The Terrorist that Stole Christmas

By Didi

Disclaimers:  Characters are owned not be writer of this particular fan fiction.  Please do not sue me for I'm definitely not making any money off of this story and is for amusement only.

Warning:  Rated R for violence and strong language.   

Note:  This is my sequel to "What Lurks Beneath," where we learn much about the lives of our former Power Rangers as they rush to save the world from a creature out of their past.  Set eight months later, we face a new terror, of man-made this time.  The title should give it away some.

Age check:  Billy, Tommy, Jason- 28.   Adam, Rocky, Trini, Zack-27.  Aisha, Katherine, Tonya, Kimberly-26.  Justin – 20.

Author's Note:  This is my way of distracting myself when schoolwork becomes too much of a pain after a while.  The universe created here is not the same of the one in Saban so anything you think is strange just blame it on my imagination.  It would also help for you to read "What Lurks Beneath" where I first created this universe.  Sometimes I forget and add things from there, so it makes more since when you have the context from the other story to go on.  J

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Chapter Two – Wrong Place, Wrong Time

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November 30, 2002 – 4:15 p.m. EST

ISS New York Headquarters – Conference Room

New York City, New York

"I told you that they can't move so much artillery without it showing up on someone's radar."  Ballard said as he looked over the list.  "Emmerman, you still there?"

"I'm certainly not home with wife and kids."  Emmerman muttered irritated.  Karen is going to have his head for this.  "What do you have?"

"It went through a couple of check points, killed a couple of people too.  Poland to Germany by land.  Germany to Libya by plane.  Libya to Mexico by Plane then into the US by land."  Ballard winced at the photo included.  "Mexican boarder customs officer shot six time in the chest."

"Ouch."  Emmerman could only imagine. "So where is it now?"

"Probably in California, it's the only place with a dense enough population that a couple of big trucks filled with weaponry can't be detected."

"Shit!  I knew we should have set up a base in California."

"Who's out there?  Or who's the closest?"  Ballard asked even as he began to look up files on the computer.  "Anyone?"

"Nothing."  Emmerman said with exasperation.  Then it hit him.  "Except…"

"Who?"

"Agent Hart lives there now."

"KIMBERLY?"  Ballard had a very bad feeling about this.  "Isn't she pregnant?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot."  Emmerman rubbed his temples.  It was one thing to call up a retired agent, but a pregnant one…..out of the question.

"What about her husband?  What's his name, um…..Thomas!  Thomas Oliver."

"The Nascar driver?"

"He was in Poland with her."  Ballard flipped through more pages.  "Did great job as point commander with Jason Scott on the last confrontation with the creature.  Think he's available?" 

"Get him on the phone."

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November 30, 2002 – 1:32 p.m. PST

Fairplex Convention Center – Fifth Annual Baby Convention

Marina Del Rey, California

"Look at this stuff, I never knew that they make so much crap for babies!"  Aisha said as she picked up teddy bear shaped body warmer.  "Think I can one of this in my size?"

Kat giggled and looked at the blanket.  "I thought Rocky was keeping you warm these days!"

"Yeah but a girl's got to have something extra when the boy isn't around.  Besides, I'd e willing to share with him if he's good."

Kimberly laughed and rubbed her belly.  Her baby was going to get the best there is, no matter what.  The money she's saved up over the years, from Olympic sponsors and her years with ISS, was going to be put to good use for her child.  She worried sometimes about what her life was going to be like.  Neither herself or Tommy ever really thought about children before.  It was hard to imagine themselves as parents.  She was afraid that she might do something wrong somewhere along the way and put her kid in therapy permanently. 

"Oh, look at this!"  Kat laughed, as she held up a baby mobile.  "It's the Power Rangers!"

The three former rangers laughed and agreed that it was a must buy for the baby's room.  They had all agreed that their children must never know about their parents past as rangers since it was likely to put them in danger.  But it didn't mean that they couldn't have little reminders around every once in a while. 

It was perfect day for them all to be getting out by themselves and look through some sweet stuff that reminded them that there are still good things in the world.  Their experience in Poland had dug up a lot of old nightmares from the days when they were battling evil and saving the world.  It had hit Billy and Jason the hardest.  Most of them had retained some sense of their innocence from the days of their youth but Billy and Jason had gone through hell and back.  Poland had been just a reminder of how full of shit the world was. 

