Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction, written by a fan, for the purpose of self-entertainment and the entertainment of other fans. All entities included in this work which are affiliated with Jonny Quest and The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest have been used without permission and belong to WarnerMedia (Hanna-Barbera). This author makes no claims otherwise. No monetary compensation has been requested by or received by the author of this fan work.
.
Warnings: Overall Series Rating of Fiction T (movie rating equivalent of PG-13). Contains mild language, some mature themes, and some violence.
.
A Note From the Author: (Note Updated November 2021) Second in a series, this is the sequel to Industry of Intrigue, which should definitely be read first. The Author's Note there applies to the entire series, but I would like to take a moment to address something specific that I regret doing with this series. As this story opens, we learn one of my characters has joined the US Air Force, and when I originally wrote this series 20 years ago, I did not do proper research on the USAF.
I am not, nor have I ever been, in the military myself. I'm not familiar with military practices and protocols, except what I've picked up from entertainment and media and the amusing anecdotes told to me by friends and family who have served or are serving. That means my knowledge and understanding is incomplete at best. What I did here was write what works for my story as it suited me, without regard for reality, creating an overall representation rife with inaccuracies. I should not have done that, and I apologize.
As I stated at the top of Industry of Intrigue, I am leaving these stories as is. I will not be going back and correcting this mistake, not at this time, and perhaps not ever. This mistake does not really affect the overall plot of any installment, nor any wider story arcs. In a way, this series stands as a benchmark for the writer I was 20 years ago, and shows just how far I've come since. Thank-you for letting me get that out there. Thanks for reading! ~Sapphire
.
.
.
.
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
Back from the Dead
By: Sapphire
.
.
.
.
Chapter One: Trouble
.
…...
March 2000
.
St. Thomas Aquinas University, Acotsta, Connecticut
.
Maggie Hardy felt the need to look over her shoulder. For weeks she'd had the eerie sensation that someone was constantly watching her. Everywhere she went she could feel eyes on her back, and when she turned around, there was never anything unusual there.
"Only eight o'clock," she thought as she walked through the campus common under the glowing lamps. "You're being paranoid, stupid. There are plenty of people around." Her eyes darted around looking into the shadows for any lurking strangers, despite her mental lecture to herself. There was no one, as usual.
She sighed with relief when she finally reached her residence hall. She went through the front entrance, and took the stairs on the left up to her floor. When she had made it to her door, she glanced back the way she had come out of habit. A tall man with black hair, apparently in his early twenties, stepped through the stairwell door. He looked at her, but turned down the other hallway. Shrugging off an eerie feeling, Maggie unlocked her door and went inside. The first thing she did was pick up the phone and dial a familiar number.
"Hi, Mrs. Hovand, this is Maggie. Is my brother home?"
"Maggie! Hello! I'm sure Matthew would love to speak to you, but he's not home. He left a few hours ago for Peru," Abigail Hovand responded form the other end of the line.
"Oh, he didn't tell me he was going on a trip," Maggie said desolately.
"He got the call from UWA this morning," Abigail explained. "United World Aid. Matthew was training to go in June, but someone backed out for this trip at the last minute- a health issue, I believe."
"Oh," Maggie said.
"Is there something particular you need, dear?" Abigail asked kindly.
"Oh, no," Maggie replied. "It wasn't important anyway. I just felt like talking to him is all." Maggie chit-chatted with Abigail Hovand, her twin brother's adopted mother, for a while before hanging up the phone. Any familiar voice was a comfort.
Despite the phone call, the eerie feeling was still with her; she couldn't seem to shake it. It crossed her mind to call her uncle and cousin up in Maine, but she remembered they were out of the country, in Nigeria. The only person that would be at home was Mrs. Evans, the housekeeper, who stayed at the house when the family was away for an extended trip.
