Mousetrap part 2
A blond walked in, head down reading a piece of paper, and pulled back the desk chair to sit down. The Regulator entered behind her and stood a few steps behind her against the wall. After a few seconds, she looked up and took her glasses off. "Mr. Wolenczak. I hear you haven't been cooperating."
Lucas finally got a good look at the woman. "Captain Stark!" he gasped. "You're dead! You died when the Delta Four went down."
Stark had been the first captain of the seaQuest until she had ignored orders in the Livingston Trench incident and had nearly started a war. The seaQuest crew had refused to obey her order, resulting in her expulsion from the military . She had sought revenge by trying to destroy the seaQuest. Luckily, Captain Bridger, who was on the seaQuest for the first time, had managed to outwit her.
"That's what I wanted everyone to think but I survived, no thanks to your precious captain. I've been watching him, every move for the past 15 months, looking for my chance." Stark slammed her fist on the table. " He's made such a mess, had the perfect boat and wanted to use it for science! That's laughable! Then, he ends up destroying it."
"But what do you want from me and the vocorder?" the teen asked.
"The vocorder is just the icing on the cake." Stark leaned forward across the desk and said in a stage whisper,"You know, it wasn't really nice of Bridger to keep your marvelous invention a secret from the rest of the world." Stark got up and walked around to where Lucas was sitting and put a hand on his shoulder. " As to why I want you, just think of yourself as a piece of cheese. You're the bait for Bridger to walk into my mousetrap." She leaned her face close to the teen's. "He's probably going crazy right now, wondering what has happened to his pet teenager. And soon, the trap will be sprung and I will have him.
Lucas felt a chill run through him as he stared at Stark, his blue eyes wide.
"Wait one minute!" The Regulator's voice made them both turn in surprise; they had forgotten him. "I thought all you wanted was information. I don't want to get involved with any revenge scheme!"
Stark threw him a look full of anger. " Get out then! I don't need you anymore, you fool! I paid you well and I even got 50 pounds of bananas for your smelly monkey. Just remember, if you tell any one about this, I'll crush you, just as I intend to crush Bridger." She turned back to Lucas, not looking up as the Regulator stalked out of the room. "Now, I have a wonderful computer system over there all set for you to work. I want you write and load your vocorder program into the computer. I took the liberty of sending some of my men to retrieve the one you've been working on and you'll find it in the box. When you're finished here, I'll take you out to the dolphin pool and you can do what ever you need to do out there to set the program up." She stood next to the computer, pulling out the chair and looking at him expectantly.
Lucas closed his eyes and tried to organize the thoughts that were whirling in his mind. Two things became crystal clear. He could not give the vocorder information to this insane woman and he had to stop Bridger from coming here. Perhaps he should cooperate, play for time till Bridger came to rescue him. No, Bridger couldn't rescue him because Stark wanted to kill him! Maybe if he resisted, he could throw off Stark's plans or maybe he could find a way to escape and warn the captain.
"No."
"Excuse me, perhaps I didn't hear you correctly, but I think you said no. Surely you don't mean that." Stark walked closer to him, talking in an overly sweet voice.
"I said no. You won't get any information from me." Lucas tried to keep the fear out of his voice.
"So many people these days prefer high tech ways of 'persuasion' but I still like the old fashion version."
Stark simply nodded to the blond guy named Eric, who wrapped a hand around the teen's neck and yanked him out of the chair as Ricardo, the dark haired man stood in front of him. The blows to his stomach left him breathless. Lucas gasped for air as Eric's hand tightened around his neck, keeping him in an upright position. Blood dripped from the boy's nose and split lip as the punches were aimed at his face. Finally, the dark haired man grabbed him by the front of his shirt and threw him against the wall. Lucas dropped to the ground, trying to crawl away like a fish flopping around on dry land. Stark's thugs stood over him, amused by the destruction they had inflicted. Lucas tried to curl into a ball as one of them stomped on his hand.
"Let's see you try to use your keyboard with a broken hand."
"All right boys, that's enough. Take him back to his room and we'll try again later."
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At 10:15 PM, after an exhausting day of worry and unanswered questions, Jonathan Ford laid half asleep on Bridger's couch, shoes off and uniform shirt untucked. Everyone else had gone home and Bridger had gone to the docks to check on the break in. Ford had agreed to stay at the house in case Lucas called.
The brick crashing through the window made Ford instinctively reach for the gun that wasn't there. Jumping up, he ran for the door and into the darkness of the night but didn't see any thing. Going back into the house, he gingerly picked up the brick from the broken glass and unwrapped the paper that was around it.
Crude, the commander thought to himself as he unfolded the paper to look at it.
Bridger- I have who you're looking for. Be at 13 Ocean Drive in 15 minutes or he's a corpse. Come alone unless you want someone to get hurt. Captain Marilyn Stark
Damn, damn, damn. They must have seen the lights on and some one moving around inside and had assumed it was Bridger. Well, the commander thought ruefully, we all know what happens when we assume. With a quick look at his watch, he grabbed his weapon and car keys. He looked around for his PAL, forgetting for a minute and then suddenly remembering that there was no seaQuest and without seaQuest, there were no PAL system. He'd have to call the Captain from the car phone. Bridger would be angry at him for putting himself at risk, but he wasn't about to let Bridger go. Besides, the Captain would never make it in time anyway; the UEO docks were at least a half hour away. It occurred to him that he would, more than likely, end up as Stark's hostage but at least he could warn the Captain and security could be notified. It wasn't the best of plans but his options were limited, at that point. He'd just go and try to 'think on his feet'. That's what Bridger always seem to do. How hard could it be? He had two goals at this point - keep Bridger out of Stark's hands and free Lucas. Everything beyond that was up for grabs.
