The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
Play Against Danger
By: Sapphire
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Chapter Four: Ambush
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Friday Morning
"Catch ya at the bottom, Ace!" Jonny called, taking off for the chair lift.
"I'll be waiting for you, Hot Shot!" Jessie called back, following after him.
"And I will be waiting here to determine the winner," Hadji said with a sigh.
"I'll wait with you, Hadji," Maggie said as the others headed for the chair lift. It was all an act, of course. If they were right, then that person in the trees was watching their every move, and none of them wanted to give the game away before it had even begun. "How about some hot cocoa while we wait?" Maggie asked Hadji.
"An excellent idea," Hadji agreed, leading the way. They had no intention of getting hot cocoa, though. What they wanted was to disappear into the crowd that would be there.
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"Another minute," Jessie said, consulting her watch. "They should be at the start of the run by now, counting seconds on Jonny's watch."
"They go at twenty second intervals, and we go at the 40 second mark after they start, right?" Scott asked.
"Exactly," Jessie said. "And make a show of racing when we get close to the bottom. You're supposed to be Jonny. He's competitive."
"Yeah, so I've gathered," Scott said with a chuckle, making Jessie smile.
"It's time," Jessie said, eyes still on her watch. "If they maintain their 20 second intervals, they shouldn't attract any attention when they reach the bottom."
"That would be our job," Scott said. Jessie nodded.
"I hope you're ready," Jessie said, adjusting her goggles on her eyes. "Ten seconds. Eight. Six. Four. Two. Go!" With that, they both pushed off down the slope, careful to keep abreast of each other until they got closer to the bottom.
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"Hurry! We are running out of time!" Hadji urged as he and Maggie raced on foot along the path that paralleled the lodge on the side that faced the ski slopes. They had circled through the lodge and exited through a side door. It had taken longer than expected, and now they were running to get into position in time. When the slopes finally came into view at the end of the path, they could see Jessie and Scott already nearing the bottom, and three skiers on the other run were already arriving, starting for the copse of trees where their unknown foe lay in wait.
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As Jessie and Scott rounded the bend, putting on speed as they approached the bottom, Jessie could see the man in the trees watching for them. Behind the man were Jonny, Ryan, and Blain coming in fast, completely unnoticed. Jessie knew the moment the man recognized her and Scott as his targets. His stance tensed, and she wondered what he had in store for them. Scott noticed too, she realized, when he shifted direction, skiing closer to her in a move to edge her sideways toward the trees. Perfect. She made a show of trying to cut in front of him, but he kept pace, making a show of keeping her on the outside edge. The man seemed unaware that the move was anything other than one racer edging the other out of a win. Jessie couldn't see Hadji or Maggie anywhere, and hoped they were in position. She and Scott would reach the man ahead of the others, which wasn't the plan, but they would have to act or blow the whole ambush.
"Now!" Jessie shouted as they came to the copse of trees where the man stood. Jessie turned sharply to the side, slowing her descent with her skis until she was slow enough to turn into a narrow gap in the trees that led straight to the man. Scott turned in directly behind her. Jessie couldn't resist a smirk when the man froze in surprise. Jessie didn't know who he was behind the ski mask and goggles, but she didn't care. She aimed right for him.
The man suddenly realized she was going to crash right into him, and he threw himself sideways at the last moment, forcing Jessie to stop or crash into a tree. She did the only thing she could and threw herself down into the snow, sliding skis first into the brush. She heard the sickening crack of her skis breaking and offered up a silent prayer her own limbs wouldn't be next.
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"Jessie!" Ryan's shout echoed through the trees when he saw her go down. His concern cost his group the element of surprise. They'd been seen. "Damn! Sorry!" he exclaimed as they rushed into the trees on their skis. The man scrambled up out of the snow and grabbed a rifle that no one had seen leaning against a tree.
"Whoa," Blain said as he, Jonny, and Ryan paused, all eyes on that rifle. But then then man turned and bolted for the trail that led along the lodge, staying in the thicker trees where anyone on skis couldn't go.
"Go!" Ryan urged them. "I've got Jessie."
"We have to cut him off," Blain said, pushing off toward the open slopes to the left. "I'll circle around this way!"
"I'll circle around this way," Scott volunteered, heading to the right. It had been a miracle he'd avoided a crash with Jessie and stayed on his feet somehow.
Jonny glanced at Jessie, knew she was in good hands with Ryan, and pushed off after Scott, guessing that's the way the man would go, not taking his eyes off the man running in the trees. It looked like the man was going to get away as he darted across the open space at the bottom of the runs toward the tree lined path that ran along the lodge. Before he reached the path, however, Maggie and Hadji came running up the trail, cutting off his escape. The man managed to evade the two, turning right for the highly populated ski lift area.
