Chapter 24: Protectors of the Right

The Ranger command center was a flurry of activity as the guys desperately worked out a plan to find Kimberly. Tommy called the other Rangers and Haley, but while they were waiting for them to arrive, Billy filled in at the command console. He had been able to pinpoint Trini's signature, but there was no sign of Kim. Elise sat solemnly in the corner, feeling helpless and guilty about all she had done to the Rangers as Elsa. She was surprised that they allowed her down there, but also realized that none of them were exercising their best judgment right now, either. Rocky and Jason were busy devising a tactical strategy with Tommy, and they really had their hands full with him. The Black Ranger was pacing like a caged tiger. No one had ever seen him like this before. There was sweat pouring down his face and he kept nervously running his hands through his hair over and over. Every so often, he would swear under his breath, but other than that, he didn't speak at all.

Jason had faced many tense situations as the original leader of the Power Rangers, but nothing in his experience could have prepared him for the sheer terror of having Kimberly and Tommy's unborn baby in the clutches of Zeltrax. None of the Rangers' past enemies ever plotted something as profoundly evil as targeting a Ranger's loved ones. The brief history of Terrance "Zeltrax" Smith that Tommy explained to them didn't really seem bad enough for him to exact this kind of revenge, but there it was.

When handling a crisis, the most important thing to remember is to keep calm or you won't be able to think clearly. At this point, Jason and Rocky both knew that Tommy was all but useless. His pacing had become frantic, and he was starting to get almost violent as he periodically stopped for a moment to punch or kick the wall. The two ex-Rangers exchanged a glance that confirmed their agreement: they had to step in and take charge while Tommy regained control before he hurt himself, or worse, before it was too late to save Kim.

Jason knew that approaching the enraged man might be akin to taking his life in his hands, but it had to be done. Tommy would feel a whole lot angrier if something happened to Kim because he was too out of it to act rationally. Slowly walking up to Tommy, Jason gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey Bro', I know it's hard. We're scared too, but you have to get it together. We need to find a way to get her back, and you can't do it like this. Now take a deep breath. You know how to control your emotions. Think about what Zordon would do in this situation."

That was probably not the smartest thing Jason could have said.

When he heard that, Tommy spun around with a flash of lightening in his eyes. "I AM NOT ZORDON! I can't do this, Jase. I can't lose her…I can't lose them." It was then that his voice broke, unable to contain the tears any longer. Jason took him in a brotherly embrace and let Tommy ride it out, knowing that once he did, he would be able to concentrate on a plan once again. Only about a minute passed when the guys heard Trini blow into the house upstairs and barrel down to the command center.

"A big, grey robot-monster took Kim!" she exclaimed while trying to catch her breath. "We were in the parking lot when he appeared out of this hole in the sky. It happened so fast. I'm sorry Tommy…" And that was all she could get out before her body became wracked with sobs. Billy came forward and took her in his arms. They hadn't talked about the previous night, but he couldn't deny his feelings for her and wanted to offer whatever comfort he could.

Trini only cried for a short time. Her days as a Ranger trained her to get it out and get over it so the job could get done. Once she had control of her voice, she continued to explain while walking up to Tommy and taking his hands in hers. "She's pregnant. We just found out last night. That's why she's been sick. She was looking for the perfect time to tell you."

"I know, Trini," Tommy started, then turning towards Elise, who up until now had been completely silent, he went on. "This is Elise Randall. She's the principal at the high school, and she was also working for Mesogog up until last night. He decided he didn't need her anymore and set her free of the evil spell she had been under, so she came here to tell us what Zeltrax was up to. He plans to destroy Kim and the baby to get back at me. It's a long story, but we don't have time to get into the details. Elise, do you have any idea where they are?"

The beautiful, dark-haired woman slowly looked up, realizing that helping them get Kimberly back safe would do a lot more good that wallowing in her guilt. "I don't think they're at the lair. This is Zeltrax's plan and he wants to run the show. He has been working alone quite a bit lately. He's built a ship, and I'll bet he took her there. I don't even think he's very loyal to Mesogog anymore. All he talked about was revenge…getting back at you. He's completely obsessed with your destruction."

"Where does he keep the ship?" Rocky asked, realizing that it was wishful thinking that she'd know, but it wouldn't hurt to ask anyway.

"I'm not positive, but there's an abandoned warehouse just outside town. I've seen him go there a few times, but I never cared enough to pay attention to what he was doing there. That might be the place."

Just then, the rumbling of the cave entrance opening signaled the arrival of Haley and the Rangers. "We got here as fast as we could…" Conner explained.

"You're just in time guys. Zeltrax kidnapped Kimberly." Tommy briefly filled the Rangers in, but he chose to leave out the fact that Kim was pregnant. Now was not the time to lay that kind of news on them, especially when he was still getting used to the idea himself.

