Knight Rider Chapter of 13

Jamie had found a new motel room that wasn't for tourists. The clientele were in between temporary workers were new to the area, and a few hookers dwelled there, but done their transactions elsewhere. The manager gave her a hard time about renting a room to her, until she showed him the money, with the key in her hand. She adjusted her duffel bag over her left shoulder.

Her destination was the room, and she wanted to slip into the shadows.

Someone touched her sending a shockwave of fear in her body; she grabbed the person's arm, slamming the person against the wall in one swift move.

The woman raised her arms to protect her face, as she wore a tight black mini skirt, a yellow tube top, and high heels.

"Honey... you need to take it easy." The hooker put down her hands to reveal the layers of makeup on her face.

"Sorry. It has been a long day," Jamie said.

"Well, honey, this place isn't safe for a girl like you. All fancy and educated. You need to go back home to your parents, before the streets eat you alive.

Reminded once again how young people thought her to be, and a place like this it was dangerous for her. Even those she was dressed in a pair of jeans, a sweatshirt with a denim jacket, and old western boots. Jamie couldn't hide her breeding of the elegant side of high society in her. No matter how she dressed.

Standing there in the last rays of daylight, she realized the eyes of the predators catching a glimpse of her.

"All right, I will consider it. Be safe out there too," Jamie told the woman.

The hooker waved her off. "Yeah... whatever, sweet stuff." The woman walked away. "Go home, honey!"

Jamie wanted to cringe, but longed to tell the woman that her parents were dead, and desperately longed to return home to be with her brother, little sister, and with Uncle Travis and Aunt Sara on the ranch. Instead of being a spook to risk her life on missions to ensure the country's future. That she wanted a husband and children of her own. Having children was impossible for her, and finding a man wasn't, but seemed like a growing fairy tale every single day.

She headed to the room, and wanted to avoid the rift raft, lurking around that was searching, for out of town people with huge dreams of fortune and fame, who were naïve how the big city operated.

The room was clean and a bit small with two full-size beds; since she didn't have a car it would have to do.

The door shut behind her; she went on automatic, locked it and closed the curtains. Jamie stayed in, wanting to hide from the outside world. She flopped her duffel bag on the other full size bed, and placed her pistol in its holster on the nightstand. She was by herself, and wasn't taking any chances with her name was on a target list.

Grabbing the remote from the top of the television that was on the dresser, she sat on the bed, and switched it on, keeping the volume low, and found herself missing Chloe. She looked at her watch, taking her own advice she had given to Michael was to relax, when he was in her custody stretching out on the bed.

The sun was setting, inching down behind the trees with the last rays of light, painting the treetops in a soft glow in a spectacular sunset. Michael pulled back the curtain to peek out of the window to check on KITT, as the car was parked behind the tiny vacation home. The house appeared vacant on the outside with the shutters closed. But on the inside it was clean and warm with its decor from the seventy's. The remote house was forgotten in the modern age of the eighties.

After his shower and in a fresh white button shirt, with a few buttons left open to reveal his hairy chest. In a pair clean jeans and socks, as it felt good to wear his clothes again. He was still exhausted from a lack of sleep and from his worries too.

He glanced at Devon, who was sitting at the kitchen table. "No. I don't need another partner. KITT is enough," Michael stated, standing by the window.

Devon folded his arms, as a couple fingers touched his chin in an attempt to collect his thoughts and emotions. "Michael, you need to understand. This is an extremely dangerous time for you. Once you leave here, there will be no contact until you make the arrest whoever this person is. You need her, and Jamie is a very capable young woman with many talents and skills."

He put his hands in his jean pockets, which he didn't dislike Jamie, but admired her in fact. "Devon, I can't endanger another person!" He stood, and stared at his boss, demanding an answer. "Who's she?"

Devon stood and walked to Michael, placing his hand on Michael's shoulder. "Please, come sit on the sofa. Where we can be a bit more comfortable during our chat."

Michael nodded, and sat on the dark color of the Danish styled sofa, while Devon sat across from him in a light, colored armchair with a high back, and huge circular armrests. It suited Devon, a master of the old world elegance. The unusual styled lamps with shades, and the mismatched chocolate colored end tables that were different sizes. Michael concluded the previous owner of this home was a bachelor by the mismatched of the decor.

"My dear boy, I wouldn't assist on this, but her life is endanger, and even a bit more than yours," Devon said.