"Come on, Hadji!" Maggie shouted, following the man. Hadji didn't need any urging, passing Maggie as they took chase. Scott and Jonny were still up the slope, too far away to catch him, but they were picking up speed fast, closing the gap between them and their quarry. It was Blain who had the most ground to cover, but even he was determined to catch up.
Despite his head start, the man was on foot, and slower than most of his pursuers. By the time he reached the busy area around the base of the ski lift, those behind had caught up to Hadji and Maggie.
The man ran right into the middle of a large group of novice skiers, knocking a few of them over, causing chaos in his wake. Maggie and Hadji, with the advantage of following on foot, were able to dart through a gap between people, but Jonny, Scott, and Blain were slowed, having to navigate through the mess on skis.
"He's headed into the trees!" Jonny shouted, breaking free of the tangle of downed skiers, Blain and Scott behind him.
"Watch it!" Maggie cautioned as they caught up to her and Hadji again. Their quarry was completely concealed behind the thick evergreen branches. She could easily envision the chase turning into a counter-ambush, and with Hadji and Jonny out front, it could be deadly. They approached the path, and as they neared, they could see into the trees along the trail. Sure enough, they could see the man still running up ahead. They followed after him along the snowy path, but as they approached a bend, the man turned, pointing a long rifle at them.
"Get down!" Hadji shouted, having been thinking along the same lines as Maggie. He threw himself sideways into the trees and out of the open. Jonny hit the snow a split second later, alongside Blain who had had the sense to do as Hadji said. Maggie reached instinctively for the person beside her, dragging Scott down with her just a moment before a shot rang out. It missed its mark. Jonny was the first to look up, to see if the man with the rifle was still there.
"He's gone," Jonny said. He slowly sat up, as did the others. "At least, I hope he is," Jonny amended, trying to figure out if the man really was gone, or if he was hiding, just waiting for the opportunity to take another shot.
"I, for one, am not going to run up the trail to find out," Maggie said, "and neither are any of you." She shot Jonny a stubborn, stern look that told him not to argue.
"Fine," he agreed after a long moment. "I don't like our odds against that rifle, anyway. Let's get out of here."
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"Jessie?" Ryan hurriedly freed his boots from his skis and dropped to his knees in the snow beside her as the others raced off. Her eyes were closed, her skis were literally snapped in half, and she was laying very still. "Jessie? Say something!"
"I'm not dead," she mumbled with a groan. Ryan was flooded with relief. "I'm not sure if I'm broken or not, though."
"Well, what hurts?" Ryan asked with concern.
"Everything," Jessie said with another groan, making Ryan smile a little half smile in spite of the situation.
"Anything that hurts more than the rest?" Ryan specified.
"I don't think so," Jessie replied after a moment.
"Good," Ryan said. "Now, if you can wiggle your fingers and toes, and move your ankles and wrists without pain, I can get your skis off you."
"Head, shoulders, knees, and toes," Jessie mumbled.
"What?" Ryan was confused. "Did you hit your head or something?" Jessie just started to laugh, then groaned again.
"Just doing what you said," Jessie finally replied. "Checking to see that everything works. Sort of like playing Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes."
"Your sense of humor seems to be intact," Ryan laughed, making Jessie smile.
"Help me up, will you?" Jessie asked. "I think I'm miraculously uninjured. For the most part." Ryan moved, reaching for her feet to release the bindings on her skis. He removed the pieces of skis and tossed them aside with a grimace. Jessie's crash hadn't been pretty. Once she was free of the skis, Ryan moved beside her and slipped an arm under her shoulders to help her sit up.
"Ready to get to your feet?" Ryan asked after a few moments. She nodded. Ryan stood, then reached down, taking both her hands in his. With a nod from Jessie, he pulled, and she was soon on her feet. "Are you good for a minute?" he asked. Jessie nodded again, and Ryan let go of her to collect his skis, and the broken pieces of hers. "Do you know how lucky you were?" he asked, looking closer at a broken ski.
"Yes," Jessie replied seriously. "I thought I'd break something, at the very least."
"Were you a cat in a past life, or something?" Ryan asked, trying to lighten the mood a little. "It's like you have nine lives." She smiled faintly and shook her head dismissively. She didn't care to think about how many close calls she'd had over the years. Well over nine, certainly. "Come on," Ryan said. "Let's get you inside. I'll help you."
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Jessie and Ryan went straight to the suite. Jessie insisted she didn't need to see the infirmary doctor. The worst she'd incurred was a bruised backside. That made Ryan laugh.
