Reefside: The "AAR" Chronicles – Part 9
Search Party
By Justin Jack
Beth wandered the halls of the school trying to track down her father. She asked student and teacher alike as to his whereabouts. No one had an answer. She even had to switch on invisibility to steer clear of Principal Turner knowing full well if she was caught out of class without a pass, there would be hell to pay.
"Come on Dad...where are you?"
She ran down one of the back corridors that led to the faculty parking lot. She walked up and down the rows of cars until she came to Tommy's jeep...still sitting in the same spot.
"Okay, he's still here...but where?"
Beth looked around the campus grounds and saw no one. She reached into her backpack, pulled out her cell phone and hit speed dial.
"Reefside Gymnastics Academy...this is Samantha, can I help you?"
"Hi Sam, it's Beth...is Mom there?"
"I'm sorry honey, she isn't. She went out to lunch, but hasn't come back yet. Do you want to leave her a message for when she gets back?"
"Yeah, just tell her that I need to know if Dad's with her, because I can't find him on school grounds anywhere."
"Do you think they just got together for lunch as "last minute" decision?"
"Dad's not the type of person to just drop everything and go. I know he's forgetful sometimes, but not to this degree. Besides, he would have told me."
"Have you tried his or her cell?"
Beth shut her eyes and mentally slapped herself. It seems she had inherited another one of her father's traits.
"I'll give them a try. Thanks Sam."
"No problem sweetie."
Beth hangs up and quickly speed dials Kim's number.
No answer. It goes straight to voice mail.
She hangs up and dials Tommy's number, it rings but she hears the tones of his cell and walks over to the passenger side of the jeep and sees his cell laying on the seat under some folders. Beth sighs with disappointment.
"Okay, now I'm worried!"
Beth runs back into the main hallway and makes a beeline for Will's class. She reaches his classroom, panting and nearly out of breath.
She pounds on the door and rushes in while both the teacher and students look at her as if she's lost her mind.
"Miss Oliver, what is the meaning...," the teacher started.
"Will...Mom...Dad...family emergency, we gotta go...now!" she stated in between breaths.
"B, what's going...," he started.
"Will!" she glared at him. He knew it had to be serious. Will quickly gathered his books and backpack and rushed out the door to catch up with Beth who was already gone from sight.
"Mr. Cranston, you'll need a pass!" the teacher yelled after him.
"Got it covered!" he yelled back.
Will followed Beth out into the faculty lot where she was on her cell with Hayley.
"B, do you want to tell me what the hell is going on?"
Beth raised her hand giving Will the "one minute" motion.
"So you haven't heard or seen Mom or Dad all day?" she asked her Aunt.
"No I haven't Beth. This doesn't sound like something they'd do," she answered.
"That's what I said," she told Hayley.
"Okay, I'll call Billy and have him pick you up."
"Will's with me too," Beth added.
"Fine. I'll close up the Cyberspace and meet you guys at the Cave."
"We'll see you there...bye."
She hung up and turned to Will who was giving her a puzzled "what the hell?" look.
"Mom and Dad are missing. Uncle Billy's coming to get us and take us to the Cave to try and track them down from there."
"Do you think they have any enemies out to get them?" Will asked.
"They're Rangers Will, they've got a list of enemies that could probably stretch across the entire state of California. Besides, it's been sixteen years. If there was a new threat, the world would be in danger. Who would make it personal and take just them? All their past Big Bads were destroyed in Zordon's energy wave and Mesogog's island fortress was destroyed years ago."
"What if whatever happened to them isn't Ranger related? Maybe it could've been a bad guy from a previous Ranger team that we haven't faced, or someone from the future. We all know about Time Force," Will stated.
"Who from the future would want my parents?" she asked.
"Think about it B, your parents are Ranger legends. They're known throughout the world and the universe. They've been to other planets. Dr. O helped Dex on Edenoi, they traveled to The Deserted Planet to get the Sword of Light, and let's not forget the Red Ranger mission on the moon. Anybody from any time could have taken them. Can you imagine what would happen if someone was powerful enough to take down two of the greatest Rangers of all time?"
