CHAPTER 99 – THE SEARCH CONTINUES & ENDS

Before separating, Jack and Elizabeth had agreed that when they found Jolene, they wouldn't accuse her of anything. Instead, they'd let her lead the conversation.

Years ago, Jack had taken training in hostage negotiations, and during his years with the NADF, he had had one traumatic heart-pounding incident. Afterwards, when he had been awarded a commendation for saving the lives of a bank teller and three customers, Jack, standing on a stage in front of other law enforcement officers, had only thought of one thing. That he hoped he'd never been in a situation like that again.

"Play stupid, Elizabeth," Jack had instructed as the couple stood in the stairwell. "Just pretend that you don't know anything other than she borrowed Aaron for a little bit. Pretend it's no problem. Act naïve. Be the doting mom who finds it entirely understandable that Jolene wanted to spend time with an adorable baby. You can even ask her to hold the flash-drive toy while you take Aaron into your arms. And then conveniently walk away and pretend you forget that she has it. She'll get the flash-drive. You'll get Aaron."

"And if you find her first?"

"When I get Aaron safe, I'll handle her next."

Elizabeth grunted as she pried open another door. She had already opened at least ten and found no sign of Jolene or Aaron.

A man, who looked to be in his thirties, was leaning back in his chair. He clumsily sat upright when he noticed the door opening. "Sorry, just dozed off there for a bit."

"Have you seen my son?"

"Nah. You lose him again?" the unconcerned man asked. Elizabeth vaguely recognized him from one of her late-night walks around the ship.

She looked around his small office which was covered with charts and diagrams. She had no idea what he did for work, but it didn't appear to be an important job if he could doze off at his desk without worry about the transporter crashing, exploding, or going off course.

"I think Jolene Zyrus may have him. Have you seen her lately?"

"No. Sorry. But, you know, we're not suppose to move about while the electricity's not working," he added with a hint of criticism. "Didn't you hear the announcement? To stay where you are."

"I need my son. If you see him, can you please let me know?" Elizabeth asked as she turned to leave.

"Yeah, sure," he answered lazily.

Elizabeth found a woman – Asian and with dyed purple hair so she was obviously not Jolene, inspecting pipes that ran the length of Sublevel C, but the rest of the rooms and corridors were deserted of humans.

Finally, she came to the cargo hold, which she reasoned would be deserted. At least it should be. The cargo hold was usually only busy prior to lift-off, upon arrival at the ship's destination, and if a ship had taken a direct hit from space debris which could have caused supplies to shift.

Pallets loaded down with equipment and supplies were set in neat stacks reaching almost to the ceiling, which was at least fifteen feet high – much higher than on other levels. The room contained not only laboratory tools, but everything that Coal Valley needed for its citizens to survive until it became more sustainable was supplied by transporters from Earth.

Entering the large room, Elizabeth hurried down the nearest aisle, found no one, and then turned towards the next one.

Despite her hectic pace through most of the level, she wasn't tired. She silently said a thank you for the medication overdose. While Jack may be getting fed up with her insatiable need for him, the other side-effect of having increased energy was coming in handy.

Jack and I fooled around in here once, she remembered with a wry smile as she looked at the large room.

That didn't work out so well.

Although, he really should have been more receptive to me.

I was just trying to spice things up.

STOP! Concentrate Elizabeth!

She smacked herself on the forehead to bring herself back to the situation.

Forget about sex with Jack!

Our son is in danger!

She scowled. Damn medication overdose. That should have happened back on Earth.

Elizabeth was rushing along the stark linoleum floor and past a pallet topped with cartons of powdered milk when she thought she heard a noise.

She stopped abruptly and listened.

She heard it again. Faint. From the next aisle.

"Jolene?" she called out. Her questioning voice seemed to echo in the vast area.

Elizabeth paused and then tentatively called out again. Wondering if her mind had played tricks on her.

"Jolene. It's me. Elizabeth. Are you in here with Aaron? It was so nice of you to take him to give us a break. I'll take him off your hands now."

There was no answer but Elizabeth thought she heard something.

She moved one of her legs in front of the other and quietly crept around the next corner.

Preparing to face her enemy.

When an agitated bird- an escapee from Bertie's aviary– flew within a foot of her face, she wildly ducked to avoid its beating wings.

She allowed her shocked heart to start beating normally again and berated herself for being spooked by a bird.

Pushing a lock of hair from her face, she listened again but the only sound which she heard was the flapping sounds of wings.

She picked up her pace again, and finished searching another two aisles. Looking behind and between the stacks of pallets. She was amazed at the sheer amount of stuff that was being transported.

Powered milk. Soap. Pillows. Canned Food. Bottled water. Hard drives. Linens. Medical supplies.

But no Aaron. No Jolene.

Empty, she thought in despair.

She fretfully rung her hands together. She had searched the entire level and there was no sign of her precious little baby.

Where are they?!

I hope Jack is having better luck.

