QUEST FOR THE LUNATI TREASURE
Episode #11
"Gladiator"
The smoke seemed to grow all around her by the second. She continued to run, despite being unable to see very far ahead of herself. The girl was lucky she knew her surroundings well. As the heat around her intensified, so did her fear. She couldn't see him, but she could sense his presence. He was after her.
Sienna Garza ran as fast as she could, but it appeared almost like she was running in circles. As the walls buckled around her, she knew the apartment wouldn't last much longer. She had to find escape and with the hunter on her tail, she didn't have much time. She continued on her way, flailing her arms, attempting to wipe away the smoke that blocked her path.
She didn't see him standing before her. Sienna ran directly into his waiting arms. As the smoke cleared a bit she looked up into his eyes. Her fear was trapped inside her own pupils as she locked eyes with him. She practically collapsed, panting desperately. As she opened her mouth she wasn't sure she would scream or cough from the smoke billowing around them.
"Help me," she begged. "Please. He's after me."
When she got no response from him, she looked back up into her brother's eyes. Stephen Garza stared at his sister, just as a wall collapsed only feet away from them, causing her to jump in fear.
"Stephen!" she shouted. "Get me out of here, please! He's getting closer."
As if on cue, the sound of Barbus howling invaded the area. Sienna clutched her brother even tighter, as she turned in the direction of the sound, but saw only smoke.
"He's coming," she said, amidst her flowing tears.
Sienna looked back into her brother's eyes just as he smiled. A look of confusion appeared on her face. Sienna instinctively backed away from him. Her eyes grew wide as she saw him wielding a knife, which he was raising above his head, still focused on her. Within a second, the blade was thrust down into her chest.
"Noooo!"
In that moment, Stephen Garza jerked free of his nightmare. Struggling to catch his breath, he sat up on the couch, trying to take deeper breaths. He looked down at the gray t-shirt he wore. It was stained with sweat in several places, much like his forehead. As he closed his eyes slightly, he couldn't shake the image of his sister's desperate struggle to live.
As Garza's breathing steadied, he looked up at the rear doorway to the living room and saw his superior officer and best friend, Sergeant James Durst watching him. Unlike Garza, he didn't appear unsettled at all. In fact, he looked annoyed.
"Still having trouble sleeping?" Durst asked his comrade.
Garza brought his hands up to his face and rubbed his eyes intensely.
"Did I wake you?" Garza asked, as Durst walked towards the adjacent kitchen inside his home.
"Nah, I was just sleepwalking," Durst said, attempting to smile.
"Sorry," Garza said, knowing his sleeping habits had disturbed Durst on more than one occasion since he took up residence on his couch.
"It's okay," Durst said, as he grabbed himself a glass of water from his refrigerator. "But you really need to consider seeing a psych about this. It's not gonna get any better if you don't get some real help."
Durst exited the kitchen and headed back towards the rear of the house where his bedroom was located.
"I know," Garza said, flatly.
"Try to get some rest," Durst said, before leaving Garza alone once again.
Garza dropped himself back onto the couch and took a deep breath.
"I can't rest until they're all destroyed," Garza said.
It was a quiet vow of hatred that had consumed him.
On the outskirts of Silver City, Tarok strolled triumphantly towards his cavernous home. As he approached the system of caves, he could not hide the smile of pride that he had worn since his departure from Drakar's cave earlier that evening. He had overcome his biggest obstacle and not even his biggest enemies had realized it. They didn't know Seviny the way that he did. If she had remained alive, Tarok knew his hopes of one day holding the ultimate power would have been severely diminished.
Tarok walked into the caves on a direct course with his interior chamber. As his foot crossed the threshold into the chamber, he instantly knew. Something was different. A wave of tension came over him, as he walked further into the chamber. His eyes instantly veered to his stone altar on the far side of the chamber. Tarok's jaw dropped as he saw that the Lunati crown was gone.
"Wha—" Tarok could not even muster a full word, through his shock.
He turned back to his chamber's entranceway.
"Bishop!" Tarok screamed. "Addie!"
There was no response. Tarok stormed out of his chamber and headed for the small cavern abode of his two hunters. When he walked in, he saw that neither of them was present either. Their sleeping areas had not been touched, he realized. Tarok turned on his heels and marched back to his chamber. He closed his eyes, focusing all of his energy, hoping to sense the source of this betrayal. As he centered himself and calmed his spirit, silence began to take over. But it was only for a moment. Then, he heard the sound that gave him instant answers.
It was the sound of familiar howls.
Tarok whipped around to face the entranceway, where he saw the fallen Ja'Vey, Abaddon and Gadarel practically stumbling into his chamber. Although they tried to put up a brave front, their injuries were obvious, as they each held onto the cave walls with one hand to steady themselves.
"Why have you come back here?" Tarok seethed.
"We seek the help of the great Lunati leader," Abaddon said, through his gritted, carnivorous teeth.
"Where is my crown?!" Tarok yelled, not hiding his anger from the intruders.
"Your crown?" Gadarel responded. "I thought you'd be more worried about your young warriors."
He then glanced over at his companion.
"You were right, Abaddon," he spoke. "He only cares for the Lunati relics. It is a good thing we took the crown as well."
"Where are they?" Tarok said, this time refusing to shout.
"Your fighters and your crown are safe…for now," Abaddon said, slyly.
Tarok calmed himself as he began to slowly pace in front of his levitating throne.
"I believe this is part where you tell me how I can secure the return of what belongs to me," Tarok said, glancing back at the duo.
"Very perceptive," Abaddon said. "We require your power. Our abilities to heal have been compromised in this time. We are not as strong as we need to be to seek our revenge."
"So?" Tarok said, quickly.
"So, you will fix us!" Gadarel shouted, as he advanced towards Tarok, feeling his bloodlust rising. "You have the power. After all, it was you who awakened us in the first place."
Abaddon put up an arm, preventing his partner from attempting to attack the Lunati wizard. They needed him alive.
"All you have to do, Tarok, is make us stronger," Abaddon spoke, calmer than his comrade. "If you enhance our strength, we will return your hunters, as well as your crown."
Tarok continued his pacing, as he turned his back on the two and pondered the situation. His attempt to control the Ja'Vey in the past had proven ineffective and without the stone tablet it was now impossible. However, Tarok was a man who prided himself on seizing the right opportunities when they presented themselves. He could not control the Ja'Vey and endowing them with more power was surely dangerous. But, Tarok was not willing to gamble the fate of the one piece of his treasure that he had within his possession, especially with other seekers such as Drakar still out there looking for any chance to gain more power in the hunt for the relics.
Tarok's eyes grew wide as thoughts of Drakar had him thinking of his recent time within his volcano. It was true that Drakar was deep in the quest for the treasure. Tarok couldn't help but remember what he saw Drakar doing when he entered his volcanic home base. Tarok turned back to the Ja'Vey and smiled.
"I will give you what you ask," Tarok spoke. "I can make you stronger than you could ever imagine. But, you must do something for me in return."
"Returning your crown and those children isn't enough?" Gadarel spoke, impatiently.
"I do not even know if they are alive," Tarok said. "Or, if I care. However, as a sign of your gratitude, I request you bring me a book. It is a very special book currently in the hands of one of my enemies. You will get it for me. With your new power, it will not be difficult."