As Will finished his sentence, he looked back at Beth who was giving him the death glare. Will saw her gaze and immediately looked down at his feet.
"Shutting up now," Will whispered as he made a 'zip the lip and throw away the key' gesture.
Beth was about to reply when there was a honk in the distance coming toward them. Billy pulled up in a blue new model VW Bug with "RADBUG" on the license plate.
"Hey Dad."
"Hey Uncle Billy."
"Hey kids, I've been made aware of the situation. Hayley's on her way to the Cave right now and I've tried my own tricks of the trade to try and locate them with no success."
Beth and Will jumped into the car and they sped off toward the Oliver homestead.
"I hope wherever they are that they're okay, and I'm gonna so kick their asses when I find them!" Beth muttered under her breath.
"Don't worry Elizabeth, we'll find out what happened to them. They're two of the strongest people I know. If there's a way, Tommy and Kim will find it," Billy reassured her.
"Yeah B, and if it's anything serious...we've got a small army of aunts and uncles and a couple of Godparents with the ability to morph for backup if we need it," Will spoke as he squeezed her shoulder from the backseat.
"Thanks guys, but I'm hoping it won't have to come to that."
"Me too Elizabeth, but if it does...we won't rest until they're safe at home," Billy stated in a serious tone.
Beth nodded lightly and turned her attention to the passenger side window watching as the trees passed by on their way home. The entire time thinking to herself the one phrase that her parents had learned from their old mentor.
"May the Power protect you...wherever you are," she whispered silently as the "RADBUG" continued toward its destination.
August 24, 2023
Location and Time: Unknown
Tommy sat up with a jolt, groggy and disoriented at first. He shook his head and tried to focus and find his bearings. His head was pounding as if he went ten rounds with Rocky Balboa and lost. He grabbed the back of his head trying to block out the pain as he looked around for any sign of where he was.
"Where the hell...hello!? Can anybody hear me!?"
The room was pitch black with the exception of a patch of light coming through a window with bars on it. As his eyes adjusted, he could make out the outline of bars in front of him. Tommy got to his feet and reached out for them, but when he touched them he was knocked back by an electric charge. He was hit with such force he smacked into the wall behind him.
"Okay...electrified bars, check," he cursed under his breath as he tried to get the feeling back in his hand.
Tommy rested his head on the wall behind him and tried to steady his breathing when from out of nowhere he heard a light moan coming from the other side of the "cell". With all the strength he could muster he crawled towards the sounds point of origin.
He could make out the outline of the body trapped with him. It didn't take him long to realize who it was.
"Kimberly? Beautiful, it's me...wake up," Tommy shook her trying to awaken the former Pink Ranger.
"Kim, please for the love of God, wake up!"
With that, Kim's eyes shot open and she sat straight up and screamed at the top of her lungs.
"TOMMY!"
"I'm here Kim, I'm alright," he reached for her and put his arms around her petite frame embracing her as tight as he could. She returned the gesture and buried her head in her husband's shoulder.
"Tommy, where are we?" she asked as she tried to catch her breath.
"Wherever it is, it's not good!"
"Do you remember anything?" she asked looking into his eyes.
"All I remember is being called to see Principal Turner and then everything went black. I woke up here with a hell of a headache," he told her as he wiped the tears from her eyes. "How about you?"
"Not much, I was on my way out to lunch driving in my car when I blacked out and now I'm here."
After regaining his strength, Tommy got to his feet and pulled Kim up with him. Looking around the "cell" he quickly switched to leader mode.
"Okay, first we gotta find out where we are and second, figure a way the hell out of here," he spoke in his stern voice.
Kim started looking around for a way out when a deep voice bellowed out from the distance.
"Where you are is not important!"
Tommy and Kim looked at each other as the voice boomed through the cell. The voice sounded familiar. They looked past the bars to see a figure half lit by light and his face was covered in darkness.
"Where you are going...is to your deaths!"
The figure began laughing his evil laugh as Tommy and Kim finally recognized who the voice belonged to.
"I don't believe it!" Kim exclaimed.
"It can't be!" Tommy followed.
The figure stepped into the light revealing himself to the former Rangers, shocking them to their core.
"Goldar!?"
End of Part 9
TBC