QUEST FOR THE LUNATI TREASURE
Episode #5
"Invasion of the Body Snatchers"

Dear Diary,

I'm giving up on you! This has to be the stupidest thing my brother ever agreed with. That headshrinker back in New York thought that keeping this journal would be a constructive way to work on getting back what I've lost. But, despite Bishop's optimism, I'm not confident. It's not like I lost a puppy or a tooth.

My memory's gone. I don't think there's any hope of getting it back. Maybe that's why I find it so easy to go along with whatever Bishop thinks is right. I don't remember a time when I didn't follow his lead. What am I saying—I don't even want to stop following him. I doubt I could survive without my brother, especially with my folks gone.

There we go…off on a tangent again. That's why I don't get this whole journal thing. I'm supposed to write about my thoughts and review it to make sure I've got no more memory loss, but I never write about me. It's always about someone else. But since I'm supposed to treat you like a buddy, I'll let you in on a secret: I don't want to write about me.

In fact, I don't want to write anymore. It's too much. Whenever I try to recollect even my most recent struggles, it bothers me. It's always a fight here or spying there. It's stressful for sure, but it doesn't tax my fragile mind. I'm actually more worried about Bishop than anything else. I always get this terrible feeling from the pit of my stomach to the top of my head whenever I see him walking into trouble, no matter how much I follow him right into it.

I get that feeling a lot these days.

Ten minutes later Addie Malcolm found herself walking through a winding cavern, heading towards the main area of the massive cave. At her side, her brother was glancing at her every few seconds. Something was on his mind.

"What?" Addie asked, finally, as she could feel his eyes veering towards her again.

"Nothing," Bishop responded quickly, as they turned another sharp corner. "I was just wondering how the journal thing was coming."

"The diary is pointless and useless," Addie said, with a huff. "I'm only doing it because you asked me to."

"That's good enough for me," Bishop said, with a slight smile. "Thank you."

"I'd much rather be doing something more pro-active," Addie said, "I hate just sitting there trying to find things to write about."

"Wow," Bishop smirked, "I thought fighting with Hartford's losers would have taken care of that."

Addie smiled a bit, as they reached the main cavern. They stopped right outside, as they peeked in. Tarok's back was to them, as he stood in front of his large stone altar on the far side of the cavern. He had the Lunati crown on his head, with his arms outstretched. Bishop & Addie watched intently.

Addie looked troubled. She had expected a more…active response from the relic, especially once it was back in the Lunati king's possession. She glanced over at her brother, whose eyes were locked on Tarok's white robes. She saw his hand resting on the cave wall, forming a fist. He wasn't happy with what he saw, she knew.

"Spying on an ally isn't very noble," Tarok spoke, catching both of them off-guard. "Enter."

Bishop and Addie exchanged serious looks. Tarok's mystical powers had ceased to surprise them. He could somehow sense their present whenever they least expected him to. They walked into the cavern, as Tarok removed the crown from his head and turned to them. The Malcolm siblings had never seen Tarok without his large hat before.

His head was completely devoid of hair. The white painted streaks that traveled down the middle of his eyes extended back over his skull and down his back. He glanced at the crown closely and then back at his visitors.

"Is everything all right?" Bishop asked, wanting to know the truth about Tarok's lack of power over the crown.

"The crown is flawed," Tarok revealed.

"Flawed?" Addie asked curiously, "What do you mean?"

Holding the crown tightly in one hand, Tarok used his ungloved hand to point to the very front of the crown. Bishop & Addie looked closer at the treasure. Addie immediately noticed a small imprint on the crown. It was almost like something was missing.

"The crown jewel is gone," Tarok said, his voice practically gasping. "Without it, the crown's individual power is null."

"Looks like there's an extra piece of the Lunati treasure we need to find then," Bishop announced.

Tarok nodded, as he placed the crown on his altar, turning his back on the Malcolms once again. He reached for his usual headgear, which he had rested on the altar. He placed the tall hat over his bare skull as he shook his head.

"I felt a strong presence recently," Tarok said, "The crown was deceiving. I wonder if this presence was as well."

"You think another piece of the treasure is close by?" Bishop wondered.

Tarok turned to them and nodded. Addie glanced nervously at Bishop.

"We did pick up tracker signals from Jessica & Chris yesterday," Addie said to Bishop. "You don't think they—"

"What?!" Tarok exclaimed, staring a whole through Bishop. "You picked up their tracking signals and you didn't tell me?"

"It was only for about five minutes—ten minutes tops," Bishop reasoned.

"Where?" Tarok yelled.

Bishop sighed, as he glanced at Addie, then back at Tarok.

"The Amazon," Bishop revealed.

Tarok turned away from them again. Bishop gave Addie an angry look, which seemed to draw a surprised look from her. She didn't know they were keeping secrets but Bishop had made it obvious that she had done something wrong.

"They may have another piece of the treasure," Tarok surmised. "We must find out."

"Look, if they have the treasure then we know where it is. We'll just storm the mansion again and—"

"No!" Tarok yelled, "Your tactics will help no one. They are already being more cautious because they know you're monitoring their tracker signals. We need to be more…discrete."

"Agreed," Bishop said.

"We need our own eyes and ears inside of their sanctuary," Tarok explained. "I know the perfect host."

"Host?" Bishop asked, curiously.

Tarok smiled, as he nodded his head and pointed at Addie.

"She will be our eyes and ears."

"Me?" Addie said, looking surprised. "I don't understand."

"You will infiltrate the Hartford estate and find the answers we need."

"No!" Bishop said quickly, as he stepped a bit in front of his sister. "Send me. I've got more experience."

"This will be a very delicate plan," Tarok said, his voice almost wheezing. "It will need a woman's touch."

After a moment of silence passed between them, Addie smiled.

"I'll do it!" she volunteered.

"Addie, no," Bishop retorted.

"I want to do this, Bish," Addie said, with a smile. "Don't try to stop me. I'm going."

She glanced at Tarok, avoiding his eyes directly, as she always did.

"What do I have to do?"

Tarok chuckled, happy to hear her agreement. Bishop, however, was fuming.

As Jessica let out a happy sigh, she descended the large white staircase of the Hartford mansion, heading for the door. As her feet approached the last few steps, she heard the sound of a televised crowd roaring. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs, shaking her head as she saw Chris Hartford reclined in his leather chair, chomping on potato chips, with his eyes glued to the screen. Her chuckle seemed to draw his attention.

Chris stood up and walked over to her. As he glanced down at her buttoned white blouse and blue jean miniskirt, he smiled.

"That's quite an outfit for tracking relics," he said, wiping a few errant crumbs from his mouth.

"Oh please," Jessica replied. "I've got the day off."

"Well, hallelujah," Chris said, still grinning. "The tyrant gave you a day off…and all you had to do was almost die in the jungle."