Abaddon and Gadarel shared a quick glance before they both locked eyes with Tarok once again.
"It will be done," Abaddon promised.
Tarok's smile grew wider, as he slowly raised his hands and summoned all of his energy, which he knew he would need to make this transformation possible.
The next morning, things were all quiet inside of the Hartford mansion, except for the occasional sound of forks hitting plates. As Spencer meticulously managed the breakfast feast he had laid out on the dining room table, Ian, Chris and Jessica were all seated, enjoying the spread. At least, it appeared they were all enjoying it.
As the minutes of silence ticked away, Spencer retreated into the kitchen only to return with a large glass pitcher of orange juice.
"More juice?" he offered to the room. "Come on, now, it's freshly-squeezed."
Spencer sighed as no one seemed interested in his extra effort. Then, Chris raised his empty glass, prompting a smile from his butler, who scurried over, filling the glass.
"Never can have too much vitamin c," Chris said, as he sipped from the glass, smirking at Jessica across the table.
She smiled a bit, before turning her attention to her employer. Dr. Hartford had been silent all morning and she could tell something was up with him.
"Everything all right, Dr. Hartford?" Jessica inquired.
Ian stopped his nibbling and dropped his fork on his plate. His eyes had been buried in his plate, despite his lack of appetite. Finally, he looked up at the three interested parties in the dining room.
"I contacted Drakar," Ian said, quickly.
All at once, three questions came from each of them in rapid succession.
"When?" Jessica wondered.
"Why?" Chris asked, angrily.
"How?" Spencer added, looking completely confused.
Ian took a deep breath and backed his wheelchair away from the table before speaking.
"Knowing what I know now about him, I had to," Ian admitted.
"You don't know anything," Chris said, quickly. "Is this that Gordon Tracy thing again? I didn't believe it yesterday and I still don't today. Why would you think Mr. Tracy would ever want to hurt us?"
"I don't know," Ian said, desperate to convince Chris. "But, it has to be. There are too many coincidences. When I saw that symbol on his helmet I knew I had seen it before. It was from the Japanese articles I found from the time Gordon was there."
"Still, it's all circumstantial," Jessica remarked. "I checked over your research on Mr. Tracy's travels and there's nothing concrete to suggest such a strange connection to Drakar. Maybe if we got an outside opinion. We could tell the police—"
"No!" Ian shouted. "I don't want the police involved, under any circumstances, especially if Drakar is Gordon. Look, I believe it, whether you all do or not," Ian said, as he directed his wheelchair towards the dining room foyer. "That's why I contacted Drakar. I'm going to meet with him in person."
"Yet another decision that makes no sense," Chris said, as he stood up in protest. "You seem to have forgotten that if I wasn't there yesterday, he would have ripped you apart…again!"
"He's right, sir," Spencer agreed. "What's to stop him from doing it this time?"
"Because I made a deal," Ian said, surprising them all again.
"What kind of deal?" Jessica asked.
"I told him that if he met with us peacefully and let us examine the contents of the safe, I would give him the Lunati chalice," Ian stated.
"You can't do that!" Jessica said, angrily.
"I've made my decision," Ian said.
"If you keep this up, you'll die by it," Chris chimed in.
"Then, I guess you two should be coming with me to keep that from happening," Ian said, before activating his chair and rolling out of the room.
Chris groaned loudly.
"I've lost my appetite," he said, before storming out of the room and up the stairs.
"I can't believe he'd do this," Jessica said. "I have to go."
Spencer watched Jessica quickly leave out the front door of the mansion. Like the Hartfords, she had left her plate unfinished and so much more food left on the table. Spencer slumped into her chair at the table and stared at all of his work that would go to waste.
"Sometimes I don't know why I bother," he mumbled.
Several miles away from the Hartford estate, deep in the heart of Silver City's industrial district, an abandoned warehouse was no longer abandoned. Despite the lack of electricity inside the structure, the rising sun provided a beacon of light to shine through a window. The beam of light ended right on the face of Bishop Malcolm. As the rays pointed directly into his closed eyes, he began to react to the intense heat. He stirred a bit before finally opening his eyes. Reacting to the light, he quickly turned his head away.
It was at that point that he noticed the intense soreness in his shoulders and the pain at his wrists. As he looked up and then down, he groaned, realizing his situation. His wrists were bound to a chain which was hanging from the ceiling. As he looked down past his bare feet, he saw how far away the ground was and that made him even more queasy.
Bishop swung himself around a bit, wincing at the pain in his arms. He noticed his sister hanging at his side. Addie, however, appeared to still be sound asleep. He shook his head as he saw his sister deep in dreamland.
"Addie!" Bishop shouted. "Wake up!"
"What…" Addie moaned, as she opened her eyes.
She quickly came to the same realization he had, as she looked up and down.
"How did we get up here?" Addie asked, as she wiggled in her restraints.
"I have no idea," Bishop said. "Last thing I remember was getting ready for bed when I thought I heard something outside our cave."
"You don't think this was Tarok's idea?" Addie said.
"Somehow, I don't think it's his style," Bishop said. "I think my tracker's missing."
"I can't tell," Addie said, as she wiggled her legs, trying to see if she could feel it in one of her pockets. "We need to get down from here."
As the siblings hung in the empty warehouse like slabs of meat in a butcher's freezer, the warmth of the outside sunlight once again fell on both of them, as a door opened letting in the sun. They both stared at the entrance where two shadows could be seen walking into the warehouse.
"Who's there?" Bishop called out.
"Just a few old acquaintances," Gadarel's voice called out, as he and Abaddon walked in closer, allowing their identities to be seen.
As she saw their strange colored eyes getting closer, Addie could feel the tension rising all around her.
"Why have you done this to us?" she asked in fear.
"Because we have business with your leader," Abaddon admitted.
"You obviously don't know Tarok very well if you think kidnapping us is going to get you what you want," Bishop said, furiously.
"We know him well enough," Abaddon spoke, as he walked over to a table. "We've made our deal."
Bishop and Addie twisted their bodies so they could follow his path. They saw him run his fingers along the golden ridges of the Lunati crown on the table. Their trackers were resting next to the crown.
"We have many things he wants," Abaddon said.
"And soon, we'll have something else he wants," Gadarel said, as his nose alerted him to a strange smell in the warehouse.
He followed the scent to Bishop's exposed feet, which caused him to gasp a bit. He then began to sniff at Addie's feet, which were still concealed within her boots. Gadarel let out a low moan of excitement over the Yellow Hunter. She quickly jerked her legs away from him, lifting them out of his reach.
"If you made a deal, then why are you still holding us?" Bishop asked.
"Because there is still more to do," Abaddon said, as he walked back towards the warehouse entrance. "Besides, Tarok's end of the deal has not yet taken shape. I hope you're comfortable, because you're not going anywhere."
"I'll be back for another…whiff of you later," Gadarel said, staring up at Addie.
He let out a primal howl, before leaping over to the doorway and joining Abaddon, who looked upon his partner with great excitement.
"Yes," Abaddon said, noticing Gadarel's increased agility. "Tarok's spell is working!"
"And this is only the beginning," Gadarel added. "I can't wait to feel what happens next!"