Jack pried open the door to one of the auxiliary engine rooms and pushed it far enough open that he could enter.

"Jolene," he said more harshly than he had intended when he saw the woman.

She calmly looked up from a small hand-held computer into which she had been punching numbers. "Hello, Officer Thornton. Good to see you again. I was wondering if it would be you or your wife."

"Where is he?"

The short-haired woman jerked her head to the left in the direction of Aaron who was laying on his back near the edge of a metal catwalk. All Jack could see was two little feet wiggling from behind a piece of machinery. "Right there. He's fine. Doesn't even realize he's a pawn in this situation."

Jack took a step forward.

"Not so fast. I think you have something I need."

"You know I can't let get away with this."

"And you know that I can't let you leave here alive."

Jack surveyed the room.

A large open-top cistern emitting steam was to one side. The catwalk crossing over its top allowed workers to check the boiling water it held and move easily to another cistern, which held cool water.

A circular metal wheel – at least three feet in diameter- ran on tracks just below the catwalk. Jack wasn't sure what it did, but every so often the turning cog shot out a blue liquid followed by a clear one into the vat below it.

"If I give you the flash-drive, it won't make a difference," Jack told the woman.

"It will save me some trouble," Jolene replied with a teasing smile.

"Even if you kill me, it won't solve your problems. I've already notified the NADF back on Earth of my suspicions. And Elizabeth knows everything."

Jolene only seemed slightly bothered by Jack's words.

"Nice bluff. About notifying NADF. But I know that you haven't notified anyone about anything this evening." She held up her small computer device to emphasis the point.

"I blocked all outgoing messages," she added and then waved her arm around proudly. "In addition to all the other things I did to upset the electrical system and keep you from alerting the entire ship."

"Listen –"

"You really shouldn't have told Elizabeth everything," Jolene interrupted him. "It just makes things more . . . .tragic."

"You're trapped. I can back out this door and go get help. You're only making things worse for yourself by keeping my son," Jack spoke in an even tone.

"Do you honestly think that you're in charge here? How quaint . . .or arrogant."

"It's over. Move away from my son."

"No."

"Jolene –"

"Stop giving me orders." She wrinkled her face in disgusted surprise. "Is that what you do with that sappy little wife of yours? Give her orders? Does she actually obey them?"

Before Jack could answer, Jolene pushed a button on her small computer.

He didn't get a chance to wonder what she was doing as a two-hundred-pound piece of machinery suddenly swung in his direction and slammed into his side.

He stumbled forward and gasped to get back his breath.

If some of his ribs weren't broken, it would be a miracle. He just hoped that one of the broken bones wouldn't puncture his lungs before he saved his son.

Ignoring the pain in his torso, he threw himself at Jolene.

Unfortunately, he remembered too late what he had read in her personnel file. Former yoga instructor. Green belt in Taekwondo. Brown belt in Karate. Third degree black belt in Judo.

As Jolene pushed him off of herself and jumped to her feet, Jack wondered if his skills in Krav Maga and his black belt in Karate were better than her skills. Or at least an even match.

A sharp kick to his already injured stomach and then her arms smashing down onto his bent-over shoulders caused him to groan and wish that he had taken more martial arts lessons.

"It's in my pocket," he moaned as he lay curled on the ground. "Take it and leave. I won't have any evidence against you. Just leave."

Jolene smiled condescendingly as she leaned over him. "You spent too much time being a nice family man when you should have been working out."

She reached into one of his pant pockets but it was empty. Undeterred, she moved to the other one.

When she leaned over him, Jack shot out an arm and grabbed her by the neck, yanking her to the ground and smashing her face into the floor.

Blood spurted from her nose, and she growled in anger.

Jack scrambled to his feet and moved away from Aaron so the baby wouldn't get injured in the fight. He had no doubt that even if he was holding his son, Jolene wouldn't hesitate to continue assaulting him.

He swung a fist at her and was rewarded with it landing on her jaw, causing her head to jerk back and blood to splatter on them both.

Too quickly, she recovered and launched a series of her own blows at him.

Jack tasted his own blood in his mouth as he moved about. Ducking from her punches as much as possible, he still took some hits to the body and head even as he felt his fist connecting with her.

His arms took blow after blow as he blocked her kicks and punches.

Jack wasn't sure if he wanted Elizabeth to come to his rescue or not.

If she found him in danger, she might just get killed. For the briefest of moments, he wondered if perhaps it would be better if he was killed before she arrived.

Hell no, he told himself. I'm not going down.

His next actions were Dojo perfect. With his arms raised to attack and block, he lifted up one leg to his side. Then, snapping it forward to just before its full extension, he pivoted on his other foot. Turning his body so that the kicking leg moved toward Jolene.

With all the power he could muster, Jack's foot smacked into her face. Sending her stumbling backwards.

She spit out a tooth, and stared at him. Stunned that he was a better competitor than she had initially imagined.

Then she grinned savagely and attacked again.

Up next: Chapter 100.

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