"Chris, don't start," Jessica said.

"So, what's the plan?"

"Well, my plan is to take a relaxing drive to this secluded park I know," Jessica said, as she reached into the white mesh bag she had over here shoulder. "Where I will take in the fresh air and finally get a chance to finish my book."

She removed a black eyeglass case and the novel from the large bag. Jessica opened the case and took out her prescription sunglasses. Chris glanced at the title of the book as she placed it under her arm.

"Dante's Inferno," Chris read, with a sigh. "How exciting," he added, sarcastically.

"I'm not going to debate the merits of literature with you so why don't you go back to your sports and finish snacking all day," Jessica replied, with a smirk.

"Hey, I'll have you know that I have a full day of my own planned and it includes exercise," Chris said, "I gotta keep myself in shape for when I get back to school."

"A game of Guitar Hero doesn't count," Jessica retorted.

"Ha ha," Chris said, faking a laugh. "Very funny."

"What about mental stimulation?" Jessica said.

"I can get that anywhere," Chris said, "I don't need a long, boring book to get my cranial juices flowing."

As the two exchanged annoyed looks with one another, they didn't notice Spencer Kingston enter from the dining room, having heard their conversation.

"Don't listen to him, Ms. Lorrie," Spencer said, "The last thing I saw him reading involved graphic female nudity."

"And it would have been very stimulating if you hadn't interrupted me," Chris said, frowning.

"All right," Jessica said, putting up an objecting hand, "I don't want to hear anymore."

"Enjoy your day out, Ms. Lorrie," Spencer said with a smile, "There's nothing like relaxing in peace and quiet."

At that moment, the sound of a loud bell was heard coming from the rear of the mansion, followed by Dr. Ian Hartford's screaming voice.

"Spencer! Spencer! I need my medication!"

Spencer let out a deep sigh, as he glanced back at Jessica.

"I wish I was going with you," he said sadly, as he headed back towards the guest bedroom.

Jessica smiled, as she waved to him. She cut her eyes at Chris as she headed for the door.

"Have a good day," Chris yelled after her, with a large smile. "Although, I know you won't be gone long. You love the insanity of this place. Admit it!"

"Whatever," Jessica said, rolling her eyes and closing the large wooden door behind her, as she put on her sunglasses.

Jessica gripped the steering wheel of her silver jaguar convertible a little softer than she usually did. It felt good not to be in a hurry to get anywhere, she thought. She adjusted her sunglasses in the face of the on-coming wind that succeeded in tossing her hair in every direction possible. She didn't care. She was free for the day and felt nothing was going to stop her from enjoying it.

She reached over turning up the volume on the radio.

Well my heart knows me better than I know myself
So I'm gonna let it do all the talking.
I came across a place in the middle of nowhere
With a big black horse and a cherry tree.

As Jessica nodded her head to the beat, she could hear static invading the radio signal. She frowned a bit, as she reached over to try to adjust the frequency, only for the static to increase.

Then, she heard a distant thunder clap. She glanced around, seeing nothing but the bright sun beaming down on her.

"Please don't start storming," she said, as she contemplated pulling over to put the top up.

She heard another clap of thunder, this time louder than the last, even though there was no cloud in the sky. Moments later, an electromagnetic surge traveled through her automobile, catching it like a spider's web, stopping it instantly and paralyzing its driver. As Jessica shook under the strain of the electrical surge pulsing through her body, she saw the source of the surge descending in front of her car.

Tarok came to a halt a few feet off the ground. With his left gloved hand focused directly on Jessica and her car, he controlled every aspect of them.

Several feet away from the vehicle, Bishop & Addie Malcolm watched from behind a large tree on the secluded road.

"Addie," Tarok's voice seemed to float on the wind, as if it was telepathically dropped into the siblings' heads.

Addie took a deep breath and moved from behind the tree, only to feel her arm grabbed by her brother.

"You don't have to do this," Bishop said.

Addie stared at him for a moment and then pulled her arm from his grasp. She walked over to Tarok, who crossed his ungloved right hand over his left, pointing it towards Addie. As she saw his eyes begin to glow, another surge of energy escaped his palm, engulfing her body.

Bishop stepped closer to the action, watching intently and feeling worse each moment that Tarok had his sister in his grasp.

"Addie," Bishop said under his breath.

After a few more seconds, Tarok released his grip on both females, causing them to both go limp. Still in the driver's seat, Jessica fell over. Addie's body also collapsed, but her brother was there just in time to catch her before head could hit the ground.

"Addie," he called out to her, "Addie, are you all right?"

"I'm fine."

Bishop looked stunned, as he heard the response. It wasn't coming from the body in his arms and it certainly wasn't his sister's voice. He looked up to see Jessica had emerged from her vehicle and was standing with Tarok a few feet away.

"What?" Bishop muttered.

"Somehow, he switched our bodies," Addie spoke from within Jessica.

She couldn't help but touch and feel herself, realizing that her voice no longer sounded like her own, but she also wasn't utilizing Jessica's English accent either.

"So if you're in Jessica's body, then that means…" Bishop's voice trailed off as he glanced down at his sister's unconscious face, knowing that it wasn't her on the inside.

"You know your mission," Tarok spoke to Addie. "You will find out if the Hartfords have located another piece of the treasure and report your findings."

Addie nodded, as she walked back over to the jaguar, sliding inside and closing the door. She glanced out the front window as Tarok's electrical pulse engulfed him, Bishop and her body, causing them to teleport away instantly.

Addie took a deep breath and retrieved Jessica's sunglasses, which had fallen from her face after the transfer. She placed them over her eyes and smiled.

"Let's get this show on the road," Addie said, as she made a U-turn and headed back in the direction Jessica came from.

As she heard the radio come back on, perfectly normal, she winced at Jessica's music choice. Her hand instinctively began searching the dial for something better.

Cause it's Zero to Sixty in three point five
Baby you got the keys
Now shut up and drive…drive…drive

Addie grinned as she pressed her foot down on the gas pedal, speeding up towards her destination.

A half-hour after Jessica's departure, Addie entered the front door of the Hartford mansion, pocketing the keys, which she had taken from Jessica's bag. She glanced around, seeing no signs of life. The television in the living room was off and she didn't hear any approaching footsteps.

"Anybody home—" Addie said, before catching herself.

She focused, as she realized she was still speaking in her normal American tone. She forced herself to fake an English accent to mimic Jessica.

"Anybody home?" she said, this time with a smile, having accomplished her task.

She heard no response, which pleased her. After all, she hadn't really yelled her request. She walked slowly towards the rear of the first floor, making sure that Jessica's sandals didn't make any noise on the hardwood flooring of the mansion. As she approached Ian Hartford's office, she noticed the door was ajar. She moved close enough to hear Ian and Spencer talking inside.

