Kitt accelerated after the semi. "I think it's time I went home." He told
Andrea. She smiled. "I'm glad to hear that, Kitt. I'm glad I got to know
you. Could you drop me off at some buss stop, so I can also go home?"
Sniffling a yawn she continued, "I think it's time I got some sleep. By the
way, where is home for you, Kitt?" Kitt's scanner pace quickened as he
closed the gap between him and the semi. "Closer then you think, Andrea."
With that Kitt brought back online all of his communications and tracking
equipment.
One by one screens lit up in the semi and information from the Knight Two Thousand flowed into the databanks. The two alarms that Bonnie had set up to tell her if Kitt was found sounded simultaneously and the wonderfully familiar hum of data being intercepted filled the semi. It was music to Bonnie's ears. Devon likewise looked up from his papers as they both heard the familiar sound of the semi's ramp lowering. With a hum of the turbine engine Kitt drove gracefully inside and stopped just short of Bonnie. The tension and stress of the last few days finally caught up with Bonnie as she sunk to her knees in front of Kitt. Laying her forehead against Kitt's prow she whispered "Thank God." Even Devon was so stunned to see Kitt he didn't notice the young woman behind the wheel.
Andrea had gone white as a ghost. Being a cop she didn't scare easily, but she had been positive that they were going to crash into the big black semi. When the ramp had lowered and Kitt had driven inside the furnished semi she was sure she was dreaming. She had known this car was incredible, but she had no idea. Awed she watched a longhaired women kneel in front of Kitt and an elder distinguished looking gentleman come to lay a hand on the fender. Then the older man lifted is gaze from the scanner and gazed through the windshield. His smile faded as he noticed Andrea. He taped the woman who was still kneeling in front of Kitt and motioned at Andrea. The woman lifted her gaze and Andrea was shocked to see tears falling freely from her eyes. "They missed you." Was all she could think of to say. Reaching for the handle she opened the door.
Devon was just about to ask who this woman was, but Bonnie beat him to it, "Who are you? What were you doing with Kitt?" Devon laid a calming hand on Bonnie's shoulder and stretched his other one over to Andrea. "My name is Devon Miles. Welcome to the FLAG mobile unit. I see you've already met Kitt. This is Ms Barstow, Kitt's technician." Andrea offered her hand to Bonnie who reluctantly shook it as well. She was not used to seeing Kitt show up with a complete stranger. Deciding to let Devon get the explanation from Andrea, Bonnie turned back to Kitt. "Pop the hood Kitt, I want to check you over. You had us worried to death!" The hood latches released and the hood rose silently. "I'm sorry, Bonnie. I just didn't, couldn't. Where's Michael?" Kitt had just realized that his partner wasn't in the semi. Kitt extended his search range but couldn't detect the comlink. Must be out of range. "Bonnie? Devon? Why isn't Michael here?" Andrea turned towards Kitt, "Is Michael your driver?" She was surprised when all three answered her, "YES!". Devon turned to Bonnie just as the diagnostics finished. "Does everything check out?" Leaning back against the driver's seat, where she had seated herself after hooking up some cables under Kitt's hood, Bonnie gave a sigh of relief. "There's some stress signs on the braking system, but that was to be expected, and some of the secondary fuel injection nods have overheated, but nothing serious. Kitt, did you run out of gas and try to ignitiate your engine with BOTH tanks empty?" Kitt responded by printing out a hardcopy of the diagnostic for Bonnie, "Yes. I'm sorry. I.wasn't thinking straight at the time." He finished meekly. He had noticed that both Bonnie and Devon had evaded his question about Michael. "Michael's comlink is out of range. Is he back in California?" Devon hit the intercom and opened a line to the semi's cab. "Turn us around. As you already know, we have Kitt. Next stop Staton, Arkansas." He received an, "Yes, sir Mr. Miles." and the semi started to slow down. Andrea spook up quickly, "Umm. could somebody tell me what's going on? Wait a minute! Arkansas!?!" Bewildered she looked from Devon to Bonnie. Devon held up a hand to silence her. Directing his words at Kitt, Devon said, "Kitt, Michael is on a case. He's tying up some loose ends on that Staton counterfeiting case that you were on. Bonnie will feed you the information. We're turning around to go and assist if needed." Turning to Andrea Devon re-offered his hand, "I'd like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I don't know the whole story Miss Montgomery, but I'm betting that you had something to do with returning Kitt? Unfortunately we can not take you home at the moment as we are urgently required elsewhere."
