QUEST FOR THE LUNATI TREASURE
Episode #20
"Braveheart"
The flames burned fiercely in front of Stephen Garza. As he stood there, seemingly impervious to the clouds of smoke and dust around him, he couldn't help but stare. As a police detective he had worked cases before that dealt with pyromaniacs, those that were seduced by the flames. As he stood there now, watching the building slowly collapse under the heat, he wondered if some part of him was also drawn to the fire.
He finally blinked. It seemed to all hit him at that moment. The Silver City Police Department was on its last legs as it continued to burn in front of him. His office was gone. The place he had enjoyed coming to everyday was gone. Even now as his zord slowly extinguished the massive fires, Garza knew that there was going to be no way to salvage that building.
Garza's eyes veered away from the flames, as he looked down at his right hand, which had been rubbing the ring he wore on the chain around his neck. He was barely conscious of that nervous tick, even now. It was so important to the fight, he thought, so important to his legacy. As he looked back up at the flames, he realized that this would be part of his legacy as well.
The hunt had come to an end, but he had lost so much along the way. He lost his job, his friends, his family and even his love. He knew in that moment that it was all over, time to leave it all behind him. As his eyes moved back to the flames of the burning police station, he couldn't help but think back to how it all began to unravel.
48 HOURS AGO
Detective Stephen Garza sat at his desk inside the police station, talking on his phone. He was unable to hide his smile, as he continued his conversation.
"It's pretty slow around here," Garza said to the caller. "Otherwise, I wouldn't be talking to you right now."
"I've got you beat on slow," Jessica said, her perky English accent coming through perfectly.
She sat in the Tracking Lab talking to him on her cell phone.
"It's practically dead here," Jessica said. "I could hear a pin drop. Dr. Hartford and Spencer are at the hospital."
"How's Chris doing?" Garza asked.
"The doctors are calling him a medical miracle," Jessica said, with a smirk. "He, of course, is letting it go to his head."
Garza smiled, almost laughing.
"So I guess that leaves you there to do all the real work," Garza said.
"If you can call it work," Jessica said. "I'm calibrating the satellite tracking systems to search for the Lunati shield. It's the last relic we've yet to locate. Since we already know where the others are, within reason, this should cut down on tracking time."
"Sounds complicated," Garza said. "I think I'll stick to collaring the bad guys."
"They don't call you a hunter for nothing," Jessica said, with a giggle.
Garza's smile faded for a moment, as he thought about his role as the Ja'Vey hunter, a role that had still gone unaccomplished, even after months. But as he heard Jessica's voice continue talking, he couldn't help but return the smile to his face. He looked up and saw Becca Shields approaching his desk. She was clearly watching him.
"I better get back to work," Garza said.
"Yeah, me too," Jessica said. "I think I'm going to go visit Chris later. I'll call you after?"
"Okay," Garza said, before hanging up.
Garza greeted Becca.
"That was nice," Becca said.
"What?"
"Seeing you smile," Becca said. "It's been a rare occurrence around here for too long."
Garza laughed.
"You must have been talking to Jessica," Becca guessed.
"How could you tell?" he asked.
"The smiling," Becca said, her voice partially somber. "It's good, especially after everything that's happened."
Garza sighed, as he thought about the last few months of his life and how much they had changed.
"You're right," Garza said.
He glanced over at the glass wall that separated Sergeant James Durst from the other detectives. Jimmy appeared to be arguing with someone over the phone. Garza's own demeanor grew more serious, as he looked back at Becca.
"I can't thank you enough for not telling anyone about…well, everything," Garza said. "If Jimmy knew he was rooming with the Silver Ranger I have a feeling I'd be out job hunting right now."
He could see her eyes lowering toward the ground as he talked to her.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
Becca took a deep breath and finally looked up at him.
"I have a confession to make," she said. "It isn't hard keeping your secrets. It's like something special, just between you and me around here."
He could sense the nervousness in Becca's voice as she talked.
"I've always kinda hoped you and I would get closer," Becca said, nervously rubbing her fingers together. "Not just as friends."
Garza responded with a deep sigh.
"I'm not blind," he said.
Becca appeared a bit surprised that she could be that transparent.
"I just want you to know that it was easy to keep your secrets because I admire you so much, especially after all you've been through and if Jessica makes you happy, I can live with that," she said, managing a smile.
"Bec, I care about you as a friend and I always will," he said.
"I know," she said, playfully punching his shoulder. "I'll see you later. You still owe me a coffee."
"You got it," Garza said, not knowing the coffee date would never come.
He glanced back at his desk and saw the picture of his sister, Sienna. Garza took hold of the framed photo and stared into his sister's eyes. He often wondered what she would have thought about the revelations of their family and if he would have acted differently if she were not killed by Barbus.
Garza shook his head, pushing that thought out of his mind. He wasn't a man who dealt in 'what ifs' and pondered about what could be. Garza was a man of the present and he chose to continue looking forward. He glanced back over at the glass separating him from his superior officer and realized that his future would have to include telling his best friend some uneasy truth.
A few hours later, Jessica Lorrie found herself inside Silver City Metro Hospital. She gently knocked on Chris's door, wondering if he was even awake. When she heard him give clearance for her to enter, she pushed the door open, showing her face and a big smile.
"Hey," Chris said, laid back on his pillows.
His bed was still propped up so he got a perfect view of the door near the foot of his bed.
"Still in a private room, I see," Jessica said, as she took a seat near the head of the bed.
"Helps to have parents in high places," Chris said, with a smirk.
"How are you feeling?" she asked.
"I feel like a million bucks," Chris said. "A bit tired, but I guess that's to be expected. I'm surprised they let you in. Visiting hours are almost over."
"I beat the clock," Jessica said, as she glanced at her watch. "Barely."
They shared a laugh.
"I guess the Lunati water really worked," Jessica said. "You had us worried for a while."