Kimberly was looking over beautiful antique baby ribs when a man brushed passed her.  It wasn't unusual for fathers-to-be to accompany the mothers to these conventions but the man was alone and wearing a suspicious dark coat.  Among the brightly color baby materials and happy pastel dressed mothers, he stood out like a sore thumb.  Kimberly would not have thought anything of it except for her years of investigating espionage.

She studied him a moment.  Dark coat, combat boots, black shirt, arms slightly to the sides.  Moving around a couple of the displays she continued to follow him with her eyes without drawing too much attention to herself.  It was then that she caught more than one man there dressed in similar fashion.  Something was very wrong!

Turning around, she was about to go find the others when something caught her eyes.  One of the men was hiding an AK-37, an illegal automatic handgun with rapid re-fire.  She should know; she's caught enough terrorists with them before. 

"Shit!"  She muttered and moved quickly through the crowds.  "I just wanted one goddamn normal day.  Is that really too much to ask around here?!?"

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November 30, 2002 – 1:45 p.m. PST

The Tech-Hi Dojo

Angel Grove, California

"Oh come on Billy, you can do better than that!"  Rocky called out as Billy made another round about Rocky with is fist held up.

"I am a scientist, not a boxer."  Billy commented by kept his stance.

"Jason's an architect and a champion Tai Kwon Do master.  Tommy is a racecar driver and an international karate champion.  Adam and I are police officer and….."

"I get the point."  Billy sat taking another jab at the quick ducking Rocky.  "I just don't understand why I was dragged here when it's Adam that needed to work out some of that stiffness."

"Katherine said you are not to stay too long in that lab of yours.  You're beginning to grow mold."

"I'm going to have to have a little talk with my girlfriend about her suggestions."  Billy said with a roll of his eyes.  "I really don't need her to tell me how much exercise I need in my life.  Besides, I haven't heard her complain before about my physique."

"Quit yapping you guys."  Tommy said as he watched Billy's form.  Jason had done a good job in helping the once shy and helpless boy genius.  Even after all this time, Billy still remembered all the right stands and positions.  "Billy, bring yourself up on the balls of your feet, gives you more balance and flexibility in your movements."

"I can't."  Billy said as Rocky took a jab from the right which he ducked.  "Jason tried to tell me that too but I have no arches in my feet.  Can't get up on them for very long."

"Oh okay."  Tommy commented nodding to himself as he continued to watch.  "By the way, has anyone heard from Jason lately?"

"Not in the last two weeks."  Adam said as he poured more water down his throat.  It was going to take some work for him to get back into shape.  "Him and Trini went into the backwoods of China for a location.  He's thinking about putting the "Arch House" over there."

"What did Trini say?"  Tommy asked.  He knew that Jason's renovation on the house he had here in Angel Grove was almost completed if the good weather holds.  The "Arch House" had been designed as a backup in case Trini hated the one he had put together for the home here in town.  Judging by the reaction Trini had to the tower study that Jason put together for her, Tommy had a feeling that Trini wasn't going to care where the "Arch House" was as long as she got her tower.

"Trini said that she wanted the Arch in the Scotland site."  Adam answered as he glanced at Rocky.  "Billy, watch Rocky's left, he likes to undercut people."

Rocky frowned without looking away from Billy.  "Fine, just give all my secrets away."

"Scotland?"  Tommy frowned; he knew that Kimberly had been looking forward to Trini being in town more often once Jason and her are married.  Neither one of them needed to stay in one place for every long though due to their jobs.  Trini the novelist runs around the world all the time for research while Jason could draw anywhere as long as there was a flat surface and paper.  Heck, the "Arch House" was pretty much created on the fourteen-hour flight from London to Angel Grove when they returned after the Poland thing.  "Tell me they are not going to be keeping another house."

"No, this one is going up for sale." Adam laughed.  "Between the two of them, they can house all the former rangers in luxury."

"How many houses do they have?"  Billy asked catching Rocky under the arm in a reactionary move. 

"Six at last count."  Tommy said as he picked up the phone.  "God knows how many more they're going to want.  Hello?"

"Mr. Thomas Oliver, please?"

"This is Oliver.  Whom am I talking to?"  Tommy threw the newspapers at Adam as he picked up a pen in case there was something he needed to write down.

"This is Director Jonathan Emmerman of the ISS London Office.  I was…"

"Kim's boss, yeah I know who you are.  What can I do for you?"

"Is Kim around?"  Emmerman didn't want to deal with the husband directly after much consideration.  He was hoping the Kimberly would be able to talk him into doing the job for them.

