Disclaimer: None of this stuff belongs to me.
Chapter 3-Trouble in Paradise
"Now, remember, if I give you these keys it does not mean that you're getting your license back when we get home. It only means that I'm letting you drive to the dig site. Got that, the dig site. If I find out you guys didn't make it there you're worse than dead." Race's threat hung in the air as Jonny and Jessie exchanged dubious glances.
Jonny spoke up first. "Why can't I drive?"
Jessie snorted. "You almost killed off an endangered species last time you drove, hotshot. Dad's still got animal protectionists breathing down his back for that one."
"You're the one who ran the red light."
Race sighed. "Do you two want to walk to the site—because I'm only offering you the jeep once…courtesy of Dr. Lin."
"We'll take the jeep," said Jessie snatching the set of keys out of Race's hands.
"I'm starting to have second thoughts about this," murmured Benton, knitting his eyebrows together in a frown.
"Don't worry, dad, we'll be on our best behavior today. You won't get a single complaint from the archaeologists—scout's honor." Jonny flashed his father a grin before grabbing Jessie by the crook of the elbow and pushing her in the direction of the open top jeep parked nearby.
"Call us as soon as you get there, Ponchita!" called out Race. Jessie shot Race a thumb's up sign.
Jonny let out a breath of relief the second he and Jessie reached the jeep. He glanced back at his father and Race in front of the hotel where they were joined by Estella and Grace. Jonny's lips tightened as he watched his father give Grace his undivided attention.
"D'ya think if you stare hard enough she'll burst into flames?" asked Jessie flatly. She had noticed Jonny's subtle distrust of the Asian archaeologist.
"Shut up. Lets just get outta here, alright?" growled Jonny. Jessie raised an eyebrow, her eyes sparking angrily, but she kept her mouth shut as she jumped into the driver seat. Jonny jumped into the jeep as well and the two teens buckled up.
"You know, Jonny, it's not the end of the world." Jessie's words were quiet as she started up the jeep and pulled out onto the crowded street.
Jonny ignored her and they drove in silence for several minutes. Traffic was heavy with people on feet, bicycles, and the odd beat up taxi cab here and there. Finally, Jonny burst out, "I don't get it, Jess. Who the hell is this Grace Lin? How come we've never met her before?"
"She's an archaeologist, Jonny. She's probably been on a load of digs the last few years—kinda like my mom. Archaeologists tend to shy away from public events unless their unveiling some kind of historic site or artifact," replied Jessie with a shrug. She slammed on the brakes and gritted her teeth as she barely avoided hitting a pedestrian.
Jonny didn't even flinch at the jerky movements. "Then what's the deal with her and dad? He's never been so…weird around someone before."
With a sideways glance at Jonny Jessie turned her attention back to the road in front of her as she formed her answer. "Jonny, I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but…maybe your dad has some kind of history with Dr. Lin. Weren't you paying attention when she said she hadn't seen Dr. Quest since he and your mom were engaged?"
"You don't think they have history, history together, do you?" demanded Jonny.
"How am I supposed to know? He's your dad, not mine."
"Good point."
"What d'ya mean 'good point'?" Jessie flashed a dark look at Jonny as she turned the jeep onto a dirt road that led to the dig site.
Jonny rolled his eyes. "Only that your dad knows the entire female population—he's dated half the women in the world. My dad isn't like that."
"I'd kick your ass if I wasn't driving," muttered Jessie. Jonny chuckled to himself and glanced in the side mirror. His chuckle died off as he noticed another open top jeep a ways behind them—and it was gaining speed.
"Uh, Ace, you might wanna pull to the side and let these guys pass us. They look like they're in some kind of hurry," said Jonny jerking a thumb towards the approaching vehicle.
Jessie glanced in the rearview mirror. "Malditos," she muttered darkly. "Why can't people learn how to drive? Don't even say anything, Jonny."
"I wasn't planning on it," murmured Jonny placidly. He held his hands up to indicate his agreeableness. Jessie snorted but was too busy concentrating on her driving to see Jonny smirk. She slowed the jeep down to a crawl and drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, waiting for the other jeep pass.
"What the hell?" snapped Jessie as the other jeep slowed down directly behind Jessie and Jonny. Jonny glanced back behind them to peer at the driver of the other jeep. His eyes widened as the male passenger stood up in his seat with a rifle pointed directly at Jonny and Jessie.
