Chapter 4: Armored Robbery
Monday, November 29, 1982
Bank
09:00
The three men exited the small glossy back and matt gray vehicle, heading into the bank as the vehicle drove off.
Walking up to the counter one of the men points his gun at the female teller. "Put the money in stacks on the counter now." The woman cried "ok, ok"
Putting the money in a row of five and stack of three that is when the man told her to stop. The other man sprayed the stack with a fluid from a small pump. Two stacks of twenty-dollar bills glowed fluorescent yellow-green.
The man took the outers and then gestured for the woman to continue, as she was putting the next stack down, he slammed the butt of his gun on her right hand. *AWW* she cried, pulling back from the counter.
"DO NOT TRY GIVING MARKED BILLS AGAIN." the man shouted, waving his gun.
After that, the man sprayed every stack and none of them glowed.
Cleaning out all the tellers, and filling three bags the man ran out of the bank. The vehicle pulled up to the curb and the men got in.
The black and matt gray vehicle shot off down the road, not even spinning tires as it went from 0 to 60mph in 2.6s.
Sirens sounded from a distance as the vehicle took the corner and clipped the front of a car. The other car spun from the impact slamming into a public letter drop box.
The getaway vehicle did not even slow down or take damage as it left the area.
Monday, November 29, 1982
Car Accident Sight
09:26
The FBI crime investigators were all over the scene as Michael steps out of the Trans-Am with a red light going back and forth in the grill. "Make sure to get a detailed scan of the scene, buddy."
"Yes Michael, I was not activated yesterday."
A man in an FBI black suit and glass walks over to Michael. "Move along this is an active crime scene."
"DOD Investigator Knight," Michael said, pulling out his wallet and showing the man a DOD badge.
"What is the DOD doing investigating armed robbery?" "That's need to know and I do not know you."
"FBI investigator Smith." The man shows Michael his badge at the same time K.I.T.T. scans the guy's biometric, ID, and badge number.
Michael did not get an alert from K.I.T.T. so this guy must check out. "There are plenty of times I have heard of the name Joe Smith like I'm going to guess that your partner's name is Joe Smith too."
"No, it's John Smith and my boss is Jonne Smith. Now Mr. Knight, what can I do for the DOD."
"Nothing but let me look around. I have already started from the bank following the path the robbers used to escape. Now I'm here talking to you."
The FBI investigator leads Mr. Knight to the car that had been hit. The occupants had survived but the car did not.
The front of the car was caved in like a heavy farm truck hit it and not what the report said was a small four door sedan. The witness from the bank describes it as a glossy black with patches of matt gray panels like a stretched Trans-Am Firebird.
They also said it did not spin tires but took off at an amazing speed around the corner.
Walking around the wreck for 10min not touching anything, Michael walks back getting into K.I.T.T. "I did not see any paint from the getaway vehicle to the light blue car it clipped. What did you find?"
"My scan shows that the getaway vehicle left an imprint of its tread as it gripped the road so tightly. The tread pattern is from a set of KNI tires."
"Are you certain?"
"Yes, Michael the pattern is a 100% match to the tires I am currently using."
"Contact Bonnie and Devan."
Two screens on the dash change to show images of Devan in his office and Bonnie on the Rook.
"What have you found Michael?"
"First Bonnie, do you have a list of items stolen from the lab?"
"Yes, I do. What are you looking for."
"A set of KNI tires and probably an engine."
On the screen, Bonnie disappears and comes back with a sheet of paper.
"This is the list I got from Knight Industries inventory and Hargon Industries.
A set of KNI field test prototype tires and a repaired turbine engine is missing."
"Bonnie, can you securely send that list to K.I.T.T. Devon, I will keep you posted and you may want to call him."
Monday, November 29, 1982
?
17:00
The Kase bank truck just picked up its last collusion for the day. Hauling around $40,000 in clean cash.
Sitting at a light a vehicle with a black bumper and trunk crossed in front of it from the opposite side of the road.
"What was that for?"
"Some guy must have missed his turn, nothing to worry about. We can drive right over that little car."
