Part X

Tuesday morning came fast enough, Kitt supposed. He was more than happy to sign the release his release form and the permission sheet the visiting nurse needed before she could visit the foundation every day. Michael and Bonnie arrived in the foundation's limousine to bring him home. A young girl that worked as part of the hospital staff brought him to the car in a wheel chair, as was policy for someone being released, but when Kitt stood up to take those few steps into the car, he felt wobbly and weak.

"Are you going to make it?" Michael joked.

"Do you expect any less?" Kitt said back as he took a seat, watching as they piled in after him.

"I heard Nadine came to visit you last night," Michael told him.

"Yes. For the second time, as I understand it," Kitt said. "She seemed rather bothered when I told her I had no idea of her first visit."

"If I knew you wouldn't remember that night, I would've stayed home," Michael winked. "I think she's taking a liking to you, though, pal."

"I doubt it," Kitt stated. "I have nothing to offer her except a face that looks like her old boyfriend's."

"Kitt, you're personality is what wins everyone over," Bonnie put in. "Besides, Nadine's been much better since that car accident. I think she realized what she was up against and that we were there to help her."

"That and those two jerks are in jail," Michael added. "They confirmed the suspicions though," he continued. "They were present on the night of the shooting in Kentucky."

"Were they?" Kitt asked, happy to hear that two of the three responsible for this mess were in police custody.

Michael nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. "They brought the victim in when he didn't pay for the drugs. The argument that happened when this Willy Suthers refused to pay, even after he and his family was threatened by Oliver and his goons."

Kitt shook his head. "I'd feel much better if he was with his friends."

"I think we all agree with you on that," Bonnie said. "He was spotted in a San Diego bar last night, but some woman jumped up, shouted his name and pointed, and said that she saw him in the newspaper."

"Perfect," Kitt said. "Why people have to intoxicate themselves with alcoholic beverages is beyond me; they only end up acting like fools and ruining things for others."

The Knight Foundation never looked so good, Kitt thought, when the limousine pulled into the driveway and swung around the front turnabout. And to his pleasant surprise, Nadine and Grandma Nelly stood with Devon on the front steps to welcome him back.

"What's all this?" Michael asked. "I had been shot how many times and I never got this sort of welcome."

"Ah, well you didn't have us around," Grandma Nelly said with a bright expression. "And I made a cake for you, Kitt. It's on the kitchen table."

"A cake too?" Michael asked in astonishment. "I never got cakes," he said looking down at Bonnie.

Bonnie smirked and shrugged her shoulders. "You didn't have Grandma Nelly back then."

"Everyone's a comedian," he said as they shuffled back through the front doors.

They spent most of the day in the parlor watching movies; a classic for Devon, a romance for Bonnie, Nadine and Grandma Nelly, and an action/comedy for Michael and Kitt. Popcorn became their main substance, not to mention by the time the last movie's end credits rolled, Kitt's welcome-home cake was long gone.

Everyone enjoyed the chocolate cake so much Grandma Nelly felt she should make another one, this time addressed to everyone for helping her granddaughter like they had. Devon laughed and said that he had had enough sweets for the day, receiving and agreeing nod from Kitt, but Grandma Nelly insisted.

"I'll just make a quick trip down to the supermarket and pick up some more eggs," she said. "Making breakfasts and all these sweets wiped all the eggs in the house out."

"I'll drive you down there, if you want," Michael offered.

"Don't be silly," she responded as she picked herself up off the chair and started for the front door.

Nadine sighed. "Don't worry, I'll go with her."

"Do you think that wise?" Kitt asked. "I mean, Robert's still out there."

Nadine shook her head and made a face that said she didn't think anything of it. "Who'd be stupid enough to do anything amongst a mass of people in a store like that? I'll wear a hat, so even if he was around, he'd never recognize me."

"How can you be sure?" Devon asked a tad bit of sarcasm in his voice.

"He's never seen me wear a hat," she said simply and followed after her grandmother.

Devon shrugged when everyone turned heads to his direction. "We shouldn't stop her," he said with a shrug. "She's not a prisoner."

"I'd feel better if Michael was with them though," Bonnie said.

"Chances are Oliver's fleeing for the Mexican border, which is probably why he was in San Diego the other night," Michael said confidently.

Nadine sat in the passenger seat of her grandmother's 1988 Buick Century, her hat on her lap. They had made it a quick in and out deal with the supermarket, having only gone for the eggs. Nadine watched the people downtown as her grandmother talked about how lucky they were to have met Michael, Kitt, Bonnie, and Devon.

"Yeah," Nadine agreed.

"You should give Kitt a chance," she said amusingly.

"What?" Nadine asked, her head quickly turning to give her grandmother a confused and shocked look.

"Ask him to go to a movie or something," Grandma Nelly suggested. "He's handsome, affectionate, and courteous—"

"Grandma! Please," Nadine laughed. "I like Kitt…but not really like that."

They drove around the corner, a big smile on Grandma Nelly's face. "Liar."

Upon turning the corner, Grandma Nelly noticed the outdoor stands set up in front of the stores. "Oh look, Nadine, there's one selling flowers. We should bring Kitt home some."

"Grandma, I don't think he'd care if we brought him flowers," Nadine said dryly. "He's just happy being home and you already made him a cake, a second one on the way."

Grandma Nelly pulled over next to the curb behind a red car in front of the store. "Those carnations look pretty," she pointed out. "Take some money out of my purse."

Nadine sighed and picked up her own purse and pulled out a ten dollar bill. She gave her grandmother a quick look of ridicule and got out of the car. She went up to the middle-aged man selling the flowers and asked for a small bunch of carnations.