Ethan finally noticed Elise sitting in the corner. "Who's that?" he asked, surprised that Dr. O would let a stranger in the command center. "Wait a minute…Ms. Randall?"

All of the Rangers' eyes shifted back and forth from Tommy to Elise, the confused looks on their faces demanding an explanation.

"Yeah, guys. That's Ms. Randall, otherwise known as Elsa. Take a good look, you'll see it. I still don't know how we could have missed it all this time. She's no longer with Mesogog, and she came here to warn us about Zeltrax. He might be in a warehouse on the edge of town. We have to act fast. Haley, could you pinpoint that location and check for suspicious activity?"

"I'm on it, Tommy." And she sat herself down next to Billy.

"By the way, Rangers, that's Billy, that's Rocky over there, and Haley, you know Jason," Tommy said while pointing around the room. "Guys, this is Haley, the brains of the team. This is Conner McKnight, Red Ranger, Trent Fernandez, White Ranger, Ethan James, Blue Ranger, and Kira Ford, Yellow Ranger."

Once the introductions were out of the way, everyone got down to business. Haley quickly determined that Zeltrax was indeed at the warehouse. She was able to pick up his evil energy on the monitoring equipment, but there was no sign of Kim anywhere. He must be hiding her, unless of course she's already…No! That thought was too horrible to think about. Rather than worry, Tommy set to figuring out the best way to approach the warehouse. After some discussion, they all agreed that although it was almost certainly a trap and that Zeltrax would be expecting them, they didn't want to charge in there and risk getting Kim caught in the crossfire. It was important that they use all of their advantages. Elise didn't seem to think that the cyborg knew who Billy, Jason and Rocky were, so Jason figured that if they pretended to innocently stumble upon the warehouse, they might be able to do a little reconnaissance to see what's going on in there before the Rangers stormed the place.

Tommy didn't like it. "Guys, there's no way I can let you do this. It's too big a risk. If Zeltrax discovers who you are, you'll become targets just like Kim." He thought his argument was reasonable.

"Let us? Listen, Bro', Kim's our friend too, and she'd do it for us. I realize you feel responsible for the safety of the universe, but you gotta trust us. What are we supposed to do, stay here and do nothing?" Jason's rebuttal sounded just as valid to him, and Tommy knew he was beat when he saw that Billy and Rocky stood firm next to the original Red Ranger. One look told Tommy that he didn't have a chance against those three when they were this determined.

"I know, it's just…" Tommy had to turn his back to the others so his young team couldn't see him so close to losing it. After a few deep breaths, he faced them once more. "…I couldn't bear to lose you, too," he said solemnly.

Jason stepped up and settled his hands on Tommy's shoulders, forcing Tommy to look him in the eyes. "I know Bro', but it's our best shot at getting Kim back. We might not have our powers anymore, but we're still Power Rangers. Trust us. Come on, we're wasting time."

That reminder startled Tommy into action. "Haley and Billy, we need to be able to communicate with them while they're in there. Could you come up with something?"

"That's an easy one, Tommy. I have all kinds of spare communicator parts. I'm sure that between Billy and me, we could get them assembled in no time." And the two geniuses got to work over at Haley's work table.

While the communication devices were being built, Jason and Rocky discussed how they were going to get into the warehouse. The ideal would be to do it undetected. Elise assured them that Zeltrax wasn't very smart. He would be scanning for the Rangers, but he wouldn't be expecting Tommy to involve civilians. For that very reason, it was a good idea to have the boys go in there, but if they were discovered, plan 'B' was to just act stupid and get the hell out. Plan 'C' came into play if they were captured. Chances were that Zeltrax would put them the same place he was holding Kim, and then they could protect her while trying to escape. Whichever way it went, it should work…unless of course Zeltrax knew they were friends of Tommy's and just blew them away on sight. But they all agreed not to think about that.

The Dino Thunder team would wait with Tommy at the command center until they got word from the guys. Once they knew the scenario at the warehouse, they would have to decide very quickly how to proceed. Trini would stay behind and keep surveillance with Haley. Next to Billy, she had been the best technical expert of the original Rangers, and since Zeltrax had seen her with Kim, he would recognize her and blow their cover if she went along.

Within an hour, Haley and Billy completed work on the communicators. Jason, Rocky and Billy each put one on while Haley filled them on how they work. "They are not terribly sophisticated considering the short notice, but they'll serve the purpose. Their frequency is tied into the Rangers' morphers, the command center, and each other. The range is much farther than we're hoping we'll need, but if worst comes to worst, you'll still be able to reach us even if you're captured and taken somewhere else. Billy also has an alternate device on a separate frequency that he'll wear under his clothes like a wire. It acts like a homing beacon so we can track you. Try your best to stay together, since we only have the one. I'll be tracking Billy from here and will communicate your whereabouts to the Rangers if for some reason your transmitters get damaged or taken. Trini and I will be monitoring the warehouse constantly, and we'll alert you of any danger."