With one eye on the clock and the other eye on the road, Ford fumbled the phone.
"Captain Bridger?"
"Yes, Commander? Where are you? Are you still at my house?" Ford quickly filled the Captain in on the developments of the last hour.
"Stark!" Bridger's voice was filled with disbelief. "Commander, I don't want you to do anything, understand. Leave Stark to me."
"No, sir, I'm sorry, I can't do that. Stark wants you, was willing to kidnap Lucas to get to you."
"Jonathan, I understand what you're saying, but I can't let you walk in there either. You'll be putting yourself at risk and who knows what Stark will do when she sees you instead of me? Need I remind you that you're probably not on her top ten favorite list."
"This whole discussion is pointless. I'm pulling up to the address already with only a minute to spare. You're still a half hour away. If somebody doesn't show up, what will she do to Lucas? At least I can try and throw her off her game plan. I'm counting on you to rescue us. Ford out."
On the other end, Bridger resisted the temptation to throw the phone across the room in frustration and used his vidlink to call UEO security. He quickly called Hitchcock to let her know what was happening and went to meet the security team.
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Ford slowed the car as he pulled up to 13 Ocean Drive and let the car idle as he scanned the landscape. The dark building loomed before him, and a broken wooden sign told him that this was formerly the Ocean Drive Prison. He stopped the engine and got out. It looked like this place hadn't been used for many years. It was a small building as far as prisons go and built of stone.
Locating the entrance, he started to walk towards it when a cloth bag was thrown over his head and his arm twisted behind his back. His captors shoved him forward without saying a word. After being forced down two flights of stairs, he found himself being pushed into a chair and the bag was lifted off his head.
"You fools!!!" Stark screamed in disbelief. "This isn't Bridger, it's Ford! What kind of idiots are you? You got the wrong man!"
Ford blinked his eyes several times and saw Captain Stark standing before him, face beet red and neck veins bulging.
Folding his hands in his lap, Ford said calmly, "Relax, Stark, you're going to give yourself a heart attack."
Taking three deep breaths, Stark gestured to Eric and said, "We can't spare anyone to guard them separately so throw him in with the boy. I'm sure the Commander's been in contact with Bridger so we don't have much time before the police show up. I'll have to figure out what to do next. Tell everyone we're moving in half an hour." She sat at her desk and buried her forehead into her hand.
Ford was taken down the hall by the two guards, and pushed through an open door. The door slammed behind him and he could hear the key locking the door. Standing still for minute, he let his eyes become accustomed to the dim light. The outline of a bed grew clearer and he saw a body curled up on it. "Lucas, is that you? Are you ok?"
The body straighten as to sit up. "Commander! Please, please tell me that the Captain's not here." Lucas groaned, favoring his injured hand to his chest. He tried to push himself up a little more but each movement brought a fresh wave of pain through his body.
Ford sat on the edge of the bed, exploring the room with his eyes. "No, he didn't come. I intercepted a note meant for the Captain and I came in his place."
"Stark's crazy. She wants to destroy him. We've got to warn him!" Fear for the Captain fueled Lucas, giving him a surge of energy. He struggled to get up, one handed, wanting to move before he jumped out of his skin with worry.
"Whoa!" The commander put out an arm to stop the teen. " Right now, there's not much we can do. The Captain on his way, with security, he'll be prepared." He stood up to examine the walls and the window. "Have you checked out the walls? Are there any video or audio devices? The door's locked, and this window is too small for anybody bigger than a child." He turned to look at Lucas, who was sitting on the edge of the bed.
Abruptly, his thoughts changed when his mind registered the damage to Lucas' face. A split lip, cut on the forehead, dried blood around the nose. He took two steps forward, and knelt down, taking the boy's face in his hand, studying it. "My god, what did she do to you?"
Lucas tried to push his hand away, turning his face so the Commander couldn't see the terror in his eyes. "S-she wanted to know about the vocorder, wanted my computer program but I refused. Stark thought her guards could 'persuade' me to talk." His voice trembled slightly as he remembered the beating he endured.
Ford stared at Lucas for a minute, resting one hand on the boy's knee. "I'm sorry I have to ask you but ...." he started gently.
Lucas gave him a tired but triumphant smile. "No, I didn't tell them a thing."
The door started to creak open slowly as Ford tried to push Lucas behind him. The two of them stared at the door, anxious about what was going to happen next. An orangutan stood in the door way, chattering away at them. It was the last thing Ford had expected. Lucas laughed and got up carefully, easing his sore body into a standing position.
"It's Verne! The Regulator was the one who helped Stark capture me." Lucas looked over the orangutan's head to see if any one was in the hallway. "C'mon Commander, maybe he's trying to help us escape."