His blue eyes widened out of shock, and he couldn't believe what he was hearing from his trusted friend, whom he admired, for Devon was like another father figure to him. The only word Michael managed to say, "What?"

Devon held up his hand. "Jamie is the niece of Wilton Knight. That's what I was told."

"By whom?" He asked.

"Wilton. Himself. Thus, I always got the feeling there was more to Jamie's background, and that was a very guarded secret. Whether, Wilton or his brother is her father was never revealed to me. What I do know Wilton adored and loved Jamie like his own. During those years, it was enough at that time. I do know Wilton had a brother, and her mother was close to him before his death. Jamie's mother was in Wilton's life before I started working for him. The one thing I know about Wilton, he always had his reasons for his secrets. My dear boy, you are one of them."

Michael stared at his hands, and jumping up from the sofa. "Yes, he did. You're asking me to trust Wilton." He paced by walking back and forth in front of Devon. "There's a lot more to her, and I am still in the dark about her."

"Michael, sit down, please." Devon gestured again with his hand, as Michael sat down, and grumbled. "How many people you helped in a nasty or dangerous situations, and they didn't know that much about you, but had to trust a complete stranger with their lives and futures?"

He ran his long fingers through his curly hair to the back of his neck. "A lot of people. Too many to count." He put his elbows on his knees, then his fingers interlocked, and placed his chin on his hands.

"There is a lot you don't know about Jamie. She is here to help you. I'm asking you to help me to keep a promise to Wilton by protecting her. With this case you and her are linked on this one. After you were arrested, she was removed from the investigation, her team sent home, and Chloe was forced to return to England. Later Jamie left the Foundation, and checked into a hotel. At the hotel she was staying in, and a fire alarm was set off. Two men were found wounded. One had a head wound, and the other was shot in the shoulder," Devon explained.

Michael looked down, then glanced at Devon. "How do I make contact with her?"

"She has a tracker on her watch, which is linked to KITT. She should be calling you soon. I believed she is still in LA somewhere."

Michael stood. "It's a two hour drive to LA. I'll find her."

Devon stood. "I know you will. I wish I could be more help..."

"You have been looking after me in this situation, and all these years. It is time for me to do what I do best," he said.

"KITT is packed and ready for you. Good luck, and be careful too."

"Tell Bonnie I send her my love," he said.

"Michael, tell Jamie that I send my love too," Devon replied.

"I will, and don't worry. I will find Jamie."

Michael walked out of the back door of the house, and went to KITT.

The hustle and bustle of the activity decline outside of the room, she woked up, checking her watch, and sat up, wanting to scream for it was nearly time to make a phone call. She picked up the phone, and dialed the number.

On the other end of the phone rang, she counted the rings, and tapped her fingers on the nightstand, realizing she was on her own in a first time in a long while. Without Chloe and no support, she wondered how she would convince Michael that they needed each other.

"Is Michael there?" Jamie paused and then said, "I encountered a bit of trouble today. We need to talk... Yes, I'm safe at the moment, but I don't know for how long... Yes, that's where I'm at. When can you get here?"

After she hung up the phone, and picked up her holster with her key and some change in her pocket of her jeans. Her stomach was growling for food, she had forgotten to eat again, and if Chloe was here, she would be giving Jamie a hard time about not eating.

Once she had everything she needed, and memorized the layout of the room, where she had placed everything; she walked out only to be struck by the sticky night air engulfing her. While droplets of perspiration raced down her face, she strolled to the area of the vending machines to suppress her hunger. A woman's screams echoed, as Jamie dashed around the corner to the vending machines.

In between two sections of the buildings was the area for the machines. Behind Jamie was the entrance to the motel, and she spotted the exit that led to the street. To her right was the candy and chips machines, and on her left the soda and ice machines. There was the hooker from earlier, being slammed against the wall by a man in an expensive gray suit, and looked about to be in his forties. He smacked the woman on her face, and repeatedly, while he swore at her! The woman sobbed, and trying to protect herself.

"Please, baby, stop... I won't..." The woman held her hands over her face, as she slid down to the cement floor.

"You need to be punish!" The man said in the expensive suit, towering over her.

Jamie's anger was building inside of her, she pointed her pistol at the man! "You need to stop!"

He turned around with his smirk was fading away on his face.

Jamie stood there, and her facial expression harder with her eyes slightly narrowed, remembering what Garth had taught her, as she aimed her gun at his knee. "I suggest, you run while you can," she growled.

