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 Five – Day One, Keeping Hope

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December 1, 2002 – 9:45 a.m. PST

Los Angeles International Airport

Angel Grove, California

The twenty-six agents came off the plane at a dead run.  The eight black unmarked cars were sitting on the runway waiting for them when they reached LAX.  No one said as word as they piled into the car.  It was going to be an excruciating day as it is. 

"Director Emmerman wants to talk to you."  Josh handed the phone to Trini who sat in the back with Jason. 

"Yeah?"

"You ready for this?"

"No, but I don't really have a choice do I?"

"What made you change your mind?"  Emmerman had stayed behind once he approved Trini's plans.  He's never felt the need to interfere with his agent's works.

"Kimberly is one of the hostages."  Trini explained calmly, ignoring the stares from Josh and the driver, who had once worked with her.

"What?"

"You heard me.  I'm going to get her and the rest of the women back."

Emmerman was silent for a moment.  "Keep me informed."

"Okay."  She clicked the phone off before handing it back.  "ETA?"

"Two hours to Angel Grove."

"They have the stuff for me?"

"Yeah." 

"And the victims' families?'

"All have been contacted.  Most of them have been told that they're to stay at home and not do anything rash until they hear from us."

Trini nodded and sat back with her head on Jason's shoulder.  "Then we'll deal with it all when we get there."

Jason held her hand.  "Yes we will."

"Poor Tommy." 

Jason kissed her temple and leaned back.  His heart bled for his best friend.  There was nothing worse than not knowing if the one you love was all right.  It was a slow emotional torture.  Thanks god the others are there for him.

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December 1, 2002 – 10:23 a.m. PST

Somewhere Unknown

Somewhere in California

Kimberly and Aisha sat in the van and felt the queasy feeling as the altitude changed.  They were going up a mountain somewhere.  The cold was becoming worse. It's been almost four hours since they were separated from Kat, who made sure she was one of the ones that got left behind when Kimberly was pulled into the group that was being send away.  Aisha had followed quickly.  Kat had maneuvered herself into the other group without anyone noticing. 

They had said their be-careful's through glancing look that no one else noticed.  It was their job as former rangers to protect.  They all understood that.  It was going to take some doing, but they had to do what they can to stay focused on the job ahead of them.  Aisha had managed to put her silenced cell phone with a fully charged battery into the main car of their capturers.  They can only hope that no one finds it. 

"Mountain?"  Aisha leaned closer and whispered the question.

"Yeah, four thousand feet at least.  My ears won't be popping at anything less."

"Do you think we were still heading north?"  Aisha adjusted the blanket tighter against the cold.  "If we are, I'm going to guess that we're in Yosemite.  It's the only place that one can take a van this size without being pulled over for inspection."

Kimberly nodded her agreement.  They had all been camping up there once in the summer.  It was beautiful but very isolated, especially in the winter.  It was going to be harder to get help from people if there aren't anyone around for them to ask help from.  And there was no guarantee that the phones would work at this altitude.

Life just can't be simple for them , can they?

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December 1, 2002 – 11:35 a.m. PST

The Tech-Hi Dojo

Angel Grove, California

Billy held out the glass for Tommy.  The man hadn't eaten or drank anything in almost 12 hours.  "Tommy, Jason and Trini will be there any moment.  Then we'll be ready to take this guy on."

Tommy nodded to him.  "I know that they're doing what they can.  But it's not their…."  He felt like ramming his head into the wall.  "Billy, I'm sorry.  With all the worrying I've been doing about Kim and the baby, I forgot that you and Rocky are…..Kat and Aisha…."

"Hey," Billy clapped a hand on Tommy's back.  "You're allowed.  Kim's pregnancy has been driving you to distraction.  You're allowed to worry about them and to concentrate on them."

"But you and Rocky…."

"We'll deal."  Billy looked over at Rocky who had thrown himself into this work.  "We always do."

"Billy, if…"

Screeching tires cut off anything else that might have been said.  Trini and Jason came through the door together; both composed and collect, fully in charge of the situation. 

"Tommy!"  Jason reached his best friend first.  Pulling the distraught man in a hug.  "We'll get her back!"

Tommy sighed as he watched Trini's eyes.  They were calm and steady.  It gave him hope.  "Trini!"

She stepped into his arms and felt the fear in his embrace.  "First of all, we need to get you hydrated again. You look like you've aged 10 years in the past day.  I've got to shift through the stuff they left behind and take a look at that video they made again.  I'll come get you if there's anything, okay?"

Tommy nodded, taking comfort in her authority.  It was strange, he's always been the one to lead before but Trini stepped into the role so neatly.  "I'll go in the kitchen.  Some of Kimberly's cravings might still be in there."

"You do that."  Trini smiled and nodded toward Jason.  "And take him with you.  He's worse than you are when he's got nothing to do."

Jason grinned and kissed her lightly on the forehead.  "I love a woman of authority."

"Get!"  She pointed toward the swinging doors.  When the two men disappeared through it, she turned seriously concerned eyes toward Billy.  "Now show me what you have."

Billy shook her head.  "Nothing much but I can give you some possible locations on that video."