"Yeah, I know," Chris said, thinking about his near-death experience. "You missed the parade of doctors coming in and out to get a look at the medical anomaly. I swear they've run every test in the book to figure out how I survived. I'm not sure they're ever gonna let me go home."
"You'll be back before you know it," Jessica assured him.
"So, what's been up with you since I…died," Chris said.
Jessica took a deep breath, wondering exactly where to start. It didn't take long before she realized there was no sense in keeping a certain secret anymore.
"Not too much. Stephen and I are…getting closer," she said, coyly. "It's official, kind of. Actually, I don't know what to call it."
"Some people call it love," Chris said, slyly. "Besides, I asked for news. That's not exactly surprising, at least not to me."
"What?" Jessica said, giving him a look of disbelief.
"The clues were obvious," Chris said. "With the way you two always came running when the other one was in trouble. Plus, my dream…"
"Dream?" Jessica asked curiously. "You dreamed about us?"
"Yeah, while I was out of it, I had this weird dream. It seemed so realistic. I was back at school in Florida, but all of you were there—you, Spencer, Garza, even Bishop," Chris explained. "You and Garza were together."
"Sounds like an interesting dream," Jessica said.
"It was strange, though. I was me, but you all were different, except for Addie," Chris said. "It was like I knew I wasn't supposed to be there, but every time I tried to figure it out, someone was after me. Then, I saw my mom. She brought me back. It was like she rescued me from the nightmare, like an angel."
"Dreams turning to nightmares," Jessica said, shaking her head. "Been there and done that. What did you mean about everyone being different except Addie?"
"She seemed so real," Chris said, racking his brain as he tried to remember every detail. "She was scared. There was this darkness all around us and she wanted me to save her."
"Well, Addie's not under the influence of the crown anymore," Jessica confirmed. "Garza knocked it off of her."
"Still, she was begging for my help," Chris said.
Jessica took a deep breath, trying her best to analyze what Chris was telling her.
"You said your mother rescued you. If she was your angel, maybe Addie was the embodiment of a devil, trying to pull you in the other direction," Jessica surmised. "She was responsible for what happened to you."
"It wasn't like that. I've taken classes on dreams to help with my psych degree," Chris said. "She was crying out for my help. I know it. It's like she was real and she was terrified that she would be left alone in that dark place."
Jessica appeared puzzled. Chris could sense that she didn't fully believe him. He tried to figure out a way to help her understand where he was coming from.
"How do you know Garza's worth fighting for?" Chris asked.
Jessica was caught off-guard by the question, leading to a long silence between them.
"I don't know if I can describe it," Jessica said, a little confused. "It's just when I'm with him, it's like the rest of the world ceases to exist. Nothing else matters and I want to have that feeling for as long as I can."
Jessica looked into Chris's eyes as he thought about what she had just said. Then, it hit her.
"Is that how you feel about Addie?" Jessica said, surprising herself with the question.
Chris lowered his head, letting the question sink in. Thoughts of Addie filled his head, as he looked back over at Jessica.
"I'm not sure," he said finally. "But I know that if she's somehow trapped by something, the way she was downtown, I have to do everything in my power to help her."
The following morning, the streets of Silver City were practically deserted. Not many people were up and around at 5:00 in the morning. But two men were running at top speed down the street, adjacent to the Silver City Police Station.
Garza slowed his pace a bit, as he noticed his jogging partner was having a harder time keeping up. He smiled, as he looked back.
"Someone's getting old. I remember when you could run circles around me," Garza said.
"You know the good thing about being sergeant?" Durst said, as he caught up to him. "I don't have to prove myself to you detectives. That's your job."
The two men continued jogging down the street together.
"Eh, I think I've proven myself," Garza said, a bit more nervously, as he thought about steering the conversation to much more serious matters.
"More than most," Durst said, as they continued on their path. "You know you're one of the best."
"You're not just saying that because we're friends?" Garza asked.
"What are you talking about?" Durst said. "You know I can separate my personal life from work…most of the time. I'll put it this way. My opinion on your work performance has nothing to do with the fact that you pay me rent."
"Good to know," Garza said, as his own smile faded.
They reached their destination and jogged up the steps, entering the police station.
"Besides, we haven't been hanging out that much lately anyway," Durst said, as they made their way up the stairs to the third floor. "What's got you so busy out of the precinct?"
"Been dealing with some other stuff, nothing too major," Garza said, a bit more serious.
"You know I met with Megan and the lawyers last night," Durst revealed. "She mentioned running into you at the hospital. Nothing wrong, is it?"
The two entered the Department of Detectives.
"Not with me," Garza said. "The Hartfords were there."
"Oh yeah. I heard about the damage they did downtown," Durst said, as they noticed most of the detectives weren't at their desks.
Durst became troubled when he saw they were flocking around his office. Before Garza could correct Durst's erroneous assumption about the Rangers' actions downtown, he too noticed the strange mob near Durst's office. They made their way through the crowd and saw Durst's secretary, Janice inside the office. They walked in, leaving the other officers outside.
"What's going on?" Durst asked.
"I've been trying to call you," Janice said, in a panic.
"I must have left my cell in the locker room," Durst said, checking his pockets. "What is it?"
"This note was found plastered on your door," Janice said, as she handed the thick sheet to him.
Durst's eyes grew wide, as he read it. Garza glanced over his shoulder.
"What's up?" he asked.
"Someone's abducted Becca!" Durst said, shocked, as he read the note. "The Silver Ranger must give himself up if you wish to see this girl alive. Make no mistake, we have Rebecca Shields and we will kill her if we don't get what we want. Send the Silver Ranger to claim her. He will make the right choice to save her life."
Durst pounded his fist on the wall.
"Damned Rangers!" he shouted. "Now look what they've gotten us into."
"Let me see that," Garza said, taking the note from him.