"Where do you want, er, these?" he asked, holding out the sad remains of her skis after she let them in with her key card.
"Just dump them in the corner there," she said, pointing. "Ugh. Looking at them makes me so mad. I just got those for Christmas." Ryan winced. "Now I have to rent skis the rest of the time we're here."
"Out of sight they go," he agreed, dumping them where indicated. "When is your birthday again?" Ryan asked. "You might want to ask for new skis." Jessie couldn't help it. She burst out laughing. That's when the others arrived.
"I hope you're going to share the joke, because we could use a laugh right now," Jonny said. The others filed into the suite behind him.
"What happened?" Jessie asked.
"We got shot at and he got away," Blain said with disgust after making sure the door was closed behind them.
"Luckily none of us was hurt," Hadji was quick to point out.
"Hey Jess?" Jonny asked, holding up a piece of the broken skis he'd just found in the corner. "Are you okay? Because your new skis are not okay."
"I've been worse," Jessie said. "I'm going to be so stiff tomorrow…"
"Go," Maggie said, pointing to the bedroom she and Jessie shared. "Go take a long soak in the tub. Do some stretches. It'll help. The rest of us will go get some lunch. I'll bring you back a sandwich. We can all talk later."
"You know what?" Jessie said, "I think I will." No one said another word as she crossed the room and disappeared into the room she shared with Maggie.
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Jonny remained in the suite when everyone went down to the restaurant for lunch. No one argued when he pointed out someone ought to stay behind with Jessie. Under the circumstances, none of them should be alone, even if they weren't the likely target. Maggie promised to send up some sandwiches he and Jessie could share.
Once everyone was gone there wasn't much to keep him occupied. He decided to light a fire on the big hearth and had it crackling merrily away in just under a quarter hour. He welcomed the warmth as he pulled up a chair next to the fireplace because, quite frankly, the idea of someone targeting him and Hadji made his blood run cold.
The hypnotizing effect of the flickering flames had him lost in thought until there was a knock on the door. He figured it was the sandwiches Maggie had promised, but he checked the security camera on a small wall screen next to the door just to be sure. Room service verified, he accepted the sandwiches, then helped himself to two of the six. He figured he could split the remaining four when Jessie came out of her room. If she ever came out. She'd been in there a while. Longer than he thought necessary, really.
"Jess?" he called out. No answer. He left the sandwich plate on the table in the kitchenette and went to stand outside the bedroom door. "Jess? Are you in there?" Still no answer. "Jessie, I'm coming in." A little worried, he cautiously opened the door, not wanting to intrude on her privacy. He needn't have worried. The first thing he saw was Jessie, fully dressed and curled up on the bed, asleep.
Did she look a little paler than usual? Jonny wasn't sure. Maybe it was because the damp strands of her red hair surrounding her face were darker when wet than they were when dry. He didn't know. What he did know was that he didn't like seeing her so vulnerable. He never really had.
"Quit staring at me."
"I wasn't staring," Jonny said, a little startled. He'd thought Jessie was asleep.
"You're staring," Jessie argued. How she knew where he was looking with her own eyes closed, Jonny didn't know. ESP maybe?
"I came in here to check on you, make sure you didn't drown in the tub, and then I kind of got lost in thought," Jonny said.
"Thinking about what?" Jessie asked.
"The stalker with the gun," Jonny quickly answered. "I can't think of who he could possibly be."
"Staring at me made you think about a crazy nut with a gun?" Jessie's eyes opened and she stared up at him in disbelief.
"No," Jonny said patiently. "Checking to make sure you were okay made me start thinking about how to keep you and everyone okay. That led to trying to figure out who the guy with the gun is so we can figure out how to stop him."
"I feel like I should be making a snarky comeback, but since you're serious I just can't," Jessie said.
"That sounds insulting somehow," Jonny said, making Jessie laugh. "Come on. Get up. Maggie sent sandwiches, and I'm starving."
"Nothing ruins your appetite, Jonny," Jessie teased with a wry smile. "You're a human food disposal." Jonny laughed, despite himself, and waited while Jessie stiffly rose from the bed. "I knew I was going to be sore, but I think that hot bath helped." She grabbed an elastic band from the bedside table and used it to secure her damp hair in a ponytail. Then she followed Jonny from the room to the table where he'd left the plate of sandwiches. They sat down opposite each other, and Jonny pulled the cover off.
"I waited for you," Jonny said.
