RUN
by JULES
CHAPTER FIVE - HIDING OUT
Responses to Reviews:
Firstly – WOW – I am truly humbled to think so many are out there following this story. Thank you all so much. I really appreciate everyone of them.
LIZ U – You are on the edge of your seat? – better buckle up then, because the action is about to start and the ride might be a bit bumpy along the way. Thanks so much for reading.
KATKNITS00 –Here is the next chapter you have been looking for. Things are just heating up for Lucas and everyone else on this wide merry-go-round. If you think you know the plot, then you don't know this author, the twists and turns are about to ensue even more.
KAS7 – You love my stories – Thanks so much – and I love that you love my stories. Questions? Questions? This chapter will only add to the list I am afraid. 100 Questions you say – well you just ask anytime you like, but hopefully the story will explain as it continues. Thank you for replying, don't worry that it wasn't sooner. Glad you did it at all.
DOLPHINOLOGY – Thanks so much for your review. Actually, I thrive on the fact that the crew see these different sides to Lucas. That's why I write the different sides of his personality in the first place. To think what their reaction would be and what situations would cause him to act like that. Sorry the update took so long. Hope this chapter makes up for it.
MJ – Wolfy is Nick – good memory – unlike the author sometimes. LOL What real hope would Dalton have of killing him, unless he was somehow able to sneak someone aboard Seaquest? then again.. I guess that would be a possibility ?? – This author is full of evil ideas for your questions. How would he do it ?? – Just read and see – corruption is everywhere and friends that you think you can trust can soon change. Don't worry, I have no intention of having Dalton sneak aboard the SeaQuest – got some other more active ideas in mind. Keep reading.
MINA – You feared it wasn't going to happen. Please let me say, that I am rather slow at updating, but that is not because of not wanting to continue any of my stories. They will all be finished as I can. I have some rather invasive personal issues at present that prevent any decent writing time. Stark as the driver ?? - now you are giving me new evil ideas for future stories – but no – not her unfortunately. Keep reading – the driver is revealed very early on in this chapter. Yes, like I said to MJ – Wolfy is right – What most people don't realise is that Wolfy (Nick) and Lucas teamed up together before SeaQuest and I really like that friendship. Will continue to use him every now and then in my stories.
GOHANZGIRL – Where did he go ?? you ask – read on – lots more action to come. You like the new Lucas !! – lots more rebelliousness, independence to come. Lucas as you have not seen him in my stories before in this one. Some good, others, a little different than everyone is used to. Please keep reading.
ICEY – Good, your seatbelt is buckled – but the road just ended and the bridge is out. So hold on tight. Bridger is not very happy about Harris and his team's attempts to keep Lucas safe. Even had him say so for your benefit and the other readers. Hope you like cranky Bridger. !! LOL
CRIMSON AMBER – Continued …….. as fast as I can, I promise. I hate that I can't do it more often. Keep reading, Please.
And now, on with the next chapter that all the readers deserve for their patience and continued support in reading this author's humble thoughts and ideas. I don't write. I just put words together that look good on the page LOL.
and now what happened next…………….
Lucas felt himself land awkwardly in the passenger seat of the vehicle that had turned up out of nowhere. He had felt a hand grab his torn shirt and pull inside the cabin, everything after that was a little hazy in his memory.
As he slowly opened his eyes against the pain that wracked his shoulders, he found himself looking at the floor of the vehicle. Grimacing and gritting his teeth, he finally managed to sit on the seat, but he was hunched over and still didn't pay any heed who the driver was. It wasn't until a voice spoke to him that he recognized who his rescuer was.
"God, you look like hell," came the female voice belonging to Diana Lane. She could only steal brief glances towards the injured teenager as she manoeuvred the speeding vehicle around the burning debris that littered her path. The shell of the exploding vehicle was still burning fiercely as she looked out the rear view mirror.
"Feel like it too," came the honest answer from Lucas. He couldn't tell how badly he was hurt, and he had not dared to look up until this point, but judging from his shoulders, he must have burns and scrapes all over his back.
"I'll try and get you some help as soon as I can, Lucas. For now, we need to get out of here and somewhere safe. Where they won't find you," Diana said, but upon looking over at the teenager, it was difficult to tell if he had heard her words or not. His head was reclined against the door, his eyes closed and his shirt stained in blood in a number of places.
For the next ten minutes, Diana used the back streets and side roads as best she could to make sure that they were not being followed. She could see that Lucas needed medical attention soon, and she had to grapple with herself to think what to do.
Whilst Diana and Lucas sped away out of sight into the darkness, Harris, Bridger and the rest of the crew that had viewed the entire explosion, were standing outside their vehicle. Bridger had wanted to race after the unknown vehicle before they lost all trace of Lucas.
Harris had objected as first, until Bridger's angry persuasion eventually convinced him. By the time he came to that decision, the mystery vehicle, along with Lucas inside, was well out of sight.
Bridger felt like punching the side of Harris's vehicle with his own clenched fist, "Now we have no idea where he is. No thanks to you and your incompetent team," he accused.
"We did everything we could to keep track of him," Harris tried to say in the defence of his team and their efforts to keep tabs on Lucas's movements. He knew at the end of the day that no explanation was going to be good enough for the Captain. Now they had a huge problem on their hands.
A missing witness. The only witness capable of putting Johnny Dalton out of operation for good.
"This is where me and my team, take over," Bridger hissed at Harris. "You may tag along if you think it will be of any benefit, but from now on, I am calling the shots."
Harris was about to voice protest at the unorthodox methods that Bridger might introduce over the top of his own carefully, well laid out, but failed plans. "But………..," he began to say when he was instantly cut off before the sentence even began.