The teen was almost out the door as Ford quickly got up and make a grab for the boy. "Hold on," he said cautiously, "it could be a trap." He pushed the boy back in the room and looked carefully into the hall, half expecting to be staring down the barrel of a gun. Much to his surprise no one was standing there. The orangutan had move several feet down the hallway, where it stood looking at him like it was waiting to be followed. Since action was preferable then waiting, he decided to see where Verne would lead them. Besides, Stark was planning to leave in less than an hour and it would take awhile for Security to gear up and attempt a rescue. Signaling Lucas to follow, he started to creep slowly down the corridor.
The orangutan also started to move when it saw that the Commander and Lucas were following. They were walking in the opposite direction of Stark's office, which Lucas took as a good sign. They went down two flights of stairs, passed through several intersections and the numerous turns they took made Lucas think of a maze. The hallway started to slope slightly and Lucas thought they were headed downhill. The corridors were lined with light bulbs but most were out, and the dusky light cast eerie shadows. Lucas clutched his broken hand close, ready to run at any signs of trouble. The orangutan seemed to be wandering aimlessly but finally came to a door way.
There were broken boards partially blocking the way, but the orangutan climbed through easily. Ford pulled one off and threw it aside and pushed some boards up with his hand so he could duck into the room. He reached back to hold up the boards so that Lucas could follow. The room looked like a dead end until Lucas noticed the hatch in the wall. Verne had walked over to the hatch and looked expectantly at them.
Giving a good yank to the metal hatch, Ford opened it as Verne scrambled through. The tunnel behind it was narrow but Ford could walk if he scrunched down a little. Lucas was several steps behind as they emerged from the tunnel onto the beach below the old prison. The spotlights on top of the stone building cast long shadows across the sand and another surprise awaited them.
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The Regulator stood with his back to them, looking out at the ocean. He didn't turn around as they walked up to him. "Stark has some subs over there." He gestured with his head off to the right. "Take one and go." He spoke quietly, not looking at them.
Lucas took a step forward. "Come with us."
"Bridger will throw my butt in the brig and then the UEO will send me away for the rest of my life. I can't live that way."
"I'll tell the captain that you helped us escape. He'll put in a good word for you; maybe they'll let you off with a warning. I know you didn't want them to hurt me, that was Stark's doing. I'll say that's she's the one who kidnapped me."
The Regulator let out a bitter laugh and turned to face the teen. "I'd sell my own mother for the right price. Stark knew that and Bridger knows that too. Don't make me into some type of hero, kid. You'd still be in there if Stark had stuck to the original plan. I just couldn't stand by and watch her commit murder. I never would have gotten involved with her if I had known what she intended for Bridger. No, I'll disappear for a while until Stark cools down."
Ford was standing a few steps back, trying to decide whether he should force Farina to go with them and then discarding the idea. His first duty was to get Lucas to safety. "Lucas, let's get moving!"
As they turned to go, the Regulator reached out to pull at Ford's sleeve. "One minute, please, Commander."
Ford gave him an annoyed look. "Go ahead, Lucas, find us a sub. I'll catch up."
"Look Commander, I know you'd like nothing better than to punch me out, but I really didn't mean for any harm to come to the kid; make sure Bridger knows that. He'd better beef up security for the kid; he's an easy target, knows too much. The Captain better watch his own back as well; Stark doesn't give up easily." The Regulator turned around again and started to walk away.
Ford just stared at the other man. If looks could kill, he thought to himself as he turned his back and ran to the shore line where Lucas was waiting. Someday, some where, Leslie Farina would get what was coming to him, whether it was from Stark or Bridger or some one else he double crossed.
The hatch was opened on one of the three mini subs that were tied up to the dock. They were mini transports that could fit between five and six people, about the same size of a seaQuest launch. It looked to be an older model, battery powered. Lucas was inside, examining the controls. One hand punched a few buttons, the bad hand still nestled against his body for protection. The teen turned as the commander entered.
"Ready to take seaQuest II for a spin," Lucas asked with a ghost of a smile.
Ford took a seat in the pilot chair. "It's a bit smaller than I imagined but it'll do in a pinch," he answered, trying to play along with Lucas' attempt to lighten the atmosphere. "All hands, this is the captain. Prepare for launch."
He studied the panel before him; the sub might be an older model but it had a state of the art piloting and navigational system. Hitting a button, he reached for the steering control. "And away we go."
"Um, Commander, where exactly are we going?" questioned the teen.
"Any where but here, Lucas, any where but here." He gave the boy a confident smile though he was anything but. The urge to drop Lucas somewhere and come back to face Stark was strong, but leaving the teen alone in his current state was a bad idea. He hoped Bridger made it to the prison in time and brought some security with him to back him up, instead of trying to do something on his own.
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Stark and her body guards, six men with more muscle than brain, were scurrying around, packing papers and technology, eliminating any evidence of who had been there. Stark decided to pile everything, including the prisoners, into a sub, and go to her private island to formulate a new plan. There were a few people she could call and it might be enjoyable to make Bridger squirm for a few more days, instead of killing him out right. After all, now she had the boy and Commander Ford. Maybe she could just work her way through the entire crew until there was only Bridger. Alone and defeated, with no support where ever he turned. He'd have to come to her then, acknowledge her superiority over him, the student becoming the teacher. She drifted over to the window, the scene playing out in her mind and glanced down to the beach. The sight before her eyes made her jaw drop. How could so many things go wrong in one day?