"I'm speechless," Jessie said, eying him suspiciously. Then she looked at the sandwich plate. There were four sandwiches, two for each of them. Jessie frowned. Maggie knew better than to send so few when Jonny was eating. "You ate some already, didn't you?" Jessie accused. She laughed at the look of guilt that crossed Jonny's face.
"Maybe I did," Jonny half admitted. "But I did save some for you." She gave him an arch look. "You first?" Jessie sighed, resigned, and picked up a sandwich.
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After lunch, Blain convinced the others to hit the slopes again. The activity didn't have the same appeal without Jessie and Jonny, but they needed an outlet for the nervous energy and tension that was stifling the group. After a couple runs, even Maggie had to admit Blain had been right. Physical activity had done them a world of good. Even if she didn't get any actual enjoyment out of it this go 'round.
Scott could tell Maggie wasn't having fun and kept close to her. It was no secret that skiing wasn't her forte. Yet, there she was, sliding toward the chair lift again without a complaint. He glanced up at Blain, Ryan, and Hadji who had already gotten on the lift. He made an impulsive decision and reached for Maggie's arm, holding her back.
"Let's go somewhere else," Scott said in reply to her questioning look. "There's more to do here than ski. We could swim in the pool," he suggested, "or we could go skating at the rink."
"I- I'd like that," Maggie said, brightening. Then she looked at the others on the ski lift. "But maybe we should stick together?"
"It's a nice day. There'll be lots of people at the rink. And since Jonny is up in your suite with Jessie, and the other three are together, everyone should be safe enough," Scott said. Maggie smiled, excitement dancing in her eyes. Scott smiled back, infinitely glad he'd been the one to make her happy.
"I need to get my skates," Maggie said excitedly. "Do you have your own skates, or do you need to rent them?"
"I've got my hockey skates in my room. We can get them on the way to the suite," Scott said. Maggie flashed him another smile, and they turned back toward the lodge.
Maggie found the suite empty when she let herself and Scott in, but she wasn't worried. Jessie and Jonny would stick together, despite their attitudes on 'babysitting'. Scott waited while she quickly changed into a set of green athletic pants and matching top, pulling a warm sweater on over them. Then she grabbed her skates, gloves, hat, and scarf before they headed down to the rink on the frozen lake behind the lodge.
The ice was occupied by two people when they arrived. They found a bench outside the warming house and quickly laced up their skates. Hitting the ice, Maggie raced ahead of Scott, doing a few laps for warm up. Skating was something Maggie found both calming and exhilarating. The cold wind on her face always had a way of clearing her head. Gliding over the ice on steel blades gave her a sense of power and accomplishment, because she had taken a lot of falls before gaining this particular set of skills.
"Show off!" Scott called as she passed him by, doing backward crossovers, her arms out to her sides, gaining speed. Maggie laughed.
"This isn't showing off, it's just skating backward!" she called as she passed him. "This is showing off!" She turned forward before bending into a spiral (which was actually gliding on one leg rather than spinning), body parallel to the ice, arms out, one leg extended straight behind her. She straightened, looped the other end of the rink, then picked up a little speed for momentum as she eased into a spin. Deciding her right knee was up to holding her weight, she lifted her left leg and leaned back, turning the spin into a layback. She came out of the spin to applause from not only Scott, but the two strangers on the rink as well. She gave a little curtsy and joined Scott, laughing.
"Total show off," he said with a teasing grin. "No jumps?"
"Not today," Maggie said with a shake of her head.
"I was joking!" Scott said, laughing. "Can you really? Do triple axels and stuff?"
"No," Maggie replied in all seriousness. "Not triples." Then she smiled.
"Doubles?" Scott asked, impressed.
"Singles," Maggie corrected with a shrug, "but I won't be attempting any today. Remember I hurt my knee last year?" she asked. Scott nodded, still impressed. He remembered her mentioning it the previous summer in Montana. "Well, my knee is fully healed now, but I haven't built up the strength to make me comfortable doing jumps just yet. I don't want to reinjure my knee."
"Understandable," Scott said. "Where'd you learn to do that?"
"I took years of lessons as a kid," she replied. "I skated all winter, and rode horses all summer at camp. That was my life, and I loved it!" Maggie grabbed his hands and started skating backward, pulling him along with her. He followed willingly, inordinately pleased with himself for thinking of a way to put a genuine smile on her face again.
"You'd think more people would be out here with the nice weather and all," Scott said, glancing at the other two people on the rink as he turned them around, holding hands, so he was skating backward, leading her.
"This is a ski lodge," she pointed out with an amused smile. "Most guests are taking advantage of the ski slopes during this nice weather." Scott laughed.