He saw the blood smear on it and he had no doubt it belonged to Becca. As he felt a shooting pain in his head, he also discovered the identity of those behind the abduction. It was the Ja'Vey.
"Alright," Durst said, as he had a chance to gather himself. "Janice, rally the troops. I want every available man and woman ready to go at a moment's notice. They're going to get in touch with us again so we'll know where they want to meet."
"No!" Garza shouted. "You can't do that. They're not lying. If you don't let the Silver Ranger deal with this, Becca's gonna die. You can't risk sending detectives, with guns blazing. You could get her killed."
"I'm not leaving this in the hands of Hartford's Rangers!" Durst said.
"Then leave it in my hands," Garza said, as he rushed out, with the note.
Durst yelled after him, but Garza didn't stop. Durst slammed his fist on his desk, knowing that the clock was ticking for Becca.
Inside of a darkened warehouse, Becca Shields sat on a hard steel chair, literally tied to it. She was blindfolded and gagged, just as she had been since she left her apartment and headed to work that morning, only to be grabbed from behind in the parking lot. She tried to steady her breathing, wondering who could have taken her. Her mind had veered to the darkest possibilities. She had helped to put away so many criminals in her line of work.
She had helped catch sex offenders and murderers and it seemed like someone with a grudge was now looking for revenge. The pain in her hand was proof enough. She was surprised they hadn't cut her anywhere else. As she heard the footsteps walking around the room, she tried to yell out. The gag in her mouth prevented her from making more than loud moans and grunts.
Then, she heard the footsteps getting closer to her. She violently jerked her body in the chair, unable to break her restraints. She felt the gloved hand reach out and remove the gag from around her mouth.
"Help!" she shouted as loud as she could. "Please, let me go! Help, somebody!"
"Be quiet!" the evil, booming voice yelled.
"Who are you?" she asked, as she looked around.
The voice had come from behind her, but she the figure standing in front of her hadn't moved.
"Why did you bring me here?" Becca called out, unable to hide her fear.
"We brought you here for information," the voice from behind her spoke. "You are going to tell us everything you know about Stephen Garza."
As her captor finished his sentence, she felt her blood run cold. This wasn't about her at all. Her captors weren't criminals she had helped to put behind bars. They were enemies of a friend. Becca's mind raced and she couldn't help but think that if there were two of them, these could be the same creatures that had been responsible for Sienna Garza's death, the same creatures that had sought to kill Garza.
Becca Shields mustered every once of courage within her. She needed it for the statement she was about to make.
"I won't tell you anything," she said, in a practical whisper.
"We'll see about that," the creature standing in front of her spoke for the first time.
She could feel its head getting too close to her own. Becca heard the sound of the creature sniffing her hair.
"Please, don't."
"We have many ways of making you talk," the creature said, before letting out an ear-piercing howl.
Standing behind her, Abaddon removed her blindfold, allowing her to stare directly into Gadarel's eyes.
"No, please!" she yelled.
The two Ja'Vey demons howled in unison. As Gadarel slowly moved his hands closer to her head, Becca let out a piercing scream of her own, begging for help and for her life.
"And no one saw who left the note?" Jessica asked Garza, as they stood in the foyer of the Hartford Mansion.
"I don't think so," Garza said. "But I know it's them. I can feel it in my head, in my bones. Jess, they have her and they won't hesitate to kill her if they know it'll hurt me."
"It's okay," Jessica said. "I'll be right there to help you every step of the way. We'll find Becca before it's too late."
"I can't ask you to do that," Garza said, frustrated. "If you get involved, they'll just target you and…I can't lose you."
"You didn't ask," Jessica said. "And you're not going to lose me or Becca. But, we have to work together, especially if you don't want the police involved."
"If they go, then the Ja'Vey will kill Becca and just find another target until they get what they want," Garza said, as his mind veered back to worrying about Jessica's safety.
"You don't have a lot of options for help if you're refusing mine and Durst's," Jessica said, worried. "Chris is still in the hospital."
Garza took a deep breath.
"I don't know if I came here for help," Garza said. "Maybe I just came to say goodbye."
"No, you didn't," Jessica said, as she caressed his cheek. "We can fight back. You have to let me help you."
"I can't," Garza said. "I have to face that I'm alone in this."
Their eyes locked as silence filled the area, for just a moment.
"You're not alone," Ian Hartford called out.
Jessica & Garza turned to see his wheelchair rolling into the foyer, with Spencer at his side.
"We heard," Spencer said.
"Spencer filled in the blanks," Ian said. "He told me all I need to know to offer you every resource we have. You helped my son downtown. I owe you this much."
"But even if we give him every zord we've got, he can't operate them all by remote," Jessica said. "He's going to need manpower."
"Then, maybe it's time for me to call in some reinforcements," Ian said. "We'll find your friend, even if it means reaching out to some of our enemies."
Jessica appeared confused, as she wondered what Ian had up his sleeve now.
At that moment, Garza's cell phone rang. He answered to the sound of a furious Jimmy Durst.
"What?" Garza said, processing everything that Durst was telling him. "No. I haven't done anything yet."
Jessica, Ian & Spencer stood by impatiently, wondering what was being said on the other end of the line.
"Okay, I'm heading back now," Garza said, before ending the call. He looked back at the trio. "Another note materialized at the station. I need to get back over there. Jimmy's talking about sending out the troops. I have to stop him and there may be only one way to do that."
"You're going to tell him," Jessica guessed.
Garza simply looked into her eyes and she received her confirmation. He rushed out of the mansion, racing back to the police station on his motorcycle.
"Jessica, get down to the lab," Ian ordered. "See if you can track down the Ja'Vey's location. If they didn't risk hand-delivering that note, then they must have a living hostage occupying their attention."
Jessica rushed off to the study.
"I've got some calls to make," Ian said, as he sent his wheelchair heading for his office.
Left alone, Spencer took a deep breath.
"Good luck to you all," he said.