There was Ford disappearing into a sub and The Regulator walking slowly towards the road carrying his monkey. That double crosser ! One just couldn't find good help these days.
Stark walked briskly to the beach, ignoring her bodyguard's questions. She'd have to take care of Ford by herself, once and for all. Too bad the commander hadn't check his gas gauge. It was going to be a very short escape attempt. Her only regret was that she wouldn't be able to see their faces when she blasted them into oblivion. Sirens were screaming in the background as Stark stepped into her mini sub but she didn't pay attention. Once again she had escaped - maybe she should thank the Commander before she fired.
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They had gotten about four miles from land when the sub started lurching and was getting hard to steer. Lucas was dozing in his seat, his burst of adrenaline spent. Ford struggled with the controls, swearing when he checked the power supply gauge and saw the sub's energy was almost gone. The radar screen showed a vehicle approaching quickly from the rear.
"Lucas, Lucas, wake up," the Commander said in forceful tone, wearing his command mask, disguising his true feelings. " We've got company and I don't think it's Santa Claus."
The teen yawned sleepily and stretched in his chair. Taking a quick look at the radar, he exclaimed "Oh jeez, can't she just leave us alone !"
"That's not the worst of it. In ten seconds we'll be sitting ducks, unless you know some way to recharge the batteries. Ford worked the controls relentlessly, trying to figure out what to do next.
As he tried to clear the cob webs from his brain, Lucas turned to study the back of the sub. "Commander, I think I have an idea...."
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The security cars came to a screeching halt in front of the prison, as men dressed in black piled out and took up strategic positions around the front of the building. Hitchcock, Ortiz and O'Neill scrambled out of the back seat of a security vehicle as Bridger was opening the front door of his sports car. Hitchcock, carrying her weapon, made her way to entrance way, but the lieutenant of the security team glared at her and motioned for her to fall back.
"Really, Captain Bridger, your crew must stand back and let us do our jobs!" Lieutenant Ryan whispered harshly at him. "We need to get in there and take down the perpetrators."
"Just as long as you don't take down our crewmen with them, Lieutenant!" Bridger was not thrilled with this whole operation. He had wanted a small squad of two or three men who could go in quietly and take Stark out without bloodshed. The security Lieutenant had decided that a show of force was the way to go. Bridger had visions of the storming of an old English castle. He just prayed that Stark didn't look out the window and then decide to shoot Ford and Lucas on the spot.
"On my signal, men." The Lieutenant checked his watch, then quickly assessed that his team was ready. "Now !"
The whole operation took ten minutes. The bodyguards gave up without a battle, without any bloodshed or gunshots, much to Bridger's relief. While the security team assembled the handcuffed henchmen outside, Ortiz, O'Neill, Bridger and Hitchcock searched the prison for Ford and Lucas.
Ortiz ran up to Bridger, who was searching what appeared to be Stark's office. "No sign of them anywhere," Ortiz announced, flipping his disheveled hair out of his eyes, "but we found a cell that looks like it's been used recently." He held up a dirty t shirt and Lucas' other sneaker. "Looks like the other shoe fell."
O'Neill threw him a 'now's not the time for that' look. "Let's try the beach, maybe Stark took them out there." The others looked at him dumbly. "There are four sides to a building. This building is on the beach front, the back is to the ocean so that prisoners couldn't escape..." he started to explain.
It took a moment for this to sink in, and then Bridger took off running. Must be the lack of sleep he thought to himself or maybe old age. Usually you're not this slow.
The others followed him out the door, past the security team who were celebrating their successful capture, around the side of the building to the beach, nearly trampling the Regulator.
Before the seaQuest crew had a chance to say anything, Leslie pointed out to the sea and said calmly, "Ford and the kid escaped in a sub but Stark went after them."
Bridger ran to the water's edge, scanning the horizon but there was nothing. The ocean shimmered with the lights shining off the prison towers. Ortiz and O'Neill joined him but Hitchcock detoured over to the dock, where there were two subs remaining. Quickly appraising each one, she decided which one they would take if the Captain wanted to go after Stark.
The Captain was not sure of his next move. Should he call the coastal patrol, or see if there was a UEO helicopter available? He saw Katie standing on the dock, examining submarines. He quelled the anger that was building inside, the desire for revenge for what Stark had done to the seaQuest and to his crew. The anger he felt towards himself that there was no seaQuest left; that if seaQuest hadn't been destroyed they wouldn't be in this mess to begin with. He rubbed at his eyes with his hand. No, he didn't have time to think about that now. No sense fretting about past mistakes when he needed to concentrate on what he could do now. "Katie, could you bring me those binoculars?"
Hitchcock hustled off the dock, binoculars in hand and held them out to the Captain. "Where did the Regulator go?"
Bridger whirled around. Farina was nowhere in sight.
"Do you want us to search for him?" Ortiz asked.