"You have me there," Scott admonished. "But I was hoping there would be more people. You know, because of the attacks. I'd feel better in a crowd."
"I know, but I think we'll be all right," Maggie said. "I just want to have fun."
"Well, since we're here," Scott said with a shrug. Then Maggie laughed, but only because Scott had not been paying attention to where he was going and ran off the edge of the rink into a snow bank. He looked up at her, stunned, and she laughed some more.
"Here, let me help you up," she said, extending her hand toward him. He scowled, flushed with embarrassment, and took her hand. Then he pulled, dragging her down into the snow beside him. Now it was Maggie who looked stunned and Scott who was laughing. "I can't believe you did that," she said.
"I can't believe you didn't warn me I was about to crash into a snow bank," Scott shot back with a grin. Maggie shrugged, smiling, chagrinned. Scott got to his feet and then helped Maggie up from the wet snow. "I think that makes us even, don't you-" he stopped short as snow sprayed up into his face after hitting him square in the chest. He blinked, wiping the cold, prickly snow from his cheeks. "Why you…" He grabbed for some snow next to him and hurled it at Maggie. It hit her in the shoulder.
"You actually just did that…" she said, astonished, wiping off her own face.
"You started it," Scott chastised with a laugh. She glared, then smiled a very wicked smile at him. She scooped up another wad of snow and hurled it at him. He put up a hand to block it. It burst apart as his hand made contact, spraying them both. Maggie burst into a fit of giggles. Scott dove for the snow bank, scooping up another handful of wet snow.
"You know this means war, right?" Scott warned, a twinkle in his blue eyes, packing the snow in his hand into a neat ball. Maggie scrambled out of the way as fast as she could. Scott hurled the snowball at her, but Maggie was just able to maneuver out of the way.
"You can do better than that," Maggie teased. Scott grabbed another wad of snow and skated toward her menacingly. "Oh, ho," she said. "You'll have to catch me first."
"Challenge accepted!"
The chase was on, Scott trying his best to keep up with Maggie. They were both laughing, Maggie teasingly keeping just out of range, and Scott threatening her playfully with the snowball. Scott bluffed a shot at Maggie, which she fell for, and then caught her around the waist. And there, with the backdrop of mountains, blue skies and brilliant sunlight turning the snow to glittering powder, Scott kissed Maggie. Maggie slipped her arms around Scott's neck as he kissed her, just living in the moment. If felt… good.
"That was nice," Maggie said as Scott leaned his forehead against hers, looking at her with a satisfied smile on his face. "Kiss me again?" Scott laughed softly, then kissed her a second time. When it was over, Maggie let Scott take her by the hand as he led her around and around the rink, just enjoying the winter sun and being together.
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"Has anyone seen Maggie or Scott?" Blain asked as he, Hadji, and Ryan reached the bottom of the mountain after a good run. He received head shakes in answer.
"I haven't seen them in a while, actually," Ryan commented. "Do you think they're still on the slope?"
"I am not certain," Hadji said with a shrug as he looked up at the mountain.
"Hey guys! Over here!" Their attention was caught by Jessie, calling out from behind them. She and Jonny were standing by the little concession stand, steaming cups of hot cocoa in their hands. The trio went to join them.
"Feeling better?" Ryan asked, sliding to a stop beside Jessie.
"Much," Jessie replied with a nod. "We thought we'd have to wait a while for all of you to come down from the top, so we grabbed refreshments." She held out her cup to Ryan who was eying it longingly. He accepted it and took a long, slow sip. "Where are Scott and Maggie?"
"No idea," Blain said with a shake of his head. "We were just wondering that ourselves." He pointed up the mountain. "I honestly don't think they're up there. I haven't seen them in a while. I think they skipped out."
"I am most surprised," Hadji said. "I expected Maggie would be more careful, especially since Scott has already been mistaken for Jonny once."
"Let's ditch our skis and go get them," Blain suggested.
"If I know Maggie, I'm betting they found the ice rink," Jonny said. "She's out on the pond at home almost every day lately."
"Scott and Maggie have been together a lot this weekend," Ryan observed. He caught Jessie's gaze, and they exchanged a knowing look. Scott and Maggie had been nearly inseparable in Montana, too. "Honestly, I think they'd rather have some privacy, if you catch my meaning." He took another long sip of Jessie's cocoa before handing it back.
"Blain's right," Jessie said, finished the cocoa as she curiously watched Jonny and Hadji exchange loaded looks. She would have to ask them about that later. "We should go get them. But first, let's stop and get some more cocoa. Ryan drank most of mine. He owes me another one."
"Sure," Ryan said with a laugh. "I'll get you another."
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To be continued…
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