"Fuck!" Jonny ducked in his seat, pulling Jessie down with him. Their jeep swerved as a single shot was fired.
"God-dammit!" Jessie sat up in her seat, swerving back onto the dirt road as her foot stomped on the gas pedal. Jonny sat up as well, his heart racing in his chest. There was a hole in the direct center of the windshield from where the bullet had gone through.
Their jeep gained speed as Jessie kept her foot on the gas, not daring to let up. Jonny snuck a look over his shoulder and swore under his breath. The other jeep was hot on their tracks, and from the looks of it the passenger was still aiming his rifle at their jeep.
"Oh boy," breathed Jonny turning to look at the road in front of them. "I think we just made some new friends, Jess."
"No, really? What's the occasion?" shot back Jessie, keeping her panic under control. She tightened her grip on the steering wheel as she pressed the gas pedal even harder, gaining a little more speed. She peeked in the rearview mirror and made a face. With a hardened face Jessie placed her hand on the clutch of the jeep and shifted gears. Their jeep jumped forward, gaining speed as it went.
"Whatever it is, you better hope they don't catch up. That asshole meant business back there. Shit! Why didn't I bring the cell phone with us? Race is the only one who can deal with this." Jonny banged his hand down on the dashboard, earning a glance from Jessie.
"You want my dad? Well, you're only gonna get the next best thing—me." Jessie shifted gears once more. Then, with both hands on the wheel she turned the wheel all the way to the left, not once letting her foot of the gas. Jonny clutched both the side of the jeep and the dashboard as the jeep swerved around, nearly tipping over in the process.
"Jesus Christ, Jessie! What are you trying to do—get us killed?" shouted Jonny as Jessie shifted gears yet again, returning to full speed.
"Something like that," remarked Jessie with a cryptic look on her face. "If these boys wanna play, then we're gonna play my way." Jessie drove off the road, tearing dust across the barren desert. Jonny turned to look at their pursuers and shook his head as the other jeep swerved off the road, trying to speed up in the process.
"With all this room they're gonna try and side up with us," pointed out Jonny.
Jessie grinned. "Exactly. And boy are they gonna be surprised when you take out our tools."
Jonny made a face, and then his face brightened up as realization dawned on him. "We better thank your mom for putting in the pickaxe later."
"Let's get rid of the rats first, and then we can think about celebrating later."
"You're the boss." Jonny unbuckled and crawled into the back seat. He grabbed the pickaxe off the floor and wedged himself directly in the tight space directly in between the back seat and the driver's seat.
"Okay, hotshot, I'm only gonna be able to give you one good shot. Hit 'em hard enough that they lose control," ordered Jessie as she unbuckled herself as well.
"Have you forgotten the guns already?"
"No, but I'm a little busy concentrating on what's ahead of us."
Jonny glanced forward and groaned. They were coming across a deep ravine. "You've gotta be kidding me. Alright, Ace, let's get this right the first time or else you and me got ourselves a date with a higher being tonight."
"One miracle coming right up," murmured Jessie with a small flutter in her stomach. The jeep lurched as it switched gears once more, slowing down slightly. Jonny clutched the pickaxe in his hands tightly, keeping it hidden from sight. Jonny prayed the rifleman wouldn't try taking a wild shot as the other jeep sped up to come beside their own jeep.
"Say your prayers, boy, we've only come for the treasure," called out the man holding the rifle.
"Amen brother!" cried out Jonny. Quick as a flash Jonny brought up the pickaxe into the air and swung down onto the hood of the other jeep. The rifleman stumbled in surprise as hot air steamed out from the engine. Jonny fell backwards onto the backseat as Jessie slammed on the brakes. Belatedly the other driver slammed on his brakes as well.
Both jeeps skidded across the sandy dirt, swerving slightly as the vehicles tried to process the sudden loss of speed. Only at the last minute did the other driver notice the ravine directly ahead of them. He frantically began pumping his brakes, glancing back and forth between the ravine and Jessie's jeep beside them.
"This is it!" Jessie turned her wheel, forcing their jeep to slam into the other jeep, causing it to shift to a sideways skid. Jessie slammed on the gas, sending both jeeps on a way trip off the ravine. Just as the first jeep slid off the edge of the cliff Jessie was out of her seat and scrambling towards the rear. Jonny grabbed Jessie's hand and together the two teens jumped out of their jeep as it fell into the ravine.