The Captain had wanted to question him; Farina obviously had something to do with this. He sighed. "No, Miguel, leave him for another time. Leslie's long gone by now."
"Maybe he gave us false information. How do we know that they're actually out there or maybe he's misleading us so Stark can escape?" O'Neill suggested.
"So why would he be here and risk the chance of getting caught? They had plenty of time to get out of here without being noticed." Hitchcock argued.
The conversation stopped when they heard the loud explosion and a gush of water rose from the ocean, about four miles from the shore. Bridger jerked up the binoculars and saw debris floating in the ocean, a large piece of metal bobbing among the waves.
The others stared at him in horror as he lowered the binoculars and bowed his head and shoulders slumped. "A sub exploded," Bridger stated quietly.
Hitchcock let out a little gasp as Tim silently said a prayer. Miguel put a hand on his Captain's shoulder to offer support and sympathy.
"But whose? It could have been Stark," Katie reminded him. "Jonathan would find a way to turn things around in his favor." She wouldn't think about Jonathan being dead, she refused to.
A large object was tumbling in the waves, being pushed to the shore. Tim and Miguel sprinted into the water, figuring it was a piece of wreckage from a sub but were surprised to see a body . Miguel gathered the body carefully in his arms while Tim checked for a pulse as they walked quickly up to a drier part of the beach.
"Captain," O'Neill shouted excitedly." It's Lucas !"
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Lying Lucas carefully on the sand, they kneeled down next to him, as Bridger and Hitchcock rushed over to them. The teen rolled on his side, doubling over as hacking coughs shook his cold, wet body. Bridger supported the teen's neck, stroking his hair soothingly, till the spasms passed. He could barely contain himself, wanting to pull the boy tight to him, to reassure himself that he was breathing and still alive. Several times in the past day he wondered if he'd ever see him again. Had it really only been 24 hours since this nightmare began?
Bridger touched the boy's hand to comfort him, but it resulted in a yelp of pain. "What happened to your hand?" He inspected Lucas' bruised and battered face. A swim in the ocean couldn't inflict that much damage. "Oh, God, who did this to you? Did she do it? Let me see your hand, just for a minute, I know it hurts." He let go of the injured hand, and Lucas pulled it back protectively to his chest. Bridger closed his eyes a minute and clenched his own fists. Stark ! Vengeance was not something he usually endorsed but a hard right to Marilyn's jaw would feel really good.
"Commander...the Commander," Lucas gasped, "he was right behind me." The coughs came again, leaving him breathless and limp.
Ortiz, and O'Neill moved back to the water line, taking the binoculars with them to scan the water. Hitchcock went down to the dock to get the first aid kit she had noticed earlier.
After a few minutes, Lucas opened his eyes. "Captain, Stark's still out there; you've got to leave. What if she comes back to shore?" Panic filled his eyes as he struggled to get up. "And where's Commander Ford? He was helping me, but the waves were too rough and we were separated."
"Shhh, shhh," Bridger said in a quiet, comforting tone, gently rubbing Lucas' arm. "I'll be ready for Stark if she shows up and Tim and Miguel will look for the Commander. I'm sure he's safe, maybe he's down the beach a little ways." He opened the first aid kit, taking out pain reliever and a roll of bandage. "Can you swallow these? They'll help the pain and I want to bandage up that hand." There was not much he could do, medically, to help the boy but if he immobilized the hand, maybe it would be less painful. Besides, it made him feel better, the act of actually doing something and not just sitting there.
Another shout from the beach got his attention and he watched his officers run a short way down the beach. Ford was rising from the surf, trudging through the waves slowly. Hitchcock was the first to reach him, putting an arm around his shoulder as he slumped tiredly against her.
The Captain glanced at Lucas, who was straining to see what was happening. Putting a hand on the teen's cheek, he said gently, " See, the Commander made it, you're both safe now."
Lucas gave a weak smile and turned his head to see the others approaching as the captain finished with his hand. The pain relievers had reduced his pain to a dull ache. Looking up at the stars in the dark sky, he was cold, tired, and wet, hardly believing it was over. At least he hoped it was over for now; Stark was still out there and he had no delusions that she would end her revenge . She would figure out eventually that Ford and he were still alive, that they hadn't died in her attack and her anger was likely to double. The thought scared him.
Hitchcock helped Ford over to where Lucas was lying.
"Jonathan!" Bridger greeted him happily and patted him on the back. "Are you hurt?"
"Just waterlogged; it was a long swim. Farina helped us escape. We took a sub but Stark was right behind us and fired a torpedo. We had to blow the hatch and take our chances." Sinking to the sand, trying to breath normally after the long swim, Ford looked around at the faces of his shipmates, and gave Lucas a pat on the leg. "We made it, kid. Are we safe here?" He looked at the prison. "Stark had bodyguards. I trust you brought a security team with you as back up?"
"Yes, everything is secure here, we have enough sense not to walk into an obvious trap without help. Now would be a good time for a report, Commander," Bridger said firmly.
Ford described what had happened after he had arrived, about seeing Stark and being taken to Lucas, how Verne had led them to the Regulator on the beach. "So the sub had stalled in the water and Stark was on our tail. We blew the hatch, and, using rebreathers, we swam out of there just as the torpedo hit the sub and exploded. We surfaced at one point to make sure we were headed in the right direction, then the waves were crashing over us and we were separated. I dropped my rebreather at some point."