The two Ja'Vey demons exited, closing the heavy warehouse door behind them. Once again cast in darkness, Bishop and Addie glanced at one another.
"I got a bad feeling about this," Addie said, grimly.
The Silver City Division of Detectives was relatively quiet, which sat perfectly well with Detective Stephen Garza. It allowed him to sit at his desk alone and continue to stew over his anger and loss. He sat there for almost an hour, staring at the photograph of his sister, still unable to shake the nightmare that had cast him as her killer. He had been so focused on her image that he never noticed the arrival of his visitor.
"Hey."
Garza was knocked from his concentrated glare at the sound of Jessica Lorrie's voice. He stood up as he saw the blonde standing at his desk, looking troubled.
"Hi," Garza said. "What's going on?"
Jessica rolled her eyes.
"Have you ever felt that someone was determined to completely destroy everything you've accomplished?" she asked, rhetorically.
"You joking right?" Garza said, without thinking. "My last living relative was killed by a bloodthirsty demon. Do you really want to compare notes on our lives?"
Jessica gave a deep sigh of frustration.
"Nevermind," she said, turning to leave. "I shouldn't have come. I'm sorry."
As he saw her heading for the exit, he grabbed her arm to stop her.
"No, wait. I'm sorry. I—I just…it's not a good day."
"All the more reason not to bother you with my problems," Jessica said.
"It's okay. Tell me what I can do to help," Garza offered.
"Well, since you offered…I need a background check on someone," Jessica revealed.
"Okay," Garza agreed. "Who?"
"Gordon Tracy."
"Interesting choice," Garza said.
"Dr. Hartford believes there's an inherent connection between Mr. Tracy and Drakar," Jessica explained.
"The fire dragon demon guy?"
"Yep," Jessica answered. "Gordon took a lot of trips before he died, including one to Japan, which happens to be the exact same place that an artifact was stolen."
"Okay. Say no more. I'll do a full check on Gordon Tracy and let you know what I find," Garza replied.
"Really?" Jessica said, with a smile.
"Yeah."
"Just keep it quiet, please. Dr. Hartford can't know about this," Jessica said.
"All right, but I'm gonna have to call in a favor to get it done," Garza admitted.
"That's fine, as long as it's not one of my housemates or Mrs. Tracy," Jessica said, with a grin. "Thanks."
"I'll let you know what I find," Garza said, as he watched Jessica leave.
Garza grabbed his phone to call in that favor, just as he saw Sergeant Durst heading for his desk. Durst was glancing in the direction Jessica had left, as he approached Garza's desk.
"Tell me that wasn't Dr. Hartford's assistant," Durst said, seriously.
"It was nothing," Garza said, quickly trying to quell his boss's anger.
"It better be nothing," Durst said. "If I hear about one more case involving Hartford and his vigilantes, I'm gonna personally arrest the whole lot of them."
"I gotcha, boss. Anything else?"
"Actually, yeah. You might want to sit down though. It isn't good news," Durst said.
"What is it?"
"I just got a call from the Ravenbrook Cemetery," Durst said. "There's been an…incident."
Ravenbrook Cemetary was located in a secluded area of the city. Surrounded by trees and lush greenery, Garza had always found it to be a tranquil place. Today, that tranquility had been crushed.
As the cemetery's caretaker led Durst and Garza through the cemetery grounds to a specific spot, Garza wondered why they needed him at all. He was a pleasant man with graying hair and a cordial smile, clearly mastered from years of practice in his business. Garza didn't need him or his smile, however, because he already knew where they were going and he knew that when he reached that place, there would be no smiles.
They approached the open grave and Garza tried to steady his breathing, as he saw the mounds of dirt clumped on the perfectly green grass surrounding the cemetery plot. He let out a deep breath, as he got closer to looking inside the open grave.
Durst placed an arm on Garza's shoulder.
"You don't have to do this," he whispered to his friend.
"I do," Garza said, as he peered over into the open grave.
He saw the claw marks on the coffin belonging to his sister and he tried hard not to break down.
"Do you have any idea who might have done this?" Durst asked the caretaker.
"I don't think it was a who, as much as a what," the caretaker responded. "The scratches on the coffin and in the grass around the plot point to some kind of animals. I don't even want to discuss the body. I'm sincerely sorry, Detective. We tried to…salvage as much of her as we could."
At that moment, Garza began to uncontrollably cough, losing control. He fell to his knees and began to hyperventilate. Durst rubbed Garza's back.
"Can you leave us for a minute, Mr. Reynolds?" Durst asked the caretaker.
"Of course."
Durst knelt down next to Garza.
"Maybe you should get out of here," Durst said.
"No," Garza said. "Just leave me."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'm okay," Garza said, as he regained control of his breathing. "Just give me a minute alone."
"Okay," Durst said, before walking away.
Garza sat on the grass near the desecrated grave and looked at his sister's headstone. He stared at the stone that had been defaced, just as his sister's grave had been. Her first name had been scratched out and his name had been marked in its place. It was clearly etched in the stone by a creature with a sharp claw. Garza didn't need suspects. He knew who was responsible.
"It's all right."
Garza closed his eyes upon hearing her voice. When he opened his eyes, she was there, sitting next to him on the grass.
"I'm not really down there," Sienna said, at his side. "You know that. My soul is far away from here."
"That doesn't make it right. They need to pay," Garza mumbled, his voice low enough that no one could hear him talking to himself.
"This isn't the life they wanted for you," Sienna spoke.
Garza appeared a bit confused. He looked over at his sister, only to see she was now standing next to her headstone.
"Who?"
"The family," Sienna said. "They wanted us to be free."
"But we couldn't be free, could we?" Garza said. "If we knew the truth, we might have been ready for them."
"You can't live your life based on fear of the future and you can't live it based on the promise of vengeance," Sienna spoke.
"Look at this!" Garza said, more forcefully. "Look what they've done. You were innocent. You didn't deserve this. You were my responsibility and I let you down, but no more. I'm going to make sure they're destroyed if it's the last thing I do."
Garza stood up with fire in his eyes and turned his back on the ruined grave.
As Spencer exited the first floor bathroom, he rubbed his freshly-washed hands together and took a deep breath, ready to return to his mammoth task in the kitchen. With so much untouched food left, he had to figure the most feasible way to keep it all fresh for another day. When he approached the doorway to the large kitchen, he saw there was someone already inside. He walked in to see Chris Hartford eating pieces of assorted fruit from the ample tray Spencer had brought in from the dining room.
"I see your appetite has returned," Spencer said, as he walked past Chris and walked around the counter where Chris was standing.
"Sorry, Spencer. The food was great, really," Chris said, with a full mouth. "It was the company that was the problem."
"I know you don't agree with what your father is planning. To be frankly honest, neither do I. But, that's all the more reason to stand by him," Spencer said, seriously.
"That's getting harder to do, especially when he's intent on ruining everything we've worked for in the process," Chris said. "He's going to barter the chalice for some stupid safe. That doesn't even make sense."
"Your father has his reasons."
"I know and they're all selfish. He's determined to make all of this personal. Not everything is about him!" Chris said, angrily.
"But this is about me," Ian said, catching them both off-guard.
