The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
Play Against Danger
By: Sapphire
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Chapter Five: Trap
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Location: Kings Mountain, Vermont
Friday Afternoon
"There they are," Blain said when he spotted Scott and Maggie heading toward them, coming up the path to the lake. They both had skates over their shoulders, and looked like they were wet from head to toe. "Did you go skating or swimming?" Blain asked.
"Skating," Maggie said with a laugh.
"There may have been a few dozen snowballs and a few wipe outs involved," Scott said, making Maggie laugh again.
"Sorry we ditched all of you, but I needed a break from skiing," Maggie said.
"You could have just said so," Blain chastised. "We decided to call it a day on the slopes anyway. We could have made a party of it at the rink."
"What gives, Maggie?" Jonny complained. "Aren't you the one who said safety in numbers? And you expect me to follow rules you don't?"
"At least she had a buddy," Ryan pointed out.
"But no one knew where they were," Jonny countered.
"I'm sorry," Maggie apologized to her cousin, giving him a quick hug. "I didn't mean to worry you." Jonny sighed. He couldn't really stay mad at her for long.
"Jeeze, you really are soaked. Go get changed before you catch a cold," he said.
"Meet us down in the lobby when you're done," Jessie said. "We can get an early dinner, and then figure out what we're doing tonight."
"We'll be quick," Scott promised as he and Maggie headed off, hand in hand.
"Perhaps one more should go? For safety?" Hadji wondered aloud.
"No way," Blain said with a shake of his head. "Who wants to be a third wheel?"
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Maggie and Scott stopped at the boys' room on the way to the suite so he could change first. It didn't take long. At the suite, Maggie quickly changed out of her wet clothes and into a pair of jeans and her favorite powder blue sweater. She let Scott into the bedroom before grabbing a hairbrush and elastic headband.
"This will just take a minute," she promised as she stood in front of a mirror and started pulling the brush through her sandy brown hair. "We don't want Jonny to worry."
"No, we wouldn't want that," Scott agreed with a chuckle. "Overprotective, isn't he?"
"A little, but it was warranted, don't you think?" Maggie asked, catching his gaze in the mirror. "We should have at least told someone where we were headed."
"You're right," Scott conceded with a nod. "I don't really have regrets, though. Do you?" Maggie shook her head, finished with her hair, then led the way out of the bedroom. "You know, I have the distinct feeling at least some of them knew exactly what we'd been up to at the rink."
"You mean this?" Scott asked, stopping her for a kiss. Maggie's arms reached up, circling his neck as she practically melted into the kiss. They didn't actually need to go back downstairs, did they? He wasn't sure why Maggie had stopped pushing him away, but he wasn't going to question it, not now. He liked this too much.
"Yes," Maggie said breathlessly, looking up into his blue eyes, "exactly that."
"Probably," Scott said thoughtfully. "But let's face it. Ryan, Blain, and Jessie aren't stupid. It wouldn't be hard for them to guess…" Scott trailed off, his attention distracted by something in the direction of the door. Maggie turned to look.
"What's that?" she asked, spotting a white rectangular envelope on the floor.
"It wasn't there when we came in," Scott said, dropping his arms from around her, stepping over, and picking it up. "It's got Hadji's name on it," he said, turning it over in his hand. "I have a bad feeling about this." Maggie felt goosebumps on her skin. She couldn't agree more.
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"Look what we found," Maggie said as Scott dropped the envelope on the coffee table when they joined the others near one of the big fireplaces. "It was on the floor in the suite, probably slipped under the door."
"It wasn't there when we got there, but it was there when we went to leave," Scott added. "I think someone was watching us. Could be they still are." No one moved at first, just staring at the envelope with Hadji's name blocked out in black lettering on the front.
"Let us just see what is inside," Hadji said, picking up the envelope. He opened the flap and slid the contents out onto the coffee table. A plastic card slid to a stop off center of the table. Jessie picked it up.
"It's a key card. The same kind the lodge uses," she said.
"Anything else in the envelope?" Jonny asked. Hadji looked inside.
"No. Nothing," he replied.
"What does the key card open, then?" Blain wondered aloud.
"I hope it's not our room or the suite," Ryan said, watching Jessie turn the key over and over in her hand. "We'll have to check at some point."
"Maybe it opens nothing," Scott said. "Maybe the card is the message. Like, whoever is after Jonny and Hadji, he has access to places, or can get access."
"I do not like what that either theory would imply," Hadji said.
"Either way, that innocuous looking plastic card is making my instincts scream danger," Jessie said. There were several nods of agreement.
"We should eat first," Jonny said, his stomach grumbling. "We'll have to wait forever for a table if we don't go now, before the dinner rush. We can check into the card after."