"But nothing, Mr Harris. No thanks to you, now my son and someone who this crew respects and cares for very much, is out on the streets of this city, without the protection that you and your team promised us," he said, holding back none of the sarcasm that dripped from his words.
"Lucas is eighteen years old. Eighteen. I don't care who you think you and your organisation are, but I am not about to let someone like this Dalton take his life for something that he witnessed years ago."
"He would probably contact you first anyway," Harris interjected, trying to cover his own mistakes without making it obvious.
"Damn right he will," Bridger said and turned sharply away from the man and towards his own crew, ready to head back to the SeaQuest and begin the search for Lucas.
"Ready, Commander Ford?" he asked with determination.
"When you are, Captain," Ford answered very military-like. The black man's expression was stern, but giving the impression that he and the crew would be behind their superior officer one hundred percent. Not because he was above them all in rank, like Harris liked to continually remind his own men. But because they respected him on a level that people like Harris could never expect to reach in their careers. And most importantly, because they all cared and loved Lucas.
Up until now he had not known that Bridger had a bite to match the bark that he had already been subjected to earlier when he removed Lucas from the SeaQuest. The man had pulled a few political strings higher up, but Harris had not expected the pushing to go further than that.
Harris gave a few instructions to his team, actually relieved that he wouldn't have to clean up the mess left behind by the explosion. Someone would hand him a report within the week and then he could find a cause to blame on the missing teenager being able to slip passed his best security system.
Harris had left his unwilling partner, Christopher Arnold in charge of the explosion investigation. Arnold had looked less than impressed, but with Harris being the puppeteer, he had little choice but to complete the work that Harris didn't want to do himself. Arnold scowled at the back of Harris as he walked away. Sometimes he just hated that man, partner or not.
Harris went with Bridger and the crew back to the SeaQuest. Bridger had the authority to grant boarding permission to anyone, this he begrudgingly did for Harris. Merely for the fact that Harris knew more about the murder of Lucas's parents, the witness protection system and Johnny Dalton.
Harris followed Commander Ford above the SeaQuest, having heard the rumours of her glory and the missions they had encountered. How this vessel was the pride of the U.E.O. fleet. Looking at the interior and the impressive array of equipment throughout the corridors, he couldn't help but agree with the gossip.
"If you will step this way, Mr Harris," Ford said, inviting the agent onto the Bridge.
If Harris had been impressed by the SeaQuest so far since boarding, then the Bridge and her display of work stations and sophisticated electronic systems just blew him away. He lightly ran his hand along the edge of one of the consoles, not even pretending that he had the first idea about what any of these computers or screens did.
"Impressive, isn't she?" Ford said, hiding a slight smile at the man's expression of awe, "If you would like to take a seat, the crew will take their assigned positions and we will begin working out how to find Lucas."
Harris was gestured towards a visitors chair set up not too far from the Captain's own station. He didn't say anything, but his gaze was concentrated on the screens around the room as each crew member took up their post, and began the routine pre-start system checks.
"Simply amazing," was the only two words Harris had managed since being invited onto the Bridge.
"Your sitting in Lucas's seat," Bridger informed him, and then turned his head, as if to talk to one of the crew. There was a smirk there, though, as he saw Harris look at the chair he was seated on and realise that this was all part of Bridger's game.
Exactly what game he was being subjected too yet, Harris didn't quite know. What he did know was that Bridger and the other crew were not going to allow him to forget easily that Lucas was now lost in a large expanse of city because of his incompetence and.
They all knew that the target Harris sought was Dalton, and they were not pleased with his attempts to use Lucas as the bait to draw the wanted criminal out into the open to arrest. Lucas was the pawn at his disposal and he had little regard for how the teenager was affected mentally, emotionally or physically by this misuse of trust.
Harris had called the system they used "witness protection", but the only one being protected at the moment was Johnny Dalton. Whilst Lucas was now somewhere in the city, hurt and alone.
Bridger had seen the torn shirt from the blast and knew that Lucas was carrying some injuries at least. It ate away at him not being able to know the extent of them or to help his son when Lucas needed it the most.
"Okay people, we are all worried about Lucas. We need to get our heads together and brain storm about where he might have gone since we left the car park." Bridger didn't want to voice out loud the fact that it looked as though he had been forcibly dragged into the car after the explosion.
"Captain, I will bring up a street map of the city," Lieutenant Tim O'Neill offered, trying to get everyone working as a team. After a few seconds, he found the map he was looking for, fulling graphed out into city grids and then referenced for easy identification.
"Very nice, Mr O'Neill," Bridger said with pride. "Put it up on the main screen please, Lieutenant."
"Aye, Captain," Tim voiced respectfully and hit the corresponding codes on his console to do just that. He was pleased to see the image transferred from his own work station to the full screen for the whole Bridge to see.
Bridger walked up to the screen, casting a shadow partially over the large text, but he used an index finger to explain what he was looking at. "See, this is where we were parked. This is the street and that's the vacant car park that Lucas was walking towards."
Harris wanted to voice a few choice comments, like although he could see what they were trying to do, it was all a waste of time. If Lucas wanted to disappear without being found, the teenager had done this sort of thing for a long time and was capable of doing so again.
And just as equally, if Dalton wanted to take the trouble in finding Lucas, which no doubt he would, then he had the city contacts and the underground connections too. The agent kept his thoughts to himself though as he watched the crew come up with rough theories about where they thought Lucas might have gone to.
Finally, the confined space of the Bridge was just too much to bear and the fact that he was being kept out of the conversation caused him to point out their mistakes.
"This is all very nice and pretty, Captain," Harris said, getting off the chair and voicing his doubts about their ideas.