Jonny and Jessie hit the ground hard, rolling with motion over the few jagged rocks on the ground. Jonny clutched Jessie's hand in his and reached for her other one just as her legs slipped off the ravine. With a stream of energy Jonny pulled Jessie on top of him on solid ground. Jessie rolled off Jonny and onto her back. The two teens were panting with exertion as they listened to the crunch of metal upon metal deep within the ravine.
"Think they're still alive?" asked Jonny as he wearily pushed himself into a sitting position. Jessie sat up as well and shrugged, still trying to catch her breath. They peered over the edge of the ravine, but nothing caught their eyes.
"Even if they're dead, I don't think we should stick around here," grumbled Jessie. Jonny nodded in agreement and slowly got to his feet. He reached down and pulled Jessie onto her feet, both grimacing in pain.
Jonny glanced back at the miles of desert they had covered in their chase. "Oh man, we've got a long way to go."
"Yeah and I have this sinking feeling that I will never see my license again," agreed Jessie.
Chuckling, Jonny jerked his head, motioning for Jessie to follow. Despite their tired, aching bones the teens began walking back in the direction from whence they had come.
Hotel Lobby
Bangalore
Race snapped his phone shut and turned to the worried faces of Benton, Estella, Grace, and Hadji. "They haven't gotten to the site yet. I'm gonna go check and see if I can hunt them down. Damn teenagers. I bet they just decided to take a joyride before getting to work."
"Are you sure?" questioned Estella crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"Estella, this is our daughter I'm talking about. Jessie knows how to take care of herself. And she has Jonny with her. They can't have gotten into much trouble already. That would be a whole new record for them," answered Race assuredly.
"I hope not." Estella sighed but dropped the argument.
"Let us know when you find them, Race," said Benton with a tight smile. Race nodded and took off out the swinging hotel doors. The white haired man dug in his pants pockets, searching for the keys of the rental car Benton had gotten. He pulled out the keys and glanced across the street to where the blue car was parked.
A skinny man with a long, dark beard and turban was fiddling with the door handle. Race frowned and took a step into the street. "Hey!" he called out, glancing at the traffic that wasn't letting him by. "Get away from that car, you son-of-a-bitch!"
The would-be carjacker glanced up with apprehension on his face as the driver's door opened. With a suppressed squeak he hopped into the car, shutting the door behind him. Race growled in anger. He could tell the man was sticking a pocket knife into the ignition. Muttering under his breath Race took another step into the street, fully intending on leaping over moving vehicles if he had to when the rental car exploded into flames.
Race was knocked backwards onto the sidewalk with a whoosh of hot air from the explosion. He rolled onto his side, barely avoiding a piece of flaming metal as it fell onto the cement. Race scrambled to his feet and stared in horror at what had once been his rental car. He could still make out the figure of the carjacker, burning in the driver seat. A few other cars were burning as well. People were scrambling to get out of the fiery deathtraps, but Race could tell it was useless. They weren't going to get out alive.
All around him chaos erupted. People screamed and began to flee as drivers swerved into one another to avoid the burning cars. Pedestrians were mowed down, and one restaurant had the honor of welcoming a car straight through its front windows.
"Oh my god!" screamed Estella bursting out of the hotel. She rushed over to Race and began to check his body for injuries as Race continued to stare at the burning rental car. He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"Race!" Benton and Grace rushed out of the hotel as well. Benton stopped short upon seeing his rental car in flames. "Oh no."
"What happened?" asked Grace staring at the scene with wide eyes.
"Whatever it is," started Race pulling out a cell phone from his pocket, "I can't take care of it alone. Corbin owes me a few favors—and the first one on that list is finding Jessie and Jonny!"
Estella's hands flew to her lips as she comprehended her ex-husband's words. Race clutched her close to his chest as he spoke into his phone. "Corbin? It's Race. I've got a problem in Bangalore—I'm gonna need backup. Yeah, and I need someone to hunt down Jonny and Jessie. I think whoever gave me the welcoming present is gonna include them too."
Immortal Stone Archaeological Site
"Look who I found, Bannon!"
Race glanced up from the man in front of him and grinned at the agent pulling up in a jeep. Sitting in the back seat were Jonny and Jessie, looking a little roughed up. "Where'd you find them?" asked Race as he left the confines of the shady tarp.