It didn't take long for Garza to reach the police station, as he ignored every single stoplight and tested the limits of his motorcycle's speedometer. Durst handed him the new note, as they both stood inside his office.
"She's being kept at one of two warehouses," Durst paraphrased as Garza read.
"It will be up to the Silver Ranger to make the ultimate choice," Garza read aloud. "The warehouse where she is being kept is lined with explosives, which we will detonate if he does not reach it within the hour. The second warehouse is empty but there may not be time to check both."
Garza's blood began to boil. He knew what they were doing. They were trying to force him into agony. He couldn't afford to lose his focus.
"If the Silver Ranger does not make his choice in time, Rebecca Shields will die," Garza finished the note.
He turned it over, seeing the addresses of both warehouses.
"I'm mobilizing two task forces. I'm sending one to each warehouse. We're not gonna lose Becca," Durst said, calmly.
"No!" Garza shouted. "Listen to me, Jimmy. You need to let the Silver Ranger deal with this."
"I'm not leaving Becca's life in the hands of Hartford and his kids!" Durst snapped back.
"I didn't say anything about Hartford," Garza said, as he took a deep breath. "I said let the Silver Ranger handle it."
He slowly lifted the sleeve of his leather jacket, revealing the morpher on his wrist.
"What the hell?" Durst said, as his jaw dropped. "What are you doing? How did you get involved with this?"
"I don't have time to explain all of this to you," Garza said, desperately. "Just know that it has to be me. You have to keep the cops away!"
"I can't believe you're in league with those misfits," Durst said. "Helping them cause all this damage to our city! Now, you're in some vendetta with god knows what and Becca's life is on the line?"
"You don't know what you're talking about," Garza said, angrily. "This is about me, not them. Hartford's crew isn't responsible for what's been happening to this city. They've been trying to stop it."
"Sure," Durst said, sarcastically.
"This is about their hatred for me!" Garza said, shouting, hoping that it would sink in for Durst. "That's why they took Becca, because she means something to me, not to Hartford. These are the same creatures that tore up my apartment and killed my sister!"
This caught Durst more off-guard. He stared into Garza's eyes.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Durst asked, filled with feelings of betrayal. "This is gonna cost you your badge. Get out of here."
Garza answered, "I am going…to save Becca! She's running out of time. You, keep the cops away!"
"Garza!" Durst shouted after him, but Garza didn't stop running.
With the note in one hand, he tucked his helmet under his arm as he raced down the stairs of the police station. He flipped open his tracker, not caring who saw him. Garza raced into the parking lot, as he opened up communications with a specific tracker.
"Jess, can you hear me?" he asked, as he jogged towards his motorcycle.
"Yeah," Jessica called out from inside the Tracking Lab.
"They have her at a warehouse," Garza said. "They left directions for two. I don't have time to check both. Is there any way you can find out which one she's in?"
"Gimme the addresses," Jessica called out.
Garza hopped onto his motorcycle, as he gave her the addresses. He put on his helmet, as he waited impatiently for her answer.
"Bad news," Jessica spoke. "Both warehouses have some kind of shielding that's blocking our satellite scanners. I can't tell what's inside either of them."
"I guess I'll have to flip a coin then," Garza said, as he could feel his pulse racing off the charts.
"No," Jessica said. "You take one. I'll take the other."
"No way," Garza said. "I can't have you in the line of fire."
"This may be the only way to save Becca," Jessica said. "Let me help you. I know the risk I'm taking."
"If it's not me, they may kill her," Garza said.
"They'll both be with Becca to stop you from saving her," Jessica said. "I can hold them off long enough for you to arrive. I won't let them kill her on my watch."
"For all our sakes, I hope you go to the empty one," Garza said, signaling his agreement to let her join him in his race against the clock.
As Garza's motorcycle raced towards the first warehouse, Jessica was behind the wheel of the Tracking Jeep, headed towards the second warehouse. Both were fiercely focused on what was about to happen, even though neither were sure of what they would soon be faced with.
Back at the police station, Sergeant James Durst stood in the middle of the Department of Detectives, addressing a large group of his best officers. He was detailing his plan for bringing Becca Shields home alive. He divided the group into two teams. He had made a note of the addresses of the warehouses before Garza took off with the ransom note.
Durst rallied them, warning them that it was dangerous out there and that explosives could be involved. The calls to the SWAT teams and the bomb squad had already been made. Durst was pulling out all the stops. He ordered his officers to stay focused out there and to ignore any sightings of Power Rangers and no one was to use their sirens. He took a leadership position ahead of one of the teams and led them out of the station.
Jessica parked the Tracking Jeep several blocks away from the warehouse and morphed quickly, as she crept up to the second warehouse. She glanced in one of the windows but could only see darkness inside. She took a deep breath as she searched for an entrance that wouldn't be so obvious. She soon learned, however, that there was only one way inside and that was through the front door.
The Ja'Vey were smarter than they looked, she thought to herself, as she slowly opened the metal door and crept inside, closing it quickly before any of the daylight could give away her identity. Once the door was closed, she was surrounded by complete darkness. She heard no movement at all and wondered if she had indeed arrived at the empty warehouse.
Stephen Garza left his motorcycle behind, as he morphed and entered the other warehouse, not bothering to sneak up on it at all. He whipped open the doors to the warehouse, half-expecting the entire place to explode from his touch alone. But nothing happened. He heard nothing coming from inside, as he entered. He activated the lights on his helmet, allowing him to see. Although his vision was not completely clear, he saw a small door at the end of the large warehouse, leading to another, smaller room. As he walked in the middle of the place, he glanced to his sides, where he could see wires lining the walls.
'Explosives,' he thought to himself.
There was no sign of any life, as he continued on his way.
Inside the other warehouse, Jessica Lorrie found herself on a similar path, venturing deeper and deeper inside. She had activated the lights on her helmet, giving her some sense of where she was going. She had kept the lights trained on the floor ahead of her, to make sure she wasn't walking into a booby trap, or stepping on a detonator. She approached the doorway in front of her and took a deep breath, as she reached for the door handle.