"Yaw if the insurance company would not go after use for it."
The traffic light turns green, the trucker waited a good 20s before laying on the horn.
The driver of the truck rolled down his window which only opens a small amount at the top to let in a cold breath. He was shouting at the vehicle.
"CLOSE THE WINDOW AND DRIVE."
Pushing the roll-up of the window as his partner pushes the lockdown button. This button sent out a squawk overall HAM ratios. This also deadbolted all the locks on the truck and only one of their trucking centers can unlock it.
The truck driver did not ever get his foot on the accelerator before the turret that rotated out of the vehicle's left quarter fired.
The bullets cut through the armor plating of the grill like it was a rice wall. The engine block of the truck was reinforced with 4 inches of plated steel.
Rounds bounced off it but tore through the fans and cooling lines. It stopped firing for a second and the driver, getting over his shock, stomped on the petal. He manages to push the vehicle for about 5ft before it locked its brakes and the bank truck started spinning its tires.
Throwing the truck in reverse, he sped away from the armed vehicle. "NO, STAY CLOSE TO IT."
He never got the chance to ask why.
Monday, November 29, 1982
?
17:36
K.I.T.T. Pulled as close to the scene around the Kase bank truck. Scanning the back of the truck he notices that the rear tires showed signs of burning rubber on the pavement.
The 8-inch-thick rear door had two 6.5-inch holes one on top of the other going straight through the door latch.
The only thing the back of the truck told K.I.T.T. was that all the currency was removed.
"Michael, I need to see the front of the truck to find out what we are up against."
"That is going to be difficult, the ME is all over the front. Ow, here comes my friend agent Smith."
"He does not look that friendly to me."
"Mr. Knight, I looked into your background and you do not work for the DOD. You work for a private organization called Foundation for Law and Government. I was going to let you go on and investigate this on your own but now my superior wants us to work together."
"I do not know Mr. Smith, I have to speak with my boss about this joint investigation first. Tell you what, you let me get a closer loock here and I will get him on the phone tonight."
"Very well come this way."
"Just let me get my tools from the car."
Mr. Smith watched as Mr. Knight opens the passenger door and pulls out a strange-looking item.
Michael follows agent Smith to the front of the truck. Being a soldier and a detective, he knew the smell of fresh and old blood. The Kase armored truck had four dime-sized holes with nickel-sized circle cracks around them.
"That is 3 inches of laminate ballistics glass. Not only whatever did that, but it also penetrated the 1-inch grill plating and 4-inches of plated steel protecting the engine block. We can't find any casings or bullets."
"What I have heard of cleaning once brass but lead too."
"There was no trace of lead in the wound of the victims."
"Who are you and if there was no lead? Then what were they shot with glass or ceramic."
An idea came into Michael's head of K.I.T.T. laser. K.I.T.T.'s laser was not powerful enough to slice through 5inches of plated steel but what about K.A.R.R he was built to combat military hardware.
"Those do not exist and if they did ceramic could not punch through ballistic glass like that."
The portable scanner Michael grabbed was not as advanced as K.I.T.T.'s main biometric scanner that would have told him all the food ever eaten in that truck.
K.I.T.T. used the limited data he got from the little scanner. "Michael ran the scanner over the driver seat again but slower."
The first pass scan showed something off and getting the information now before the truck went to the invitation garage.
"Ok K.I.T.T."
"Who is that?" the ME asked.
Michael was about to give his vague answer when K.I.T.T. spoke from his comlink. "Clearance level required."
"Nice joke K.I.T.T.'' K.I.T.T. did not say anything but made the comlink make a patterned tone. Michael put the comlink to his ear and whispered. "[What K.I.T.T.?]"
"[Michael I'm not 100% sure more like 58% that the bullets that punched easily through the ballistic glass and killed the two men.]"
Monday, November 29, 1982
Knight industries F.L.A.G Mansion
18:13
Devon Miles gets up from his desk and walks over to the second to last book shelf in his office. He pulls out the book titled communications over vast distances. The book pulls out on a rail he pushes it to the right and flat against the shelf. Placing his full right hand on the cover of the book. "This is Devon Miles, I would like to make a call."