Tommy nodded his thanks to Haley for her expertise, but he had more to add. "Listen guys, I realize you're not used to being on the sidelines, but you gotta promise me that you'll stay out of the Rangers' way. Ideally, you'll be on your way back here before we go in, but if you're still there, give us some space. Zeltrax has some pretty mean firepower, and we can't fight if we're worrying about accidentally nailing one of you. Conner, you, Ethan, and Kira will keep him busy while Trent and I look for Kim. Obviously, we'll have to play it by ear depending on what happens, but that's the raw plan." Tommy paused and waited for acknowledgment from everyone. Then, drawing in a deep breath, he simply said "it's time."

The three brave ex-Rangers assembled at the cave door. They decided to take the rented moving van rather than one of Tommy's cars since it would be one more indistinguishable element. Billy was in the corner with his shirt open adjusting the transmitter taped to his chest when Trini approached quietly from behind. "Billy…"

He turned around when he heard her voice, pleased that she came to him first. He hadn't wanted to go without talking about last night, but he didn't know where to begin. "Hey, Trini…"

"Are you ready?"

"Uh, yeah…I guess so. Ready as I'll ever be. I'm glad you'll be here to watch over us. When I get back, I'm going to work on a teleportation system for Tommy. He doesn't have one now because they're so expensive, but I think I can get the equipment from the Aquitians. It's pretty routine on their planet…"

"Billy…wait." Trini cut him off. She knew he had a tendency to babble on when he was nervous, so she just cut him off as gently as possible. "About last night…I won't lie, I'm attracted to you, Billy. Those were the most amazing kisses of my life, and I wanted to make sure you knew how I feel before you did this today." She let out the breath she'd been holding and waited for his response.

It took a moment for her words to sink in, but the relief he felt alleviated all the anxiety he had about the mission. Billy wasn't an eloquent man when it came to emotional subjects, so to show her that he reciprocated her feelings, he simply took her in his arms and pulled her lithe body against his, burying his blonde head in her shoulder.

Trini embraced him enthusiastically, completely oblivious to the others in the room. After a few long moments, she pulled back. They gazed into each other's eyes as their mouths inched closer until their lips touched. The kiss was long and deep, without any hesitation. Billy wove his hands into her long, silky hair, molding his muscular body to her soft curves. She clutched his shoulders aggressively, never wanting to let him go.

"What the hell!" Rocky exclaimed when he noticed the couple. "Damn, it's about time, but we gotta go. You can finish this when you get back, but please, do it in private."

Reluctantly, the new couple parted, more than a little embarrassed at the amused looks from their friends. They were all grateful for the tension-breaker, but it didn't take long for them to get their focus back to the mission. Billy gave Trini's hand a final reassuring squeeze before joining Jason and Rocky at the door. They performed one last communicator test just to make sure everything was working properly, and then they headed out.

Tommy watched three of the best friends he'd ever have set forth to risk their lives for the woman he loved and his child. Something of a shy loner as a kid, he had always been grateful that Rangerhood brought these people into his life, but now he knew that he would owe them a debt that he will never be able to repay. As he watched them go, he sent up a silent prayer that everyone came back alive and in one piece. If something happened to any of them, he didn't think he'd ever be able to forgive himself. Realizing that he couldn't afford to waste his energy worrying about the what-ifs, he joined Haley at the command console and began his vigil over the radar screen and the flashing blue signal that represented the location of his friends.

Rocky drove cautiously up the long, winding road that lead to the old, abandoned building. At one time, this had been a warehouse for a family-owned furniture store, but has been vacant for several years since they went out of business. It was a large structure with the usual sheet-metal walls and concrete foundation of any other industrial complex. Besides two doors, one in the front and one in back, that were each about the size of a double garage, there were no other windows or openings of any kind.

They parked the van about two-hundred feet from the rear entrance. It was a fairly well-camouflaged area, surrounded by trees on three sides. That was as much of a disadvantage as it was an advantage, though, since it meant that although they could hide easily in the foliage, their vision was drastically impaired. Before they moved in, they decided to check in with Tommy to fill him in on the surroundings.

"Jason to Tommy…"

"I read you, Jase. What's up?"

"Well, we're here. It's a heavily wooded area. Is it interfering with Billy's signal?"

Haley's voice chimed in. "No, guys. It's too strong a frequency for trees to interfere. We're tracking you just fine."

"Good. There's no sign of Zeltrax or Kim anywhere," Jason reported with plenty of frustration.

