Witness Protection

Disclaimer: I don't own Kickin' It, or any other Disney Channel show. They belong to their respective producers/writers/companies.

A/N:

Chapter 35 (Seeing Red)

Jack was standing over Bobby's kitchen table with a map spread out on the surface. Bobby was looking down, tapping his chin as Jack explained their planned route. "First we're going to start out going to California, Oliver's family is located in Northern California." He slid his finger from California towards Antarctica. He wasn't pleased to go back there, but he knew the scientists there might know where to find Hilda. "After that, we're headed here to figure out where in the world Hilda's located." Of course, they did want to make a pit stop in Nebraska in order to find the farmer, Cody Patrick.

"So what is all this going to do?" Bobby inquired. Jack rolled up his map and inhaled deeply.

"When we figure out how to reason with Oliver, we will hopefully locate him." He figured also that in order to reason with Oliver, he needed to understand Oliver. Since there wasn't a chance of sympathizing with Oliver in the way of his sorrow over Hilda, he'd have to find something else to comprehend. At least, Kim was safe and sound. Yet, as he thought on her, he did have a sinking feeling in his gut that something was just not right. "Also if we can lead his other captains out of the group, that'll help matters tremendously."

"I have a question Jack, just out of the blue…I've been wondering…during all this fighting, have you killed anyone?" Jack laughed and shook his head, he thought things could be solved with reason and talking. Sadly all of the others had killed, but no one wanted to kill. During Antarctica, both Eddie and Ciara had killed people. Jerry and Milton had killed when fighting off the Zulu Warriors in Prairie. It was hard on everyone, and General Thompson said that anyone that died by their hands during this whole mission and journey would not be a crime. It was all part of war. He kept that in mind in case people did die during a fight, and that had clearly been happening. "Do you think you would kill anyone?"

"What would be the point? I want to try and figure things out, so hopefully I can talk Oliver into just nixing his plan. I haven't seen reason to kill, so I avoid it."

"I guess that's a good idea." Jack turned around and looked over at the front door. Jerry was standing, looking rather disheveled and raw. His face was red and streaked with tears, and he was panting aggressively as though he'd just ran a marathon. With each gasping breath, Jerry moved towards Jack, his eyes locked with him. Bobby chuckled and grabbed his overall straps. "Your date didn't go well, Jerry?"

Jerry brandished his hand in the air. "That isn't it…" That empty pit in his stomach grew more as Jerry began scratching his fingers in his hair. "Jack, there's a problem. You need to come with me…" He threw his hand down and coughed on his words. "Damn Eddie's fallen asleep at his place and Milton's phone is off." Jerry's hands trembled angrily in front of his face. "I can barely breathe…I don't want to have to be the one to tell you this…I really fucking don't." Jack jerked back and raised an eyebrow, smiling awkwardly at his friend and growing ever more concerned for him. Jerry rarely ever cursed. "Phil, Kim, F…"

"Jerry relax, calm down." He moved closer and put his hand to Jerry's wrist, looking sternly into his friend's eyes. "Take a deep breath, talk slowly, and tell me what happened. You mentioned Phil and Kim, what's the problem?" Jerry lowered his arms and clenched his eyes shut.

"We need to get to the hospital. Kim's hurt…bad…" Jack's eyes widened, his lungs deflated and oxygen left him. The color started to vanish and his world became immensely dark. Kim?Hurt? He clenched his teeth and immediately ran for the door, not waiting a second for Jerry to catch up. He needed to see her, he needed to make sure she was safe.

At the hospital, Jack made his way into Kim's room where she was hooked up to a dialysis machine and an IV. He gripped his heart and slowly walked over to her side, dropping to his knees. "K-Kim…" He put his hand on hers as the tears stung his eyes. How could this happen? She was a strong fighter, even stronger than he was! What happened? He had to know, he had to know who did this. "I should have been there…god, I wouldn't have let this happen to you." He slowly brought his forehead to her hand and wept at her side.

The heart machine displayed her vitals while the IV delivered some sort of medication, or water, he really wasn't certain what it was doing for her. How long ago had this attack occurred? He lifted his head and peered down at her hand, gasping in shock at the bruise and dots on her right knuckle. "A lizard bite? Lonnie did this?" He felt someone's hand on his shoulder and looked up at Jerry, his heart was aching and his stomach quivering. "Jerry. I think I'm going to be sick…"

"I'm sorry, Jack. She came in about three hours ago, I think."

"Three hours?!" Why the hell did it take so damn long for him to be located? Why did it take so damn long for any of them to be notified? "What the fuck was so important, that it had to wait three whole hours!" Jerry reeled back as Jack started blowing up in an enormous rage. He was trying to control it, but it was hard to do so. He took a deep breath, seeing the fear and sorrow in his friend. "Look, I'm sorry. I'm not yelling at you, I'm really not…I just…it's Kim…w-what happened to her?"

"Officer Joan had to go into Phil's shop to stop them. Frank, Lonnie, they were there…Phil…Phil was working with them." A chill entered his body and splashes of red flooded his vision.

"Phil? As in our Phil betrayed us?"

