Disclaimer: I don't own Swat Kats. I don't own the characters, I don't own the plot, and I don't own the jet.

Thanks in advance to all those who choose to read and review. I especially want to thanks to nyte-Kat for her two reviews so far.

This chapter is much longer then the first two so I hope everybody enjoys.

I awake in a cold sweat to the annoying beeping of my alarm clock. My sleep fogged brain works desperately to figure out what I had been dreaming about as my paw snakes out from under the warm blankets to shut off the annoying object. I miss the button on the first try and with an annoyed curse slap at the buttons again. The sound finally stops and I slump back onto the bed to enjoy the blissful silence.

Now that I can think without the buzzing ringing in my head I remember what I had been dreaming about and what the alarm reminded me of.

Flashback

I was lying on the cot in my cell again, wrists and ankles secured to the bed as usual when I heard it, the sound of the bases alarm system. For a second a felt hope leap in my chest. Maybe Chance has actually found me. I remember hoping desperately. Then I remembered that Chance had abandoned me. It had been over a month and a half since Dark Kat had first informed me that I had been his prisoner for nearly four months. I knew because he now kept me updated on the passage of time. I think he thought that if I realized that no one was coming that I might give in to him faster.

I shivered violently at the thought as the alarm continued. All I could do was lie there after all. If I could have moved from the cot I would have but there was no way I could escape. I took comfort in the fact that if the base was destroyed with me in it that everything would end. I had given myself over to the peace that this idea brought me when I heard footsteps and the noise of the creeplings in the hallway. I heard Dark Kat's voice and my blood ran cold.

"Take him to the plane. There is no way I'm giving up my prize to the Enforcers. They don't know he's here and I'm not going to let them find out. I'll finish getting the plane ready for take off." With those words any hope I had been holding on to of rescue left me. I could hear the clanking of the door as Dark Kat's men entered my cell

"Release his wrists." One of the men commanded and one of his soldiers came forward with the keys. When my wrists had been released I flexed my hands to increase the blood flow but the commander in charge gripped them tightly and a whimper escaped my throat.

"Try anything funny Clawson and I'll never let you forget it. Do you understand me boy?" I nodded weakly and remained still as my ankles were released. Once they were free I lay there for a second as the feeling returned. Knowing this would be my only shot at escape for a while I grabbed the kat's wrist and knocked him off balance into the kat beside him. That kat had dropped his gun which I grabbed as it fell. Before the other kat in the room could react I hit him over the head with the butt of the rifle and took off down the hall.

End Flashback

I glance back at the clock and sigh. I have to get in the shower and get to work before I'm late. As I'm walking toward that bathroom I continue to think over my escape. I honestly don't know how I did it but I managed to make it out of the base without getting caught by any of Dark Kat's guards or the Enforcers. I think I was too weak and scared to stop and worry about where I was or what would happen if I were caught. All I knew at the time was that I had to get away. Somehow I managed and I got lucky I guess.

I reach into the shower and start adjusting the water temperature. I like them hotter then I did before my capture, the hot water loosens up the muscle in my back and I after nearly 6 months in a cold cell you start to cherish the joy of hot water.

After I'm finished with my shower I grab the towel off the rack and head over to the sink. The face that looks back at me isn't the kat I remember before my capture. Dark circles underline my eyes and the lines of scar tissue where Dark Kat marked my face glare back at me. They look a lot better now then they did when I escaped and for that I have two people to thank.

The first person is a widow named Catherine. She was elderly but took me in anyway when she found me lying half dead in her cornfield. I don't honestly know how I got there; all I can figure is that Dark Kat's base must have been underground-in the farmlands about twenty-five minutes outside of Megakat City.

All I remember was waking up on a soft bed with sunlight streaming through and open window. I must have made some noise because a couple minutes later and an elderly female kat was standing in the door of the room.

Flashback

"I was starting to wonder if you were ever going to wake up." You gave me quite a scare when I found you." I had tried to sit but the screaming pain of the welts in my back didn't allow me to do so. The woman eyed me gravely. "Your injuries are serious. I wouldn't move if I were you. I try to speak but all that comes out is a dry cough. The she-kat had walked over to my bed and picked up a glass of water which she handed to me. "Here drink this it might help." I nod and slowly sipped the water.

"Who are you and where am I?" I finally asked. She smiled.

"My name is Abby Whitford, I found you over a week ago and brought you here. You were touch and go for the first few days but you seem to have gotten past the worst of it."

I had nodded weakly as my brain tried to comprehend that I had been unconscious for a week. "Thank you." I finally manage. "I owe you my life I."

"You don't owe me anything. Do you mind if I ask you a couple questions?" I had nodded warily. "Okay, first off what's your name? And second what happened to you?"