Outside of both warehouses, squad cars swarmed around. The groups of detectives all took up defensive positions outside of the structures.
Garza grabbed hold of the handle, twisting it gently, hoping that it wouldn't cause those wires to ignite around him. The small metal door creaked loudly, as he opened it slowly, hoping to hear some sign of Becca. He heard nothing.
Jessica slowly opened the metal door in front of her and stepped inside. She still had not heard any movement. As she crept in closer, she glanced down at the floor, where her light shined best. As she moved further inside of the room, something came into view below her. It appeared that she was getting closer to a hole in the floor. She raised her helmet slowly and saw something that made her gasp.
Garza continued forward in the darkness of the other warehouse. As he approached the middle of the room, a hand came into view on the floor. It clearly belonged to a human female.
"Becca!" he yelled, as he knelt down, taking hold of her hand.
He felt her pulse, making sure she still had a heartbeat. As he gathered her into his arms, he could tell something was attached to her ankle. When he pulled on her body, it triggered something. At that moment, the entire room lit up. Somehow the wire around her ankle had triggered the lights. Garza returned to his feet, with Becca in his arms. With the lights on completely, he couldn't help but stare at the wall in front of where he had found Becca's body. Beneath his helmet, Garza's eyes grew wide, with shock and fear.
On the wall in front of him were several large photographs. Most of them featured him, with Jessica. Pictures of them at the coffee shop, at the cemetery, pictures of them kissing. Garza's breathing grew out of control, as he saw a note scribbled in blood over the photographs.
WE KNOW WHERE YOUR TRUE LOYALTY LIES
"Jessica," Garza said, breathlessly.
He laid Becca back down on the floor, as he opened up his tracker.
"Jessica! Get out of there!" he shouted. "Jess. Can you hear me?"
He cursed the shielding on the warehouses, which he figured was now shielding his tracker's communications signal. He detached the wire from around Becca's ankle and as he picked her up once again, he began to hear a beeping sound. He looked back at the wire and saw it led up the walls. It didn't just trigger the lights. Garza's gaze traced the wire until he saw a huge row of explosives lining the ceiling of the warehouse.
The Silver Ranger took off running at top speed through the warehouse, despite carrying Becca. As the explosions went off behind him, the police teams outside stood shocked as the warehouse went up in flames.
James Durst felt his heart almost stop at the sight of the warehouse up in flames. He looked over and saw Garza's motorcycle still sitting outside there. He was inside, he knew. Durst cursed to himself.
"Sarge, look!" one of the officers shouted.
Durst looked back at the warehouse and saw the Silver Ranger coming from around the side of the burning structure. He had created his own exit to escape the explosives. Durst felt himself take a breath, as he saw Garza coming towards them, with Becca in his arms. Garza placed her on the ground in front of Durst's squad car. Still morphed, Garza stared at Durst for only a second, before sprinting off towards his motorcycle and heading to the other warehouse.
At the same time that Garza found Becca, Jessica found herself staring at a massive metal robot. When she saw the large mass of metal, she realized that she had indeed come to the wrong warehouse. Becca must have been at the other. She turned away from the robot and opened her tracker, just as she was kicked across the helmet, sending her falling to her knees.
The lights on her helmet shut off, due to the force of the kick, which almost cracked right through them. Left in total darkness, Jessica felt around for her tracker. She couldn't be away from it for too long before she demorphed. As she crawled around on the floor, she felt another kick connect with her stomach. She rolled onto her back in pain on the floor.
They were there, she thought. Becca might have been in the other warehouse, but the Ja'Vey were here. As she tried to hide her pain, hoping they could only see as well as she could, she opened her eyes and saw two pairs of glowing eyes, seemingly staring in her direction.
'They can see me,' she thought to herself.
She rolled away from the two and almost rolled right over her tracker. Jessica grabbed the device and contemplated calling for help, but instead she reattached the tracker to her suit. She was in for a battle and she couldn't risk losing her morph now. She saw the two pairs of eyes sprinting towards her and she tried to take a defensive stance, but she felt a fist hit her chest, as a foot collided with her helmet, sending her body in completely opposite directions. The Pink Ranger crashed to the hard floor of the warehouse, unable to hold in her scream of pain.
She could hear them howling and as she made her way to her feet, she back up towards the hole in the floor that hid half of the large robot the Ja'Vey had constructed. She hoped to use it as a shield, as she heard the sound of them powering up their weapons. She pulled her weapon of choice.
"Hydro cannon!" she yelled, as the white and pink weapon materialized in her hand.
Jessica began shooting it instantly, in every direction. She heard one of them shout out in pain from being struck. But she didn't hear the second one. Abaddon appeared at her side and fired his weapons at point blank range, lighting up her suit with damage. The blast from his duel blasters sent her flying across the warehouse. The Pink Ranger crashed into the wall and collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air.
Outside the warehouse, the officers could hear a commotion, but they did not enter. The detective who was leading them, ordered everyone to hold their positions until they received further orders. At that moment, the motorcycle belonging to Detective Garza sped onto the scene. The officers were taken aback as they saw the Silver Ranger was in control of the vehicle.
He dismounted and began running towards the warehouse. The detectives tried to stop him, but he shouted out to the man in charge.
"Marcus, let me through!" Garza yelled.
"Garza?!" Detective Marcus responded.
"Let me through!" Garza repeated.
Marcus called off the other cops and Garza went running towards the warehouse. He reached for the door, just as the roof blew clean off. The officers all ducked and covered, but Garza ran inside anyway. He saw the head of the Ja'Vey's new robot now peeking out of the torn roof. He saw the Pink Ranger stuck in the clutches of the robot's hand. Garza's heart fell as he didn't see Jessica moving at all within the robot's grip.