Grandma Nelly watched her pay as a young man walked up next to her and seemed to ask her something. At first she thought he was asking for directions perhaps, but he suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the car in front of where she was parked. "Nadine?" she said quickly, stepping out of her own car and feeling panic stricken when her granddaughter yelled.

"Help her!" the old lady shouted, but by the time the man selling the flowers got out of his stand, Nadine's kidnapper was closing the door to his car and driving off.

Michael and Kitt were watching a football game when Devon came rushing into the room. "Michael! Oliver's taken Nadine."

Michael got to his feet and started for the door. "Fill me in on the way," he told Devon as he went for the door.

Kitt came hurrying up behind him. "Where do you think you're going?" Michael asked quickly as Kitt grabbed his jacket out of the closet.

"With you, of course," he said. "And don't start on me, Michael."

"Kitt! You can't go through this right now!" Michael yelled after him as Kitt descended the front stairs of the house.

"Kitt, I forbid it," Devon demanded.

"Sorry Devon, but I'm not waiting around to get the news," Kitt said as he continued for the Knight Two Thousand. Michael still followed and got in the driver's seat after Kitt got in the passenger side, but he wasn't happy.

"You just had your brain pulled apart and you want to go on this chase? What if something happens?" Michael argued as he raced the car out of the driveway and onto the road.

"Exactly," Kitt said. "Then what will you do? This car can't ask you if you're okay, unlike me."

Michael shook his head. "You definitely picked up my stubbornness, didn't you?"

"Naturally," Kitt said. "But keep driving."

Devon had called them on the car phone, his face appearing on the screen on the extended section of the dashboard in front of where Kitt sat. "Grandma Nelly said it was a red car, a California license plate starting with JKH."

"JKH," Michael repeated. "Thanks Devon! We'll get back to you!"

"For God's sake, Michael, do be careful," Devon said. "Oliver's armed and there's no telling what he'll pull."

When the screen faded out and Devon's call had ended, Kitt looked at Michael. "I'm not sure I liked his last statement."

"Kitt, find me the police frequency," Michael ordered as he spun around a corner. "I wanna know where there's a hot pursuit."

Kitt pressed several buttons and adjusted a knob on the dash. There was momentary static, but Kitt found the right tuning. The deep voice of a man filled the car and they listened carefully. "Car 43, do you read?"

"Loud and clear."

"We just got report of a red Monte Carlo racing through an intersection on a red light, causing a three car accident. He should be heading your way down Orlando Boulevard."

"Copy that."

"You hear that, Michael?" Kitt asked quickly.

"I heard it," Michael said as he did a 360 in the middle of the street to take a path that would hopefully cut Robert Oliver off.

"Attention all units," the same voice on the police radio said. "We have a cruiser down on Sandy Path Drive, having been shot by the driver of a red Monte Carlo. This person is armed and very dangerous. Approach with caution."

"Damn it," Michael swore as he pushed the peddle of the car all the way down.

Kitt fiddled with the controls of the car's surveillance mode until he was able to find a reading on a fast moving car in the area. "There," Kitt pointed to the screen. "That has to be him heading towards North End Road."

"I hear ya," Michael said quickly. They were just about to turn onto North End when Kitt noticed the symbol for the car on the screen came to an abrupt stop. "What happened?" Michael asked, glancing down at the screen.

"They've stopped," Kitt said. "I suggest you approach with caution."

"Yes, chief," Michael replied with heavy sarcasm. They stopped on the side of the road before the turn that would be North End Road. Michael got out and snuck to the edge of the road and peered around the corner.

"Flat tire," Michael said when he returned. "He's pulling Nadine out of the car right now; probably to make a run for another car."

"Michael, I think I have an idea…"

Kitt had left Michael to running through the yards on the street as he had climbed into the driver's seat and floored the gas, fish-tailing around the corner.

Nadine had been putting up a fight with her kidnapper when the Knight Two Thousand made a sudden appearance, nabbing both their attentions.

Kitt came to a skidding halt and he took out the gun in the glove compartment. Quickly opening the door, he stepped out and held the gun up, pointing it towards Oliver.

"Give it up, Robert," Kitt called over, being about fifty feet away now. Nadine looked scared out of her mind when Robert held a gun up to her head.

"Drop the gun or I'll blow her away," he yelled out. "PUT IT DOWN!"

Kitt held back the gun. "I suggest you give up. The police are on their way as we speak. You're finished no matter what."

"Like hell," he said. He started pulling Nadine onto the sidewalk, gun still pointed to her head as they walked backwards so he could keep an eye on Kitt.

Kitt's eyes averted to the figure prowling from behind a massive bush-fence that outlined the perimeter of the yard Robert Oliver was heading towards. Michael slowly came up from behind, bending low in case Oliver happened to look over his shoulder. But the criminal's attention was on Kitt, who still held up his hands.

"SHIT!" Oliver yelled out when Michael jumped on his back, causing him to lose his hold on Nadine's arm.

Nadine ran over to Kitt as quickly as she could, Kitt moving away from the opened door of the car to catch her as she ran into him. "Kitt!" She cried into his chest as she held him tightly. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you."

The grunts of two men fighting could be heard through her sobs and she turned around to see Michael Knight forcing the gun out of Oliver's hand. He kicked his opponent's knee then proceeded to bring up a fist into his stomach. The finishing touch was two fists, fingers folded together, ramming down on the base of his neck, causing Robert Oliver to fall to the sidewalk unconscious.

Michael looked down at Oliver as he tried to catch his breath. Then his focus was raised up to see Kitt holding a very relieved Nadine. In the background came the sirens of the police cars, and Nadine could finally say it was over and she was free.