Andrea seated herself on one of the sofas and took the coffee cup offered by Devon with a smile of thanks. She watched Bonnie fuss over the car with almost mother-like care and concern. She knew she had done the right thing by taking Kitt out of the impound. "That's alright Mr. Miles. I work as a state trooper and this is a rare weekend off. I don't have to be on the road until Monday. If it's okay with you, I'd like to come along. I've grown somewhat attached to Kitt and I'd really like to meet this Michael he talks so highly about." Sipping the rest of her coffee, she stood and walked over to Kitt. "Are you okay?" Kitt flashed his scanner twice, "I am concerned about Michael. I have processed the information Bonnie has downloaded. If this is more then a case of Mr Myers being greedy as it seems, then Michael could be in trouble. I am trying to contact him continuously." So this was the real Kitt, Andrea thought. Doing what he was designed to do. Working side by side with these others. Bonnie touched Andrea's shoulder and motioned for her to follow. She sat down next to Bonnie on the sofa and watched the other woman collect herself. "Since you're coming with us and there's nothing more to do until we get to Staton, I want to here the WHOLE story. Kitt's really important to me and it's not like him to disappear like this." Bonnie didn't need to go on. As the semi found a place to turn around, it headed back west at full power. In the back of it Andrea told Bonnie everything. "Why couldn't you and Harris just let the matter rest, Knight? Get your hands in the air and don't even contemplate anything! I'm a five-time champion marksman with this." Thomas Alder hated surprises. He didn't trust people and had found that if you wanted something done right you had to do it yourself. He had maintained his "friendship" with Harris merely for profitable reasons. Motioning with his weapon, he began to lead Michael through the maze of hallways and rooms in his mansion. "You had Myers. Myers had a motive for wanting to make some quick bucks, I know you know that the bank was close to getting his house." While he ushered Michael into one of the cellars, he figuratively kicked himself. Betrayed by a nosy press lady and a five-dollar bill! Opening the door of the cellar he gave the annoying federation-foundation-whatever snooper a shove. "Get inside! That basement's soundproof and bullet-proof. I do my practising down there. It'll be your new home.for now." Propelled by Alder's shove Michael fell down the steep steeps to the basement floor. Adler hadn't bothered to turn on the light so the basement was pitch black. Grimacing, Michael carefully hoisted himself off the floor. He was surprised that nothing seemed broken. Well, at least he now had a prime suspect who had incriminated himself! That was about the only bright point in this case. He still had no motive, but he certainly had the suspect, or should he say the suspect had him. Blindly he began to investigate his surroundings by touch. Damn it! He really missed Kitt now!
One by one screens lit up in the semi and information from the Knight Two Thousand flowed into the databanks. The two alarms that Bonnie had set up to tell her if Kitt was found sounded simultaneously and the wonderfully familiar hum of data being intercepted filled the semi. It was music to Bonnie's ears. Devon likewise looked up from his papers as they both heard the familiar sound of the semi's ramp lowering. With a hum of the turbine engine Kitt drove gracefully inside and stopped just short of Bonnie. The tension and stress of the last few days finally caught up with Bonnie as she sunk to her knees in front of Kitt. Laying her forehead against Kitt's prow she whispered "Thank God." Even Devon was so stunned to see Kitt he didn't notice the young woman behind the wheel.
Andrea had gone white as a ghost. Being a cop she didn't scare easily, but she had been positive that they were going to crash into the big black semi. When the ramp had lowered and Kitt had driven inside the furnished semi she was sure she was dreaming. She had known this car was incredible, but she had no idea. Awed she watched a longhaired women kneel in front of Kitt and an elder distinguished looking gentleman come to lay a hand on the fender. Then the older man lifted is gaze from the scanner and gazed through the windshield. His smile faded as he noticed Andrea. He taped the woman who was still kneeling in front of Kitt and motioned at Andrea. The woman lifted her gaze and Andrea was shocked to see tears falling freely from her eyes. "They missed you." Was all she could think of to say. Reaching for the handle she opened the door.