The draw below where the book sits on the shelf opens exposing a phone handset on a cord. Picking up the handset he used the keypad in the box that read his fingerprint for every number pressed.
Ringing twice there was a click. He was not expecting a female voice that said "I.N.D.E.X"
Mr. Miles had the new code name book so he knew what to say. "Black Bishop to Knight in Red"
The phone made a ringing noise and on the fourth ring, it clicked.
Devon would never forget K.A.R.R.'s electronic deep voice. "This must be important for you to call me on a level 3 secured line."
"Yes, it is important I still have not forgiven you, I know it was not your fault what happened and that it was the greed of someone unknown. I will get to the point, a little over an hour ago someone robbed a Kase bank truck and killed both security guards."
"I have access to the FBI report of a robbery at a bank this morning. Nothing on a bank truck."
"You have access to FBI reports?"
"Of course I do, NSA is contracted to my partner. Now tell me what this problem is with the truck robbery."
"The assailants used a weapon that punched holes through over 5 inches of plated steel armor. They were able to put 4 holes in the ballistic laminate glass. Worst part is the brass and bullets are nowhere."
The line was quiet for a minute. Devan was about to say something.
"Did my younger brother do a scan of the truck?"
"No K.I.T.T. could not get close enough but Michael did a low-level scan. How did you know?"
"Mr. Knight was in the report on the bank robbery. Before you ask, I have concluded that you found something that you need confirmed."
"I'm hoping you could un-confirm it. The driver seat is made bulletproof to use as a shield for the passengers had a puddle of brass."
"Were there any other puddles outside the truck?"
"No, but the scan picked up small particles of Vanadium."
"Mr. Mile from what you are describing the robbers are using my stolen multi-velocity rifle. I cannot tell you what ammo they are using without a detailed scan. The ammo I did have I used during my episode but I know that Vanadium can be used to protect the brass from deforming during acceleration out of the rifle."
After talking for a bit with K.A.R.R. Devon went to bed. In the morning he will write a report and inform Michael and K.I.T.T. of the danger.
Nothing should happen by morning, Michael does not get before him.
Tuesday, November 30, 1982
?
05:30
"What are we doing Michael? It is unlikely that the robbers would hit the same town three times. In the same window of 24 hours."
"I would agree with that. The problem is that the town's mayor has decided to move the majority of the treasury, totaling roughly 1.5 million. These thieves if they hit again will have the time while the money is in transit or before it is moved."
K.I.T.T. and Michael waited in a central place in order to get to any of the places that held a sufficient sum of money.
At 05:45 "Michael I have picked up a disturbance at one of the banks and it is not one of the big ones."
"Find me the quickest route." Michael always insist on driving and K.I.T.T. did not mind his driving and when a situation called for it, he would tell K.I.T.T.
Rounding the corner they saw the bank with a car-sized hole in the back.
The men were fast, they had already got what they wanted. The four-door sedan backs out of the hole. It was a Frankenstein vehicle. The front passenger area was glossy black. The Hood, fenders, doors, and all four rims seem to blend with the night.
The rear doors, quarter panels, and the roof were a matt gray color. The black trunk lid seemed to be wedged between this matt gray mettle.
"K.I.T.T., what is that vehicle made of?"
"According to my scan, the glossy black parts are made of the same unknown alloy that makes up K.A.R.R.'s frame. The gray material is Acuim, an alloy made by Hargon Industries for Med extraction ground vehicles. Its specs say a 1-inch thick panel can take 4 RPG-7 shots."
"I'm afraid to ask, but how thick is it?"
"The panels range from 2.6 inches to 2.8 inches thick."
The Frankenstein vehicle was driving away. By the sound of the engine, K.I.T.T. could not get a scan of it.
Something about the unknown alloy was blocking his scan of the frame underneath. It was definitely a turbine engine like K.I.T.T.'s
Acceleration of the vehicle was impressive but not as quick as K.I.T.T. Michael drove up close behind the vehicle. Keeping the wheel firmly in his grip.