The agent chuckled. "Walking alongside the road to the site. Almost didn't recognize them."
"What happened to you two?" Race directed the question to Jonny as the blonde teen helped Jessie out of the jeep and followed suit.
"Lets just say it's a good thing Jessie's a crazy driver," replied Jonny as he limped over to the shady tarp. He collapsed in a folding chair and watched as Jessie did the same thing beside him. "A couple of guys tried to shoot at us, and we led them on a little ride."
"Where are these guys now?" demanded a man light brown hair and sharp gray eyes.
Jessie gave a triumphant grin. "At the bottom of a ravine."
The man nodded sharply and motioned for a couple of agents to load up in the jeep. "Check it out—I want to know everything we can about those men!"
"Yes sir!"
"Think it's that serious, Corbin?" muttered Race as he handed Jessie and Jonny a canteen each.
"Jesus, Race, how can you ask that? That bomb in the rental car was clearly meant for you when it went off on the carjacker—and a pair of men after the kids? Fuck, Bannon, you know as well as I do that this isn't just a little anger issue—this is the fucking real deal!" snapped Corbin darkly.
"You woke up on the wrong side of the bed again, didn't you, Mr. Corbin?" asked Jessie brightly. Jonny's snicker turned into a cough as Corbin turned his attention to the two teens.
"Did your attackers say what they wanted?"
Jonny nodded. "Yeah, they said something about treasure. I don't know what kind of treasure they were talking about. I'm broke."
Jessie turned to glance at Race. "Did someone really blow up the rental car?"
"Yep, and I almost had to sedate your mother afterwards—she was freaking out about you," replied Race smugly.
"It's nice to know that I can leave the two of you alone these days," murmured Jessie. Race grinned as he wrapped an arm around his daughter.
"Jonny!" Benton's voice grabbed Jonny's attention. The older man was hurrying towards the shaded tarp with Estella on his heels. Jonny smiled and allowed his father to wrap him in a hug as Estella did the same to Jessie.
"I'm fine, dad," said Jonny as Benton pulled away to inspect the blonde teen closely. "But I should probably apologize in advance for the jeep. I don't think it'll be coming back in one piece."
"I don't care about any jeep, Jonny, just as long as you're okay."
"I don't know why I let you stay with your father," fussed Estella glaring at Race from atop Jessie's head. "You always seem to be put in dangerous situations when you're with him."
"Here we go again," sighed Jessie.
Race was already speaking. "You think this is my fault? What the hell kind of life is it for our daughter to be out in the middle of the hokey desert digging up some mumbo jumbo with you? At least I give Jessie a little more culture by traveling the world—and I teach her what she needs to know!"
"Martial arts? Reckless driving? You call that an education, Roger Bannon? She's a young woman—not the next Bruce Lee! Jessie needs a proper upbringing—and if you can't keep her safe then I don't think she should stay with you!" shot back Estella.
Jessie took a deep breath before stepping in between her parents. "Time out!" Jessie continued the second Race and Estella stopped their argument. "What happened to letting me decide what's best for me? I'm fine. Shouldn't we be more concerned about exactly why Jonny and I had to embark upon a high speed chase rather than the faults of your parenting?"
Benton chuckled. "She's got you there, Race. What matters now is that our children are safe and in one piece. Race, why don't you and Corbin work together to figure out who's behind the attacks while Estella and I join Grace in studying the Immortal Stone? I believe Hadji and his mother are ready for us now."
"What about me and Jessie?" asked Jonny with a yawn.
"You sit here and don't move until I tell you to," snapped Race.
Jessie looked ready to argue when a female voice called out, "Race!"
All eyes turned in the direction of the voice in surprise. Standing there was a slender woman with glossy black hair swept back in a pony-tail and sparkling green eyes. She was dressed in a grey pantsuit with heels and a thin white shirt beneath her jacket. Despite the fact that her clothing wasn't made for an archaeological dig the woman seemed to fit perfectly. The attention of the male members of the group didn't wane as the woman approached the shaded tarp.
Jessie's eyes clouded over darkly as she recognized the woman. "You've got to be shitting me," she murmured to herself.
Race shook his head and managed to choke out a single word. "Jade?"
A/N: I figured this was a good place to end while I figure out how to formulate the next chapter. I hope this one was pretty good.