"And the access to the building appears very limited on initial observation. There are two doors on either side, but they're very big. It would be impossible to enter invisibly. I recommend we check for a way in from the roof," Billy suggested.

"Good idea, Billy. Move in, and guys…be careful," Tommy added as he cut the connection. He sat back in his chair with a sigh, repeating the prayer from earlier as he watched the blinking light shift position closer to the target.

The men found a large oak tree about eight feet from the side of the warehouse that would be the perfect route to their destination. The thick limbs could easily hold their weight, and one of them extended over the top of the building about three feet from the edge. Jason's excellent physical condition let him quickly climb the tree with Rocky and Billy right on his heels. The full, green leaves provided ample cover while the guys inched across the branch and made the five foot drop down to the roof. Once up there, they broke up and searched for any sort of access inside.

It didn't take long for Rocky to strike gold. An air conditioning duct covered by a metal grate would be a tight squeeze, but he was pretty sure they could make it. Not wanting to yell across the roof for the others, he remembered the communicator on his wrist and tapped the red button on the side. "Billy, Jason…over here in the northern corner. There's a vent here that I think we could fit in. I don't know exactly where it goes, but it definitely leads down into the warehouse."

"Nice! I'll be right over," Jason replied.

"Read you, Rocky. I'm on my way," Billy said.

A couple minutes later, the three of them were gathered around the vent. It was about two feet by two feet and attached to the rooftop with four big rusty bolts. For anyone else, this would prove an insurmountable problem, impossible to overcome without an array of power tools and a can of WD-40. Billy Cranston, however, was not just anyone. He came prepared with a unique device he invented that could carve right through the iron grating like a hot knife through butter. It was a pocket-sized laser no bigger that a penlight, but it was powerful enough to slice a hole in a bank vault in seconds.

Once the device was charged up, Billy motioned for the others to move back before he aimed the tip at the vent and fired. A pencil-thin red beam shot out of the end and immediately began to melt the metal. There would be a problem when the grate was completely freed, because it would probably drop down and make a loud noise against the aluminum duct, but it was too hot for them to grab with their bare hands.

"Billy, hold up!" Jason exclaimed before the entire grate was cut loose. "Somehow, we gotta catch it." He looked around desperately for a solution, and then he was struck with an idea. "Hey…what about if we stuck a tree branch through a hole and held the grate with it?"

"Won't it catch on fire? If it would burn our hands, wouldn't it burn the wood? What do you think, Billy?" asked Rocky, deferring to the brains of the organization.

"We'll have to work fast, but I think it's doable. Luckily, we're close to the edge of the building and can just drop the grate over the side. It's dirt down there, so it won't make noise. We'll need a branch that's strong enough to support this heavy iron, but thin enough for us to snap off and fit through the hole. We can't cut one with the laser. It'll burn for sure."

All three men went over to the tree that they climbed across and began the search for the perfect branch. Soon, Jason found one he thought would work well. It was about two inches in diameter, just the right size to fit through the three square inch openings. At roughly three feet long, it would provide just enough leverage to lift the grate. Rocky and Jason snapped it from the main limb with their feet and carried it over to the vent. Once they had it wedged in place, Jason nodded to Billy to continue cutting.

As the laser neared the final few inches, Jason and Rocky tightened their support on the branch. When it broke free, they lifted it away from the clearance. Seconds later, both it and the branch were safely thrown over the side of the building and the boys were on their hands and knees peering down into the opening trying to figure out where the duct led. Unfortunately, the space was as dark as night and they were going to have to feel their way.

Jason led the way down, and once inside, they discovered it was even tighter that they thought, not to mention damn dirty. All three of them had to stifle sneezes from the dust that had settled in the old duct, and not even ten feet in, they were almost completely covered in grime from head to toe. Crawling single file, they inched through the darkness, trying to be as quiet as possible. Any noise would echo off the aluminum and draw attention to their presence. It took almost fifteen minutes, but finally, there was the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. It was still nearly twenty five feet away, and they didn't know where it opened up to, but anything was better than crawling through the filthy, hot space.

"Shit, Rocky!" Billy suddenly whispered, breaking the silence. "Why didn't you warn me you were going to fart? I wouldn't have crawled so close."

"Sorry, man. It just slipped out," Rocky apologized.

"God, you're nasty!"

"Glad you're the one bringing up the rear, Billy," Jason teased.

"Screw both of you!"

But there was no time for a retort, because they were quickly coming up on the light. Jason peered down into the opening, and saw the most dreadful sight he'd ever seen in his life. About twenty feet below, there was a long table, and lying on that table was an amber block.

And embedded in that amber block was the petite form of Kimberly Hart.

Author's Notes: Don't kill me, please, or you'll never find out what happens!