"But, you have no idea of knowing where Lucas went to. This is a map of the city, but if you look close enough, there could be a hundred places he could hide, or be hidden in and you wouldn't even know it."
"We can't just sit here and do nothing, Harris," Bridger said, his stance challenging and his posture giving an air of superiority. "I won't let Lucas come to harm if I can help him."
"We have to know who that vehicle belonged to," Harris said, knowing that it was futile to try and get him or anybody else in the room to listen unless he had a plausible suggestion worth considering.
"There were no plates, but we have to try and come up with an owner and then we might be closer to know who was in the vehicle with Lucas."
"Give Mr Harris a phone line out, please, Commander," Bridger said, not giving the agent an inch to dictate the plan of attack. "There you are Mr Harris. I am sure you have the proper connections in that department. Make the calls!"
Harris looked at Bridger for a moment, ready to resign any further help in this matter, or at least any more than he was forced to do as part of his job. But looking about the room, he couldn't help but feel the piercing, accusing gazes of the crew. He could see they were looking for answers to questions that they had about Lucas's whereabouts.
Sighing audibly in defeat, Harris turned towards Commander Ford, "Dial 1477 3426, that should get me to the Department of Motor Vehicles in this area. They are the best source of finding that vehicle, if we can find it at all."
Satisfied enough to see Harris at least attempting to do something, Bridger returned his attention to the crew members he had already been talking too. They were leaving nothing to chance and would not stop searching for Lucas. They knew he was out there somewhere, all they had to do was find him.
Whilst Bridger, together with Harris and the SeaQuest crew worked on finding him, Lucas was still curled up on the seat of Diana Lane's vehicle as it headed down one more street to an unknown destination.
Diana had tried the best she could to monitor the withdrawn teenager as she drove. She didn't know whether the forced silence within the cabin was due to the pain he was feeling from the injuries he had sustained in the explosion. Or if it was memories and running from his past that prevented him wanting to talk.
Every now and then, she would hear a soft wince of pain, as he moved slightly and tried to find a more comfortable position in a seat that he had already declared, cumbersome and awkward. During the short periods of time she was able to see his eyes open, they remained concentrated on the surrounding neighbourhood as they passed through street after street.
Diana had used a more complicated route to travel down, but it was in case they were being followed. She had not seen any indication as such so far, but still couldn't rule out the possibility. With people like Johnny Dalton, there was no way of really knowing when your enemy would strike next.
Diana turned her thoughts back to her driving as she turned what she deemed would be one last corner for the night. She hadn't told Lucas her plan, but for now, until she had a chance to see to his injuries and come up with a more suitable place to keep Lucas safe, the only place she could think of was her own apartment.
That plan soon become unravelled though as she drove down the road and then spotted, not one, but two unmarked vehicles. She could clearly see that they had the building staked out. One on the left side of the road, the second vehicle a few metres down the road on the right hand side.
Between them, their undisclosed occupants would be able to monitor all traffic, both vehicles and pedestrians that entered or exited the street.
"God damn it!" Diana said out loud in frustrated as she attempted to turn her car around before they could be spotted. She guessed that the vehicles had been put in place by Harris, and wasn't overly surprised to see them pull off the kerb and begin to tail her and Lucas.
Obviously, they had been doing their homework, but that didn't help the fact that now they had no where to go.
Diana's exclamation of frustration had alerted Lucas to the fact that something was wrong. He sat up too quickly, immediately being reminded of his injuries and gritting his teeth at the pain until it abated to a more tolerable level.
"Well, there goes the one and only plan that I had," Diana said in disgust. On the inside, she was truly beginning to panic. Her place had been the only one that she considered taking Lucas too with any confidence that they would be safe for a few hours. Now, she had no idea where they were going to go.
"What about plan B?" Lucas asked, his voice barely above a whisper and Diana could tell that the pain was getting worse.
"That was plan B," Diana responded ruefully. "Right now, we have to be more concerned about these fellows behind us and losing them. After that, I will be willing to listen to anything you have to offer."
Lucas turned around briefly to glance back out the rear window of the vehicle, noticing a black sedan tailing close behind. He couldn't identify the driver or passenger as friend or foe, and at the moment, his body didn't really care. He turned towards the front again, and resumed his curled up position on the passenger seat as the pain began to grow once more.
Diana stepped on the gas pedal a little more, speeding up as much as she dared, without being reckless. She was mindful that Lucas was grimacing with every unseen bump on the roadway.
As the speed of her vehicle increased, so to did that of the vehicle in pursuit. There was nothing for, if they were going to make a break for it and lose the tail, she was going to have to do something a little more drastic. They were going to have to make a break for it and get away, and somehow prevent the vehicle behind from following.
"Lucas?" Diana asked cautiously, seeing that the teenager's eyes were closed once more.
"Hmmm," came the reply, Lucas not bothering to lift his head from leaning against the window. "Is your seatbelt on?" she asked, swallowing nervously thinking about what she was about to do.
Lucas looked up at her, a fearful look on his face, already having understood that she intended to take them into a new level of peril and danger. Without saying a word, but nodding his head in acknowledgement, he reached up, groaning as his shoulder protested, and secured the black restraint across his chest. His hands began to grip the seat as he waited in anticipation for the hellish ride to begin.
Without further warning, Lucas and Diana found themselves forced against the back of the seats as the car accelerated rapidly. Diana fought to control the vehicle and keep it on course, fearing that too much speed would cause the vehicle to veer off the road and possibly flip or roll over.