"It's perfectly safe, sir," she heard Spencer say. "Ms. Lorrie has mastered the containment hardware. That box cannot be opened without her code. You should really get back to bed. You need your rest."

"Spencer, I just want to make sure," Ian said, as his fingers typed on his computer. "Jessica's gone for the day and having the chalice in the basement…I can't help thinking about the crown we already lost."

Addie's jaw dropped a bit as she realized Hartford's crew had indeed located another Lunati relic. She turned away from the cracked door, pondering the words she had just heard. Addie never heard Spencer's approach on the other side of the door. She jumped a bit as she heard it open.

"Oh, Ms. Lorrie," Spencer said, upon seeing her. "Back so soon?"

"I got a bit…tired," Addie said, covering. "So I decided to cut my day short."

"All right," Spencer said, "Dr. Hartford's intent on working even if you aren't. You can go in and see him if you like."

"Uh…no, that's okay," Addie said, as she walked towards the staircase and began making her way up them.

Spencer looked a bit surprised that she would refuse, but he shrugged it off and headed towards the kitchen.

When Addie made her way to the third floor she walked quickly to Jessica's room, closing the door and locking it behind her. She rummaged through Jessica's bag until she located her tracker. She slid the device open and dialed her brother.

"Addie, is that you?" she heard him respond.

"Yeah. Listen to me. Tarok was right. They found the Lunati chalice," Addie revealed, as she discarded Jessica's accent again. "It's in some kind of containment box thingy in the basement. Jessica has the code!"

"All right," Bishop said, "Tarok still has her unconscious. Can't you just get Hartford to tell you the code?"

"No," Addie said quickly. "I—I don't—I'd rather not talk to him."

"What's wrong? You okay?" Bishop asked, as his serious tone switched to one of concern.

"Yeah," Addie said, with a sigh as she glanced around Jessica's room.

"Well don't get too comfortable," Bishop said.

"Don't worry," Addie said, "I'll be in touch."

Addie ended the call and sat down on Jessica's bed. She moaned happily at the softness of the comforter and mattress. She dropped her body back fully on the bed, closing her eyes. Before she knew it, Addie was fast asleep.

As Jessica began to regain consciousness, she felt completely disoriented. The first thing she noticed, before she had even opened her eyes was that her wrists were in serious pain. As she finally opened her eyes, she was startled at what she saw in front of her. A large gray cave wall was staring her in the face from several feet away. She immediately began to jerk her standing body around, realizing that her arms were chained at the wrists to the rock wall behind her.

As she looked at her chained wrist she saw something that shocked her even more. Her wrists, her skin was much darker than it should have been. As she looked down at her body and saw her very tan legs, she knew something was definitely wrong. Her ankles were also shackled. A look of panic came across her face.

The short khaki shorts she was wearing weren't hers. The short-sleeved white cotton t-shirt with the yellow floral print wasn't hers. This body wasn't hers.

Jessica screamed.

As she tried to break free of her restraints, she heard someone running towards the cavern where she was being held. She stared at the entranceway as she saw Bishop Malcolm enter.

"So, you're awake," he said.

"What have you done to me?!" Jessica shouted, realizing that her voice had also changed to match Addie Malcolm's. Her accent, however, still dominated every syllable.

"Calm down," Bishop said, nonchalantly.

"Take this chains off me right now—" Jessica argued, but was cut off by the newest arrival to the area.

"You do not give the orders here," Tarok said, his voice scratchy and low.

He spoke as if every breath he took caused a sharpened blade to pierce his lungs. He walked right up to the trapped Pink Ranger.

"Why have you done this to me?" Jessica said, her voice much lower and less frantic than before.

"You have information that I need," Tarok said, as he turned his back on her and walked over to Bishop, before turning to face her again. "We know you have the chalice...my chalice. You are going to tell us how to retrieve it."

"No, I'm not," Jessica said, "So let me out of here, now."

Tarok began to laugh, which to any normal human sounded like he was attempting to cough up his voice box. His chuckle, however, soon disappeared, as his face turned to one of pure anger. He raised his gloved hand to Jessica and sent a surge of blue electrical energy through her body, causing her to scream out once again.

Bishop appeared more shocked than Jessica and immediately swatted Tarok's hand away from his sister's body. Tarok's eyes grew wide, as he cast them down on his hunter.

"What are you doing?" Tarok yelled.

"You're hurting her!" Bishop said, angrily.

As Jessica began to regain her senses from the attack, she watched their exchange.

"That was the point," Tarok revealed. "If she will not tell me what I need to know, then I will force it out of her!"

"No," Bishop countered. "That is Addie's body. You can't destroy it."

Tarok began to laugh again.

"This is merely a shell," Tarok said, "Your sister's essence is not here, yet you still care for it. It is a weakness."

Tarok began to slowly walk towards the archway of the small cavern. He turned back to Bishop, as he pointed a finger at Jessica.

"You will extract the information I need. If you do not, then I will do it my way and it will not be pleasant."

Tarok shot Jessica a look of fury, before disappearing into the winding passages outside of the cavern. Bishop stormed over to Jessica, now full of his own anger.

"If you wanna live, you better start talking," Bishop said.

He stared into the eyes of his sister, but as he did so, he could truly tell that she didn't reside behind those eyes anymore and that scared him.

As Addie Malcolm turned over on the plush down comforter, she realized she had fallen asleep. She jumped up on Jessica's bed and groaned, as she glanced at Jessica's watch, realizing that almost an hour had gone by. She wiped her eyes, as she made her way to Jessica's bathroom.

She splashed cold water on her face and as she raised her head, she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror. She looked away immediately and dried her hands and face. She took a deep breath and emerged from Jessica's bedroom.

While she tried to keep her eyes ahead, something in her couldn't resist the urge to glance to her right. At the end of the hall, past Jessica's bedroom were two other doors. Even though she told herself not to do it, Addie walked slowly towards them until she reached the last door. She could feel her heart beating a little faster as her hand touched the metal doorknob.

As she opened the door a rush of memories poured into her mind. It wasn't too surprising, given the fact that the only memories she had to look back on were from the last five years.

Addie walked inside and as she heard her sandals press down on the wooden floors, the sound of the creaking wood brought it all back to her. She remembered the first time she had stepped inside that room.

"Don't get too comfortable," Bishop said, as he peeked into the room from the adjoining bathroom, which connected their quarters.

"How can I not?" Addie said, excitedly. "Look at all this space. Dr. Hartford said we could design it anyway we want."

"He said we could make it like home," Bishop said, seriously, as he walked over to his sister. "It's not home, Addie."

"That doesn't mean it can't be," Addie said, under her breath.

"Hartford talks a big game," Bishop said, as he pushed the door to Addie's room, closing it completely. "But he's only rolling out the red carpet because he needs us."