Lucas propped himself up on his good hand, trying to move into a semi sitting position. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I've had enough of the beach for a while so could we get out of here... I'm starving and really could use a pizza. Besides, we have company," he added staring off to the right, near the road.
Everyone turned, with Ortiz and Hitchcock reaching for their side arms. A man stood there, video camera in hand.
"Probably saw all the activity and decided it was his chance to become a famous news reporter" Miguel muttered under his breath.
Bridger stood up. "Ignore him. Lucas, do you think you can walk or do you want Miguel to carry you?"
Lucas struggled to his feet awkwardly. "I hurt my hand, not my feet." Letting out a few small coughs, he started trudging up the hill to the prison. "Did you find my sneaker? They were my favorite pair."
O'Neill rolled his eyes at Ortiz, who smiled.
"Guess he's feeling better," Katie remarked as she started after the teen.
Bridger extended a hand to Ford and helped him to stand up. "Wait till he finds out the first stop is the hospital."
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As Bridger predicted, there was a lot of noise made when they pulled up to the UEO medical facility.
"But Captain, all I need is to go home and sleep for a few days," Lucas whined tiredly as Bridger opened his door and helped him out.
"Mr. Wolenczak, you will undergo a full medical evaluation and do what the doctors says. The same goes for you, Commander Ford," Bridger ordered. He walked to the main desk, trailed by two unhappy people. " Captain Bridger, from the seaQuest. Secretary General Noyce should have called you."
The nurse on duty typed something on her keyboard. "Yes, he called and the doctors were notified. How many rooms do you need?"
"Two."
"Fine. May I have the names of the patients?" Bridger recited the information she needed, with a occasional sullen answer from one of the patients.
Lucas suddenly turned a shade whiter and swayed while Ford quickly grabbed him in case he fell. The nurse waved over a wheelchair which Lucas tried to wave away. "I'm hungry and thirsty, that's all. It's been twenty four hours since I've had anything," he started to babble. "They gave me a sandwich but I was afraid it was poisoned, so I didn't eat it. My hand hurts but if you give me some pain reliever, I'll go home and sleep and then I'll feel better. I really don't need to be here." He was lowered into the wheelchair and was being wheeled down the hallway before he realized what was happening. "Captain !"
"I'm right here, Lucas, " Bridger said calmly, walking behind him. "Let the doctor take a look at you and then I'll be in. I have some things I need to talk to the Commander about."
The wheelchair containing Lucas took a left turn while Bridger and Ford followed a nurse into the room on the right.
Ford eased himself onto the bed as the doctor stood waiting. "Really, I'm fine, Captain. Somebody needs to start looking for Stark. As long as she's loose, you're in danger."
"Please unbutton your shirt." The doctor started prodding and poking the Commander. "Breath deeply and let it out. Cough."
"I've already alerted UEO security and we'll post guards at the hospital. She's taken Lucas once, she might try again, just for the sport of it. Stark won't be happy when she finds out you outsmarted her. I wouldn't be surprised if you've passed me on her Top Three Hated List. You know she really gets annoyed when someone get the better of her." He looked idly around the room, waiting for the doctor to finish.
After putting away his equipment, and washing his hands, the doctor turned to them. "Apart from some water in the ear, the Commander seems to be in good shape. I prescribe a few days of rest at home and he'll be ready to return to duty. If you'd like I can find you a set of scrubs."
Ford grimaced as he looked down at his sandy, salt water soaked clothes. "Sorry, I think I brought half the ocean in with me. Scrubs would be good, thanks."
As the doctor left, Ford stood up and looked his Captain squarely in the eyes. "Sir" he started, his voice and his eyes solemn. " I don't think that you're taking Stark's threat seriously enough. You weren't there, you didn't see her; she's gone over the edge. My god, she took a sixteen year old kid to get to you."
Bridger clasped a hand on the younger man's shoulder. " I appreciate your concern and yes, I'm worried about Stark, but I won't spend my life looking over my shoulder. I haven't had a chance to say thank you. That was a big risk you took, going to Stark in my place. You're lucky she didn't shoot you at first sight. Thank you, though, for going and taking care of Lucas, and getting him out of there." He patted Ford's shoulder a few times and they exchanged smiles.
A nurse opened the door, handed Ford a set of scrubs and shut the door again. Starting to take off his shirt, he replied, " I wish I could take credit for our escape but it that was the Regulator. He was responsible for kidnaping Lucas but ended up saving him. I don't want to even imagine what would have happened without his help." He started to pull off his socks.
"Speaking of Lucas, I should go check on him." The Captain strode out of the room, leaving the Commander to change in peace.
The teen was lying in bed, eyes closed but rolled over slightly and drowsily opened his eyes half way when he heard the door. There was an IV attached to his arm and somehow, they had managed to get him into a hospital gown. Bridger was glad he hadn't been around for that argument.
The doctor, who was writing on the chart, looked up when he entered. "Captain, I'm Doctor ."
"Doctor." Bridger gave him a distracted nod but was studying Lucas. "How is he?"