If they slowed down too much, then the vehicle in pursuit behind them, would quickly match their pace and they would be in danger of being nudged off the roadway, with the other vehicle being as a battering ram. From the rear view mirror, Diana could see that her plan had worked to some degree and that the vehicle tailing them was having difficulty in matching their acceleration.
Lucas tried hard not to groan out loud as the speed of the vehicle forced his injured back and shoulders back painfully against he passenger seat. The inertia was great enough for him to have to fight and pull his body away from the seat. Lucas had been concentrating on battling the pain too much to notice what Diana was about to do until he felt himself and the vehicle spinning around 180 degrees.
Diana had watched and calculated when to make her risky move. Her hands were gripping the steering wheel so tight, her knuckles had turned white, but she did not decrease her concentration long enough to adjust her hands. The results could have been disastrous for her and Lucas, if not deadly.
She began to decrease the speed of her vehicle, just a little, watching the approaching vehicle from behind in the driver's side mirror. Without warning and as the black sedan was almost level, she spun the car around, causing the black sedan to swerve dramatically to avoid a possible collision.
Pulling down on the steering wheel hard, she now spun the car around to face the opposite direction. She had no time to warn her passenger of her plan, and rued the further pain and discomfort she saw assail Lucas, causing the teenager's features to pale.
"Guess they never expected that, huh?" Diana said, with an air of confidence in her voice. But deep down inside, she knew that she had taken a mighty risk with her life and Lucas's. The teenager fought to breathe normally again, and didn't trust his voice in agreeing with her statement, preferring to keep his eyes on the road ahead. They were headed back in the direction they had just come from.
'Where to now, Lane?' she asked herself, watching as Lucas grimaced again, but turned his face towards the passenger side window so she wouldn't see. She knew that his pain was still great and she would have to get him help soon.
After a further half an hour of trying to figure out what to do, and her concern for Lucas growing each time she glanced back towards him, Diana knew that unusual times called for unusual methods being used. No doubt she would need to use a great many of her unknown or least famous talents as a journalist to keep Lucas safe and get him some medical attention.
Lucas had fallen into a light doze, not able to sleep properly due to the deep ache that had settled across his shoulders and own his back. He barely acknowledged the bright lights of the motel that shone through the windscreen as Diane pulled the car up out the front reception.
It wasn't your usual first class accommodations she had to admit, but the place looked clean and maintained. She had stayed here on one other occasion in the past when she had been on assignment. For tonight, or at least until she could find a more suitable place to hide Lucas, it would be their home.
Diana alighted from her vehicle, not wanting to disturb Lucas until it everything was in place and it became absolutely necessary. With the injuries she suspected he carried, it was better that he be moved once, and only once. She had a few contacts she could make to friends who were trained in first aid and medical assistance.
One of those would be the first she would call once she had secured a room. After that, she would need to come up with a plan to contact Lucas's own family and friends, judging them to be the best possible people to help protect Lucas instead of agents Arnold and Harris.
Ten minutes after entering the building, Diana returned to the vehicle with a key in hand. She had been given the third degree about who she was and what her purpose was for staying there, but she had come up with a plausible idea and creative enough story that should work for a few days.
She had asked for a larger room, telling the owner that her kid brother was in the car with her. The man had tried to see out to the vehicle. He had seen the blond head of a teenager, which he assumed was the kid brother, but was too far away to notice anything specific about him.
The kid looked to be asleep, but he guessed that they had travelled some distance that day and that wasn't entirely unusual. Motels were usually were people stopped when travelling on further.
Diana had erred on the side of caution and paid three days advance on the room. If they didn't stay that long, then she didn't begrudge spending a few extra dollars on keeping Lucas safe. That was why she was doing this all in the first place, something she should have done a long time ago.
After getting her key and being informed of the most ridiculous house rules she had heard yet for motel, Diana requested some fresh linen, and some extra towels, Lucas's injuries in the back of her mind and her main priority. She also requested some food, knowing that neither of them had eaten for a few hours. Lucas probably wouldn't feel hungry, but they needed to keep on their toes for any signs of Dalton and his men or Harris and his cronies.
She looked over at Lucas as she got into the driver's seat, it didn't look as though he had moved a muscle since she had gone inside. She didn't know whether that was a good sign or a bad one. It might mean he was resting and conserving his energy. It might also mean that the injuries were more severe than she first assumed.
Diana quickly put the key into the ignition and drove the few metres to their assigned room. She unlocked the door to the motel room first, and then came back to the vehicle for Lucas. She lightly tapped on the window first, trying to get Lucas to wake a little. It took more than one attempt, and the kid looked like hell. She eased open the door, mindful that he was almost falling out of the vehicle, rather than climbing out under his own steam.
"Hang on Lucas, I will get you inside," she said, carefully wrapping an arm about his slim waist and supporting the majority of his weight against herself. Lucas's head lolled towards his chest and any attempts from him to lift it proved unsuccessful, his hair falling over his forehead and his posture sagging even further.
Lucas moaned at the pain that was caused by Diana's arm around him, but he could do nothing but allow himself to be helped into the room. As soon as they were inside, she closed the door with her foot, before helping the exhausted teenager to lie down on one of the beds in the room.
When she stood up and looked around, she was pleased with what she saw. The room was self-contained, so they had their own toilet and bathroom. The furnishings were quite nice, and the furniture sparse, but enough to accommodate them for a few days. There was two beds, one double and a single. She had meant the single one for Lucas, but after helping him from the car, she didn't have the heart to deny him a little comfort.
A moan escaped Lucas's lips, bringing her attention back to him as he lay sprawled across the bed, just as he had fallen. He had no energy to roll over further than his stomach, thankful at least that he was not lying on his back. It was only now, under the lighting of the room, that Diane was fully able to see the injuries the teenager had sustained from the blast.