"I knew you'd be working on it before I get here."

"They're my friends, can't just sit back and…."

"I know."  Trini hugged him tight.  "Kat is going to be okay.  She's got Kim and Aisha, they'll strong and they're rangers, they….."  She cut herself off abruptly as a handsome young man with dark brown hair and sober eyes came toward them. 

"Hi, I'm sorry to interrupt." 

"Not a problem," Billy held out an arm.  "Trini, this is Justin Stewart, he was the second blue turbo, took over for Rocky when he was injured.  Justin was locked away during finals when you were last here."  Justin nodded his head.  "Justin, this is Dr. Trini Kwan, the original yellow ranger."

Inclining his head in greeting, Justin looked over his shoulder.  "I want to help.  But the guy in the gray suit said that I'm not allowed to be here and that…."

Trini stopped him with one upraised arm.  "I'll talk to him.  Relax." She sighed and swept a hand through her long locks.  Her heart was pumping away at an erratic rate.  The stress was rising with every moment that she stands here without her best friend.  "Okay, I'll take care of the authorization for Justin and you guys show me what you've been working on so far."  She walked away before either one can say anything. 

Justin watched her go.  "Jason's girlfriend?"

"Fiancée.  Quite a woman, isn't she?" Billy said with a grin.  "And get that look out of your eyes."

"What?"  He shrugged his shoulder in protest.  "A man is allowed to look."

"Not in that direction you're not, especially if you want to stay healthy.  Jason will have your head."

"It's sure would be worth it though."

Billy laughed for the first time in hours. 

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December 1, 2002 – 11:55 a.m. PST

Somewhere Unknown

Somewhere in California

Kat stared at the window and wondered if the snow would come down any moment now.  It was getting colder by the minute, but they were in the flat lands, no snow would come here.  But the temperature can get to pretty low levels.  The women had blankets but they refused to allow a fire of anything of the sort. 

These poor women, they were so terrified.  Kat was scared as well but at least she didn't have to worry about protecting the lives that these women are carrying within them. 

"How far along are you, dear?" 

Kat turned around and looked at a dark haired woman.  "Eight months."  Kat decided that best bet was to use Kimberly's dates, her own math wasn't too great but her memory was pretty damn clear.  "The baby is due in mid January."

The woman's eyes were kind, she held out a hand.  "Amy."

"Kat."

"We're going to be okay.  I know it."

"How can you be sure?"  A blond girl looking to be two or three years younger than Kat sniffed terribly into the blanket she had wrapped around her shoulders.  "They're going to kill us."

"My husband is a police man."  Amy explained.  "He always believes in the best.  And I believe in him.  He'll come for us."

"We have to have hope."  Kat said with a reassuring smile.  "I'm sure they'll get us out soon."

Some of the women took comfort in the words while others looked doubtful.  Amy smiled in reaction.  "Your husband a police man?"

"No, I'm not married."  She could have bitten her tongue off then and there.

"I'm sorry."  Amy looked down at her feet, embarrassed.

"Don't be."  Kat patted the older woman's arm.  "Billy is a wonderful man.  We plan on getting married when the baby comes."  She hoped that Billy didn't mind her borrowing him for a bit.  It wasn't going to be easy to explain to these women what was really going on with her.  "He's a scientist."

"My husband is a scientist."  A petite woman with curls said with a smile.  "He's a researcher at the university."

"Mine is accountant.  He works at…"

And on and on it went.  The women shared their stories about family, husband, and other children.  Kat can only hope that they can keep their hopes up while the others find a way to save them.  Come on guys, I'm waiting for you!

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December 1, 2002 – 11:49 a.m. PST

The Tech-Hi Dojo

Angel Grove, California

"So how are you really doing?"  Jason asked as he poured a cup of coffee.  The donuts were too sugary but were the only thing available at the moment.

"I feel like I'm going through hell."

"I hear ya, bro."  Setting food in front of the man, Jason took a seat across from the Tommy.  "We're going to get them back.  Believe that."

"I do."  Tommy sighed.  "I just need someone to kick me in the head a couple of times each hour and make sure that I know that."

"Always here to help."  Jason said with a smile.  "How's married-life treating you?"

"I'm thriving in it."  Tommy smiled with genuine happiness that shone in his eyes.  "I can't believe I waited this long, it's like I wasn't even living before."

"That good?"  Jason was having some trouble suppressing the smug grin on this face.  "We always knew that you and Kimberly have something special."

"I could say the same about you."

"No, no.  Don't get me wrong; what Trini and I have is good, it's great.  But you and Kimberly, everyone saw something special from the first moment you walked into Ernie's.  It was like lightning struck and that was it.  I don't think either one of you really knew what you had until you almost lost it all."

"You don't have to remind me."  Tommy shook his head and sipped the coffee quietly.  "I know that I'm a lucky bastard."

"Thank your lucky stars, buddy."  Jason grinned with amusement.

"You and me, what a pair.  Who knew we'd fall for one of our own?"

"Yeah, tell me about it."  Jason shook his head.  "I still can't quite pin-point the day I fell over hard."