"He didn't have to invite us to stay here," Addie said, "But he did. I'm going to make the best of it. Besides, it's kinda nice to be in a real place, with a real bed."

"Yeah, I guess," Bishop grumbled, as he walked back through the bathroom, going back to his room.

A happy Addie took a deep breath and twirled herself around the room, as the sun beamed in the window.

Addie shook her head, pushing the memory from her mind. She closed the door quickly, as she winced, realizing she had indeed lost focus. As she walked away from the doorway, she was startled when she saw Chris Hartford emerge from the gym, which was sandwiched between his and Jessica's bedrooms.

She tried to stay composed, as she saw Chris. He was sweating heavily in a white wifebeater and gray shorts. As he caught sight of her, he continued wiping the sweat dripping from his face, with the white towel around his neck.

"Hey, you look rested," Chris called out to her. "Have fun?"

"I guess," Addie said, as she walked towards Jessica's room, opening the door.

"You okay?" Chris asked, looking a bit concerned.

Addie turned and glanced back at him again. As she took in the view, she smiled.

"Yeah. I'm perfect," she said, grinning slyly. "Would you mind coming in here for a second?"

She opened the door to Jessica's bedroom and stood just inside.

"I was about to grab a shower," Chris said, as he followed her in. "What's up?"

"I was just listening to some music," Addie said, slightly stammering, as she looked around for Jessica's stereo. "There this song I wanted you to hear."

As she scanned the CD inside the stereo, she was left a big confused. She had no idea who Joss Stone was or what kind of music was on that disc, but it was her only option at the moment, so she began to skip along the tracks, as she heard only a few seconds of each. That was enough to let her know it wouldn't help in this situation. But, as she scanned, she found one that she thought would have to do.

As the dance beat began to fill the room, Addie couldn't help but move to the beat. Chris watched, standing by the door.

I guess I'm picky with love
Well baby I give it up. It's you I choose
And don't keep me waiting
This girl's got things she needs to do
Oh if I was blind, you'd help me see
If I lost my mind, you'd find it for me
Speak on it babe tell me what do you need
Because all I need is you to love me baby
Put your hands on me baby
Put your hands on me baby

As the song continued, a feeling of shock crept into Chris' mind. He saw Jessica's moves. She was being...sexy. That caught him off-guard as she was coming towards him, making him even more nervous.

"So what do you think?" Addie asked, as she began grinding up against him.

"I think...I don't know what you want me to think," Chris said, trying to prevent his own stammering.

Addie used one hand to shut her door completely, as Chris backed up against it. She brought her lips up to his, kissing him. As she turned her back on him and continued to dance up against him, Chris took a deep breath.

"Jess, I don't...I mean I—"

Addie turned quickly, hating that he was calling her Jessica. She put a finger up to his mouth, preventing him from talking. She continued to move to the beat, as she used her other hand to rub Chris' arm and chest.

"Tell me something hot!" she whispered to him, as she moved her finger from his lips, kissing him again.

"Uh...like what?" Chris asked, still sweating, although his workout had ended long ago.

"You know what would really drive me wild is for you to take control!" Addie said, giving him a naughty look. "I hate doing everything, knowing everything. What do you know?"

Chris looked a bit confused, but was still enjoying her exploration of his body with her hands and dance.

"I don't know what you mean?"

"Ohhh," Addie moaned. "Tell me something that I'd know, but you know."

"Like—like what?"

"Oh, I don't know," Addie replied, as she began to get frustrated. "What's the code for the lock box with the chalice in it?"

As she began to kiss his neck, Chris chuckled a bit, partially because he was ticklish around the neck and partially because he didn't know the answer.

"How would I know?"

"What?" Addie said, as she stopped touching him completely. "You don't know?"

She was seemingly panting, as much as he was. As if on cue, the song stopped as well.

"You never told me," Chris said, looking surprised that she didn't know that. "Are you sure you're all right? You're being kinda weird."

"I'm fine!" Addie said, angrily.

"Jessica, listen I don't know why you did—"

"Shut up," Addie said, groaning. "Just...just go."

"Are you sure you're all right. I mean it was getting pretty hot there and—"

"Go!" Addie said, as she shuffled Chris out of her room and closed the door behind him, locking it.

She let out an angry groan as she slammed her back against the door. Addie was surely upset. She was haunted by memories of the mansion. She hadn't gotten what she needed. She wouldn't have minded continuing, but Chris didn't have the code...and she wasn't in her own body. She closed her eyes, wishing more than anything that she was back where she belonged.

Back inside Addie's cave dwelling, Jessica Lorrie was still chained to the rock wall, stuck inside Addie's body. She shook her head as she saw the two gray Karths standing at the entrance to the cavern. She thought back to how she ended up in this mess. Tarok's power was so strong, she thought, as she remembered seeing him in front of her car before she was knocked out.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Bishop Malcolm. This time he was carrying a bottle of water. He walked over to her.

"Open up," he said, as he began pouring the water into her mouth.

Once Jessica had gotten enough to actually drink, she filled her mouth with more as he pulled the bottle away. She spit a stream right into his face.

Bishop shouted in annoyance, as he wiped his face.

"I swear if you weren't in Addie's body—"

"You'd what? Hurt me? You haven't been too good at that lately," she retorted.

Bishop shook his head. "Don't get cocky just cuz you got a new playmate."

"At least Chris doesn't run away from his commitments," Jessica shot back.

"Oh please," Bishop said. "Hartford wanted to use us just as much as Tarok, so what's the difference? Actually, I'll tell you the difference. The payoff."

"What?" Jessica said, looking confused. "Dr. Hartford paid you very well."

"Pay isn't always about money," Bishop said. "Tarok offered us what Hartford wouldn't."

"What's that?" Jessica asked.

Bishop shook his head, as he looked away from her.

"Come on, Bishop," Jessica pried. "You might as well tell me."

"Let's just say that the Lunati treasure is more powerful than I ever imagined and locking it up in Hartford's dusty historical society museum is the true crime, especially when it can do so much," Bishop said. "Tarok knows exactly how to use it."

"And you really think he's going to give you some of that power if he gets his hands on it?" Jessica said, looking completely unbelieving. "He must really have you under a spell."

"There's no magic keeping me or Addie here," Bishop said, as he walked closer to her. "We're going to get back what was taken from us and we don't care how we do it. So, you better start talking if you want to get out of this alive."

Jessica smiled.

"You don't really think I'm stupid do you?" Jessica said, "There's no way you're going to let Tarok hurt me as long as I'm in your precious sister's body. In this case, I can't think of a safer place to be in the world."

She laid her head back and sighed.

"This body is starting to feel pretty good," she said, as she grinned at Bishop.