Diana knew instantly that any medical attention was above her skill level. Lucas would need someone with a little more knowledge than first aid. For a few brief moments, she left the teenager on the bed, and went back to the car outside to gather up the linen she had been given at the reception desk.
From the rear of the car Lane also withdrew a suitcase that was always there. She had put it there years ago and it was rarely used. But there had been at least three occasions like tonight, where she had been truly grateful for keeping it there. She closed the door to the motel room behind herself once more, noting again that there was little change in Lucas's position on the bed.
She pulled out her wallet and then a card and telephone number that Bridger had given her only a day or so ago. She had never really intended to use it, accepting it purely as a matter of courtesy. She was aware that any phone calls to Bridger might be being traced by Harris.
Looking back at Lucas, she new there was little choice but to get his friends involved. She could protect him as best she could for now, but Dalton had long fingers and rumours would soon reach his ears about Lucas's escape from Harris's protective custody and that he was back on the streets again all alone.
Diana now dialled the first of two calls she would make tonight, the first being to a long time friend whom owed a favour. She knew the debt would now be more than paid in full, but he was the only one she could think of to help Lucas with his injuries and that would keep their whereabouts a secret.
"Come on, pick up," Diana said as the phone began to ring longer than she wanted it to. Luck seemed to prevail as a male voice answered the call and talked briefly to her.
"I need you to come down here as soon as you can. This is for me. He is only eighteen and needs your skills. Bring whatever you have with you," she informed him, terminating the call after giving him vague directions of the motel and a room number.
The second call she made was even shorter. Diana had no idea that Harris was currently in the company of the SeaQuest crew. And she knew that any call would be traced, if it continued long enough to track her.
Her plan was to only remain on for a brief moment, long enough hopefully for Lucas's friends to note where the call was coming from, but short enough so that Harris couldn't trace it anywhere. She had to be confident that Bridger doubted Harris's abilities to help Lucas as much as she did and that the Captain wouldn't reveal their current whereabouts to the agent.
Tim O'Neill, noted an incoming signal on his headset. He was about to tell the Captain when the signal ended abruptly. "Captain, I ………," was all he managed to say before his headset was silent again.
"What was that, Lieutenant?" Bridger asked, noting the confused look on Tim's face. Bridger walked calmly over to Tim, but bent down slightly to whisper something to the communications officer. Harris could be seen scowling in the background, not liking the idea that he was being kept out of the conversation.
"I thought I had a call, Captain," Tim whispered. "But then it just ended. I wasn't there long enough to trace where it was coming from. Maybe if I run one of Lucas's tracking programs on the signal we might pick up who it was."
Something in Tim's voice convinced Bridger that O'Neill suspected the call to be important and about Lucas. It sounded a little odd that the call had ended so abruptly, especially if it was someone trying to help them find Lucas. But he wasn't about to give up or ignore any clue that might come their way, no matter how insignificant or trivial it seemed.
"Send it on a secure link to my quarters, while the program runs. That way we might be able keep it a little more secret," Bridger responded. Tim O'Neill nodded his head at the request.
"What was that all about, Captain?" Harris asked, knowing he probably wasn't going to get a truthful answer.
"Sorry, Mr Harris. This is a U.E.O. sanctioned vessel. Information from this Bridge is classified," he stated, inwardly happy that he was in control of trying to find Lucas. Harris had had his turn and made a grave mistake in underestimating Lucas and the crew.
Harris sat down on the chair again, clearly not happy, but knowing that there was very little room for argument at this point in time. He was sitting on the edge of trouble himself with a lost protected witness and a crime boss still without conviction. He would just have to bide his time a little more until some fresh leads on the missing teenager surfaced.
Half an hour after Harris had left the SeaQuest, informing Captain Bridger that he would be in contact as much as he could. He had to appear like he was making some efforts to find the kid, and not having the mighty U.E.O. or Captain Bridger and the SeaQuest crew to hold his hand and give the instructions.
Bridger and Tim immediately went to tracing the call that had been received and then suddenly lost. Tim had already replayed it back to the Bridge crew a few times, trying to work out what it was they were hearing. It did sound like a telephone call, but it ended so abruptly that they couldn't be sure.
"Any ideas of where it came from, or by whom, Mr O'Neill?" Bridger asked as the replay was heard another time.
"No, sorry Captain. Maybe it is Lucas trying to call and then gets spooked," he offered, thinking of the most plausible scenario. It was very believable that Lucas could be the caller. They had no idea about what happened to him after being dragged into the four wheel drive.
"Can you tell where it came from?" Bridger asked, wanting to cling to hope that this was indeed a lead that would help him find Lucas.
"I couldn't get an exact location, but it definitely came from about here," Tim said as he displayed the street map once more on the main screen and pointed to an area that included the motel that Diana and Lucas were currently staying in.
"Its not much, but at least a start," Tim said, not wanting to sound negative about what little they had to go on. "We could do some scouting around and see what turns up?"
"Thanks, Tim, I appreciate what you are offering to do. I appreciate you all helping me out and especially Lucas. But for now, I want to stay close to here in case Lucas does try and make contact.
He doesn't have any money on him that I am aware of, though he would have bank accounts he could access. He has very little clothing or food with him when we last saw him. We have to hope and pray that he looks to us and home as his safety net."
Back at the motel, Diana got up from the chair she had been occupying to answer the light knock at the door. She peeked through the curtain first to make sure that it was who she was expecting, and then ushered her contact into the room with haste before anyone got suspicious.
"Thank you for coming," she said with genuine relief. Lucas injuries needed to be seen to without further delays. "I am not comfortable with this, Diana, but I will do it for you," the man said. He glanced over towards the bed where Lucas lay, assuming that the young man was his patient.