Chris turned his head to see his father wheeling himself into the kitchen. Chris folded his arms, refusing to lower his guard, as his father got closer to him.
"Drakar has turned this into a vendetta and if my suspicions are right and he's really Gordon Tracy—my best friend, then I have to find out the truth and how to help him," Ian explained.
"Just because you have suspicions doesn't mean they're right…or worth dying for," Chris said.
"So, I'm wrong. I'm just making all of this up in my head," Ian said. "We should just go on and pretend like there isn't something bigger going on here? I can't do that. It may seem selfish to you but I owe it to myself and Gordon to see this through."
"What about Karen?" Chris said, defiantly. "You owe it to her too, right? I mean this all couldn't be a figment of your imagination—maybe your subconscious playing tricks on you because you feel guilty."
"Don't try to analyze me, Christian," Ian said, furiously.
At the sound of his name, Chris headed for the doorway, where he stopped and turned back to his father.
"I don't have to analyze you, dad. Your motives are crystal clear," Chris said. "How long did it take you to tell Mrs. Tracy that you think her husband's a monster? You're determined to have what doesn't belong to you, even if you have to scare her into getting closer to you."
"Now you're the one who's wrong!" Ian said, angrily pointing his finger at his son. "And you're way out of line."
"The chalice didn't help you walk again so you're ready to throw that away. I'm not," Chris said. "You pressured me into staying here to find the treasure and now you're ready to sacrifice that too."
"I'm not sacrificing anything!" Ian said. "I have no intention of giving Drakar the chalice. But, if I want to get through to him I had to make an offer of good faith."
"Well, I'm glad someone has faith around here," Chris said, before walking off.
Ian let out a sigh of anger and disappointment before activating his wheelchair and rolling out of the kitchen as well.
With both of the Hartford men gone, Spencer was once again left alone in a sea of food. He nodded his head, realizing that things around the house were getting worse. Spencer took a deep breath, attempting to blow out the negative vibes in his kitchen, as he got back to work on storing the breakfast, before it was time for dinner.
Spencer didn't bother to turn on the kitchen lights, given the bright sunshine coming in through the picture window above the sink behind Spencer. Even with his back to the window, he benefited from the natural light.
On the other side of that window, two listening souls had heard everything that had occurred within the mansion's kitchen. Abaddon glanced over at Gadarel and nodded his head. The two used their newly-enhanced speed to zoom across the Hartford estate and take refuge within the trees that circled the back of the property.
"We are getting stronger with every minute," Gadarel remarked, as he formed his clawed hands into fists, flexing his muscles.
"Yes, and soon we will be at full power and we will be able to take our full revenge on Garza…and his Ranger friends," Abaddon vowed. "Out little stakeout, however, has revealed something even more interesting."
"The Rangers intend to meet with Drakar," Gadarel spoke, sensing his companion's reasoning.
"Yes!" Abaddon said. "Drakar may be bringing his safe for Hartford, but he will be delivering the journal right into our hands."
"And we'll get to destroy those two Rangers at the same time!" Gadarel spoke, triumphantly.
"We fulfill our debt to Tarok…and we get vengeance as a reward!" Abaddon said, leading to a joint howl from the two creatures, before they sprinted off.
Two pairs of footsteps invaded a secluded area of Silver City's industrial district, unaware of a certain warehouse that lay only a few blocks away. Chris Hartford and Jessica Lorrie were both vigilant as they glanced around the deserted area of town. Jessica saw Chris glance at his watch. He was nervous, she suspected. It was only natural. She was too.
"What time is it?" she asked, still looking around the perimeter.
"Past time for this so-called meeting," Chris said. "I've got a bad feeling about this."
Chris was carrying a medium-sized black box, just large enough for the Lunati chalice. He cradled it a bit tighter under his arm.
"I guess it's a good thing we left your dad back at the tracking jeep then," Jessica said, just as her cell phone rang. "That must be him."
Jessica picked the small silver device out of her pocket and flipped it open, despite not recognizing the number.
"Or maybe not," she said, as she answered. "Hello?"
"Jessica?" Garza spoke from the other end.
"Detective, this is a surprise," Jessica said nervously.
She instinctively turned her back on Chris, who heard the caller's identity anyway, causing him to turn his attention to her.
"I found that information you were looking for," Garza said, as he thumbed through several documents on his desk.
"Jess," Chris called quietly to her.
"And?" Jessica said, hurriedly to Garza, ignoring Chris's calls.
"The Japanese authorities had no hard evidence but it looks like Gordon Tracy's the top suspect in the theft of some ancient artifacts, including a helmet that looks an awful lot like Drakar's," Garza explained. "His itinerary matches up. The only place he visited in Hawaii was the island where Drakar's volcano is."
Jessica listened intently, still finding it hard to believe that Dr. Hartford was right. As Garza continued talking, she couldn't help but be distracted by Chris's calls to her.
"Jess," Chris said again, as his gazed veered off in another direction. "Jess!"
"What?" Jessica said, impatiently, as she turned to face Chris.
At that point she saw the object of Chris's distress. Drakar was now standing only a few feet away from the two. Gordon Tracy's safe was on the ground at his feet.
"He's here," Chris announced.
Jessica lowered the phone from her ear, but kept it in her hand, completely forgetting to end the call, which allowed Garza to hear everything that happened.
"I was expecting the elder Hartford," Drakar spoke out.
"He's not far," Chris said, sternly. "We had to make sure you'd honor his deal."
"Give me the chalice and I will allow you access to the safe!" Drakar ordered, extending his hand.
Chris glanced at the black box in his hand and took one step towards Drakar. On the other end of Jessica's phone call, Garza listened closely to the exchange.
"You first," Chris said. "Open the safe."
"We need to know the contents are really there," Jessica chimed in.
Drakar groaned a bit, as he knelt down and twisted the dial, inputting the combination perfectly, which caused the door to snap open. He opened the door completely. He pulled out the journal, leaving the unknown silver box inside. He stood back to his feet and extended his hand once again, showing Chris the journal.
"Now, hand it over!" Drakar said.
"Jessica, get the journal," Chris spoke to his partner.
Jessica nodded, as she and Chris both advanced slowly towards Drakar. The creature's groans seem to get louder as they got closer. All at once, Drakar screamed in anger and spun his body around, kicking the safe with all of his strength. The heavy steel casing flew directly towards the two Rangers. The safe crashed into the ground at their feet, causing both of the two to flip away. Chris flipped over to one side, while Jessica ended up on the opposite side. As they both landed on one knee, Chris dropped the black box, revealing it was empty. Jessica dropped her cell phone in the melee, causing it to break as it hit the concrete. Hearing the crash on the other end of the phone line, Garza jumped up from his seat.
"Jessica?" Garza called out. "Jessica!"
As the line went dead, Garza grabbed his motorcycle keys and helmet and rushed off.
"You deceived me!" Drakar shouted, as the energy built up in his helmet, preparing for a huge blast.
"Ready?" Chris called out to Jessica in the distance, as he pulled his tracker, sliding it open.
"Ready!" Jessica responded, sliding open her own tracker.
The two hit their activation buttons and slid the devices along the concrete at their sides, instantly morphing. A massive golden blast erupted from Drakar's helmet, directed at both of them. The massive electrical surge hit the street and the safe, practically melting the metal safe.