Bishop yelled in anger, as he threw the bottle of water across the cave and stormed out of the cavern.

The next morning, Chris Hartford jogged down the staircase of the Hartford mansion, heading for the kitchen, where he found Spencer hard at work on breakfast.

"Wow," Chris said, as he glanced at the spread. "French toast, scrambled eggs, fresh grapefruit and bacon. And, I was just planning to grab a bowl of cereal."

"Good morning, Master Chris," Spencer greeted him, before his glance turned to one of concern. "Have you seen Ms. Lorrie this morning?"

"What do you mean?" Chris said, appearing nervous, as his mind went back to his last encounter with her. "Is she not up?"

Spencer nodded towards the coffeepot, which still had three empty cups in front of it. Chris walked over, picking up Jessica's.

"It's not like her to sleep in," Spencer said.

"She's been doing a lot of stuff that's not like her lately," Chris said with a sigh, as he put her cup down and grabbed his own, filling it with coffee.

"What do you mean?" Spencer wondered.

"It's just...yesterday she was acting strange," Chris explained. "I mean, she was coming on to me."

In the middle of cutting a grapefruit, Spencer's shock caused the knife to slip out of his hand and fall to the floor.

"She what?!" Spencer said, loudly. "Tell me this is another one of your jokes."

"Not joking," Chris said, putting his hands up in honesty. "I mean, she called me into her room and—"

"You didn't!"

"I didn't do anything," Chris said. "It was her. It was all her. I swear sometimes I don't understand women. One minute they say they're not interested—."

"Why would she be?" Spencer added.

"Hey!" Chris yelled in annoyance.

"No offense Master Chris," Spencer said.

"Anyway," Chris said, still annoyed. "Yesterday, she was all over me. I don't even know what to think."

"Would you like me to talk to her for you, sir?" Spencer asked, as he loaded Dr. Hartford's breakfast onto a serving tray.

"No!" Chris said. "I don't need my butler talking to women for me. I can take care of myself."

Spencer raised an eyebrow, as he continued to load the food onto Dr. Hartford's tray. Once every last bit of it was gone from the counter, he picked up the tray, surprising Chris.

"Hey, where are you going with all of that?" Chris asked, looking upset.

"Last I heard, you could take care of yourself," Spencer said, sarcastically. "The cereal's in the cabinet."

He exited the kitchen, leaving Chris behind, with nothing but coffee, shaking his head.

Addie Malcolm woke up once again on a hard surface. As she rubbed her eyes and opened them, she found familiarity. The cold, gray cave walls were comforting, especially now. As she looked at her hands, she smiled. She was back where she belonged. She stood up, leaving her homemade pallet behind. She looked around, but didn't spot her brother anywhere. He usually woke before she did.

She stepped outside of their cavern into the passageway, but the moment she did, she was no longer in the cave. She looked around and found herself back inside the Hartford mansion, in the room that had been given to her by Ian Hartford, just as she heard knocking at the door.

She whipped her body around as the door cracked and she saw the blond walk in. She watched Jessica Lorrie adjust her glasses, smiling at her.

"I just wanted to check on you. Everything all right?" she asked Jessica.

Addie shook her head frantically. She couldn't be back to her first day in the mansion again. She pushed past Jessica, just as she turned into an exact duplicate of herself.

"Addie, where are you going?"

Addie turned back to see Jessica transform into an exact duplicate of herself. Addie's eyes grew wide as she ran towards the staircase, practically bumping into Chris Hartford who was coming up them. He caught Addie in his arms.

"Hey, beautiful," Chris said, with a wink.

Addie struggled to break free of his grip, but she couldn't. When he finally let go, she went flying down the staircase, screaming in pain. Each hard thud that her body experienced hurt worse than the last. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she couldn't feel any part of her body. The only thing she seemed aware of was her brother's screams.

"Addie! Addie, wake up!" Bishop yelled through his tears and gritted teeth of anger. "Please...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please, just wake up. Mom! Dad!"

Addie could hear him, but she couldn't move. She couldn't wake up. The cave had come falling down around her. She was all alone until he saved her. It was then that she realized she was reliving a moment from five years ago. It was her rebirth in those ruins, but it had become part of her nightmare.

"Wake up!" Spencer yelled, as he shook her shoulder.

Addie jumped up in Jessica's bed inside the Hartford mansion, knocked from her dream by Spencer Kingston. She looked up at him, disoriented and troubled.

"What are you doing in here?" she asked, pulling the covers up close to her.

"I was worried. You've been sleeping so long," Spencer said. "It's not like you. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine!" Addie yelled. "Just get out!"

Spencer looked completely dumbfounded, as he left Jessica alone. But as he left, he wondered if that truly was the Jessica he knew.

Addie got out of bed and soon found herself in the bathroom. As she looked into the mirror, she found herself still trying to catch her breath from the vivid dream she had just had. As she looked into eyes that weren't her own, she could feel her whole body tensing up even more.

She looked down at the vanity table next to the sink. She hadn't been in the presence of make-up in a long time. She sat down and picked up the lipstick. Addie removed the cap and examined the beautiful shade of red. She smiled. She looked back into the mirror, unable to stop herself from just trying it out. But, just as she was about to rub the lipstick onto her face, she realized it wasn't her face. It would never be her face. As she stared into her eyes, she looked for some sign of Addie Malcolm.

As the emotion swelled inside of her, she walked back over to the vanity table and knocked every cosmetic off of it. Attempting to hold back tears, she walked quickly over to the shower stall and turned on the hot water, knowing it would mask any sounds she was about to make. She walked out of the bathroom and back over to Jessica's bed, grabbing the Pink Ranger's tracker, which she had hidden underneath her pillow.

Addie went back to the bathroom, closing the door and dialing her brother again.

"Bishop, are you there?" she called out, loathing every sound of the voice that wasn't hers. "Bishop!"

"Yeah, Addie," he finally responded. "How's it going?"

"Terrible," she said, her voice low and angry. "I can't do this anymore."

"What? What's wrong?"

"I just can't—I can't be like this. I need to get out of here," Addie said, partially pleading, hoping he would absolve her of this mission.

"Addie, you've got a job to do. Just hold yourself together. It's not that bad."

"What about the code?" Addie asked. "Did Jessica tell you?"

"No, she's holding her ground," Bishop said. "Tarok wants to use force, but that would hurt your body and I'm not gonna let that happen."

"Well, I guess it's time to take some drastic action," Addie said angrily, cutting the transmission.

She stared into the mirror once again, as the steam from the shower began to mask her reflection.

Jessica groaned, still in pain, after having to stand up the entire night. She felt so fatigued that she knew she would never make it out of that cave herself, even if she were freed from captivity. She glanced over at the two Karths guarding the entrance to her cavern. They were speaking gibberish, just as Bishop Malcolm came storming past, pushing them both away so hard that they both collided with the rock walls of the passage and collapsed to the ground.