"I know you are not, and I appreciate it," Diana said, giving the man a brief embrace. Once upon a time, those arms had held her much more securely and there had been lots of promises made about the future. Now, they were all just broken dreams, but they had parted upon mutual agreement and were still very close friends.
"How has he been?" the man asked, putting down the bag he had brought with him, concealed under his coat. He set it aside and allowed his hands to do the assessment first. He could see the blood-stained and torn shirt Lucas still wore. That would have to be removed, but not without discomfort to the young man.
"Since the explosion. I guess some of the glass from the windows tore him up a little more than he first noticed," Diana commented. "Steve, what are you going to do?"
"I am going to put him under a light sedation first. It would cause him a great deal of pain to remove that shirt with him still conscious, even if he appears half asleep. There could be bits of cloth or dirt driven into the wounds or maybe both. They will need to be cleaned out and then stitched.
Diana seemed shocked at the idea that Lucas might need to have stitches, but knew that Steve was a competent medical physician and would help the injured teenager as much as possible.
"Let's get this over and done with," Steve suggested, sterilising his hands first and then preparing the sedating injection.
While Steve prepared what he needed to patch Lucas up, Diane went about removing the teenager's sneakers. Lucas seemed to be sleeping quite soundly, until Steve moved his hand across his forehead to check for signs of a fever.
He noted that there was warmth present to the skin, but it was relatively minor at this stage. Not uncommon after the injuries had gone a considerable time without being treated. He would soon remedy the boy's slight temperature.
Lucas tried to turn over as he felt someone holding his arm. His mind was a bit confused about what was happening, and he couldn't remember where he was. He tried to swat at the person like an annoying fly, but his hand was caught by a softer one and held firmly to prevent him wrenching it free.
This action seemed to bring him a littler more alert, and then without warning, he felt a distinct stinging sensation to his upper right arm. He was about to form words of protest when a grey fog seemed to grow over him. His body grew heavy and his limbs felt weighed down. Another moment and he collapsed back onto the bed again, unconscious and deeply under the effects of the sedative.
Whilst Steve did what he could for Lucas, Diana took the short opportunity to go to the shops a few miles down the road, knowing that Lucas would need some extra clothes after the remains of his shirt had been discarded in the trash bin. The teenager had another set in the backpack that he had carried with him, but that was all.
If she wasn't at the motel, she didn't have to see Steve meticulously stitching up the wounds in Lucas's back and shoulders. She cared about him, and didn't realise until now just how much she did care. A few years ago he had just been some kid with a tragic event haunting him from place to place. A story to add to the feathers in her journalism cap. But now, with his life in danger and her own as well, she promised herself that she wouldn't let Dalton or his men get their hands on him.
It was on the way back to the motel after getting some new clothes for Lucas that she spotted a potential rendezvous place for her idea about how to reunite Lucas and his family without the risk of Dalton or Harris interrupting the party. Once Lucas was back with those who loved him, then they could work on a more permanent arrangement for keeping him safe.
Diana remembered the name of the bar and the phone number. It was far enough from town but still close enough to the motel to suit their needs. As she drove back, she formulated the plan further in her head and worked on how to get another message to the SeaQuest crew about meeting her and Lucas there. It would have to be carefully planned and executed and they had to ensure that Dalton didn't find out about Lucas being present.
Diana sighed in relief as she closed the door to the motel room behind her. She had been in situations before where secrecy and deception were called for. Sneaking around like this with an injured teenager and getting her friends involved with notorious criminal figures was not her idea of a fun time.
Steve, her doctor friend was just clearing things away when she walked over to the bed. There was a number of pieces of gauze in a dish, stained with blood, no doubt Lucas's.
Seeing it there like that and looking down at the serene handsome features of the young man, she couldn't help but sense a taste of reality that was a hard pillow to swallow.
"Almost done," Steve offered as he saw her looking at Lucas who was still sedated on the bed. "He will sleep for a while. Don't let him get up and move around a lot at first or he will pull those stitches. I will leave you some pain medication, but go easy on it. Only use it when he needs it. He is going to be stiff and sore for a couple of weeks and putting on a shirt might prove difficult for the next few days."
"We will manage as best we can, I suppose," Diana said absentmindedly, her thoughts along a different path.
"What have you gotten yourself into, Diane?" Steve asked, knowing that it wasn't his business to pry. He shouldn't have even agreed to come and help, but he did. And there was something gnawing him that said she was getting into something way above her head.
"It's a little hard to explain," Diana said, a small laugh or irony of laughter on the tip of her tongue that was not heard. "I am not sure how much of it you would believe anyway," she added in truthfulness.
"Is there anything I can do?" Steve asked, not really knowing what other form of assistance he could give. He didn't even know what was going on despite Diane being involved, he wasn't so sure he really wanted to know the full details.
It wasn't until Steve had made the offer that Diana had even mulled the idea over in her head of using him further. Now that she thought about it a little longer, maybe he could be of more help. He could be the one to tip of the SeaQuest crew about where she intended the meeting to take place. That way, he was an anonymous third party, and Harris would be none the wiser.
Steve almost wanted to take a step back in retreat, watching the expression change on the woman's face as she formulated a plan of attack in her head. He had made the offer, and stood by it, but was dubious about what role his assistance would come in.
Half an hour later, the doctor left the motel room after giving Diana the medication he promised to leave and a supply of fresh bandages and gauze pads. He had given brief instructions on the medications and their dosages for someone of Lucas's age and build.