In an attempt to relax, Maggie grabbed a towel and her pajamas and headed for the floor's large bathroom. A hot shower might do the trick. With water pouring down on her, she could feel the tensions of the day washing away along with the soap as she rinsed shampoo out of her sandy brown, shoulder length hair. She felt better already. As soon as she dried off and put her pajamas on, she went back to her room to catch the end of a television program she liked.
Once inside the room, she flipped on the light and hung her towel on the towel rack. She glanced at the desk to locate the television remote, but what she saw instead frightened her. Her letter opener had been stabbed through a little stuffed animal, and there was a note attached. She looked around the room apprehensively.
Her closet was open as usual- no one was hiding there. No one could possibly fit under the bed, it was too low to the ground. There was no other concealed place to hide. Who ever had been there was gone. Sure now that she wasn't stepping into some kind of trap, she approached the desk and read the note. "Check your messages," was all it said. Maggie glanced at her phone and answering machine. It was blinking crazily. She tentatively pressed the play button.
"Hi, Maggie, this is Tabitha. I was wondering when you were going to turn in your graphics for the paper. The editors need it right away. Let me know ASAP." She had been expecting that call. She had sent the graphics that afternoon to the editors of the school paper. The machine beeped, and the next message began.
"Yeah, Maggie, just wondering if you wanted to grab supper with me. Guess not. Bye." Maggie recognized the voice of her friend Will. That could not possibly be what the note had meant for her to hear.
"Maggie, it's Matt," she heard her brother's voice. "I was hoping I'd catch you, but I guess I have to leave you a message. I'm leaving for Peru today. It was a last minute thing. I'll call you when I get there and can get to a phone. As Mother says, I'm off to save the world again. Later." Maggie smiled ruefully. Abigail had already told her that.
"Hi, It's Sally from your American Lit class. I was just wondering if I could get today's notes from you. Call me back and let me know." Maggie couldn't help but roll her eyes. Sally was always losing assignments and sheets of notes, then calling around trying to get a copy from someone. The machine beeped again as it moved to the next message.
"Maggie. I know where you are. I know where you go. You can't escape me," a muffled, semi-familiar voice said. Maggie's hands started shaking. "You won't know when, you won't know where, but it will happen. You can't escape- this time." The machine clicked off. Maggie grabbed the phone and dialed a number. She waited as the phone on the other end rang. Finally someone picked up.
"Yes?" asked a half-asleep voice.
"Mrs. Evans," Maggie said urgently, "I'm so sorry to wake you. This is Dr. Quest's niece, Maggie. When is Uncle Benton going to return?"
"Why, hello," Mrs. Evans said, more awake than before. "Good to hear from you. Dr. Quest will be returning in a few days. Why do you ask?"
"Would it be all right if I came up to Rockport and stay until he gets back? Please don't ask why, I'll explain when I get there tomorrow morning," Maggie pleaded.
"Of course, come whenever you like," Mrs. Evans said kindly. "It's rather lonesome here without a house full of people." Maggie thanked her and hung up. She went to her closet and started to pack a bag. Then she called the train station and reserved her tickets. She got dressed, and left as quickly as possible.
.
…...
Location: Acosta Depot, Acosta, Connecticut
.
Maggie arrived nearly an hour before her train was scheduled to leave. She walked through the waiting area toward the doors that led to the boarding platform. The place was nearly deserted, which didn't surprise her, as it was nearing midnight. It didn't help her paranoia much. She was passing the marble stairs that led up to the restaurant and gift shops when she heard a pinging sound and saw bits of marble scatter from a tiny hole in a step. Realization struck instantly. Someone had just taken a shot at her.
Instinctively, she dove behind a tall, wide, stone pillar for protection, dropping her bag and leaving it where it fell. She flattened herself back against the stone, and tried to keep quiet. Bits of stone went flying as a second bullet grazed the side of the pillar. Maggie was terrified, but she kept her cool and watched for the gunman to come into view. As long as she couldn't see him, he couldn't see her, and if he couldn't see her, he couldn't shoot her.