"Don't.  Not necessary."  Tommy stood up.  "We're here and that' s all that counts."

"Amen to that." 

Jason and Tommy came into next room and watched quietly as Trini flipped through a list.  She looked up and smiled when she saw that the two were in much better moods than before.  "Hey."  Her smiled slipped as she continued to gaze at Tommy.

The two men exchanged glances as Trini became eerily quietly.  "What?"

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December 1, 2002 – 12:01 p.m. PST

Somewhere Unknown

Somewhere in California

Kimberly felt the snow flutter to a stop on the tip of her nose.  "God it's cold."  She rubbed her arms and shivered.  "Where are we?"

"No where you need to know."  The men with the big gun said stoically.  "Move."

Kimberly glanced briefly at the gun and moved slowly toward the log cabin with the 35 other women from the five vans that had traveled together.  They had traveled a long way through some mountainous roads now.  From the height, they had to be at least eight thousand feet and probably in Yosemite Park.  But she couldn't be sure of the location.  It was hard to tell with all the tree and snow.  The log cabin wasn't too large, but the was warmer than the snowcapped mountainside. 

Piles of blankets were pushed toward the side of the big one room cabin.  The women were all shoved into the room together and they made use of the blankets and each other's body heat.  The temperature seemed to drop ten degrees for every thousand miles they went. 

One of the men lit a fire in the fireplace then they shut the door behind them.  A large padlock could be heard being clicked into place.  And the heavy iron chains were rattled to test the strength of the seal.  They were now officially locked up. 

The women were crying and fudging around.  One of them got up bravely and tried the doors, it was tightly locked.  Some of them were moving around, poking through the drawers and cabinets.  Food could be found along with a dull can opener but other than that, there was nothing in there to help them escape their prison. 

Kimberly took a deep breath.  The baby was protesting this horrible treatment by kicking her large intestines.   She was feeling pretty crappy now. 

"Sit," Aisha whispered.  "You need to rest."

"I'm okay."  Kimberly did feel tired though.  The baby really wears her out.

"I've checked out the area."  Aisha said as she handed Kimberly water from a large plastic container.  "They men went into another cabin some distance away.  They will be able to hear us if we shout but far enough that they can basically ignore us."

Okay, that gave her something to work with.  There was something about this whole thing that bothered her.  Everything about this operation was too smooth.  There was something that was wrong with this whole situation but she just hasn't been able to put her finger on it.

"We'll have to convince the women that we have to work together.  Can you gather them around the cell?"

"Yeah, hang on." 

It took ten minutes and lots of explanation as to what was going on.  "We don't even know if they will work."

"But it's a chance."  One of the women said. 

"We have to take it."

"For our babies' sakes."

"Yeah!" 

There were lots of agreements.  But since it was high noon, the signal was weak and they didn't want to risk draining the battery through futile attempts.  "We'll try later."

That cell phone gave them all hope.  It was what they needed the most, especially on this very first day. 

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December 1, 2002 – 12:15 p.m. PST

The Tech-Hi Dojo

Angel Grove, California

"Trini always makes me nervous when she gets too quiet."  Billy commented as the boys sat toward the side and watched Trini scan the screen in front of her.  Every once in a while, her fingers would fly across the keyboard furiously.  "It doesn't always bode well for us."

Adam rubbed his shoulder with his hand.  "Or it could be that she's double checking her ideas.  In which case, that means she's got a theory."

Rocky grinned.  "And you know how we love her theories."  Referring to the fact that in their last mission, ever hunch or theory Trini had always led to something that helped to defeat their enemy.

"By the way," Jason asked suddenly.  "What happened to that photo cannon that you were creating and never got done with?" 

Billy shrugged.  "I brought it back, recalibrated it.  It works now on the right frequency but we don't exactly have a use of it."

"Who knows maybe…."

"Tommy!"  Trini looked up from her computer and stared at Tommy.  "Question?"

"Shoot!"

"When did you start wearing that pager?"

Tommy glanced at the little black box at his belt.  "I got it when we found out Kimberly was pregnant.  Doctor says that it would be a good idea for me to always be in contact."

"Why not a cell phone?"  Trini asked only mildly curious.

"Can't stand the thing."

"A baby pager?"  Trini asked her eyes were bright as she asked.

"Yes."  Tommy nodded not quite following.

"Kimberly, does she have one?"

"Oh course not.  This pager is so she can call me when she goes into labor."

"So, she'd have a cell phone."  Trini tilted her head.

"Yeah, she's got a cell." 

"She keep it on her all the time."

"Yeah, all the time."

Trini turned her brilliantly excited eyes to Adam.  "Hey Adam, we didn't see cell phone being listed with Kimberly's stuff did we?"

Adam thought for a moment.  "No."

"And the other girls?"

Billy glanced at the other.  "Of course.  They all have cell phones but no one found it with their stuff.  They've still got their cell phones on them."

Dr. Trini Kwan was practically glowing with pleasure.  "Which means that Kimberly was on top of things.  She's got the girls ready.  All we have to do is wait for her to call and track and signal."

Tommy's eye lit up with hope.  "Kim."  They had hope.  They have a plan now.