The Red & Pink Rangers both jumped into the air at the same time, drawing their hand blasters, which they fired at Drakar, causing him to stumble backwards several steps, still holding onto the leather-bound journal. The Red Ranger landed on the ground near Drakar, transforming his blaster into sword mode. He grabbed the journal in Drakar's hands, but the Ferum demon refused to ungrip the small book, as he pulled a sword from behind his back, using it to fend of Chris's attack.
The Pink Ranger, however, was right there at his other side, with her blaster now in sword mode as well. She swiped at his exposed chest, causing him to stagger, but not lose his grip. He turned his eyes to the Pink Ranger, blocking her next attempted attack. Drakar kicked at the Red Ranger, while using his sword to keep Jessica at bay.
At that moment, a huge fiery blast of energy struck all three of them at once. As Drakar and Chris both went flying in different directions, the journal ripped, causing each of them to go flying with half of it. As Jessica collapsed to the ground as well, she looked up and saw the culprits of this latest attack. If her face had been visible beneath her helmet, the new arrivals would have seen her shock.
"It can't be," she mumbled, as Abaddon and Gadarel appeared through the smoke of the attack blast.
Both of the Ja'Vey let loose piercing howls, as the Rangers got back to their feet.
"We meet again Rangers!" Gadarel shouted.
"This time the outcome will be much different," Abaddon shouted. "This time we have the power!"
Both of the creatures flexed their arms, as if they were being endowed with even more energy.
"Yes!" Abaddon spoke out. "The transformation is finally complete!"
"So…much…power!" Gadarel squealed.
Jessica and Chris watched in stunned silence as the creatures' beastly images were morphed before their eyes. The demonic beasts each turned completely black, as their bodies became more compact, more maneuverable. They were now starkly different, but still somehow the same. The fangs, the claws, the evil…they were all still present. Both creatures now held weapons in their hands. Abaddon's were twin hand blasters, while Gadarel's appeared to be a larger pistol.
"No!" Chris screamed, as he went on the assault, followed by Jessica.
He attempted to attack Abaddon, but his hand blaster sword's swipes were blocked at every at every blow, as Abaddon spun under one blow and punched the Red Ranger in the gut, sending him flying backwards as his suit lit up in sparking damage. The Pink Ranger met a similar fate as she traded blows with Gadarel, until the creature kicked the female across the helmet, sending her spinning to the ground near Chris. As the two Rangers tried to get to their feet, the augmented demons fired their weapons, catching both Rangers in a barrage of laser fire that sent both of them collapsing to the ground.
Abaddon and Gadarel both walked over to their prey, holding them down on the ground with their feet, even though they weren't moving. It was at that moment that Abaddon saw half of the journal in the Red Ranger's hand. He grabbed it and began sniffing the small book.
"This is what Tarok was looking for," he told his companion.
"Now we just need the other half," Gadarel shouted, as they both turned to see that Drakar had disappeared.
"It is no matter," Abaddon said. "Tarok will have to be satisfied with this. We have our own revenge to deal with now."
Each of the Ja'Vey grabbed the leg of one of the Rangers and dragged them off down the abandoned street.
Several blocks away from the battlefield, Ian Hartford had his hand on the key in the ignition of the tracking jeep. He had heard the commotion and while he had no power, he knew he had to check on Chris and Jessica. As he started up the jeep and took off, he saw something moving in the distance. He brought the jeep to a halt when he saw that it was Drakar, staggering away from the scene.
The Ferum leader stopped directly in front of the tracking jeep, as his eyes locked with Ian's behind the wheel.
"Your deceit has been met with destruction!" Drakar said, seething, even through his own pain at the hands of the Ja'Vey.
"I was trying to get through to you," Ian said. "Please, just listen to me."
Drakar began to laugh, his voice extremely low. He stood tall, showing Ian half of the journal in his hand.
"We both know this is what you want. You've taken too much from me, Hartford and I will not allow you to take anything more!" Drakar shouted angrily.
"It's more than that," Ian called out, sympathetically. "I know who you really are."
Drakar's golden eyes were full of fire as he stepped up to the tracking jeep and slammed his fist down on the hood, catching Ian off-guard.
"So, you've finally figured out the truth," Drakar said, fiercely.
"It is true," Ian said, finally confirming his suspicions. "It is you in there, Gordon!"
As the repeated sounds of the doorbell rang throughout the Hartford mansion, Spencer Kingston walked briskly down the main staircase, headed directly for the front door.
"I'm coming. I'm coming," Spencer said, impatiently, as his feet hit the last step and he made a few quick strides over to the door and opened it quickly. "Who is it!?"
The door swung open revealing a surprising visitor.
"Detective Garza?" Spencer said, curiously. "What have we done this time?"
"Where's Jessica?" Garza said, as he quickly walked inside, allowing Spencer to close the door.
Garza took up a position in the foyer that separated the living room and front door from the open dining room behind him. Spencer stood in front of him, looking confused as he noticed how panicked Garza appeared.
"She's off on business with Dr. Hartford," Spencer said.
"I know that!" Garza said. "She's in trouble. I need to know where they went. It's very important."
Garza grabbed Spencer's arms to prove his point. This only served to confuse Spencer more.
"I—I don't know," Spencer said. "They didn't say where they were going exactly."
"Then there's—" Garza's entire face contorted before he could finish his sentence.
He grabbed a hold of his head and staggered backwards, almost falling. Spencer grabbed a hold of Garza, trying to stop him from keeling over.
"Detective, what's wrong?" Spencer said, now worried as well.
Garza seemed to be wincing in pain, as he looked up into Spencer's eyes.
"Run," he whispered.
"What?" Spencer said.
"Run!" Garza shouted. "They're here."
At that moment, the windows that lined the dining room behind the two men shattered, as Abaddon and Gadarel came diving through the glass. The demons landed on the dining room table and both let out ferocious howls, as Spencer and Garza went running down the main hallway past the staircase, headed towards the rear of the mansion. The sound of the Ja'Vey's heavy, black boots hitting the hardwood floors was all the two men could hear. Spencer grabbed Garza by the arm, pulling him into the study, where Garza quickly closed and blocked the door with his body.
"We have to barricade this door," Garza said, as he braced the wooden door with his hands, turning his back on Spencer.
At that moment, the sound of pounding on the wood seemed to cause the entire room to quake.
"I don't think this is gonna hold," Garza said, seemingly talking to Spencer behind him. "You better find a way out of here…now."
Then, Garza noticed Spencer never responded.
"Spencer?" Garza called out, as he looked over his shoulder to see Spencer had opened some kind of secret doorway leading down into the basement.
"This way, Detective!" Spencer said, as he scurried down the hidden staircase.
Garza took a deep breath and released the door from his grip. He sprinted into the passageway and jumped down several of the stairs to join Spencer at the bottom. The butler quickly pressed a button that caused the bookcase to slide back into place, covering the secret doorway. Just before the passage was sealed off, the men heard the sound of the study's wooden door coming apart at the hinges.
"Do you think that'll hold them off?" Garza asked, as he tried to catch his breath.
"I don't know of anything that can break through that passage wall," Spencer said confidently.