"That man has a gun!" shouted some startled woman from somewhere in the station. Her voice, and the voices of several other startled people echoed hollowly in the cavernous room.
"Everybody get down! Try to get behind something!" a man shouted a moment after. Another bullet went whizzing by the pillar. Maggie guessed the gunman was using a silencer since she couldn't hear the shots. That made him all the more deadly. The woman was now shouting hysterically.
"You there!" came the deep voice of another man. "Stop, you hear? Drop that gun! Drop it or I'll shoot!" A police or security officer, she guessed. "Stop!" he shouted. Maggie could hear pounding footsteps approach. A figure in a dark trench coat ran past, and up the steps. At the top, he turned and got off another shot at Maggie. She had seen him pause and slipped around the other side of the pillar out of the way. The perpetrator took off again, the officer hot on his tail.
"It's safe to come out now," a man called out. Maggie peered around the pillar, wary of a possible second gunman, and to her surprise, saw Price Hovand jogging toward her. She almost hadn't recognized him in his Air Force uniform. "Maggie!" he exclaimed in astonishment.
"Price!" Maggie called out and ran up to him. She threw her arms around his neck, glad to see him. He clutched her tightly as she started to tremble. Now that she was safe, she could allow herself to feel her fear.
"What are you doing here, Maggie?" Price asked.
"I could ask you the same thing," Maggie said in a shaky voice. "You're supposed to be at the Dover Air Force Base."
"I got a leave before I get shipped off to Spagdahlem Air Base in Germany. I was on my way home," Price explained. "What about you?"
"I was going to Maine," she answered. "I'm so scared."
"Don't worry," Price said giving her another hug. "That guy won't bother you again. Probably just some random shooting." Maggie shook her head. Price looked at her curiously. "What is it?"
"There was a nasty message on my answering machine tonight. Someone is trying to kill me. That gunman was here specifically to target me," she told him.
"That's ridiculous," Price said. "Who would do that?"
"Ever since I heard the message I've been asking myself the same thing. Only one thing comes to mind."
"What's that?"
"Something Jonny said to me once," Maggie recalled. "It keeps running through my head. Your father." Price gave her an incredulous look. They both knew that Connor Hovand III was dead. "I know it sounds crazy, but Jonny said it wasn't impossible," Maggie defended.
"Still-" Price said dubiously. Maggie didn't feel like arguing the point.
"Anyway, I'm going to Rockport," she said. "I figure I'll be safe there with all the security at the Compound until Uncle Benton gets home," Maggie explained. "My train leaves in a half hour."
"I'm going with you, then," Price declared. "Your brother would kill me if I let you go alone." Maggie was about to protest, but then decided she'd rather have someone along to watch her back. "Hey- why didn't he come with you?"
"UWA offered him a last-minute spot on a trip. He's in Peru by now, busy 'saving the world' as your mother says." Price rolled his eyes at her words.
"What else is new?" Price sighed, shaking his head.
"Anyway, he was gone before I got the nasty message," Maggie finished. They walked toward the ticket window, each carrying their duffel bags.
.
…...
Location: Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, Texas
.
Matthew Hardy landed at the Dallas Fort Worth Airport in Texas. He had just come from Denver, one of several places on his list of connecting flights to Peru. He pulled his carry-on bag from the space beneath the seat in front of him as the plane taxied to the gate. He pulled his connecting flight tickets from the side pocket, and prepared to disembark. He wished the people at UWA had gotten him a direct flight.
Once inside the airport, Matthew looked around for a map of the immense building. He had just come in at gate nine, and he had to catch his next plane at gate fifty-one. He had no inkling as to where to go. Spotting a kiosk with the airport map, he headed for it.
To his disappointment, the gate was on the other end of the airport. It wouldn't have been so bad, except this particular airport was built in the shape of a W. He had to go past every gate between nine and fifty-one. He really hated connecting flights. With a sigh, he shouldered his bag and started his long trek.