"I'm afraid so, Jack…Other than that, I don't know what happened. It looks like she was ambushed. The doctors spent three hours operating on her, they're saving her life, but…it looks like she'll be out for a while. She hasn't even woken up yet." He turned to Kim, his heart breaking. He reached over and gently caressed her cheek, then guided his fingers along her beautiful golden hair. It was recently washed.

"They washed her hair, Jerry?"

"Said it had vomit and blood mixed into it." He closed his eyes, feeling his own bile burning him. His blood was beginning to boil. He swore never to do anything out of irrational anger, but if Frank was truly involved in what happened to Kim, then he would be beside himself. "Her insides are a bit bruised up, but should heal within the week." Great, they'd probably have another week or two of waiting. Even though it was farthest from his mind, he knew Kim would have hated that. "She suffered a big beating obviously, Jack…I mean, I've tried contacting Phil, but he won't even answer."

Jack sneered at the thought of the man. Hate was always a bitter word to him, but for Phil to let something like this happen? It was unforgivable. "He's a coward anyway." His shoulders slumped and his hands shut tight at his sides as he peered down at the sweet angel lying on the bed. "Have you managed to get in touch with Milton and Eddie? Ciara?"

"Ciara yes, she's pissed. Still can't get a flight out, so Bobby's going to send the private jet out to her first thing tomorrow morning. Milton's phone's still off and I don't have Julie's number. Eddie did answer, he's on his way over now."

"Phil?"

"I think he's still at his shop…what are you thinking?"

"I don't know. I'm just…numb…" He slowly leaned over, kissing Kim's forehead. He didn't want to leave her side, but he needed to interrogate Phil now. He had to figure out what the hell went down, he needed to know if Kim put up a fight. He knew she would have, but he wanted to know how badly they got her. The lizard bite had to have influenced her, she never would have gone down in such a way. Lonnie and Frank would have been mincemeat. "They impaired her, Jerry. Look at her hand…"

Jerry gawked at the growing bruise on her right hand. He put his hand to his mouth and turned away. "That thing is worse than the one that bit you."

"Looks that way. I guess the doctors at least got the venom out." He could take Frank trying to kill him. He honestly would rather it be him, not Kim. What was solved by this? He'd been ignoring Frank all this time, just opting not to bother with him, and he thought the guy was finished. He thought the guy had given up. "What I don't understand. Every time Frank's attacked Kim…he's been beat down afterwards, and mostly by her or me. Why hasn't he learned his goddamned lesson yet?" Jack's chest heaved angrily and he squeezed Kim's hand with his. Tears welled up in his eyes as he slowly looked to the heart monitor. Was this how Oliver felt? When Hilda went down, was this how it felt? He pressed his lips together, letting his tears soak his cheeks. This wasn't the fault of Oliver or the captains, he could tell. Not when they released Julie. No, this was all Frank's doing. "Fuck him…"

Jerry raised an eyebrow as Jack rose up and turned away. He hated the asshole. Phil was no longer any better in his eyes, but what was he to do? "Jack?" Jerry put his hand to Jack's shoulder, only to be brushed off.

"Stay here and look after her. When Eddie shows up, fill him in on what you told me…" He started walking off, stopping at the door when Jerry called out to him. He put his hand to the door frame and bowed his head.

"Where are you going?" He lifted his blood fueled eyes up and glared at the red wall in front of him. Was it red to Jerry? No, this was a different paint, a different shade. This was pure rage. His nostrils flared and his eyebrows meshed painfully together, forming a wrinkle in between.

"I'll be back."

Jack glared at the Falafel shop across the mall hallway, he was currently seated in the Wasabi Dojo, trying to simmer down some of his anger. It wasn't happening. "What do I do, Rudy? I'm trying to remain calm…I'm trying to control my anger…but I just can't." Maybe this was more than anger. If Frank acted this way, that meant he wouldn't stop. He would hurt other people, he'd continue a life of crime. Kim would not be his first victim, and surely not his last.

"You've always taught us respect, honor, don't fight unless it's absolutely necessary." He put his hand to his knee and slowly rose to his feet, growling and huffing. His vision was still a darker shade of red, his body heated and muscles flexed. He would put an end to the Black Dragon dojo where Frank was.

General Thompson already stated it would be perfectly fine if he had to put a stop to Frank and Lonnie. They were a part of the Black Dragons, and with their involvement, were considered international criminals.

"This is personal. I've held off on my anger for so long, I've been patient with this guy for so long. Now he's gone too far." Ciara slicing off the man's hand should have taught him his lesson!

Slice? Sword? Jack slowly looked up to the red katana on the archway. The memory was so dear and close to his heart, going out and buying the actual katana from the pawn shop. With a swift kick, he struck the wall and watched the vibrations knock the katana off. He reached up, grabbing it, and slicing it through the air, sheathe and all.

He raised it horizontally before his face and gripped the red sheath with his hand. Narrowing his eyes in a deadly rage, he pulled the sheath off and let the light glint off the metal, nearly blinding him. Talk, reason, yes that solved everything didn't it? How many times had he tried to talk Frank down? How many times had reason failed him for the big oaf? He clicked his tongue and snapped his eyes towards Phil's shop.

"I'm done talking."

So Kim's in a coma, and Jack...well Jack's pissed (Seriously, who all expects Jack to show up with the quote "Heeeere's Jack" XD). So what do you guys think of this chapter? Anything surprising?