Norman, Silver, Purple, Gaby, and any others you don't recognize are mine.
Rated PG-13 : Harsh language; violence; strong sexual references.
Reviews are appreciated, please take a moment to leave one.
A/N: This story and 'Connections' take place at the same time, and I am posting them at the same time. They are separate but related stories, and can be read together or separately.
They had found the truck, abandoned at the side of the highway outside town, emptied, the driver and guard missing. Jen walked around the vehicle, trying to stay out of the crime scene investigators' way, making a mental estimate of how much cargo it had held. A Bio-Lab truck, carrying electronic components, according to the report the Silver Guardians had called in. No sign of a fight, no bullets. It had Norman written all over it.
"Did you see the tire tracks?" Jimmy Duran, her partner in the SHPD, had come up to walk beside her.
"Yes. He had his own truck. Transferred the stuff and took off." She turned to watch for a moment as a technician took a cast of the tracks.
"Look who finally got here."
Jen looked in the direction of the city to see a Silver Guardian SUV pull up. A familiar figure wearing a navy-blue uniform and red beret got out. Wes, followed by Steve Miller, his and Eric's second-in-command. They spotted Jen and Jimmy; Wes waved and started for them.
"Jen." He smiled at her. "Hey, Jimmy."
"What took you so long?" she asked. "Thought you would have been here already."
"I was out in the field, on a case. Steve came out to pick me up." He looked around. "Where are the guard and driver?"
"We're looking for them. No sign they were hurt, though. Not yet."
"Damn," Steve said. "Mitchell and Daniels. They're good men. I hope they're okay."
Wes lifted a hand to touch his shoulder. "Why don't you take a look for them yourself?"
"Yes, sir." Steve took off at a trot, circling the truck, Jimmy following more slowly, scanning the ground.
Jen watched him go sympathetically. Mitchell, the guard, was a Silver Guardian. Daniels, the driver, was a Bio-Lab employee. Like Wes and Eric, Steve was very protective of his people.
Wes's voice pulled her attention back. "Any ideas who did this?"
"Probably the same idea you have."
"Norman. Any solid evidence it's him?"
"Not yet. But look at this." Jen led him to a muddy spot at the back of the truck. There were three sets of footprints preserved there. Jen watched Wes stare at them, wondering if he would see what she and Jimmy had seen.
"Three people. But two sets of prints are deeper than the third."
"Yes. Very deep. Either they weighed more than any normal person, or they were carrying more than a normal person could."
"Those two robots. And Norman."
"I think so." They traded a glance of shared concern.
"The big question now is, what happened to our guard and driver?" Wes said.
"Look over here." Jimmy was back. He led them to the side of the truck away from the highway, into the bushes between the roadside and the forest stretching away into the hills.
Jen looked closely, seeing footprints in a patch of soft, bare earth. They pointed in several directions, as if the person had been turning in a circle indecisively -- or perhaps had been cornered, looking for a way out.
"Only one set of prints." Steve's voice came from beside her. "Can't tell where they're going. But those are Guardian boots. I'd know them anywhere."
"Yeah." Wes stared at them, his mouth tight. "At least one of them was out of the truck, fighting, or trying to get away. Did Norman capture them? But why? Or are they out there somewhere?" He stared into the trees.
Jen watched him, then looked into the shadows of the forest herself. Or did Norman kill them and hide the bodies? No one said it, but she knew that was what they were all thinking.
"We'll have to organize a search," Jimmy said. "Get a team out here. Maybe some volunteers. And dogs."
"I'll lead a team of Guardians myself," Steve offered.
"Good." Jimmy sighed, gazing out over the expanse of woods. "We're out in the middle of nowhere. Lots of ground to cover. Hopefully they haven't gone far."
"If they're here at all," Jen said grimly.
It was a long, exhausting, disappointing day. Jen and Wes joined in the search, spending hours tramping through the woods in a line of searchers, stumbling though undergrowth, stopping to call out every now and then, shouting until their throats were raw. Jen found herself moving on automatic, not sure she would recognize a man -- or a body -- if she saw it.
A body. Would Norman have killed those two men? He had yet to commit an actual murder. The guard and driver had just been doing their jobs, surely he wouldn't have... She paused for a moment to drag a hand over her forehead, wiping away sweat. Norman had tried to kill Eric more than once. The fact was that they had to assume he was capable of anything.
She stood still, taking a moment to look around, for the first time in hours noticing the beauty of the forest, the silence, only broken by distant shouts, the cool air moving over her skin, soft dappled light filtering through the leaves. Light that was beginning to fade.
"Jen!" She turned to see Wes emerge from the trees. "Steve just contacted me. They're ending the search for the night. They'll try again in the morning."
"No one found anything?"
"Not yet." He sighed, and put an arm around her. "We'll find them. Just a matter of time."
And a question of whether they'd be found alive or dead. Jen didn't say it. She wrapped an arm around his waist as they started back. "I'm sorry, Wes," she said.