Bishop walked over to Jessica, looking deadly serious.

"You still want to continue this game or are you gonna give me the code?" Bishop asked her.

Jessica struggled to focus her eyes on him, not wanting to appear weak, despite her tired desperation.

"I'm not giving you the code," she said.

"Then I'm sorry," Bishop said.

Jessica narrowed her gaze on him, wondering what his next move was.

"What does that mean?" she asked.

"It means that I can't convince you to see reason," Bishop said, calmly. "But, you don't seem to realize that I'm not the most dangerous threat to your well-being. My sister is desperate. She's determined to make Tarok believe she's useful to him and she's in your body. You know how she feels about you. Besides that, Tarok is ready to scramble your brains to get what he wants. So you're gonna have to decide, if you're ready to die for this secret."

Jessica now found herself fully awake, despite the pain. She stared straight through Bishop and for once she believed what he said. But, she also knew that there was no way she could let Tarok or Addie get that chalice.

Deep inside the Hartford mansion, Addie Malcolm found herself working a keyboard. She was never very computer literate, but she knew enough of the Hartford computer systems to do exactly what she needed to do in the Tracking Lab.

She glanced repeatedly back at the entrance that led to the stairwell leading up to the study. She hadn't heard footsteps and it didn't appear that anyone had even noticed her come down those stairs. Soon, she was closer than ever to her drastic move.

Addie heard the slight click to her left and she smiled. She saw the tracking compass symbol spin and slide out of position, revealing the secure storage unit. She opened it and saw the black and gold box inside. She picked it up and took it over to one of the empty desks. She examined the box, but didn't see any way to open it.

"It doesn't matter," she grumbled to herself. "I'll just take the whole thing."

Addie grabbed the box, placing it under one arm. She headed back towards the Tracking Lab entrance, just as someone was approaching from the other side. As she glanced up into the stocky man's eyes, she saw trouble in them.

"Where are you going with that?" Spencer asked her.

Addie let out a deep sigh.

"Nothing for you to worry about, Spencer. Just move," Addie said, angrily.

"Who are you and what have you done with Ms. Lorrie?" Spencer asked, conveying his own anger.

Addie stared at him for a moment, looking stunned at his insinuation. But then, she smiled.

"You are good," Addie said. "You mean you don't recognize me? I guess I have gotten more fond of yellow."

"Addie?" Spencer said, looking truly stunned. "How—"

"Don't ask any questions," Addie said, cutting him off. "You know I'm not gonna answer. This has been fun, Spencer, but I really need to be going."

"I can't let you leave here with that chalice," Spencer said, standing his ground.

Addie sighed, as she reached behind her back and pulled the red and white hand blaster she had tucked into her belt. It was Jessica's, but as long as she had her tracker, she also had access to her weapons. She pointed the blaster directly at Spencer.

"Wanna rephrase that?" she asked him.

"You don't want to do this, Addie," Spencer tried to reason with her.

"You don't know me," Addie said, wondering if she even really knew herself.

As nerves began to take over her, she decided to change tactics, as she glanced back at the locked containment box and remembered Jessica's reluctance to tell Bishop the code.

"Change of plans," she spoke to Spencer. "You're coming with me. I know someone who's dying for a little reunion...and some incentive to spill her guts."

She nodded towards the rear of the Tracking Lab, motioning for Spencer to start walking that way. With her blaster pointed at his back, Spencer complied, as they walked through the rear chamber, heading for the vehicle holding bays. As Addie directed him to enter the right holding bay, she saw the Silverhawk, which had been partially dismantled and appeared to be undergoing repair.

She pushed Spencer towards the tracking jeep. The topless four-wheel drive vehicle was just what she needed. She pushed Spencer into the driver's seat.

"Let's go," Addie ordered, as Spencer started the engine.

Dr. Ian Hartford sat inside of his office, still analyzing the Lunati chalice. He couldn't help but wonder about the healing capabilities of the chalice. The healing of Chris' injuries after drinking from the ancient cup was undeniable. But drinking from the chalice had not healed Ian's injuries and he was determined to find out why.

As his eyes were focused on the computer terminal in front of him, he couldn't help but hear a roaring engine behind him. He rolled his chair around to glance out the large picture window behind his desk. As he wheeled himself closer, he saw the tracking jeep heading away from the property on the back road behind the mansion. Ian's eyes narrowed as he saw Spencer behind the wheel and Jessica at his side...holding him at gunpoint. When he saw the containment box on her lap, he was even more troubled.

"Chris!" Ian yelled as loud as he could for his son.

Inside Tarok's massive cave dwelling, Jessica found herself once again at the mercy of the ancient Lunati king. As he stared at her, grinning silently, she felt even more fear of what he might do. But, then her eyes veered to Bishop Malcolm standing a few feet behind his leader. He looked at angry and fearful as she did. She knew that meant she still had a chance. Bishop would stop Tarok if he tried to hurt her body.

"Your time is at an end," Tarok said, "So, you will tell me the code I need, now!"

"Or what?" Jessica asked boldly. "You'll electrocute me. Do you really think Addie will be happy about her body being burned to a crisp?"

"Addie Malcolm's happiness is the least of my concern," Tarok said, truthfully, not caring that Bishop's eyes were staring a whole through Tarok's back. "My concern is my legacy, my treasure. It will be fully restored in my hands at any cost. So, you will give me the knowledge that I seek, or I will destroy every ounce of your brain."

"You're a smart girl, Jessica," Bishop spoke up for the first time since Tarok's arrival. "Just tell us the code."

Jessica could feel everything she had worked for all of her life flashing before her eyes. But, she knew that she would be throwing that away no matter what decision she made at this moment. If she betrayed the Hartfords, she would lose her career and that would be the equivalent of losing her life.

"I can't tell you what you want," Jessica said, as she lowered Addie's head.

She heard a grumbling coming from Tarok, as he moved closer to her. He chuckled, as he reached out his ungloved hand and grabbed her chin, lifting it to face him.

"It is more enjoyable to watch a victim suffer," Tarok said, as he smiled.

Jessica's eyes filled with fury, as she stared into his and silence spread in the cavern.

Then, the silence was broken by the sound of Bishop's tracker. He pulled the device from his pocket and activated it.

"Addie?" he said, hoping for good news.

"I'm coming home, big brother. I should be there in a few minutes...and I brought presents," Addie said. "You and Tarok might want to meet me outside."

Bishop smiled, as he could sense his sister's presence, even though her voice was different. Bishop ended the call and looked up at Jessica, just as Tarok's head turned in his direction.

Tarok looked back at Jessica briefly.

"You have been given a reprieve...for now," he said, as he slowly exited the cavern, heading for the exit.