At that moment, the sound of an intense pounding on the bookcase was heard by both men. Garza glanced back at Spencer.
"Almost anything," Spencer said, as he trotted into the Tracking Lab, with Garza right behind him.
Garza glanced around the lab with great curiosity, as he saw the high tech equipment that Dr. Hartford had in his laboratory. He paused at the table that held the pieces of stone that once formed the tablet that he had used to contain the Ja'Vey leader, Barbus.
Then, more pounding was heard back up the passageway stairs. Pieces of the wall could be heard chipping away and landing on the staircase.
"We can't stay here long," Garza said, his voice low and desperate. "Spencer, is there any place else that would more secure?"
Spencer thought quickly, and then looked back at Garza.
"The Silverhawk!" he called out. "The metallic alloys used to construct it are the strongest in existence. Nothing could get inside there."
"All right," Garza said, as he took a deep breath. "Can you get there from here?"
"Yes," Spencer said, pointing over his shoulder to the opposite end of the lab. "The tunnel to the launch bay is back this way. Let's go."
Spencer started off when he didn't hear Garza following. He turned back to the detective.
"Detective, come on," Spencer said, as the pounding got louder.
"Just go, Spencer," Garza said. "They want me and they're gonna tear this place apart if they don't get what they came for."
"You don't have to—"
"Go, Spencer!" Garza yelled.
Spencer gave a silent nod of luck before disappearing down the far tunnel, headed for the Silverhawk. As he reached the launch bay, he opened and closed the sliding door quickly. Spencer rushed into the vehicle and sealed the doors. He took a seat in the pilot's chair and activated the monitor on the controls. He accessed the security cameras in the Tracking Lab, which gave him a black and white view of Garza standing his ground, as Abaddon and Gadarel entered the Tracking Lab.
"Oh dear," Spencer muttered.
Back in the lab, Garza backed away from the doorway, as the two Ja'Vey demons entered. He was unfamiliar with their new look and for a minute he wondered if they were indeed the same two creatures. His headaches were the first clue to their identities. He remembered the second clue from the cemetery.
"You looking for me?" Garza said, angrily.
Abaddon chuckled, in his grating voice.
"We came to show you our new power," he said, as he and Gadarel circled around Garza.
As Abaddon passed one of the computer terminals on the center desk, he used his fist to punch out the screen, causing sparks and shards of metal to fly everywhere. Gadarel let out a great howl.
"I'm not impressed," Garza said.
"Not even with our handiwork at the cemetery?" Gadarel offered, with a laugh that hit a nerve in Garza.
Garza let out a furious scream as he sprinted towards Gadarel, punching him across the face several times. The Ja'Vey demon did not move, despite the punches, which he was sure were slowly breaking the bones in Garza's hands. When Garza finally stopped, Gadarel howled. With one swipe across the face, Garza went flying backwards several feet into the air, landing on top of the table that held the stone tablet's pieces. As he cried out in pain, Abaddon joined Gadarel at his side, both staring directly at Garza. The detective opened his eyes to see both of the creatures staring at him from across the lab. They both extended their hands, causing their hand blasters to materialize in their hands.
Garza yelled in terror, as the two creatures opened fire on him and the table. He rolled off the table, taking cover, as their blasts practically incinerated the entire table, turning all of the tablet's remains to dust in a huge blast. Back inside the Silverhawk, Spencer watched in shock.
"Oh no," he said, practically breathless.
As the Ja'Vey howled amongst themselves, Garza's coughing could be heard. The two demons watched, as he crawled out from behind the wreckage, trying to get to his knees. Before he could, he collapsed back to the floor, seemingly unconscious.
Abaddon walked over and knelt down next to his body. He laughed.
"So fragile for a hunter," Abaddon said. "I knew this new power would be just what we needed to finally destroy the hunter's line."
"I grow tired of this, Abaddon," Gadarel spoke, impatiently. "Destroying his friends will be so much more fun…and satisfying to my stomach."
"Yes," Abaddon spoke, as he stood up, not taking his eyes off Garza's body. "It will be a pleasure to destroy those who would help the hunter. Their deaths will haunt his soul, just as his sister's does!"
The Ja'Vey took off out of the Tracking Lab, moving so fast that they appeared to only be blurs on the security cameras, as Spencer watched. He rushed out of the Silverhawk and jogged quickly back to the Tracking Lab to check on Garza. Spencer tried to help Garza up off the floor.
"Where—I have to find them?" Garza spoke through the pain.
"Detective, you're in no condition—"
"Where are they?" Garza yelled.
"I'll track them," Spencer said, somberly, as he rushed over to the terminal desk, passing the one that Abaddon had destroyed.
He typed in a few commands at Jessica's terminal in the middle to activate the tracking systems and he began to get a lock on their tracker signals.
Bishop and Addie hung from the ceiling of the warehouse, still pondering a way to get out.
"If only we could reach our trackers," Addie said, as she glanced down at the table that held the trackers and the Lunati crown.
"If we could do that, we'd be home free," Bishop said, sarcastically. "At this point, I'd settle for a pair of shoes."
"I warned you about sleeping barefoot," Addie retorted, with a grin.
The light-hearted moment was shattered when they both heard the warehouse door opening once again. Their eyes grew wide as they saw the transformed Ja'Vey duo walking in, dragging the Red and Pink Rangers. As they released them on the ground directly beneath Bishop and Addie, the two Rangers demorphed. Abaddon and Gadarel took their morphers and placed them on the table with the others.
"This is just a small example of our enhanced power," Abaddon said, as he strolled past Bishop and Addie, glancing down at Chris and Jessica's bodies.
"What happened to you?" Addie asked.
"This is the next generation of Ja'Vey power!" Gadarel yelled, as he rubbed his hand along Addie's ankle.
"Perhaps you should talk to Tarok about your own upgrade," Abaddon said, with a sly cackle.
Bishop's demeanor completely changed as he realized what Abaddon was hinting at. Tarok was responsible for this change. That's why they were hostages.
"They won't have time for that, Abaddon," Gadarel said, as he sniffed at Addie's feet, making her even more uncomfortable. "They'll never see Tarok again."
"The feast will have to wait, Gadarel," Abaddon said, impatiently. "There is still one piece of our vengeance left standing. We will deal with these…scraps later."
Gadarel stomped off towards the warehouse entrance, clearly disappointed that the bloodletting will be postponed. As Abaddon continued on his way, fiercely focused on Stephen Garza, Gadarel turned back briefly to glance at Bishop and Addie hanging from the ceiling.
"We'll be back!" Gadarel shouted.
As the warehouse door closed, the Malcolms could hear the howls in the distance.
"We can't be here when they come back," Addie said. "We can't!"
"I know that," Bishop said, impatiently. "But I don't know how to get us down."
"What about them?" Addie said, looking down at Chris and Jessica on the floor.
"What about them?" Bishop said, looking incredulous.
"Think about it," Addie whispered. "They can free us."
"If I was in their position I wouldn't," Bishop said, sulking.
"That's the difference between us and them," Addie said, with a smirk, as she wiggled her feet out of her boots, swinging herself a bit so that the boot would land on Chris's stomach.