.
…...
Location: Aboard an Amtrack train, somewhere in Connecticut
Destination: Quest Compound, Rockport, Maine
.
It was just past one in the morning. Maggie and Price sat silently on the train as it sped through Connecticut and into Massachusetts. Maggie was lost in thought, and wasn't aware of anything around her. She couldn't stop thinking about the fiasco in Minnesota. "Could Connor Hovand still be alive?"
"What's on your mind?" she heard Price say. She reluctantly dragged herself back to reality.
"Nothing that would interest you," Maggie said evasively.
"You never know," Price countered suspiciously.
"I'd rather not say, then," Maggie replied. "I'm better off keeping my mouth shut," she thought. "Hovand is his father. That can't be easy."
"Well, I can't make you spill it," Price said with a shrug, "but I'm not going to stop bugging you until you tell me." He gave Maggie a determined look.
"You are positively a pain," Maggie told him.
"I know," Price said mischievously.
"Can we talk about something else?" Maggie asked. Price glanced at her curiously. She clearly didn't want to talk about whatever was on her mind.
"Like what?" Price replied reluctantly.
"How is the Air Force?" she suggested.
"Fine. I just hope I don't get stuck in Germany for too long. I hate being so far away from you."
"Me?" Maggie asked, startled.
"You, and my mother, and my brother," Price returned.
"Of course." Maggie felt strangely disappointed. She shrugged it off.
"What about you? How is school?" Price was asking.
"Fine, I guess."
"You guess?"
"Well, I'm not sure why, but lately, I've been wishing I could go somewhere far away for a while," Maggie admitted.
"Don't you like school?" Price asked.
"I do," Maggie said uncertainly, "but it's my second semester at this school, and I can't seem to settle in. And now this," Maggie said with an absent wave of her hand. Thoughts of Connor Hovand just wouldn't leave her. Authorities were unable to make a positive ID of the body they took from the burned warehouse. There was a slight possibility that it hadn't been him.
"You have that look on your face again," Price told her, "the same one you had five minutes ago. Why won't you just tell me what's bothering you?"
"Do you really want to know?" Maggie asked. Price nodded. "What if I told you I think your father is behind this?"
"He's dead, Maggie," Price said firmly.
"Jonny said it first; they never confirmed the identity of the body. The official reports said it was impossible to make a positive ID. It's not impossible-"
"He's dead," Price repeated, cutting her off.
"Why won't you consider the possibility, even for the sake of argument?" Maggie asked. "Chances are you're right. But what if you're not?"
"Because he's dead. He was the only person unaccounted for," Price argued.
"The message said I wouldn't escape, this time. That means this isn't the first time this person has tried to kill me. The only person who ever wanted me dead was your father. I can't ignore the possibility he could have escaped that warehouse alive. It could be deadly if I do," Maggie shot back.
"Well I can't ignore facts. He's dead," Price said again.
"Look, the last thing I want to be doing at one in the morning is arguing about this with you," Maggie said with a frustrated sigh. "I told you I didn't want to talk about it. Lets just drop it, okay?" Price studied her face a moment. Whatever he saw there, he nodded, and they slipped into silence for the rest of their journey.
.
…...
Location: Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, Texas
.
Matthew finally made it to his gate. He looked at his watch. It was nearing one-thirty a.m. back in Connecticut. He checked the flight monitor. His connecting flight was still on time. He had about a half an hour before it came in, so he sat down to wait. The next time he checked the monitor, his connecting flight was delayed. It wouldn't be landing for another forty-five minutes. With a sigh of frustration, Matthew got up from his chair and went in search of an open snack bar. As he rounded a corner in a deserted area of the airport, Matthew felt a hard object come in contact with the back of his head. A sea of blackness washed over him, and he felt himself falling to the floor. He never felt himself hit the ground.
.
…...
.
To be continued…
.