Bishop was right behind him, but stopped for a moment, glaring at the Karths, then at Jessica.

"Watch her!" he ordered, before walking off behind Tarok.

Jessica took a deep breath, knowing she had dodged a bullet. She wasn't too happy that it had come thanks to Addie, but she was willing to take it if it meant she could still figure a way out of her predicament.

"What did you bring him here for?" Bishop asked out of shock when he saw Addie ushering Spencer out of the tracking jeep.

"Leverage," Addie said, as she pushed Spencer towards the entrance to the cave.

Spencer couldn't help but stare at Tarok as he passed him. He had never come face to face with the Lunati man before.

Bishop retrieved the containment box from the jeep, as Tarok walked over to him, eyeing the box.

"It doesn't look very difficult," Tarok said, as he placed his palm on the box and closed his eyes.

"Ritu...Ometu...Siatu," Tarok chanted, as his hand began to glow.

Bishop, Addie & Spencer all watched closely but as Tarok opened his eyes, he realized that his spell did not unlock the box. Tarok's eyes grew wide, as he looked surprised.

Spencer huffed.

"Some powerful king you're turning out to be," Spencer said, under his breath.

Tarok turned on him and approached him quickly, with his palm filling with electrical energy.

"Wait!" Addie yelled, as she stood in front of Spencer, halting Tarok. "Sometimes things are a little simpler than magic. If we want to get that box open, we just have to threaten something Jessica would refuse to sacrifice."

Addie smiled widely, as she glanced up at Spencer.

Several feet away from them, Bishop and Tarok stood...until several laser blasts landed at their feet, sending both of them flying. Bishop dropped the containment box, which landed at Addie's feet. She looked over at the source of the blast and saw the Red Ranger.

"Hartford!" Addie yelled.

"Get them inside," Bishop yelled to his sister, as he pulled his tracker.

As he got to his knees he ripped the tracker on the ground, as he made his way to his feet. He turned to face Chris Hartford who was standing several yards away, still wielding his hand blaster.

Addie grabbed the containment box and with her pistol still pointed at Spencer, she ushered him inside the cave. As Chris attempted to run after them, he was met with the electrical powers of Tarok, who zapped him, causing his body to surge with blue electrical currents. His suit sparked, as he flew backwards away from the cave.

Tarok chuckled, as he moved closer to the Red Ranger.

"You are no match for me, child," Tarok spoke.

Inside the cave, Jessica perked up as she heard the laser blast and knew exactly what type of weapon had caused it. She wanted to smile and as she saw Spencer Kingston come stumbling in, she did.

"Spencer!" she called out.

Spencer's eyes conveyed his joy at seeing her, but his frown showed her that his arrival might do little to help her. He stepped aside, as he walked further in, allowing Jessica to see Addie was right behind him, holding her hand blaster on him, as she carried the containment box.

For a moment, Jessica was stunned once again to watch her own body walking, but not under her control.

"Addie," she grumbled angrily. "What are you doing?"

"Getting the job done," Addie said, as she placed the containment box on the ground near Jessica. "Now, tell me the code to open it."

Jessica nodded her head.

"You know, I try to be a lot more accommodating," Addie said, slyly. "You're not doing my body justice."

"Then take it back!" Jessica shouted.

"Temper, temper," Addie teased, as she moved her blaster to Spencer's neck. "Now, do you feel a little bit more like helping? Tell me the code or I'll shoot him."

"Don't listen to her, Ms. Lorrie," Spencer said, showing no fear. "I doubt she could ever bring herself to truly destroy life."

"Addie, don't do this," Jessica said.

"Tell me!" Addie said.

"Okay," Jessica said, as she locked eyes with Spencer. "The code is pretty simple actually."

"No," Spencer objected. "Don't!"

"All you have to do is turn the box upside down," Jessica explained. "There's a numerical keypad underneath. The code is 4766010282."

"Ms. Lorrie!" Spencer called out, as Addie smiled.

"Now, we're on the same wavelength," Addie said as she knelt down on the ground, pointing her blaster at Spencer with one hand and turning the large containment box with the other.

As her eyes never left the black and gold box, she managed to flip it over with one hand. Once she did so, she saw no numerical keypad. Her eyes shot up back at Jessica, just as the blaster was knocked from her hand by Spencer, who popped her on the back with his closed fist, knocking her down.

"Good shot," Jessica said, as Spencer picked up Jessica's blaster.

"Four years in the Canadian Army has its advantages," Spencer said, knowing he had hit her in just the right spot to knock her out of the way, but not permanently hurt Jessica's body.

Spencer ran over to Jessica, trying to free her from her chains, but was unable to.

"Spencer, the blaster!" Jessica shouted.

"I'm not that good of a shot," he said. "That's why I only spent four years in the army!"

"Not me!" Jessica said, as she nodded her head towards the entranceway. "Them!"

Spencer turned to see the two Karths running in. He focused his attention on them, blasting both with the weapon.

"We don't have time," Jessica said, as she saw Addie beginning to stir on the ground.

"Master Chris is right outside," Spencer revealed.

"Then, take the chalice and go!" Jessica ordered. "They can't do anything if they don't have it."

"But they'll still have you," Spencer said, sadly.

"Just go," Jessica said. "The chalice is more important, Spencer."

Without another word, Spencer grabbed the containment box and rushed out of the cavern, holding the blaster up for protection against any incoming threats.

As he got back to the entrance of the cave, Spencer tried to stay hidden just inside the entrance, as he saw the battle raging between Chris and his tormentors.

Chris was wielding his hand blaster and the power staff. He fired on Tarok just as the Lunati creature sent another shocking surge of energy towards him. His laser blasts managed to deflect Tarok's energy pulse, sending it back at him.

Tarok went flying to the ground, zapped by his own energy. Chris turned his attention back to Bishop as the Black hunter was lunging at him with his turbine crusher. Chris put up the power staff, catching Bishop's weapon before it could make contact. Using his weight, he pushed the Black hunter away and twisted his own body around, swiping at his chest with the power staff. As the three blades at the tip of the javelin-shaped weapon hit Bishop's suit, a barrage of sparks signaled the great damage to him, as he collapsed to the ground.

Chris, however, wasn't ready for Tarok's retaliation. He was once again caught in Tarok's electrical surge, which seemed to paralyze his entire body. Tarok laughed maniacally as he lifted the Red Ranger's body a few feet off the ground, tightening the grasp his energy had on him.

"Prepare to be destroyed, Red Ranger!" Tarok shouted.

Then, Tarok was struck from behind, forcing him to release Chris from his grasp. Tarok and the Red Ranger both crashed to the ground at the same time. As Chris got back to his feet he saw that it was Spencer who had fired on Tarok with Jessica's hand blaster. Chris nodded to his butler, as the elder man smiled back, still holding the chalice.