"K.I.T.T. let's try your micro jammers, maybe not all the systems on that thing are shielded."
K.I.T.T. was charging his micro-pulse when the vehicle's left quarter slid back and a rifle pointed at them.
Bonnie had recently installed the Weapons Equipment Armament System Threat or WEAST.
Before the rifle fired K.I.T.T. scanned it with WEAST, and the weapon came back as a green-level threat all around.
It fires, the rounds hitting K.I.T.T.'s windscreen did not bounce off but spatted like bronze-colored putty.
K.I.T.T.'s micro-pulse was ready and just then the barrel of the rifle seemed to shrink and elongate.
WEAST reevaluated the threat, just as Michael reaches to hit the micro-pulse button.
"MICHELA" K.I.T.T. took full control of the Trans-Am and yanks Michael's hand out of the steering wheel.
"K.I.T.T. What?"
The next set of bullies hit the center of the windshield leaving nickel-sized chipped cracks.
Since K.I.T.T. yanked the wheel to the left another nickel-sizes crack appeared closer to the passenger seat.
Two more had hit the back of the passenger seat, punching a half-dime-sized hole in the windshield.
K.I.T.T. was braking and turning as bullets began to make dents in his virtually indestructible MBS1 armor. This was impossible, no small projectile could penetrate his armor so easily.
K.I.T.T. in the process of doing a scan of the weapon from a distance, suddenly he could not see the road in front of him.
"Michael, I need you to drive."
-Less than a minute ago-
Michael had not been K.I.T.T.'s driver and partner for long, but the worry in K.I.T.T.'s vocalized voice shocked him.
Another thing that was a shock was K.I.T.T. yanking the wheel away from him. Michael brain did not even have time to think to scold K.I.T.T. when the two bullets flew through the MBS1 windshield.
Dunking down Michael did not get a chance to see if the bullets had gone through the back of the seat which is coated just the cushions are not coated.
The sound of the bullets bouncing off K.I.T.T.'s A-pillar as he turned left was totally different than any other time they were shot at.
Mickael looked over to see a crack running horizontally on the passenger side window.
The weapon was still firing when. "Michael, I need you to drive."
Once Michael had control of the Trans-Am he put his foot on the brake.
"They are getting away."
"Yes, now tell me how bad are you hurt."
"Michel I am a collection of data housed in a car. I do not feel pain."
"K.I.T.T. do not play coy with me right now. We are heading back to the Rook"
Armor/Integrity/Front-Windscreen/Compromised
Armor/Integrity/Front-Right-Window/Compromised
Biometric/Main-Scanner/Offline
Tuesday, November 30, 1982
The Rook
07:52
Bonnie got the call from Michael that there has been an accident and they were coming in.
She watched K.I.T.T. approach the back of the Rook on the monitors. The first thing she noticed was that K.I.T.T.'s scanner bar was not running back and forth with its red light. The scanner was black and had something glinting on her left side.
Pulling in K.I.T.T. was revealed fully under the natural lights in the trailer. Bonnie ran up to them. "K.I.T.T. what happened and Michael."
"We are fine Bonnie."
"You are not fine, you have bullet holes in your windshield and you have dents along the right A-pillar."
Bonnie crouched down and shone a light at K.I.T.T.'s main scanner.
"What is it, Bonnie? My diagnostic says my scanner is offline, I would greatly appreciate it if you could fix it right away. Being blind is… I do not know the word for it."
"I'm sorry K.I.T.T. but your main scanner is a complex piece of hardware, you have a bullet hole through the lens and the circuit board. The hole stops at the back housing of the bracket."
"Do we not have a spare on the K1000 backup frame?"
"No Michael, the only other one is on K.A.R.R."
"That is great we just give him a call and borrow it."
"Michael the probability that K.A.R.R. would lend us his biometric scanner after we explain we destroyed ours."
"I was only joking K.I.T.T."
"The bigger issue is that if I manage to fix the scanner and replace the windows. You will have the same problem, this weapon could just shoot holes through it. We do not have stronger glass material, but I think I know who to call to get some."