"We're going to take him up to surgery for some work on that hand. It was left too long without treatment, Captain. You really should have brought your son in earlier," the doctor said in a slightly accusing tone. "He's also dehydrated, has a major laceration to the forehead, bruised ribs and water in his lungs, besides the minor scratches and bruises. He's sluggish from the sedative and pain reliever." Putting the chart down, he adjusted his glasses and checked his patient's pulse. "It must have been quite a sailing adventure." He left quickly, leaving a bewildered captain in his wake.
Bridger dragged a chair closer to the bedside and dropped into it. "How are you feeling?" he asked softly.
Lucas stared at him with drug-glazed eyes. "I'm angry," he whispered groggily.
That was not what the Captain expected to hear. "What are you angry about?" he asked in surprise.
"I'm angry at Stark, at my father, at myself.... at you." He licked his lips, taking a deep breath, trying to keep his thoughts straight as he wavered in and out of awareness, finding it hard to concentrate.
The Captain was taken back by this admission. Feelings like that towards Stark he could understand but his father and himself? Towards me? The thought that Lucas was angry at him confused him .., upset him. Lucas gave a little sigh. "Angry at myself for running 'cause of a message from my father, like he'd ever ask me for help. Feel like a fool, I was taken so easily. Angry at him. It was his project that destroyed the seaQuest, his project that was more important than me. Um, angry at you." He shifted a little in his bed, trying to find a comfortable position. "You, Stark wanted you. You destroyed my home, where I was safe. Stark would have never gotten me. You're suppose to protect me, keep me safe, um. Why did she take me?" The last words were no more than a slur as his tired mind drifted into a restless sleep.
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"You don't believe that, do you?" Ford's voice drifted softly into the room. "That he's angry at you?"
Bridger sighed, shook his head and turned to look at Ford, who was leaning on the door frame, his face unreadable.
"Why not? He has every right to be. Everything he said was true, Jonathan. It's because of me that this happened to him," Bridger said sadly.
"So what do you want to happen, do you want him to leave? Would having him go back to his parents, back to college, be better for him? For you? Stark would still find him. Your enemies will find out what he means to you, will exploit that. He won't be any safer." Ford walked over to the bed and looked down at the sleeping teenager. "That was his sub- conscience speaking. He's was tired, in pain, not thinking clearly. I think he's terrified. Terrified because you are the most important person in his life. Now there's a real threat to you, to your well being. What would have happened if you had been at the house when the note came? You would have gone to face Stark yourself. I'm sure Stark would have taken great pleasure playing games with the two of you." He scrutinized his captain's face, trying to find the right words to erase the guilt he saw there. " Part of this is his fault, you know. He's been a member of the crew for over a year now but he still took off in the middle of the night like a child. He should have taken the time to call some one for help. If he had used those famous brains of his and did some investigating, the whole thing would not have happened."
The Captain contemplated this for a while. His head told him that the Commander was right, but it was harder to convince his heart. The nightmares of the seaQuest's destruction threaten to over take him, the guilt mixing with remorse. Actions piled one upon the other, creating a never ending circle. "A lot of what ifs," he murmured. If he hadn't used the seaQuest to save the world, if he had never come aboard the seaQuest and defeated Stark, if Lucas' father hadn't been involved in the World Power project and hadn't sent him to the boat. Would he go back and erase his relationship with Lucas to keep him safe? He knew the answer to that. It would be like saying he wished he had never known Carol and Robert so he could have spared himself the pain of their deaths.
The door opened and a stretcher was rolled in, the attendants chatting, not paying attention to the occupants in the room. They prepared Lucas' prone form and moved him to the stretcher.
Ford gave Bridger a questioning look.
"Hand," the captain mouthed back.
A nurse picked up the chart. "He should be back in a couple of hours. You can either wait here or you might be more comfortable down the hall in the waiting room." She disappeared out the door after the stretcher.
Ford yawned and stretched. I'm going to find some coffee, do you want some?"
After Bridger gave an affirmative nod, Ford continued "I'll be right back. Think about what I said."
Nathan sat back and tried to unravel his twisting thoughts and emotions; to make some sense out of the last day and to decide what to do next. My enemy kidnapped Lucas to capture me - how do I feel about that? Incredibly guilty. Could I have done anything to prevent it? Probably not. Keeping Lucas under lock and key would not be feasible. Stark also wanted the vocorder information. An occupational hazard of being a genius, of living on the UEO flag ship, of having access of confidential information on a daily basis? Definitely. Could that happen again, will some one else get the bright idea that Lucas would be an easy target to gain classified material? Positively. So, Nathan, what have we learned from this? Nothing. He ran a hand through his hair and checked his watch. 2 AM. Oh, he was tired. It had been a long time since he pulled an all nighter. How long did it take to get coffee?
Searching for the waiting room, he found Ford sprawled on a couch, fast asleep. So much for coffee. Going back to Lucas' room, he found himself unable to keep his eyes open and let himself drift off
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Lucas woke up slowly, feeling warm and comfortable. Reaching up to brush the hair from his eyes, he reacted in surprise to the cast that bashed him in the forehead. Memories of the past day came rushing back, and he wished he could go back to sleep and pretend it had all been a dream
Stretching cautiously, he took stock of his injuries. Bandage on forehead, cast on hand, IV. Could be worse, he thought to himself, could have a bullet hole.
