fought to keep a grin from his face. "Master Tah. Master Tig. Master Rhi. I have come to be tested." He still had the slight stammer and twitchiness of a new apprentice. "Should I begin?"
Dominic inclined his head. "Please."
The three Masters watched as the little boy went through all the moves he had learned thus far and all the meditation poses. They watched as he stumbled slightly through a difficult part of his Rhino defense move. But, at the end, he did a pretty good job.
Casey stood and bowed. After a second, Lily and Dominic joined him. Then Dominic, who was Nick's lead Master, smiled and said, "You have passed, Nick. You will now be a Pai Zhuq student. Take the weekend off and prepare to enter advanced training on Monday. Good job."
Nick beamed. A big grin stretched across his face and he nearly jumped up and down before remembering where he was and bowing low. "Thank you, Masters. Thank you. See you on Monday." And he ran out the door.
Dominic laughed. Turning to the other two Masters, he said, "That kid reminds me of my little brother back in the day."
Before Dominic could get started on what promised to be an exciting story, Carly dashed into the arena. She skidded to a stop in front of Lily, Casey and Dominic.
"They're gone, Masters. Seth says he saw them leave with a man in a cloak. And I swear, I've looked everywhere. I don't know where Luke and Jon are." Carly twisted her hands together in front of her.
Lily and Casey exchanged a terrified look and bolted from their seats, Dominic a step behind them. But Carly's words proved true.
Lucas Nathanael Rhodes and Jonathan Malachi Rhodes were gone.
* * Reefside * *
"Kira, if your band doesn't show up soon, we're going to have to start without them." Hayley said firmly from behind the counter. "Customers will be showing up any minute now and they want to see you perform. Solo or not."
"I don't know if I can, not after that pain," Kira still had her arms clamped over her stomach as she looked from Connor to Dr. O. Madison and Syd had gone to check on the kids and make sure Trent hadn't been hit by the pain and Sky and Nick were busy discussing theories as to what the pain was.
Xander was busy fine-tuning the sound equipment when Syd and Madison burst back into the room, their faces pale.
"They're gone!" Madison shouted. "All of them, just gone!"
Nick stood and caught his wife as she flung herself into his arms. "What is it, Maddy? Who's gone?"
"The kids! We can't find them anywhere!" Syd screamed hysterically.
Kira jerked her head up. "But Trent was with them!"
"Not anymore. He's gone, they're gone, they're all gone!" Madison exclaimed.
Connor came up out of his seat. "None of them? Paul, Collin, Kari? But where would they have gone?"
"Collin and Kari wouldn't just leave." Sky said rationally. "They're old enough to know better and they wouldn't just leave little kids alone in the back."
"Neither would Paul. And Trent wouldn't have let them go anywhere." Connor seconded. "They have to be here somewhere."
Kira turned to look at Dr. Oliver, who appeared frozen in a state of shock. No one moved. "Come on, we have to find them!" Kira finally exclaimed, breaking the momentary spell and sending everyone dashing for the back.
But, ten minutes later, they finally admitted that it was true.
Collin Schuyler Tate and Kari Noelle Tate had vanished.
Paul Jacob McKnight was gone.
Lee Nicolas Russell was nowhere to be found.
Connor Kirsten Fernandez had disappeared.
* * Blue Bay Harbor * *
Shane and Dustin showed up at Ninja Ops a few minutes after the pain had subsided. They found Tori and Blake covered in blood.
"You guys must have been hit real hard," Shane observed.
Blake chuckled dryly. "Most of it's fake. Long story."
Just then, the computer dinged. Dustin, who was closest, pushed the button to receive the transmission. It was Cam.
"Guys, she's gone! There was nothing I could do, I swear, one minute I was in crazy amounts of pain, the next, she was gone!"
Shane held up his hands, even though Cam couldn't see him. "Whoa, slow down. Who's missing? What are you talking about?"
Cam's next words chilled Tori to the bone. "Hunter! She was right beside me and then there was this guy all in black, wearing a mask, and he took her. I tried to stop him but I was weak. Tor, Blake, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
Blake stepped forward. "Did ya notice anything about him? Anything we can use to track him down?"
Cam sighed. "He fought like a beast. Knew what he was doing. I'm on my way to Ops now. See ya soon."
Dustin ended the transmission and turned to look at Tori, who had fallen to the ground in a heap.
"Don't panic, Tor. We'll get her back. If it's the last thing we ever do, we'll find her." Blake knelt beside his wife and wrapped his arms around her. "But, maybe we should call Connor and the Dino Thunders. For some extra muscle and backup just in case. You think?" He looked up at Shane.
Shane nodded slowly. "And I think we should go ahead and power up the morphers. Just in case. Hunter-" Shane hesitated. "Hey, where's Hunter?"
Blake seemed to just then notice his brother's absence. "I don't know. He was here earlier but left before all this started. What's important now is to find my daughter. Before it's too late."
"Right, okay. He'll show up sooner or later. Okay. Blake, you call Connor. Dustin, come with me to power up the morphers. Tori, if you can, get Cyber Cam up and running and get him looking for Hunter using the computer. All right, let's get crackin'!"
Tori slowly got to her feet and stumbled over to the computer while Blake pulled out his cell phone. Ever since Lothor had come back, he and Connor had kept in touch and kept each other on speed dial. Connor picked up on the fifth ring.
"Blake, now's really not a good time. Can I call you back later?" Connor's breathing was heavy and his voice cracked several times.
Leaning against the wall, Blake frowned. "You okay, Connor?"
Connor sighed. "No, not really. I'm at the Cyberspace Café with some of the other Rangers and we can't find our kids anywhere and Trent's gone too. Connor, Paul, Lee…they're missing so you'll have to excuse me if I hang up quickly and go find my son."
"Wait!" Blake shouted. "My daughter is missing too. Tori and I got hit with this heavy pain and so did Shane and Dustin and then Cam called and someone snatched Hunter away from him. What do you know about this, Connor? What do you know?"
"Nothing, we know nothing," Connor's voice was defeated. "Listen, come to the Cyberspace Café. We'll pool our resources and figure out what's going on. And then we'll kill the jerks who kidnapped our children and get them back."
"We'll be there." Blake snapped the phone shut and looked around as Shane and Dustin came back in with the morphers. "Connor's son is missing, too and so are Lee Russell and Connor Fernandez. There's more to this than meets the eye. Come on."