Diana ate a sparse meal, hoping that Lucas might stir and be able to have something as well. To her disappointment he did not wake from the sedation, but she was relieved that he was not in any pain at the moment. She had remembered his soft winces of masked pain and discomfort on the way here and the way he had collapsed out of the vehicle, unable to make but a few stumbled steps and that was with a lot help.
While Diana and Lucas slept that night in the out of the way motel, Steve completed the final task of his involvement. He used a internet café with a bogus username, but with it he wrote a personal note to Captain Nathan Hale Bridger of the SeaQuest.
Diana had been able to get the address from the card Bridger had given to her.
She didn't know much about this Captain Bridger or the special connection that he shared with Lucas. She had not been able to follow Lucas's life since she lost contact a few years ago until now, but the teenager wasn't one to make acquaintances on the spur of the moment.
The email was brief and contained only the bare essential details:
Bridger
Lucas to meet you at the "Gruff and Griff"
7.30pm tomorrow night
Friend.
He made sure that it was marked priority and had no way of tracing who the author was. Usually he wasn't one to be involved in sending anonymous messages to others, but he made an exception on this one occasion.
Steve had to hope for Diana's sake and the young man that was in her care, that the message would be enough to help her sort out the mess she was currently in. Once sending the email, he drove away in his car wondering about how their relationship had gone sour and why it took something like this for him to realise what he had been missing in his life all this time.
On board the SeaQuest, a small red envelope appeared on Bridger's screen. It was very late at night and the recipient of the mail was currently sleeping. The holographic image that Lucas had designed for him deemed it important enough to wake him.
"Uh, do you have any idea what time it is?" Bridger protested, knowing it had only been a few hours since going to bed in the first place. He and the senior crew had been up trying to come up with a plausible search plan for finding Lucas. With no more concrete leads to go on, they had all retired for a few hours rest, hoping that a new day would bring new ideas and a new sense of hope that he would be found safe soon.
"I apologize Nathan for the disturbance, but I assessed this incoming message and deemed it most important," the image said without flickering in emotion.
Sometimes Nathan hated the holographic projection unit that Lucas had installed in his first year on the boat. He had never asked for it to be there and he could think of a few occasions when it had brought him physical pain, like when they had found that haunted ship and he had been hurtled across the room like a rag doll by an apparition.
"Okay, just tell me what it is?" Nathan said, unable to hide the fatigue in his voice. He was in a cranky mood, but lack of sleep over Lucas's disappearance was the primary cause. The message sent by Diana was displayed for Bridger to read himself. He had still been lying down on his bunk when he first started reading the message, but sat bolt right up as he soon as he saw Lucas's name mentioned.
A few more minutes after reading the message again for a fourth time, Bridger was ready in the ward room, waiting for Westphalen and the other crew members he had summoned to show them the piece of new that they had been desperately trying to find.
Upon entering the room with various groans about the hour of the day, especially echoed by Ben Krieg who had been just as worried as Bridger and Kristen about Lucas's disappearance. They all stopped their words of protest to read the message that he gestured to on the video screen on the back wall.
"That's great, Captain," Krieg offered almost before he had finished reading the whole message. "When do we go and get him?" he asked enthusiastically.
"Now wait just a minute, Ben," Bridger said, holding up a hand to hold the supply back a little. "I am just as eager as you, believe me. But we have to do this right the first time. We can't risk something going wrong and putting Lucas's life in further danger," he warned.
Ben slumped into a nearby chair, knowing that the Captain was right, but still now liking that they had to wait any length of time. Enough time had already been wasted and they were still no closer to knowing where Lucas was and what had happened to him after the car explosion.
"Commander Ford," Bridger said, addressing the dark-skinner officer, "this gives a window of about 12 hours to organize the equipment and propose a plan before we have to meet with Lucas. I don't want anything to chance. Once we have formulated a fail proof plan, then we can let Harris know about Lucas's rendezvous. We won't tell him of any backup we are going to provide."
"I don't like the idea that he and his team have to be involved at all," Krieg said with distrust clearly in his voice.
"I don't either, Ben," Bridger reassured his Lieutenant. "But we can't just tell him anything, that will only arouse his suspicion even more. We give him just a little bit of information and carry out the majority of the rescue mission ourselves. That way we will know exactly who we are dealing with."
Ben nodded his head and moved in closer to the group of crew members that were gathered. They would formulate the best plan possible for rescuing Lucas and making sure that he was not placed in the protective custody of Harris or the like again.
By dawn's early light, all in the motel room was quiet. The occupants inside were sleeping as an unmarked sedan now pulled up on the opposite side of the road and viewed the four wheel drive from a distance.
"Dalton, are you there?" the voice asked as he scanned the motel and surrounding car park, taking in as much detail as possible.
"Yes, report."
"I found that woman's car. It matches her registration number. They are staying in some motel on the outskirts of town. Do you want me to move in now?"
"No, no, hold there for a while. We might have the rabbit in our sight, but I don't want to scare him away just yet. We need to plan this out a little. I want to try and get him away from that reporter and then get him," Dalton said to his henchman.
"So what else do you want me to do now?"
"Take note of some of the area and find somewhere to lay low for the rest of the day. I want you to monitor everything that happens there today and report back to me as it happens. We will make a move later tonight, when there is little chance of us being foiled in grabbing him."
"Will do. I will keep in contact," the man said and then ended the communication link between himself and Dalton. Now he drove around and parked a little further down the road, but on the same side of the motel. From where he was, no suspicious would be drawn immediately to his presence and he could see the vehicle in question.
He would know if anyone came or went from the motel. He just had to keep tabs on the blond teenager and report back to Dalton.
Inside the motel, Diane Lana awoke with a start. Exactly when she had fallen asleep she couldn't remember. But judging from the dryness in her mouth, it must have been a few hours ago.