"For what?"
"That this happened. I know how much you care about the Guardians. All the Bio-Lab employees."
"Yeah. Great bunch of people." He was quiet for a few moments before continuing softly. "I didn't count on this part when I took command. Being responsible for protecting them. What it feels like when one of them gets hurt."
"I know." She turned, stopping them for a quick hug, and raised her face to kiss him.
"What was that for?" he asked.
"For you being so nice."
"Hmm. I'll try to be nice more often." He grinned at her, the warmth of his face, the gleam in his eyes suddenly taking her breath away.
"Don't be any nicer than you already are. It would be too distracting," she murmured. They began to walk again, in silence as the other searchers began to come into view.
Steve Miller was in front of them, giving them a glance but not joining them. Jen wondered if he thought they wanted to be alone, or if he himself preferred to avoid company, as she watched him stride along, his steps stiff, shoulders slumped, head bowed. The others didn't look much better, all of them sagging after the tiring and fruitless work.
"I wonder exactly what happened here," Wes said softly. "Whether we're wasting our time searching."
"Right now, it's all we can do, until we can find Norman. He's more dangerous than ever. And he's still out to get Bio-Lab."
"Yeah, he seems to like stealing from us. Attacking our people." Wes's face was as grim as she had ever seen it.
"It's only been two days since he attacked Eric and Gaby. He's moving fast."
"I know. We've got to stop him," he said quietly. "I don't like just sitting around waiting for him to come after us again." He looked away from her, up at the highway as they emerged from the trees. "He's hurt two more innocent people, somehow. I don't want that to happen to anyone else."
"You did well today," Norman said. Silver and Purple listened quietly, their faces blank metal masks. "We got the equipment I wanted." He smiled. "And tested my new weapon."
The two robots exchanged a glance. Norman frowned. Did they look disapproving? Or was he only imagining it? "But we have another mission," he went on. "I hope you'll do a better job than you did two days ago." He paced, and turned to stare angrily.
"Sorry, Master," Purple murmured.
"I ordered you to kill Eric Myers," Norman said, his voice rising in anger. "You had the chance, why didn't you do it?"
"We were distracted when you set the house on fire," Silver responded.
"Distracted." Norman glared at him. "When you get another chance, I expect you to take it. I made you. I can always replace you." They looked at him, faces expressionless again. "One more thing to do, tonight. Be ready. And obey my orders this time!" With a last angry glare, he turned and slammed through the door of the small room Silver and Purple 'lived' in.
Problems, always problems. He had analyzed the programming used in the cyclobots, understood it, and gone beyond it. Created a new program, one which rivaled the human brain for independent thought and learning ability. It had taken some time to design a computer small and powerful enough to run the program, with a power supply that would last for years. More time to create artificial bodies that looked completely human, except for the metallic surface.
And of course, he had needed a pattern for them, no time to create their brains with no memory, like a baby, and let them learn. They had his mind, literally; he had found a way to record and duplicate his own mental pathways, the way he thought, even his own memories. They were his clones, in a sense, his carbon copies, images of him, inside and out. He had thought they would be the perfect allies. But...
Somehow, they weren't exactly like him. Purple could have killed Eric. Should have killed him. Norman frowned. His perfect soldiers were robots, but they had a flaw. An unfortunate tendency to be... human.
"Glad to be home. Especially today." Wes smiled at her.
Jen returned the smile and clasped her hands behind her back. They had finally returned to the Collins house after quick trips to their respective offices, coincidentally both arriving at the same time. It was dark now, they had just gotten out of their cars and were standing at the garage end of the walkway through the small garden in front of the house. She took a step closer, tilting her head and giving him a sidelong, provocative look.
"It's been a rough day. I suppose you're pretty tired."
His smile deepened. "C'mon, Jen. I'm never that tired." He took a step closer too.
"I don't know. I think all I want to do is have dinner and watch some TV..." She grinned, holding up her hand. "Maybe admire my ring some more..."
"And?"
"And go to bed..."
He grinned again and leaned forward to kiss her softly, his lips just grazing hers. She felt his breath as he chuckled softly when she moved closer, reaching to pull his head down. The kiss deepened, his hands stroking her back, his body pressing against her, the anticipation of what would come later...
They opened the door and started in, hands clasped, stopping a few steps into the foyer. Wes looked around. "No sign of Dad. Race you upstairs."
"You're on." But Wes cheated, his arms around her stopping her as he kissed her again, slowly and deeply.
"Aww, how sweet. Hate to interrupt when you're sucking face."
They sprang apart at the sound of the voice. Jen knew who it was before she saw him. A man, silvery hair shining, the violet tint of his skin more obvious now, startling in the indoor light. His eyes were chilling, flashing metallic silver. He was smiling as he stepped forward, a smile that did nothing to calm her alarm.
"Norman Ryder!" Wes gasped. He raised his arm, finger poised to press the button on his morpher that would transform him into the red Ranger. Jen was only a split-second behind him.