Chris began to stir a bit as the boot dropped onto his chest. Addie got her other foot free of her second boot and dropped it on top of Chris as well, truly waking him. Chris moaned in pain, as he rolled onto his stomach. His eyes opened and the first thing he saw was Jessica knocked out at his side.
"Jessica," Chris called out, still groggy from his earlier beating.
He reached out and shook Jessica's shoulder. As she started to wake, his eyes veered down to his stomach, which was still hurting. He picked up a light brown boot and looked confused.
"Whose shoe is this?" he asked.
"That would be mine," Addie called out.
Chris rolled over and looked up to see Addie and Bishop chained to the ceiling.
"Hi," Addie said, smiling.
Jessica and Chris both regained their bearings as they got to their feet. Both still found themselves rubbing the sore areas of their bodies from the Ja'Vey attack.
"How did you get up there?" Chris asked.
"Ja'Vey," Bishop said, angrily.
"Can you get us down?" Addie asked.
As Chris conversed with the siblings, Jessica's eyes veered to the table where the Lunati crown was sitting, along with their trackers.
"The crown," Jessica called out, as she looked back at Chris.
Chris glanced back up at the Malcolms and smiled.
"Tell me, why should we save you when we could just take the crown that you stole from us and go home?" Chris wondered aloud.
Bishop and Addie shared a shocked look.
"Gordon, I know you're inside there," Ian pleaded with Drakar, as the creature stood in front of the tracking jeep. "You have to fight this demonic spirit!"
Drakar laughed loudly.
"You fool," he said, defiantly. "This helmet only ignited my inner fury. It was already there, thanks to you!"
"What are you talking about?" Ian asked, as Drakar slowly began to walk over to the driver's side of the jeep.
"Gordon Tracy is not trapped inside of me! I am Gordon Tracy, just stronger and fiercer!" Drakar professed. "I am no longer scared to take the revenge I deserve."
"I don't understand you," Ian said, sadly. "Why are you coming after me? Why were you in that volcano?"
"I was there to get the crown!" Drakar said. "You tried to steal everything from me. You destroyed your own family and then you set out to do the same to mine. You stole my wife's love and I planned to steal what you cared for. But to get to the Lunati relics, I needed help. This helmet has endowed me with the power I need."
"Come on, Hartford. Get us down!" Bishop said, more forcefully.
"You're not convincing me," Chris said, as he folded his arms.
"Chris, please," Addie said. "The Ja'Vey could return at any minute."
"They're right about that," Jessica chimed in.
"You need us, Hartford," Bishop stated. "The only way you'll be able to fend them off is with our help."
"I don't trust you," Chris said. "As soon as we help you down, you'll just run."
"Maybe," Bishop said, slyly. "But, we'll leave you the crown!"
"Chris, you can't leave us," Addie said, desperately. "They're going to kill us…all of us."
Chris looked into her eyes and knew it was the truth. He pulled the scope shot from his pocket and nodded to Jessica, who did the same. The two aimed their weapons at the chains that bound the siblings' wrists. They fired the small laser pellets from the weapons, which melted through the chains, causing both Bishop and Addie to fall. They landed on their feet and Bishop went for the table immediately, grabbing their trackers, as Jessica grabbed hers and threw the last one to Chris.
Jessica grabbed the crown, as Addie tied up her boots. Bishop picked up the journal half and walked up to Chris, who grabbed the piece of the book.
"We're taking that too," Chris said.
Bishop, however, didn't release his grip.
"I don't think so," Bishop whispered to Chris. "Addie, the crown!"
Addie appeared surprised at Bishop's words, but tried to grab the crown from Jessica, who wasn't letting go of the relic either.
"You really want to do this when we were getting along so well there?" Chris said to Bishop.
"Ready?" Bishop said, sarcastically showing Chris his tracker.
Chris's eyes grew wide as he grabbed his own tracker. The women followed suit several feet away from them. Each of the fighters hit their activation buttons and ran their trackers along their opponent's arms, instantly morphing.
The Pink and Yellow Rangers traded punches, as they each continued to hold onto the crown.
"The last time I was in the vicinity of this crown, your boss tried to kill me," Jessica grunted.
"I remember," Addie said.
"I'm not leaving this time without the crown!" Jessica said, as she pulled her hand blaster in sword mode.
Addie followed suit and the two weapons hit one another, causing sparks to fly. Neither of the two, however, let go of the crown. Several feet away, the Red Ranger and the Black Hunter were also in close combat with their weapons. Bishop ducked under an attempted blow and kicked Chris in the chest, but he didn't let go of the journal, swinging under Bishop's arm and kicking him in the chest as well.
As the fighting continued, Abaddon and Gadarel appeared at the doorway of the warehouse. They shared a look of triumph and then stepped inside.
"We don't have time for this!" Abaddon shouted, as he and Gadarel fired their weapons on all four of the morphed fighters.
The aftermath of the attack sent all four of them flying into the air in a barrage of sparks and smoking laser damage to their suits. Abaddon and Gadarel howled together, as they all collapsed onto the ground.
A few blocks away from the warehouse, footsteps were once again invading the secured area. Detective Garza knelt down on the street and picked up Jessica's broken cell phone. In the distance, he saw the destroyed safe. He passed by the broken unit, just as he heard the howls coming from further down the street. He took off running down the street. Garza never noticed that inside the crashed safe was the silver box that had remained undamaged.
Abaddon and Gadarel slowly walked closer to their prey, with their weapons drawn. Gadarel had his sights on the two girls, while Abaddon was staring at the men.
"This is going to be fun!" Gadarel cackled.
"Can anyone join?" Garza called out.
Both members of the Ja'Vey turned quickly to see Garza at the doorway of the warehouse. He fired his pistol at the two creatures, but the bullets seemed to bounce right off of their black armor. The two Ja'Vey howled with delight, as they fired their weapons, practically destroying an entire wall of the warehouse near the doorway. Garza dove out of the way, hitting the concrete hard.
Abaddon and Gadarel stormed out of the warehouse. Abaddon picked up Garza's body, holding him tight by his burned clothing.
"It's time to say goodbye, Garza!" Abaddon said, seething.
He used his enhanced strength to throw Garza off down the street. While in the air, Gadarel took off, scoring a kick to Garza's chest while in mid-air. Garza crashed to the ground a block away. As Garza crashed into the ground, he felt the intense searing pain in his belly and clutched it tightly. The cuts and bruises all over his body were apparent. He lifted his head as much as he could to see Abaddon and Gadarel coming towards him.
He looked around for anything he could use as a weapon. Garza had dropped his pistol back at the warehouse entrance. There was nothing near him but the shattered safe and the silver box inside of it. Abaddon and Gadarel were getting closer. Garza tried to get up, but when he tried, he felt Abaddon's foot pounding on his chest. He slammed Garza back down onto the street, pounding his foot into his chest, causing more sparks to fly from the damage to Garza's chest.
As Garza fought his piercing headache and tried to keep himself from passing out from the pain, he heard nothing but their constant howls. As his body became practically motionless, the two Ja'Vey howled again.
At that moment, the two creatures were attacked from behind by laser fire. The both stumbled a bit. They turned in shock to see the Red and Pink Rangers with their hand blasters trained on them. Abaddon and Gadarel turned their backs on Garza and fired their weapons at the two Rangers, hitting them with precision.