As she drank a cold glass of water from the fridge, she looked over at the bed and noted that the patient had been somewhat restless during the night. The blankets that had covered him earlier in the night were now tangled around his ankles and the pillows were strewn in a number of directions.
Diana looked over at the clock and noted it only read 7.00am. A little too early to be waking Lucas yet, and she needed to make sure he rested as much as possible today if they were going to make it to the "Gruff and Griff" bar later on that evening to meet up with the SeaQuest crew.
She picked up the blankets and was about to drape them over the young man's shoulders when she paused for a minute. Lightly running her hand over his forehead, she felt the slight sheen of sweat that she had seen. Lucas was developing a low grade fever due to the stitches.
Steve had told her to be careful about infection and had prescribed Lucas a course of antibiotics for the next week to make sure that the cuts in his back remained clear and began to heal.
Upon feeling again, the fever was not too high. she draped the blankets over his legs and waist, then left to go into the bathroom and find a cloth. She found a small hand towel and soaked it in cool water and then returned and draped the folded towel over Lucas's warm forehead.
Up until now, Lucas had shown no sign of stirring under her administrations, but with the coolness of the cloth, came a slight groan from his lips. The teenager's eyelids flickered and he tried to open his eyes, but the effort was too great and his head lolled back to the side as he fell into a restless doze.
Diana fussed with the blankets a little more and readjusted the cloth on his forehead, knowing that her nursing skills left a lot to be desired, if not non-existent at all. She had no idea of how to care for someone who was sick or in pain. Her idea of being sick was to take a large dose of codeine and sleep for a week until the symptoms cured themselves.
As she gazed down at the sleeping teenager and noted his peaceful expression, she was reminded about the plans she had already put into motion. What if Lucas was in no condition to attend the "Gruff and Griff" tonight? And even if he was, could she really guarantee that his friends and family would be there to help him?
She went to make a dose of the medication that Steve had left behind, making sure that the measurement was correct. There was one for pain-relief, which she suspected Lucas would need again in a few hours upon waking properly and another to help with sleep if he had trouble.
For now, she only mixed the pain-relief and brought the murky, clouded water over to the bed and prepared to get her patient to co-operate.
"Lucas?" she whispered, feeling guilty that she had to wake him when he wasn't showing any outward signs of pain. She knew that if she didn't though, then he was likely to be awaken later on in pain, and that was to be avoided. Any agitation on his part, even accidental, might cause the stitches to stretch or pull, causing more pain and discomfort.
Again she whispered his name and this time, also lightly tapped his arm. "Lucas?"
"Umph, arhh," he said and hissed at the slight movement that sent a red hot fire up his arm and across his back. If he had been asleep before, then now he was more alert. He tried to open his eyes again, and succeeded, but the image was distorted and comprehension of who he was looking at eluded him for a few moments.
Diana's features soften even further at the soft winces of pain that escaped his pale lips. "Here, Lucas, drink this and it will help take the pain away."
Lucas hadn't really heard anything she said to him, but upon feeling the rim of the glass against his lips, obeyed and opened his mouth to accept the small amount of liquid offered. When the taste reached his brain, he grimaced and his features turned into a scowl, protesting as much as he could at such an awful concoction being forced upon him.
Diana removed the glass and the cool cloth, immediately feeling his forehead to see if it had resulted in a decrease in temperature. To her relief it had. Lucas's eyes had closed again and he was drifting back to sleep.
He didn't she her grateful smile that he was improving nor did he feel the blanket brought up around his shoulders again and the feather soft touch of fingertips against his cheek.
Diana moved across to the sink to put the glass back and rinse out the residual contents. As she watched the water flow from the tap and the drain, her thoughts drifted to what she intended to do tonight. It was going to be more difficult than she first anticipated, giving that Lucas was going to be might stiff and sore. She had made another rash decision without thinking ahead, but this time, someone else might pay the price for her impetuousness.
Diana turned to think some more when she spotted the small suitcase she had brought in from her car. It was a battered old thing and had served many years of service for her to carry out her job as a journalist. In her head, she started going through the various pieces she knew to be in there.
Then an idea struck her.
She hurried over and held up one item for inspection. She held it out and surveyed its potential usefulness in aiding Lucas and masking his identity. With a slight giggle and careful so as not to wake the sleeping teenager, she lay it against him to see if it would suit her purpose.
Once she had decided it would, she frowned as she tried to think of a way around the battle she was going to have to fight to get Lucas's full co-operation.
"You are going to hate me for this Lucas, but I assure you I have your best interests at heart. I wouldn't ask you to do this unless I truly thought it would work," she said, knowing that Lucas was oblivious to her mutterings.
"Dalton is looking for Lucas Wolenczak," she thought to herself. But what if Lucas was a Lucy instead?"
The plan was so brilliant it had to work. All she had to do was convince Lucas to dress like a young lady for a couple of days until the SeaQuest crew could come and help him. It wasn't going to be that hard. He would just have to wear a wig, women's clothes and shoes for a couple of days. No problem.
Diana's gaze once again came to rest upon her young charge who was trying to move onto his side. He had moaned in pain, but the grogginess from the pain medication had numbed the pain's full assault. His back was now to her and she was able to see the numerous marks that Steve had stitched.
She walked over and made sure that the teenager was sufficiently covered yet again, she couldn't help but picture the look on his face or the outburst that would follow at her suggestion that he disguise himself as a teenager girl for a couple of days.
The battle was yet to start, but she would need to be ready for his refusal and outright horror at such an idea.
Lucas was about to become Lucy………………………
to be continued………..
JULES