The man turned around, and dashed to the street in a sheer panic to vanish with the other pedestrians. She put away her weapon, and helped the woman to her feet. Jamie noticed the huge bruise was forming on the woman's face."Thank you... honey."

"You're welcome. You want a soda and a candy bar?"

The woman shook with her shoulders slumped with makeup smeared. "Yeah. A coke, and a candy bar would be nice."

"Sure." Jamie put the money in the soda machine. Two soda cans sounding like thunder rolled down inside of the machine.

Jamie gave the woman the can, and went to the candy bar machine, as she selected two chocolate bars. Then she pointed to the chips, and the woman shook her head, no.

With the bag of chips in her hands. "Why don't we go back to my room?"

"Sure, honey."

They returned to her room, as the hooker looked at Jamie, and sat in the chair, by the table near the window. Jamie locked the door, and she checked the bathroom. There was no one else in the room, as she kept her eye on her guest, and brought a cold washcloth for the woman to put on her face.

"Honey, how old are you?"

Jamie sat in the other chair, opening the can of coke. "I'm old enough to join the military, drink at a bar, smoke, and to pay taxes." She smiled.

The woman placed cloth on her face. "You forgot to be to mention owning a gun. My name is Yellow Rose."

"Jamie. Nice to meet you."

"You are fancy, so I was right, and with a bit of a sarcastic side too. Why are you here?"

"Yellow Rose, it's a pitstop for me. Do you need a doctor?"

"If I do there's a free clinic near by. Thanks. But I lost money tonight. I'll manage, don't worry about me," Yellow Rose said.

"Was he..."

"A regular... yes. He was high tonight, and just lost it. When he comes to his senses he will make it up to me. I'm not worried." She drank her coke and ate the candy bar.

Jamie decided not to push her on it, and just accepted her company in this moment.

Michael drove down the street, and spotted the hookers prancing up and down the sidewalk to display themselves, trying to catch an eye of their costumers. While the homeless sat on the ground begging for money, or were in the alleys dumpster diving for food in the dumpsters. Then there the herd of punks with wild colors and hairstyles were roaming the sidewalks to announce their presence on their way to the clubs under the glittering lights of LA. He couldn't believe that Jamie was staying here in this section. There was a lot of things he didn't know about her.

"Why would Wilton's niece stayed here?" KITT asked.

To Michael it was a reasonable question. "Would you look for a wealthy heiress in this part of town?" he asked.

"I think Ms. White is a whole lot more than an heiress," KITT stated.

"She's a lovely young woman with an attitude of a Knight too."

"Oh, I see. You like this woman."

If KITT could laughed, he would, Michael thought.

"Pal, she's a strong and determined woman, who is easy on the eyes," he said.

"In other words you like her, " KITT stated.

KITT turned into the broken down motel lit up the dark sky, adding more glittering light among the skyline of dazzling lights.

The windows of the car were darkened. A group of gang members in dressed red bandanas standing near the vending machines, having a wild conversation about something, as the men eyed KITT.

"What room?" he asked.

"114 is the room number."

"Pal, keep an eye on those guys over there," he said.

Michael opened the door and got out of the car, as KITT had parked next to her room. The men watched him, as he approached the door, and knocked.

"Who's there?" Jamie asked.

"It's Michael."

The door opened, and she waved him in. He entered the room, heard her shutting the door behind him. Sitting in a chair was a hooker with a huge bruise on her left side of her face.

"Hello gorgeous," she said. "I'm Yellow Rose."

"This is Michael," Jamie said, and hid her giggle from him.

Yellow Rose walked and put her index finger on his hairy chest that his white button shirt revealed, and inched her finger upward towards his neck, as she stared at him. "I don't normally give freebies, but for you. I will. I can show you a good time that would haunt your dreams for months."

He cleared his throat, and touched her hand. "I am truly flattered by such attempting offer, but I must decline with such regret. I hope you understand," he said.

Jamie's face turned red with her hand covering her mouth, but Michael knew she wanted to burst out in loud laughter.

Yellow Rose snapped her fingers. "Your loss, gorgeous." She turned to Jamie. "You got a keeper here, honey. He is full of class and charm besides a strong, rippling body of muscles. I hope you enjoy him."

Michael gave her a smug look at Jamie.

"I will do that," Jamie said with a grin.