Back on the ground, Garza reached out for something, anything that could help him. His hand fell on the silver box in the wreckage of the safe. As it entered his grasp, the box began to glow.
The two Rangers fell to their knees, but refused to give up. They fired again, but this time the Ja'Vey blocked the laser blasts, deflecting them away. The two demons sprinted over to the Rangers, slamming their feet into the helmets of the two Rangers. Chris and Jessica collapsed to the ground under the weight of their kicks.
Abaddon and Gadarel once again stood strong over them. Because of this distraction, however, they never noticed Garza stand up in the distance behind them.
"It's all over," Abaddon said.
"Damn right it is," Garza uttered, catching both of the creatures off-guard.
Abaddon and Gadarel both spun around to see that Garza was now wearing something on his wrist. The detective lifted his wrist and a clear plastic casing flipped open on the device, allowing him to activate it. Within seconds, Garza was transformed into a warrior of the same caliber as the Rangers. As the blinking red lights on his helmet and shoulder pads signaled an emergency, Garza's suit shined bright in its silver color. The orange stripes down his chest cradled a large black stripe. An adventurer's compass adorned his chest. He let out a fearsome scream as he felt the power surge throughout his body.
Garza took off running, ducking Abaddon and Gadarel's quick punches. He blocked their kicks and scored a punch on Gadarel that sent him flying backwards to the ground. Abaddon howled in fury, just as Garza grabbed a hold of his throat, preventing the howl from continuing. He squeezed as hard as he could and then spun around, kicking the Ja'Vey in the chest as hard as he could. The kick sent Abaddon flying several feet away from him.
Garza stood strong, as Jessica and Chris both looked up from the ground and saw the warrior he had become. Garza screamed, as he extended his arm and a long weapon appeared there. It looked almost like a metal-detector in its design. But, it was more than that. It matched Garza's suit and he held it with a knowledge that was triggered in his brain by his new power. He took off towards his enemies, as they were staggering to their feet. He swiped the device at Abaddon first, causing him to flip over in pain, as his own chest sparked with damage. Gadarel transformed his pistol into a sword and brought it down towards Garza, but the Silver warrior blocked the attempt and used his momentum to push Gadarel back away from him. Garza spun around, using his staff to swipe Gadarel across the chest, igniting him instantly.
The creature collapsed to the ground and Garza stepped up to both of them.
"You wanted this to end," Garza shouted. "Let's finish it!"
Abaddon staggered over to his companion and helped him up to his feet.
"The power, Abaddon," Gadarel shouted. "He is stronger than we are!"
"For now!" Abaddon spoke, his voice low and dark.
The Ja'Vey's de-facto leader waved his arm over both of them, causing them to disappear in a teleportation wave. Garza run over to them, but was too late. They had already disappeared. He turned in triumph, holding his weapon strong. In the distance, he saw the Red and Pink Rangers getting to their feet. He nodded to them.
"Uh oh," Chris said, as he finally had a chance to think and realized what he had left behind.
He rushed back to the warehouse, with Jessica hot on his trail. As they got back to the structure, Chris cursed, as he saw Bishop and Addie were gone, along with the crown and half of Gordon Tracy's journal.
"We'll get them back," Jessica said to him.
Chris nodded, as he pounded his fist, angry at their betrayal.
"It doesn't have to be this way," Ian said, as Drakar came face to face with him.
The Ferum leader grabbed Ian by the collar and pulled him as close as he could to his face.
"Yes, it does," Drakar said. "You think you can get through to Gordon? Then, you truly are a fool. Like your legs, Gordon Tracy is dead! The only thing you have to fear now is me finding the Lunati treasure because once I have located all of it, I will use its power to destroy everything you hold dear!"
Drakar freed Ian from his grip.
"I will leave you alive so I can further enjoy your suffering, but rest assured that I will have my revenge. I will destroy you and your son!" Drakar yelled, as his entire body became engulfed in flames, transporting him away from the scene. Ian took a deep breath as he sat back in the driver's seat of the jeep, contemplating the truth as he had just learned it.
Tarok continued to pace inside of his chamber, as he wondered why he had heard nothing since his transformation of the Ja'Vey. It was finally starting to settle into his brain that he had been deceived. It was he who usually did the deceiving. He had created more monsters, he knew. He just hoped the price was right.
Then, he heard footsteps entering the caverns. He walked towards the entranceway to his chamber, as his eyes grew wide. He saw Bishop and Addie stumble into the chamber, surprising him. His eyes seemed to grow wider as he saw the hunters carrying the crown and half of the journal.
"Bishop! Addie!" Tarok called out. "What happened?"
The siblings simply stared at him. Neither appeared happy. Without a word, Bishop tossed the crown onto the ground at Tarok's feet. Addie did the same with the journal. Tarok watched, appearing confused. He knelt down quickly to retrieve the objects. He looked back over at the two.
"I hope this helps you sleep at night," Bishop said, angrily, as he stumbled back out of the chamber with Addie, as they tried to hold each other up through their injuries.
Hours later, the Silver City Police Department was practically deserted in the detective's division. Stephen Garza, however, was still there. He had already finished his partially-fabricated police report on the damage to the warehouse, which he was glad to hear was abandoned. As he sat at his desk, staring at the photograph of his sister, he couldn't help pulling up the sleeve of his leather jacket, revealing the silver and blue device on his wrist.
"Nice fit," Jessica called out, catching him off-guard.
"Hey," Garza said, quietly, as he stood up gingerly, showing he was still hurting.
"Still sore?" she said. "Join the club."
"I'm just glad everyone made it out alive…except the Ja'Vey," he said. "Next time."
"So, does that mean we'll see a return appearance of the Silver Ranger?" Jessica asked, with a smile. "We could really use you out there."
Garza's grim look intensified.
"I'm sorry, Jessica, but I'm not joining your quest," he said, surprising her. "You're still operating outside the law and my boss—he's not having it. I still have people to answer to."
"We need you," Jessica said.
Garza didn't answer. He simply lowered his eyes away from her.
"You can't just ignore this power," Jessica pressed.
"I don't intend to!" Garza said, this time more decisive. "If the Ja'Vey dare show their faces again, I'll be there. I'm not going to rest until they're both destroyed for everything they've done."
"So you are going to use it again?"
"It's the only thing I have that could put a dent in them," Garza said. "There's no way I'm throwing it away."
"So, you're saying you'll use it for your quest, just not mine," Jessica said, disappointed.
Garza looked saddened by her reaction. She turned to leave, but he grabbed her arm.
"Jessica, it's not…" Garza's voice trailed off, as Jessica looked back at him.
He gazed into her eyes and did the only thing he could think of. He reached out and caressed her cheek. He could feel her tremble in his grasp, as the two leaned in kissing one another. The two pulled away after a few seconds. But, as if the floodgates had been opened, they fell into one another's passionate embrace. Their bodies carefully climbed onto Garza's desk and their clothes were soon left on the floor.
THE END
Next time on
Quest for the Lunati Treasure
Drakar uses his portion of the journal to discover
the location of the ancient Lunati sword. But when he
discovers that only a pure soul can release it, he lures
Chris there. Tarok, though, has the same plan for Addie.
The Ja'Vey seek to further enhance their power.