The images of my captivity had flashed before my eyes and I felt myself begin to shake violently. Her gentle hand on my shoulder calmed me and I managed to choke out. "Jake… Jake Clawson." I remember telling her the first lie that had come into my head. "I was kat-napped off the street, beaten, and left to die." I could tell she didn't believe me and I had tried to sit up again. "I should leave. I've taken up enough of your time." She had gently pushed me back down.

"Stay still or you will open those welts on your back again. They have just started to heal up a bit and it will do you no good to tear them open again. You are not going anywhere until you have healed up. Do you understand me?" I had nodded and she had smiled at me. "Good to see you understand. I'll head down to the kitchen and make you something to eat. You must be famished." Before I could reply she was gone.

End Flashback

I wrap the towel around my waste and head back to the bedroom to get dressed. I glance at the clock which reads 6:56. I have just over an hour till I need to be at work. With a sigh I head over to my closet and start throwing clothes onto my bed. My choice in clothing has changed a lot since I recovered no more tank tops and such. They show too much. After throwing the necessary clothing onto the bed I turn to see what I had picked out. A pair of loose black jeans and a black T-shirt, not the ideals business attire but I do work as a mechanic after all so it really doesn't matter. I head over to the bed and dress quickly.

As I head out of the bedroom and make my way toward the kitchen I grab the remote and flip on the TV. The morning news is on and they are reporting the latest accomplishment of my former partner. I watch for a second before grabbing the milk out of the fridge and pouring myself a glass. Before I know it the milk is gone and I'm glancing at the clock. 7:22, I have just enough time to finish getting dressed and walk into work.

I grab my tennis shoes and slip them on and then grab two wide leather wrist bands from the coffee table. They are the kind that Goth kids wear and I like them because they hide the scar tissue around my wrists were the manacles had been during my captivity. One has a watch built in so I know that if I don't get moving soon I'll be late.

I stand and grab my cell phone, keys, and wallet from the table by the door and am about to leave when I notice my baseball cap on the peg by the door. I grab it and pull it low so it shadows my face. The fewer stares I receive about my scars the better, henceforth the baseball cap and wrist bands. I take one last look around my apartment and decide that I haven't forgotten anything before making my way into the hall and locking the door.

The walk to work is pretty uneventful. Only one kitten stared at me before apologizing repeatedly. I brush her off and continue to work. My boss is arriving just as I do and he grins at me.

"Hey Jake, how was your night? You don't look too good are you sleeping?" I look over at Alex and sigh.

"Is it that obvious?" Alex is the other kat I have to thank for my recovery. He's Catherine's son. I never would have met him if Catherine hadn't asked me what I was going to do after I had recovered. I had looked at her with lost empty eyes and told her that I honestly didn't know. I poured my heart out to her and told her that I felt abandoned by the people I called friends and was afraid that they wouldn't accept me again after what had happened.

In truth I was worried about how Chance would react. I still am to be truthful. He would feel guilty and I didn't want that, nor did I want him to pity me. I had been strong when I had to, I hadn't given in. I hadn't betrayed our secret but Chance had betrayed me. He had left me in that hole for almost six months. I know it wasn't his fault he would have rescued me the first day if he could have but I'm not ready to trust him again. Maybe one day I will be able to but not right now.

Abby had understood how I felt and a couple days later approached me with an offer. Her son had an auto shop out in Breston which is a city that's a five hour plane ride outside Megakat City and he was looking for a couple good mechanics to help him out. I had jumped at the opportunity for something different and had accepted.

Now I was here and I had been here for a while and I didn't plan on leaving for a while. I still needed time to adjust.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't hear Alex talking to me. I finally came back to the land of the living when he snapped his fingers in my face. I look at him nervously and see only concern written across his face.

"Jake are you okay? You really don't look good. I'm worried about you." For a second I consider lying to him and telling him that I'm okay but I know it won't work.

"I'm having nightmares Alex, they won't stop. Every night they wake me up." I had finally broken down shortly after my arrival and had told Alex that I had been taken prisoner by one of Megakat City's super-villains because the kat believed that I could be an asset to his organization. Alex hadn't laughed. He knew that the tears that were running down my face as I told him my story were real. He now nods sympathetically.

"I'm sorry Jake, you know I don't like to pry but I'm worried about you. You need to stop running and maybe you will be able to heal." I look at him.

"I don't know if I can heal. I've tried so hard and you and your mom have been the best. You can't understand how much it means to me."

"Everything will work out Jake, just don't loose confidence in that and eventually everything will be okay. I'll be here for you jus remember that." I nod.

"Thanks Alex, I'll work everything out eventually."

I hope everyone enjoyed. Keep reviewing. I'll have the next chapter up soon.