"I second that idea," Blain agreed. "I'm hungry."
"Okay, let's eat," Maggie agreed. "We can come up with a plan over dinner." They left the seating area and headed for the lodge restaurant.
"Jessie," Ryan said in a low tone so only she would hear. "I think the key card actually does open a door." He had Jessie's attention, the two of them falling behind the others. "I don't think it's the suite or my room, though we should check them first."
"What are you thinking?" Jessie asked, just as quietly.
"You have the key card?" Ryan asked, glancing at the others getting farther ahead of them. Jessie nodded. "Come on. Let's go find out if my hunch is right." The two of them turned back, heading toward the lodge stairs.
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Jessie and Ryan went straight to the suite. When they reached the door, they stopped, glanced worriedly at one another, and then tried the mystery key card from the envelope. The key reader flashed red.
"Try it again," Ryan said. "Sometimes they don't work the first time." Jessie nodded, then tried the key card again. It flashed red again. Jessie tried it twice more before Ryan took it and tried it three more times. "Well, I guess that's conclusive enough. It doesn't open the suite."
"I'm not sure if I'm relieved or not," Jessie said.
"Let's go try my room," Ryan said. Jessie nodded and they headed for the guys' room. This time Ryan tried the card first. After three failed attempts, Jessie took the card and tried another half dozen times.
"Okay, so that's overkill, but at least we're sure it doesn't open your door," she said. "So, now do you want to tell me what you think it opens?"
"I think it actually opens Jonny and Hadji's old room," Ryan told her.
"Huh. I didn't consider that," Jessie said. "What makes you think it would?"
"Well, that's where whoever it is made their first move. And…" Ryan gave Jessie an uncertain look. "There are two possibilities the way I see it. First, there's some kind of message waiting for us there. Or… I think it could be a trap."
"That's a scary possibility," Jessie said. "I'm glad Jonny and Hadji aren't here, because I think we need to go check it out, and the last place I want either of them is in the line of fire. Again."
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"Are you sure about this?" Ryan asked, standing next to Jessie outside the door of the room Jonny and Hadji had shared that first night.
"Maybe it won't open," Jessie said.
"I hope you're right, but I don't think that's the case."
"Well, here goes nothing," Jessie said. She slid the key card into the reader. It lit up green.
"Damn," Ryan whispered under his breath. He and Jessie exchanged a look, then Ryan turned the handle and pushed the door open while Jessie cautiously looked inside. The room appeared empty, not a hint of anyone present.
Jessie entered the room as silently as she could, Ryan right behind her. The first thing she did was quietly turn the deadbolt so it would catch on the door frame, keeping the door from closing. No way was she letting them get trapped. They stood there, just inside the door, letting their eyes adjust to the dark, thanks to the boarded-up window.
Suddenly they were both blinded by bright light shining directly into their eyes.
"Not you!" came a hissed exclamation, one of disgust. The next thing either Jessie or Ryan knew was that Ryan was shoved aside, right into Jessie, knocking them both down, as a figure in a ski mask rushed past them and jerked open the door, escaping.
"Sorry! Sorry!" Ryan exclaimed, scrambling to get off Jessie.
"Quick! We have to follow him!" Jessie returned, accepting his hand up. Once they were both on their feet, they gave chase, running out of the room into the main hall. They paused, listening.
"That way!" Ryan pointed toward the stairwell to their left. They ran, then took the stairs down two at a time. At the bottom, they were just in time to see a man in a ski mask and grey ski jacket dash through a side exit, the glass door swinging shut behind him. They followed.
Outside, the cold hit them both in a windy blast. Neither was wearing a coat. That didn't stop them. They looked around, searching, until Jessie spotted the man and pointed up the trail that led to the lake. Ryan silently nodded, and they ran, trying to catch up. As he came to the lake, the man passed right by the path leading to the ice rink. Then, with the good lead he had on them, he vanished from sight among the trees of the winding path that followed the lakeshore.
Luckily, all the other footprints in the snow led to the warming house beside the lake. Their quarry had left the only set of tracks that continued on. Jessie and Ryan followed them for several minutes until a log cabin came into view. The tracks they followed led right up the steps to the front door.
"This must be one of the summer cabins. They're closed up at the end of the warm season," Ryan said, trying to keep his voice down. "No heat."
"I'm going in," Jessie said resolutely. "He's not getting away this time."
"Then I'm going with you," Ryan said, following up the steps to the front door.
It wasn't even closed. Their quarry had left it slightly ajar. Jessie slowly pushed it fully open, then stepped inside. There wasn't much light, just what came in from the open door. The windows were shuttered tightly against the winter weather, except for two small triangular windows near the peak of the vaulted ceiling. From what they could see, the front room was sparse, just a tiny kitchenette and a few pieces of furniture covered over with clear plastic drop cloths.