Devon was just about to ask who this woman was, but Bonnie beat him to it, "Who are you? What were you doing with Kitt?" Devon laid a calming hand on Bonnie's shoulder and stretched his other one over to Andrea. "My name is Devon Miles. Welcome to the FLAG mobile unit. I see you've already met Kitt. This is Ms Barstow, Kitt's technician." Andrea offered her hand to Bonnie who reluctantly shook it as well. She was not used to seeing Kitt show up with a complete stranger. Deciding to let Devon get the explanation from Andrea, Bonnie turned back to Kitt. "Pop the hood Kitt, I want to check you over. You had us worried to death!" The hood latches released and the hood rose silently. "I'm sorry, Bonnie. I just didn't, couldn't. Where's Michael?" Kitt had just realized that his partner wasn't in the semi. Kitt extended his search range but couldn't detect the comlink. Must be out of range. "Bonnie? Devon? Why isn't Michael here?" Andrea turned towards Kitt, "Is Michael your driver?" She was surprised when all three answered her, "YES!". Devon turned to Bonnie just as the diagnostics finished. "Does everything check out?" Leaning back against the driver's seat, where she had seated herself after hooking up some cables under Kitt's hood, Bonnie gave a sigh of relief. "There's some stress signs on the braking system, but that was to be expected, and some of the secondary fuel injection nods have overheated, but nothing serious. Kitt, did you run out of gas and try to ignitiate your engine with BOTH tanks empty?" Kitt responded by printing out a hardcopy of the diagnostic for Bonnie, "Yes. I'm sorry. I.wasn't thinking straight at the time." He finished meekly. He had noticed that both Bonnie and Devon had evaded his question about Michael. "Michael's comlink is out of range. Is he back in California?" Devon hit the intercom and opened a line to the semi's cab. "Turn us around. As you already know, we have Kitt. Next stop Staton, Arkansas." He received an, "Yes, sir Mr. Miles." and the semi started to slow down. Andrea spook up quickly, "Umm. could somebody tell me what's going on? Wait a minute! Arkansas!?!" Bewildered she looked from Devon to Bonnie. Devon held up a hand to silence her. Directing his words at Kitt, Devon said, "Kitt, Michael is on a case. He's tying up some loose ends on that Staton counterfeiting case that you were on. Bonnie will feed you the information. We're turning around to go and assist if needed." Turning to Andrea Devon re-offered his hand, "I'd like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I don't know the whole story Miss Montgomery, but I'm betting that you had something to do with returning Kitt? Unfortunately we can not take you home at the moment as we are urgently required elsewhere."
Andrea seated herself on one of the sofas and took the coffee cup offered by Devon with a smile of thanks. She watched Bonnie fuss over the car with almost mother-like care and concern. She knew she had done the right thing by taking Kitt out of the impound. "That's alright Mr. Miles. I work as a state trooper and this is a rare weekend off. I don't have to be on the road until Monday. If it's okay with you, I'd like to come along. I've grown somewhat attached to Kitt and I'd really like to meet this Michael he talks so highly about." Sipping the rest of her coffee, she stood and walked over to Kitt. "Are you okay?" Kitt flashed his scanner twice, "I am concerned about Michael. I have processed the information Bonnie has downloaded. If this is more then a case of Mr Myers being greedy as it seems, then Michael could be in trouble. I am trying to contact him continuously." So this was the real Kitt, Andrea thought. Doing what he was designed to do. Working side by side with these others. Bonnie touched Andrea's shoulder and motioned for her to follow. She sat down next to Bonnie on the sofa and watched the other woman collect herself. "Since you're coming with us and there's nothing more to do until we get to Staton, I want to here the WHOLE story. Kitt's really important to me and it's not like him to disappear like this." Bonnie didn't need to go on. As the semi found a place to turn around, it headed back west at full power. In the back of it Andrea told Bonnie everything. "Why couldn't you and Harris just let the matter rest, Knight? Get your hands in the air and don't even contemplate anything! I'm a five-time champion marksman with this." Thomas Alder hated surprises. He didn't trust people and had found that if you wanted something done right you had to do it yourself. He had maintained his "friendship" with Harris merely for profitable reasons. Motioning with his weapon, he began to lead Michael through the maze of hallways and rooms in his mansion. "You had Myers. Myers had a motive for wanting to make some quick bucks, I know you know that the bank was close to getting his house." While he ushered Michael into one of the cellars, he figuratively kicked himself. Betrayed by a nosy press lady and a five-dollar bill! Opening the door of the cellar he gave the annoying federation-foundation-whatever snooper a shove. "Get inside! That basement's soundproof and bullet-proof. I do my practising down there. It'll be your new home.for now." Propelled by Alder's shove Michael fell down the steep steeps to the basement floor. Adler hadn't bothered to turn on the light so the basement was pitch black. Grimacing, Michael carefully hoisted himself off the floor. He was surprised that nothing seemed broken. Well, at least he now had a prime suspect who had incriminated himself! That was about the only bright point in this case. He still had no motive, but he certainly had the suspect, or should he say the suspect had him. Blindly he began to investigate his surroundings by touch. Damn it! He really missed Kitt now!