"No!" he shouted. "Let her go! You want me, here I am!"
His appeals went unanswered, as the robot began moving forward, causing more of the warehouse to be destroyed around him. Garza put up his hands, cowering from all of the falling rubble and debris. As the robot headed further into the city, he could do nothing but watch it carry away Jessica.
"You have to help!" Ian shouted into his laptop.
He had routed tracker communications through to his laptop for emergencies and this definitely qualified. Jessica had been gone too long and they needed reinforcements.
"I told you already I'll pay you whatever you ask for, except the chalice," Ian said. "These are desperate circumstances. I'm begging you."
On the other end of the line, Evan Yukito seemed unimpressed with Ian's orders, but interested in the trouble happening in Silver City.
"You have to understand that the Ja'Vey aren't our problem," Evan said, slyly. "But you do make an interesting case."
Behind him, Miko and Waza watched closely, listening into the call coming through on Evan's tracker. Their Dark Shadow comrade Taiyami, however, had heard enough. He stormed over to Evan and grabbed the tracker.
"We are not interested in petty matters!" he screamed into the tracker, closing it immediately.
"What do you think you're doing?" Evan said. "I was negotiating."
"Negotiating our destruction?" Taiyami shouted. "Hartford is the enemy!"
"So are the Ja'Vey," Evan yelled back. "We could have made a big profit. Do you realize what kind of power Hartford has?"
"He would not give us the Lunati chalice and that is the only thing in his possession, we should be interested in," Taiyami said.
"Well, it's a good thing you're not the leader around here, Taiyami, because that's a real close-minded view of this situation," Evan retorted. "Don't you ever put your hands on my tracker and interrupt my negotiations."
"Perhaps next time I will put my hands on you!" Taiyami said, stepping up to Evan, defiantly.
"I believe tempers are getting flared," Waza said, as he fluttered around the two, trying to calm them.
"No kidding," Miko said under her breath.
"We should take a few moments to calm ourselves, before we say something we'll regret," Waza said.
"I have no regrets," Taiyami said. "Our leader, however, seems to have many. Perhaps that is why he is so eager to assist our enemies. He no longer trusts Dark Shadow's power."
Taiyami stormed off, without another word. Evan was seething. He stared at Taiyami as he left the room, knowing that if his eyes were daggers, they would have stabbed Taiyami in the back.
Inside his office, Ian was so angry that he grabbed his laptop and furiously threw it across the room, shattering it as it hit the wall. His wheelchair rolled out of the office at top speed.
Chris heard a knock at his hospital room door and sighed, not looking forward to anymore pointless tests.
"Come in," he said, grimly.
When the door opened, revealing Spencer Kingston, Chris perked up.
"Hey, Spencer," he said, with a smile. "I thought you were Dr. Grant."
"Glad to know I can still surprise you," Spencer said.
As he sat down without another word, Chris watched him closely. Spencer appeared nervous, like he wanted to say something but wasn't.
"What's up?" Chris asked. "Something's going on."
Spencer took a deep breath.
"Master Chris, the Ja'Vey are back," Spencer revealed. "They abducted one of Detective Garza's co-workers. He was forced to go after them."
"Okay," Chris said, still not understanding why Spencer looked so worried.
After a few seconds, he it dawned on him.
"Jessica?" he wondered.
"There were two possible locations of the hostage," Spencer said. "They had to split up."
"Are you telling me she's out there against the Ja'Vey alone?" Chris said, stunned.
He tried to get up out of the bed, surprising Spencer.
"What are you doing?" Spencer asked.
"I'm going. There's no way this can end well and you know it," Chris said.
"I didn't come here to get you," Spencer said.
Chris grabbed hold of his bed, as he stood up too quickly, causing some dizziness. Spencer grabbed his arm, forcing him back down onto the bed.
"You're too weak, Master Chris," Spencer said. "You can't go. You'll just make your injuries worse and we have no more Lunati water."
Chris looked up at Spencer.
"So what's Jessica gonna do when she gets hurt," Chris said.
"Garza won't let that happen," Spencer said. "We just have to hope that he has some say in the matter."
Chris gave a frustrated groan, as he climbed back into bed, despite every bone in his body wanting to do the opposite. He grabbed the remote control and found breaking news, coming from downtown.
The Ja'Vey's robot was storming through the area, leading to more fires and destruction to several buildings around it.
"Pretty soon, there won't be much left of this town," Chris said.
"Oh dear," Spencer said, breathlessly.
He pointed to a corner of the screen and Chris sat up further in his bed to see what Spencer was pointing at. Chris's jaw dropped as he saw the Pink Ranger dangling from the rafters of a building under construction. She appeared to be tied to a steel girder hanging out over the building. She wasn't moving.
"Jess," Chris said, under his breath.
"Where is Garza?" Spencer asked, as he saw the Ja'Vey robot getting closer to her.
Most of the Ja'Vey robot's body was made of a silver clay-like substance, allowing it a full range of motion. The shield, helmet and steel shoulder mounts were black and appeared almost indestructible. The robot was the Ja'Vey's most realistic monstrosity and it had its eyes focused squarely on the hanging Pink Ranger. The black armor featured several cannons, built directly into the robot's helmet, at both sides.
Inside the robot's cockpit, Gadarel squealed with delight, as he looked over to his comrade in the seat at his side.
"She's like a sitting duck," he said, excited at what was to come.
"I only hope she screams for the hunter with her last breath," Abaddon said, as he piloted the robot, getting even closer. "Charge weapons!"
"Charged and ready to fire," Gadarel spoke.
"Goodbye, Pink Ranger!" Abaddon shouted, signaling Gadarel to fire.
The cannons on both sides of the robot's head lit up as the silver charges turned gold when they were fully powered. The cannons fired and the six charges were launched towards the building where Jessica was dangling.