A soft sound, a snick, reached them from somewhere deeper inside the cabin, from behind one of the two closed doors opposite them. They checked the one on the left first. It turned out to be a small bathroom. One glance told them there was nowhere to hide in there. They retreated back to the main room and tried the door on the right. It led into a bedroom and on the opposite wall was another door, one that opened out to the exterior of the cabin. Jessie raced across the room and tried the door. It was locked from the outside.
Both of them jumped when a door slammed. Jessie raced back to the front room, Ryan with her, only to have her suspicions confirmed. The front door, which they had left open, was closed. Jessie ran to the door and tried the knob. It turned, but when she pulled, the door wouldn't budge. She pulled harder, but it remained tightly closed.
"Well," Ryan said pragmatically, "looks like we need to find another way out."
"Hopefully before we freeze," Jessie said, rubbing her arms with a shiver.
"I hope you don't mind," Ryan said, wrapping his arms around her. "I'm cold, too."
"No complaints," Jessie said, wrapping her arms around him, too, welcoming the warmth. "Now think. How do we get out of here?"
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"I can't believe Jessie and Ryan bailed," Jonny huffed as the group exited the restaurant. They'd realized they were down two members of their party when they were seated, and when the two in question failed to show after a reasonable amount of time, they'd apologized to the server and left him a decent tip for his trouble. "I mean, we just had this conversation an hour ago when Maggie and Scott ran off to the ice rink. What are they thinking?"
"I think Jessie still had the key card," Blain recalled.
"They probably went to try it on a few doors," Scott said.
"You think that makes it better?" Jonny was incredulous. "No innocent person slipped that envelope under the door."
"I am sure Jessie is aware of that," Hadji said, "and she is not exactly helpless."
"Let's just go get them," Jonny said with an irritated sigh. "We should check the rooms, first. That's where they'd probably start." They headed up the main stairs to look.
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"First, let's take stock of what we have to work with," Jessie said after a minute of thinking. "You take the bathroom and bedroom storage. I'll take the kitchen. Look for anything that could be useful. A pry bar or a sledgehammer would be great." Ryan actually laughed, despite himself.
"I'll keep that in mind," he said as they let go of one another and headed off toward their designated search areas. "If you find a parka in the cabinets, I'll rock-paper-scissors you for it." It was Jessie's turn to laugh.
"Deal," Jessie said, opening the first cabinet as Ryan ducked into the bathroom to start there. In hindsight, they shouldn't have chased whoever he was outside without jackets. They needed to figure something out. Fast.
The bathroom was quite sparse, Ryan noted as he stepped inside. Only one cabinet that was completely bare, and a narrow linen closet that was equally empty. There wasn't even a shower curtain in the shower. The lodge staff hadn't left so much as a bar of soap behind. He left the bathroom. Jessie was steadily working her way across the kitchenette. Ryan ducked into the bedroom. He searched the small wardrobe first. Empty except for a few hangers. He moved on to the dresser. Also empty. That just left the bedside tables. He struck out with both.
"Nothing," Ryan reported, returning to the main room.
"Same," Jessie replied, closing the last cabinet. She turned and scanned the rest of the main room. There was a coat tree in the corner by the door. "That might be useful," she said, pointing.
"Um…. How?" Ryan asked.
"The windows are boarded up," Jessie said," from the outside. If we open a window from the inside, we can maybe use the coat tree as a battering ram and get a board off."
"If the nails holding them on are mostly straight, it might work," Ryan said, grabbing the coat tree, eager to try. "If not, the effort will at least keep us warm."
"There is that," Jessie agreed.
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"They aren't here, either," Scott said, looking around the room he and Blain shared with Ryan.
"Maybe they went back to the restaurant?" Maggie suggested, but not even she really believed that was the case.
"You know Jessie," Jonny pointed out. "She won't quit until she finds a door that key card opens."
"Then perhaps," Hadji suggested, "they went to the room Jonny and I were originally intended to share."
"Why didn't we think of that before?" Jonny asked, the question rhetorical.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go," Blain said, leading the way, the group walking as fast as they could without drawing too much attention from passersby.
"Look!" Jonny exclaimed a few minutes later as they neared. "The door's open!"
"Be careful," Maggie warned as he and Hadji stood on either side of the door. Hadji nodded to Jonny, who nodded back. Hadji flung the door open with his arm from the hinge side. Jonny dashed inside, flipping the light switch on, before ducking for cover inside the small closet beside the door- just in case. They all waited with bated breath for a long moment before collectively letting it out when the room proved silent and empty. A quick search turned up nothing.