"No, she went to a baby convention.  Why?"  Tommy frowned.  He didn't like Kimberly's former job as spy.  In fact, she had quit simply because she didn't like it any more than he did.  Plus when the baby and all….

"We were hoping she could help us with something."  Emmerman cursed his luck.

"Sorry, but Kim's not working for you anymore."  Tommy explained firmly.  "I don't want her involved in her condition and…."

"We're not asking for her to get involved in anything."  Emmerman explained.  "We were actually hoping that you'd do it for us."

"Excuse me?"

"We were hoping you can help us."

"You offering me a job?"

"Yes."

"No."

"What?"

"I said no.  I don't want it."  Tommy looked at the other who were not really paying attention at all.  "Look with all due respect, I don't have time for this right now.  We're getting ready to have a baby.  The last thing Kim and I want to do is risk our lives.  Sell it to someone else."

Emmerman sighed.  "All right.  But there is something you need to know.  Just for information purposes."

"What is that?"

"You know about Esera Trodue?"

"The Building H bomber."

"No, that's the son.  Esera is the father.  He's dangerous and he may be arm and he's in California.  Be careful."

"Thanks for the tip."  Tommy nodded to himself and reminded himself that Kim would probably want to know about it. 

"Okay, if you change your mind…"

"I won't."

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November 30, 2002 – 4:55 p.m. EST

ISS New York Headquarters – Conference Room

New York City, New York

"He said no?"  Ballard asked no even a little surprised.   Kimberly won't have married a fool.  "What now?"

"Six agents are flying in from Poland to London this very minute.  We'll be taking another jet into the US.  Someone's got the handle this."  Emmerman can't say that he was terribly surprised either.

"Who are you going to put in charge?"

"Joshua Marshall Lyman."

"He's good."

"I know." Emmerman sighed.  "But we need better.  Kimberly's the one we need but we're not going to put her and her baby in danger.  Her husband from everything I hear is just as good, but he's not about to take risks with a family along the way.  Plus, I don't think Kimberly would be too thrilled either."  He needed to get into DC to talk to some people.  "I've got a bad feeling about all this.  We're missing some piece of the puzzle."

"I know what you mean." Ballard swallow the bitter taste in his mouth.  "Something doesn't seem right to me either."

"Is there anyone else we can contact?"  Emmerman asked as he glanced at the clock. 

"Trini?"

"If you can find her."  Emmerman muttered.  He liked the young scientist, but the girl's schedule is impossible to keep up with. "I'm not sure what continent she's on right now much less how to contact her."

"So we're back to Lyman."

"Looks like."

"Could be worse?"

"And what's that?"

"Could be Christmas already."  Ballard said as he sighed.  "Can you imagine what the press would do if this was Christmas and we have a killer on the loose?"

"You're not helping Ballard."

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November 30, 2002 – 1:59 p.m. PST

Fairplex Convention Center – Fifth Annual Baby Convention

Marina Del Rey, California

"Come on."  Kimberly grabbed Aisha's arm and pulled her along before the girl could say a word.  "Where's Kat?'

"Wait…what's going on?"  Aisha asked as she caught a hard-edged look in Kimberly's eyes.  "What is it?"

"Where's Kat?"  Kimberly scanned the area again.  There were at least eighteen of them now, moving stealthily through the crowd, never together.  They were spacing themselves out.  "There are men here with weapons."

"What?"  Aisha whispered harshly.  "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."  Kimberly said as she reached into her purse.  "Just in case…"  She pulled out the small hand pistol and cell phone and shoved both into Aisha's hands.  "Put this between the padding and your stomach, make sure it won't fall when you move."

The former yellow ranger barely glanced at it before allowing her hands to disappear into the huge tent like over shirt she had on.  Securing the stuff, she pulled her own cell phone checking to make sure it was turned off first.  "What are we going to do?"

"First we're going to get Kat."  Kimberly whispered as she watched the area.  "We need to get the hell out of here first."

"What about the other women?"

"We'll call for backup."  Kimberly said.  "Everyone rushing out at once isn't going to do any good."

"Shit!"

"I know what you mean."  Kimberly muttered as she looked over by the door.  The frown that bloomed on her brows could be attributed to the six men standing just inside the door.  "Double shit."

"What?"  Following Kim's line of sight, Aisha groaned.  "Why is it that we're always at the wrong place at the wrong time?"

"We just have really lousy timing."