The Pink Ranger's helmet rose a bit, as she began to come around. Her eyes fluttered open beneath her helmet, as she saw the missiles heading straight for her, twirling in unison, leaving behind streaks of golden smoke. Her eyes grew wide.
Moments before the charges could strike her, the Triad Megazord dove in front of the building, taking the brunt of the attack. Five of the missiles collided with the megazord, as it fell to the ground, amid sparks and explosions.
Inside the cockpit, Garza instinctively covered his helmet with his arms, despite being protected by his helmet as the control panel ignited in front of him. He regained control of the megazord as fast as he could. It was then that he heard the blast from the sixth charge. He pulled his megazord to his feet and saw that the last missile had hit the building that Jessica was dangling from. The girder she was tied to was now tilted, bent by the intense heat from the missile that collided with the building.
"Garza!" Abaddon shouted from inside the cockpit of his zord. "You prolong the inevitable!"
Garza focused once again on his enemies, just as the Ja'Vey robot was right on top of him, scoring several punches and kicks, causing more sparking damage to the Triad Megazord.
"Jess, hold on," Garza said, knowing he had to save her.
He had to defeat them. It was the only way to ensure her safety. The robot grabbed his megazord by the arms, trying to throw him. Garza took full control of the megazord and broke free of the robot's grasp. He scored a major punch, sending the Ja'Vey robot stumbling backwards a few feet. The robot took off running towards him, powering up its cannons once again.
Garza fired his lasers, but the robot dodged each of the blasts, thanks to its stealth movements.
"Take this!" Gadarel yelled from inside the robot's cockpit.
The robot fired six more charges from its helmet cannon. Garza yelled in anger as he detached the Triad Megazord's arms, ejecting the Patrol Cruiser and the Emergency Cruiser. The two smaller zords zipped around in the air, firing on the missiles, before they could reach the Megazord. The two zords managed to detonate the missiles before they could hit their target.
The robot came to a halt in front of the Triad Megazord, which was now without its arms.
"Looks like you lost something," Abaddon shouted from inside the cockpit.
The robot planted both fists directly into the chest of the armless Megazord, sending it crashing into a seven-level car park. The entire building collapsed under the weight of the fallen megazord. Garza's cockpit was once again filled with sparks and smoke. The Silver Ranger felt the whiplash as he was jerked around the cockpit, hitting his head on the control console.
Standing tall above him, the Ja'Vey robot set its sights on the two cruisers, swarming around it at top speed. The two zords unleashed a barrage of lasers on the robot, but they seemed to do little damage to the robot's putty-like body. With two swift swats, the two cruisers went crashing to the street below. Explosions burst forth from the two zords as they hit the ground, experiencing crippling damage. Abaddon turned the robot around, making a beeline for Jessica's location.
"Oh no," Chris said from his hospital bed. "Jessica, get out of there!"
"She must be hurt," Spencer said, in a panic.
They both watched powerless as the robot got even closer. As it moved within firing range of her position, the robot was once again struck with laser fire. Chris & Spencer watched closely as the emergency news cameras panned back, showing the lasers coming from the Silverhawk. Chris and Spencer both looked at each other, realizing what must have been happening.
"Dad?" Chris wondered.
Inside the cockpit of the Silverhawk, Ian Hartford opened up communications to Jessica's tracker.
"Hang on, Jess," Ian said, furiously, as he focused his attacks on the Ja'Vey robot, coming around for another pass.
As he did so, he was struck by the robot's massive fist, pounding down on the Silverhawk and sending it spiraling out of control.
"Dad!" Chris shouted from his seat, stunned by what he had seen.
Spencer jumped up from his seat, as the cameras showed the Silverhawk crash right onto the street.
"Stay here!" Spencer ordered Chris, as he went running out of the hospital room, headed to that location.
"Isn't it sad when you have no one to count on anymore?" Gadarel shouted from the cockpit of the robot, as it advanced towards Jessica once again.
"She does!" Garza's voice came booming through the robot.
Abaddon whipped the robot around and they saw the Triad Megazord was back on its feet, still without arms.
"Ready for more torture?" Abaddon shouted.
"Yeah…your torture!" Garza said, standing directly in front of the robot.
The megazord sent a massive kick right into the gut of the robot. Caught off-guard, the robot fell to the street. Inside the cockpit, Abaddon & Gadarel both nodded to one another. It was time for more destruction!
Inside the Triad Megazord, Garza wondered how long his zord could hold out. Without its arms, it was severely disadvantaged. He glanced down at the ground and saw both cruisers still smoking. They weren't responding to his remote calls. He glanced back at the Ja'Vey robot, which was getting to its feet. Garza focused all of his energy on his enemies inside that robot. He maximized the megazord's power, taking it to its highest settings, even without arms.
The robot stood strong. From inside the cockpit, Gadarel laughed.
"It's too bad that your love will let you down just as those before her did!" Gadarel yelled.
Garza was not going to let Jessica die. He turned his zord briefly to glance at Jessica and then noticed she was gone.
"Jessica!" Garza shouted.
"What the hell?" Chris spoke, as he watched from his hospital room. "She was just there."
Garza scanned the ground, looking to see if she had fallen, but there was no sign of her.
"You know the great thing about these giant robots?" Gadarel boasted from his cockpit. "They only require one being to control them!"
He was sitting alone in the cockpit. Abaddon was now gone as well.
"Abaddon!" Garza shouted, as he realized what Gadarel was hinting at.
"Don't worry, hunter!" Gadarel shouted. "He'll take good care of her while I take care of you!"
The robot sprinted towards the Triad Megazord once more. Garza maxed out the megazord's power, not caring about his own well being.
"Triplicate Bomber!" Garza shouted.
He sent all of the power to the helmet of the megazord. Without its arms, he couldn't brace the head of the zord, but he took his chance. The head moved wildly, firing massive streams of laser energy, penetrating the robot's body as it ran closer. The robot lit up with damage and crashed to the ground. Before it could get up, Garza planted the megazord's foot on its chest and fired once again, using the last bit of energy from his systems. The robot completely exploded.