Yellow Rose looked at him. "Take care of this one since she is very special." She pointed to Jamie, and walked to the door. "Thanks, honey."

"You're welcome," Jamie replied.

Yellow Rose walked out of the room to return to the streets.

"Michael, could you have KITT to keep an eye on her?" she asked.

"KITT, a woman in a mini skirt and a yellow tube top just left. Tell me where she is going."

"She is heading to another room at the motel," KITT stated.

"Thanks, pal," Michael said, and noticed her pistol in its holster on Jamie's belt.

"You made good time," Jamie said, sitting down in the chair.

Michael examined the room quickly. "It is almost midnight. It took me three hours to get here to you." He sat on the bed, staring at her, while she devoured a chip. "You need to return to Washington."

"I can't do that," Jamie mumbled with a chip in her mouth. "Excuse me." She swallowed. "I am needed here with you." She took a drink of her soda. "I'm surprised you didn't ask me about my pistol. You did spot it on me." She studied him too.

"I did notice it. Anyhow, KITT and I can handle this situation, since I'm not sitting in a jail cell now."

Jamie shoved another chip in her mouth, and washed it down with her soda. "The way, I see it, you are also cut off, from the Foundation until you are ready to bring them in for the huge bust."

"You don't miss anything.

"Nope," she said, popping another chip into her mouth.

"What happened to your lady like manners?" he asked.

"They are temporarily on hold." She grinned.

"Who are you? I mean you work in D.C. and I find you made friends with a hooker. You shot a man at your hotel room. I'm expected to trust you," he said, and his rage ready to burst.

"Save your rage for the person who is behind this," she said with her voice cool, as her emerald eyes narrowed giving him a warning to back off. "First of all, I'm Wilton's niece, and like you. I'm a Knight. Those my last name was changed to protect me from something, when I was a young child. At my previous hotel, I was attacked by two men who broke in. Dressed like Retrievers to bring me back to D.C. that didn't work. They are working for Wade, and he knows you. Yellow Rose is a hooker, who tried to get me to go home when I arrived here. A few hours later, she was in trouble, and I helped her out of a bad situation. Any more questions?"

"Yeah, I do. What do you do in Washington?" He stared at her, sitting a bit straighter.

"I'm a spook working for an organization that doesn't exist to most people. When certain situations of crisis, national security, or a major crime happens to a top ranking official. A spook is sent out with a team to handle the situation," she stated firmly.

Michael understood why Devon had wanted her to work with him, and why she was called to intervene into the situation. "The things you said in Devon's office?" He folded his arms across his chest, and examined her.

"No wonder why you scared people who knew Garth!" she snapped, and slammed her can of soda on the table.

"I'm not Garth," he stated.

"No, you are not..." She took in a deep breath and let it out. "I met what I said in Devon's office." She stared into his eyes. "You need me and I need you. I believe General Patel has soured. Wants me dead, and he wants you alive so he can have access to KITT."

"I would never give or work with the General," he said.

"Not in your right mind, but given enough mind altering drugs. You would," she stated.

He wanted to cringe, but didn't want to show his weakness in front of her. "I don't..."

"When KITT helped you escape today. Were you on a desert road out in the middle of nowhere?"

He nodded. She jumped up from the chair, and threw away her trash in the waste basket. "We need to leave now!"

Michael touched Jamie on her arm, as he placed his hands on her shoulders, and saw the fear seeping into her eyes. "Why?" He asked her calmly.

"Retrievers are coming to collect us. My pistol won't stop them. Michael, we are in danger, and so is KITT. I won't stand by to watch my uncle's legacy to be ripped up into pieces."

Michael believed her, and Devon admired and cared for her. "Did you unpack?"

"No. I wasn't planning to stay here the whole night. My bag is over there untouched." She pointed.

"Get your bag." He brought his comlink to his mouth. "KITT, is there any unwanted visitors out there?"

"No, Michael. Just the usual crime element that litters the street around here," KITT stated.

Jamie grabbed her bag, as they left the room, and headed to KITT. Michael opened the passenger side door for her, and helped her to place the bag in the backseat. She shivered slightly, as Michael noticed a man in jeans and a jacket chatting with a group of hookers.

"Get in KITT," he ordered.

She did, and in a few seconds later he was in the driver's seat with the windows still darkened.

"Michael, don't have KITT used his systems, and just drive like a normal person does," she said.

"Michael..."

"KITT, just listen to her," Michael said, and drove out of the parking lot.