"Where's Jessica?" Chris shouted.

"Inside," Spencer answered. "I managed to get the chalice away from Ms. Malcolm, but Jessica insisted I leave before freeing her. She's shackled."

"I'll go," Chris said. "Take the jeep and get the chalice back to the house."

Spencer nodded, as he ran towards the jeep.

"I don't think so!" Bishop yelled, catching Chris in the stomach with the turbine crusher.

The Red Ranger flipped over due to the quick strike, as his momentum was moving him forward to fast to stop so quickly. As he hit the ground his suit was smoking with damage. He looked up to see the Black hunter with his weapon pointed right at his head.

"Ahhhh," Addie yelled, as her eyes opened. "Spencer, you're going to pay for that!"

As she looked around, she saw he was gone and so was the chalice. She glared at Jessica, as she got to her feet.

"Looks like the loyal butler left you," Addie sneered. "That's what you get for not being a real Hartford!"

"Spencer's doing his duty," Jessica said. "Protecting the relics was supposed to be yours!"

"You don't really think he'll make it past Tarok and Bishop, do you?" Addie said, managing to grin through the pain in her back thanks to Spencer's clubbing blow.

"I have faith," Jessica said. "What do you have, Addie? You've got nothing! You've lost. You lost your hostage. You lost the chalice. You think Tarok's gonna let that go without punishment."

"Shut up!"

"No!" Jessica said. "What's the matter, Addie? You can't handle the truth when it's coming from an image you trust more than anything else?"

"No!" Addie said, as she shut her eyes, not wanting to look at herself. "You're not me! You don't know me!"

"You're lost. You want answers. I get that, but you're going about it the wrong way," Jessica said.

"You don't know me!" Addie said.

"You're not that hard to figure out," Jessica shot back.

Addie opened her eyes, full of anger and frustration. She lunged at her own body, wrapping her hands around her own neck, causing Jessica to gasp for air.

"You don't know!" Addie yelled. "How can you when I don't know myself!"

Jessica struggled to speak, hoping the sound of her own voice would calm Addie, but she couldn't speak under her intense grip.

At that moment, a powerful glowing energy seemed to travel between both females, causing both of them to scream in pain. Stunned by the power, Addie didn't let go of her own neck until it became too much for her and she collapsed. As Jessica's body fell back to the ground, Addie's head lowered.

Down on the ground, Jessica opened her eyes. She let out a deep breath, gasping for air, as she realized Addie's hands were no longer around her throat. As she touched her neck, she also realized that she was using her own hands. She smiled, as she realized she was back inside of her own body.

She looked confused, as she looked back up at Addie's body, still chained to the wall. Somehow, their minds had been restored to the proper place. Jessica made her way to her feet, still staring at Addie, whose head was still down.

"Addie?" Jessica called out.

Jessica gently tapped her face, until she started to hear groans. Once she saw that Addie had survived the ordeal as well, she ran from the cavern in to the winding passageway.

As she went in the direction she saw Spencer run in, she stopped. She was instantly reminded of another folly from her past.

"The crown," Jessica said, with a smile.

She turned around and began running back into the interior of the cavern, passing the cave where her body was. But, as she got closer to Tarok's cavern, she saw over a dozen Karths coming in her direction.

"Uh oh," she said, as she began running away from them, now finding herself in a chase.

As she reached the cave entrance, she saw Bishop holding Chris at bay with his turbine crusher.

"Hey!" she yelled, getting Bishop's attention.

"Addie?" Bishop spoke aloud.

"Nope!" Jessica shot back.

That was all Chris needed. The Red Ranger swept Bishop off his feet as he made it to his. Jessica picked up the power staff tossing it to her comrade, just as Bishop jumped to his feet going for another blow with his weapon. Chris ducked the turbine crusher's blow and swiped upwards at the Black hunter, sending him flying in a barrage of sparks and smoke.

Jessica joined Chris at his side, just as they heard Spencer's voice coming from behind them.

"I suggest you hop in," Spencer said, as he saw the horde of Karths running out of the cave and Tarok beginning to stir.

The two jumped into the jeep, as Spencer sped off behind the wheel.

"I'm so sorry," Jessica spoke somberly to the three men inside of Dr. Hartford's office.

"Are you kidding?" Ian said. "None of this was your fault."

"He's right, Ms. Lorrie," Spencer said, as he put a comforting arm around her. "We're just so happy to have you back...the real you."

"Yeah, Addie was...something else," Chris said, as he sat on his father's desk, glancing out the window and remembering his encounter with her. "I mean...she was no you, but still..."

"Pay him no attention," Spencer said to Jessica. "You handled yourself bravely."

"I still didn't get the crown back," Jessica said. "I was so close."

"We got you back," Ian said. "That's the most important thing."

"Wow," Chris said as he walked over to the trio. "Dad actually caring about something that isn't the Lunati treasure. That's definitely a change."

"Your lives are more important to me than the treasure," Ian said to his son. "All of your lives."

Inside Tarok's cave dwelling, the ancient being paced in front of Addie Malcolm, as her brother frantically worked to free her from her shackles. Once she was free, her body collapsed from the stress of staying in one position for so long.

"You okay?" Bishop asked.

"Yeah, just a little weak I guess," Addie said, as she used one hand to hold her throbbing head.

Bishop grabbed her other hand, helping her to her feet. He held her up, as Tarok stopped his pacing.

"I don't understand," Bishop said. "How did you switch back?"

"I don't know," Addie said. "Jessica and I were arguing and I grabbed her...I guess touching our bodies together did it."

She looked up at Tarok, who had his back to them. He looked troubled as he heard Addie's explanation. Then he turned to them, changing his facial expression quickly, not sharing it with his minions.

"I'm ready to accept my punishment," Addie said to Tarok.

"No," Bishop said, his voice low. "You tried your best."

"There will be no punishment," Tarok said, his voice calm and reserved. "I need both of you if I wish to secure the rest of my treasure. I have the crown and I fully intend to have the other five pieces, all in due time. It is you two who will help me accomplish that."

Tarok smiled, as he stared at both of them. But, deep down Tarok was thinking not only of the Lunati treasure at that moment. He was thinking about power. His spell on Jessica & Addie should not have been broken by their simple touch. There was more at work here than that. As his eyes narrowed on Addie, he sensed something deep within her. As Bishop helped his sister out of the cavern, Tarok was left alone. He smiled widely. It was hidden, deep within her soul but he could feel it. It was intense. It was pure power.

THE END

Next time on

Quest for the Lunati Treasure
The stability of Dark Shadow is threatened when
Miko gets a taste of power. Taiyami seizes the opportunity
to take control of the faction, which could leave Evan on
the outs. Chris gets involved, despite Ian's orders not to.