"I know Jess was here," Jonny said, pointing at the door. "The deadbolt is turned. She's done that before, to keep from getting trapped."
"Well, she and Ryan aren't here now," Blain said, looking around the room.
"No telling where they went," Scott said, standing just outside the door, looking up and down the hall. "What now?"
"Now we must wait until they come back," Hadji said with a sigh.
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"On three," Jessie said, she and Ryan standing near the window facing one another, holding the coat tree between them. "One."
"Two," Ryan counted.
"Three!" they said together, swinging the coat tree into the plywood covering the window. There was a dull knock of wood on plywood, and the satisfying squeak of nails loosening from the window frame. There was now a narrow gap of waning daylight at the edge of the plywood.
"I think this is actually going to work!" Ryan enthused. "Let's hit it again. On three. One. Two. Three!" Another loud knock, more squeaking nails, and the gap of light got a little wider. Again." A third hit freed the corner of the plywood from the window frame.
"Ow, that hurt," Jessie complained, rubbing her hand on her thigh.
"Yeah," Ryan said, flexing his own hand, numbed by the recoil from the impact of coat tree on plywood. "Let's keep going." Jessie nodded. They hit it again and again, switching to the other side of the window, until the plywood fell with a soft swoosh into the snow below the window.
"Ladies first," Ryan said, lifting Jessie up to help her out the window. She held onto his hand, using her other hand to anchor herself on the window frame and her feet against the outer wall to control descent as he lowered her the six feet down to the ground.
"Let me clear this out of the way," Jessie said from the ground, grabbing the plywood and pulling it out of the way. With the threat of landing on sharp, upturned nails gone, Ryan climbed onto the window sill, then jumped down, landing softly in the deep snow. They waded through the drifts to the path. "Hold on," Jessie said, bounding up the steps to the front door instead of heading back to the lodge right away. "He threw the latch and padlocked the door," Jessie said, disgusted.
"We got out," Ryan reminded. "We won this round. Now let's get back to the lodge. We're freezing, and I don't like being so isolated out here."
"You're right," Jessie agreed, bounding down the steps and hurrying down the path to join him. "Let's go."
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"Where the heck did you two disappear to?" Jonny asked when Jessie and Ryan finally appeared. They had decided to grab some sandwiches and wait in the lobby in front of one of the big fireplaces. "You've been gone almost an hour! We were worried sick."
"Heat," Jessie sighed, she and Ryan making a beeline for the crackling fire, ignoring Jonny. "We're frozen."
"Have you been outside?" Maggie asked, incredulous. "Without coats? In this cold?"
"We were checking into this," Jessie said, fishing the key card and envelope from her back jeans pocket, tossing it into Hadji's lap. "It doesn't open the suite, or the guys' room, in case you're interested."
"We know," Blain said. "It opens Jonny and Hadji's old room."
"How'd you know?" Ryan asked, exchanging a surprised look with Jessie.
"Once we realized you skipped out on dinner, we went looking for you," Scott said.
"When we thought to check the old room, I knew you'd been there," Jonny said. "Deadbolt," he replied to Jessie's questioning look. "You've done that before." She nodded.
"You should have waited for all of us to investigate," Hadji admonished.
"No, it's good you weren't there," Jessie said with a shake of her head. She sat on the hearth, back to the heat of the fire, facing the rest of the group.
"It was a trap," Ryan said, sitting next to her. "There was someone waiting."
"He wasn't waiting for the two of us, though," Jessie continued. "He didn't do anything. Just said, 'not you!' and ran."
"The envelope has Hadji's name on it," Ryan pointed out.
"I do not like it, but I have to agree I am the likely target this time," Hadji said. It didn't escape anyone's attention that he absently rubbed the still-visible marks on his throat where someone had tried to strangle him in the men's room just twenty-four hours before.
"That doesn't explain why you were missing for an hour," Scott said after a moment.
"Well," Ryan said, "We followed the guy downstairs and outside, up along the lake to the closed-up summer cabins. He locked us in one and got away. It took us a while to get out. Had to bust out a boarded-up window."
"Way to go, Ace," Jonny said, the sarcasm evident. "You're the one who said that key card was dangerous, and you just had to go prove it, knowing there's some whack job out there trying to kill us."
"Chasing that guy outside wasn't the best idea, I'll admit," Jessie said with a glare, "but I'm glad it was us, and not Hadji, that went looking."
"Sandwiches?" Maggie offered, intervening before Jessie and Jonny really got going.
"I'm starving," Ryan said, catching on quickly, grabbing a sandwich for himself and another that he dropped into Jessie's hands.
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To be continued…
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