"Take a closer look, before you do that." Norman moved aside, revealing four figures behind him. Two of them were the silver and purple robots Jen and Wes had already encountered. But the other two...
"Dad! Philips!" Wes exclaimed. Alan Collins struggled in Silver's iron grasp. Philips, the Collins family butler, was held by Purple. The two robots stepped forward, metal faces blank, dragging their prisoners with them.
"Needless to say, attack me and they die," Norman said, a note of triumph in his voice.
Wes lowered his arm. "What do you want?" he demanded.
"I'm sure you can guess. I want to know where Gaby and Eric are."
"So you can kill him and kidnap her? I don't think so," Jen said hotly.
"Gaby belongs with me. I want her, and I intend to have her."
"No, Wes, you can't tell them," Collins said, his voice steady.
"Dad..." Wes hesitated, clearly torn.
"We don't know where they are!" Jen cut in. "We told them to leave town, and not tell anyone where they are."
"You're lying."
"No. And we wouldn't tell you if we did know."
"Then, I suppose keeping these two alive won't do me any good." Norman smiled again, coldly, took a step back, and nodded to the two robots. "Kill them!" he ordered.
"Dad! No!" Wes shouted, starting forward. Jen gasped and raised her arm. Silver raised a hand to Collins' throat. Purple bent an arm tight around Philips' neck.
By the time they could morph, it would be over. Fear and horror shooting though her, Jen pressed the triggering button. And then the light was cascading over her, in only a second leaving her in the pink and white Ranger suit, hand ready to summon her blaster. She saw Silver and Purple, Collins and Philips gasping, struggling, Wes, now fully morphed, charging towards them, a cry of rage as he materialized his blaster. And then...
The robots were moving, shoving their prisoners away, both of them leaping forward to shield their master. Philips bounced off the wall and dropped, and she saw Collins fall, his head hitting the edge of a small table, collapsing limply to the floor.
Jen's blaster was in her hand, she fired, hitting Norman. He threw up his arms and fell back a step. A glance showed her Wes, firing his blaster and hitting Purple. She struck Silver with her next shot. Now they both concentrated on Norman, twin blasts striking, hearing him scream in pain and fury. He fired back, she took the blast and fired again, and then the robots were on them, Silver punching her hard in the chest. She staggered but grabbed his arm, pulled, and pivoted for a high kick that caught him in the chin. Wes shouted something beside her, and she saw him crouch and charge, tackling Purple to the floor, where they rolled, shattering an antique chair, struggling for Wes's blaster.
Silver fell away from her, and she turned to the real enemy again, firing another burst. Norman cried out again, and fired at her. Then he was running past, Silver grabbing her around the legs as she tried to intercept him. Norman charged out the door as Silver and Purple abandoned the fight and ran after him. And the brief struggle was over, leaving them gasping for air.
Jen and Wes stared at each other for a moment. She started after Norman, but Wes called her back. "Jen, we've got to help Dad and Philips!" He was bent over his father, already demorphing.
Jen came back to them and checked Philips. He was sitting up, clutching his arm, but he smiled up at her when she asked if he was all right. Collins was another matter, he was semiconscious, groaning, his face filled with pain.
"I'll call 911," Jen said, holding up her morpher to transform back to normal. She retrieved her purse and pulled out her cell phone, watching Wes with his father. After the call she went back to them.
"I'm sorry, Wes," she said. "Maybe if I hadn't said we don't know where Eric and Gaby are, this wouldn't have happened."
Wes looked up at her. "Probably wouldn't have made any difference," he said.
"I agree, sir," Philips said unexpectedly. "That maniac probably would have killed us whether you told him what he wanted or not."
"Probably. And it's almost true. All we know is the town where they went."
"I guess we should call Eric. Warn him," Jen said.
"No." Wes's voice was firm. "He already knows exactly how much danger they're in. And it's always possible Norman could trace a call. Maybe even through the morphers. Safer not to have any contact."
"Not to mention he'd probably come running back here if he knows your father is hurt." Jen smiled gently.
"Yes." He looked at her, his expression grim. "I'll have to assign a troop of Guardians to protect the house."
"Right." She looked up at where their opponents had disappeared. "Wes," she said thoughtfully. "Remember what Eric said, about Purple hesitating?"
"I remember."
"They could have killed your father and Philips. Easily."
Wes's face became more thoughtful. "True. They could have broken Dad's neck. And Philips'. Norman ordered them to. But they didn't, it was an accident Dad was hurt when he fell."
"But as long as they're with Norman, on his side, they're still our enemies."
Wes nodded, and took his father's hand. "Dad..."
"He'll be okay, Wes," Jen said.
"I hope so." His face turned to her, his expression uncharacteristically harsh. "We have to get Norman before anyone else gets hurt. This just proves how dangerous he is."
"We'll get him."
"But it won't be easy."
TBC...