Turning carefully, he saw Bridger sleeping in a chair next to the bed. The Captain's face was gray with exhaustion, bags under his eyes. He was twitching restlessly in his chair and Lucas wondered which nightmare he was having. It was distressing to think that this latest incident gave the Captain another one to add to his already large collection. Coughing slightly, he reached for the water sitting on the night stand but it fell on the floor with a clatter.
Bridger sat up quickly at the noise. "What ! I'm awake, I'm up." He shook his head, trying to clear his head and blinked his eyes a few time, and then he realized where he was. "Lucas," he sighed, reaching to take the younger man's hand.
I'm sorry, Sir." Lucas ducked his head and fiddle with the edge of the sheet, not wanting to meet the Captain's eyes.
"For waking me?"
"For what I said last night. At least I think I said it, who knows, at this point it could have been a dream. I'm not angry with anyone. Well, I'm at Stark but I guess I really can't be upset with my father, and I shouldn't be angry with you. You've been really great to me this past year and I have a lot to thank you for. Are you going to send me back to my father?" He lay back in his bed, taking a deep breath, dreading the answer to that question.
Leaning forward so he could turn the teen's face to look directly in his eyes, Nathan said, "it's OK if you're angry with me - I understand. If I thought I could keep you safe, I'd send you back to your father or maybe take you to my island but I doubt it would be enough. Besides, neither of us could live like that. We can't spend the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders, waiting for the bad guys to jump out of the shadows." Running his hand through his hair, he sighed. "After Robert died, I took Carol to the island to protect her but I couldn't keep her safe either. One thing I learned is that we have to enjoy each day and love each other as much as possible in the time we have. Nobody knows when things will change, and try as we might, we can't stop change." He paused, wondering if this was the right time to bring it up. "Stark is still out there and while I'd like to think she'll give up, we both know she won't."
Lucas shivered because the same thought had occurred to him, and he knew the implications of that. Memories of his time spent in the prison washed over him, the pain and the terror. A tear slipped down his cheek, the ones he had been holding back for so long. He had held it all in, too busy trying to escape, to survive, but now that he felt secure, the emotional dam broke.
Nathan reached over to hug him. "Ssh, it's all right, you're safe now." He rubbed his back gently, whispering quietly. "Sh, it's all over."
Lucas let out a shuddering breath and the trembling eased as the Captain handed him a few tissues to wipe his eyes. "I don't know which was worse - wondering what she was going to do with me or what she would do to you if you came. I was so scared." He stopped to blow his nose and then threw it at the trash can. "She wanted the vocorder information but I didn't give it to her. I wonder why she wanted it. I think that's why the Regulator was involved - she paid him for telling her that I had the information. He set me up but when he heard what Stark had planned for you, he said he wanted out." Pushing back the sheets, he moved his legs over the side of the bed. "I, ah, have to go," he murmured, slightly embarrassed.
Bridger helped him up. "You need help? Do you want me to call the nurse?"
"Nah, I think I can handle it." He shuffled slowly in to the bathroom, a little unsteady and shut the door.
A big bunch of balloons floated into the room, followed by Jonathan, Katie, Miguel and Tim.
"So where is he?" Tim asked, a big box of chocolates in his hand.
Bridger nodded to the bathroom. "Call of nature."
"Is he going to be all right?" Katie asked as she settled into a chair by the window.
"Great. An audience." Lucas walked side ways to the bed, trying to present the front side of him. He had been appalled to find that the gown was the only thing he had on and the edges didn't quite close in the back. "If I had known you all would show up, I would have made a robe out of the toilet paper." He ducked under the covers quickly, as the others laughed. "Ha, ha, yeah, real funny, let's pick on the sick guy."
Bridger came over to help him settle in, arranged the blankets over him, and sat on the side of the bed.. "Are you going to be all right?" he asked quietly.
Lucas gave him a small smile. "I think I will be, in time. There's so much to think about and to forget."
"Here, we brought you some balloons," Tim said as he handed them to Lucas. "And some chocolates, too," as he turned to see Bridger with the lid in hand eyeing the candy inside.
"Hey, I'm hungry !" Bridger complained as Miguel took the box from him. "Did you have a nice nap, Commander?"
Ford covered a yawn. "I was going to bring you a cup of coffee but the couch looked so inviting. I'm hungry too. Let's go to the cafeteria."
A nurse appeared with a rolling cart containing a basin, and a towel on the top shelf. "Mr. Wolenczak, good to see you awake. Let's check your vitals and then it's time for your sponge bath." She started shooing everyone out of the room .
As Lucas gave Bridger a look of horror, he just shrugged in sympathy. "I hope they have pancakes," Bridger commented as he followed the others out of the room.
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Stark sat in a darkened room, a look of disbelief on her face as she watched the evening news. Her joyous mood was fading fast. No! It couldn't be. She had destroyed them, taken a piece of Bridger's world away from him thereby causing him pain. "Secret UEO operations....video shot by local resident.....prison...conditions unknown.... She barely heard the words as she picked up the vidlink.. She had plans to make.
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© 1998 Karel Black