Not caring to see if Gadarel was still alive, Garza jumped from the cockpit and landed on the street, looking around for Jessica. His headache was beginning to subside. Abaddon wasn't close by.
"Garza," Chris Hartford called out on Garza's morpher.
Garza opened his morpher, opening two-way communication.
"What?"
"Jessica…her tracker's still active. It looks like she's at the police station," Chris said, worried, as he looked at his tracker, which was linked to all the others when they were activated.
"Thanks," Garza said, as he took off running.
The Silver Ranger took off running, knowing that the station was only a few blocks away. As he ran around the nearby corner, Spencer's Bentley came roaring into the area, coming to a stop next to the Silverhawk. Spencer crawled inside and saw Ian breathing, still strapped into his seat, staring at Spencer.
"What took you so long?" Ian said. "Jessica?"
Spencer shook his head.
"They still have her," he told Ian.
Ian lowered his head in shame that he had been unable to help rescue her.
The Silver Ranger raced up to the police station. There were no cars in the parking lot. They must have been evacuated, he thought to himself. As he glanced up to the third floor, he could see the orange flames burning.
"Oh no," Garza muttered under his helmet, as sprinted into the building and up the stairs. "Jessica!"
He ran at top speed into the Department of Detectives, which was ablaze with fire everywhere. Through the flames on the other end of the department, he could see Abaddon standing amongst the flames, howling.
"Welcome to hell!" Abaddon yelled.
"What have you done with her?" Garza shouted, as he moved through the flames.
He was protected by his suit, but could still feel the intense heat filling the building.
"She is here," Abaddon spoke, as he raised his left hand, showing he had Jessica by the throat.
She wasn't moving. Abaddon raised his right hand, showing Garza the framed photograph of Sienna from his desk.
"It's all over," Abaddon said, fiercely throwing Sienna's picture into the fires, where it melted instantly. "It has been so amusing, watching you suffer, just as all of the hunters before you suffered! But, now it's time to end."
"You'll never win," Garza said. "I can't let you win."
He took a few more steps forward and Abaddon's grip tightened around Jessica's neck, causing her to squeal a bit. Despite her pain, Garza was happy to know she was still alive.
"There is no power that can destroy us now that the tablet is destroyed," Abaddon spoke.
"I'll destroy you if it takes all that I have," Garza said, as he moved a bit closer.
"Not so fast," Abaddon said, holding up his hand to halt Garza's movement through the flames. "Such bold behavior. I would expect nothing less from the hunter. But, you still have a choice to make. You can take me on and try to save your love or…you can save your best friend!"
Abaddon used his right hand to point to the glass wall of Durst's office. Behind the glass, Garza could see Durst restrained, bound to his chair, as the flames burned even inside of the office. He was shaking violently, trying to free himself.
"That glass can act as a furnace," Abaddon said, proudly. "He'll soon be out of air. So, what will it be?"
Garza began to breathe heavily. He wanted to blame it on the intense heat all around him, but he knew it was his emotions boiling over at that moment.
"Save…him," Jessica spoke, in almost a grunt.
"Torture is hell, isn't it?" Abaddon said, with another howl that sent fury through Garza's blood.
He screamed louder than he ever had before as he dove towards Abaddon. The Ja'Vey demon took one last chance to squeeze Jessica's neck before tossing her onto the floor. The Silver Ranger tackled Abaddon to the floor, punching at his helmet furiously.
This seemed to do little damage, as he continued to howl through the punches. Garza pulled Abaddon to his feet and slammed him onto one of the burning desks, causing him to crash right through it and hit the floor. Garza pulled him to his feet again, punching him. As Abaddon stood back up to face him, Garza planted his foot in the demon's helmet, sending him spinning into the air.
Several feet behind him, Jessica held her neck, trying to steady her breathing. Ignoring the flames around her, she reached up for the nearest wall. She could feel her gloved fingers rub against the glass. It was Durst's office. She pulled her hand blaster, transforming it into sword mode. She stabbed at the glass, breaking it instantly.
This caught Garza's attention. He turned as he heard Durst coughing vigorously.
"Jimmy!" Garza said.
He was about to head in that direction when Abaddon rose from the flames with his dual blasters drawn, he fired them at the Silver Ranger, who pulled his Tracking Striker, quickly deflecting the blasts, causing the laser pellets to go flying into another desk, causing it to explode upon impact. Garza dove back onto Abaddon, using his weapon to try to choke the creature.
Inside Durst's office, Jessica crawled on her knees to Durst's chair, where she managed to cut him loose with her blaster sword. He helped the Pink Ranger get to her feet, as he continued to cough wildly.
"You…have to get…out," Jessica grunted through her pain.
"I—look out!" Durst pulled the Pink Ranger to the floor, as his office window burst open and Gadarel jumped through.
The demon howled furiously, as he grabbed Durst by the collar and flung him across the department. He picked up the Pink Ranger, who broke his grip on her, long enough to slash her blaster sword across his chest, causing it to spark with damage.
"You'll pay for that!" Gadarel said, furiously kicking the Pink Ranger, causing her to fly across the office, crashing into a file cabinet.
Several feet away, Abaddon had gotten the best of Garza and was now on top of him. Garza was using his Tracking Striker to block Abaddon's dual blasters, which Abaddon was attempting to use as clubs to beat on the Silver Ranger.
Then, a bullet ricocheted off of Abaddon's head, catching him by surprise. He turned to see Sergeant Durst standing with a police rifle, which he cocked again, striking Abaddon in the chest.
"Stupid human!" Abaddon shouted in anger.
He tried to go after Durst, as he cocked the weapon again, taking another shot. The shots barely slowed Abaddon's momentum but before he could grab hold of Durst, Garza whipped him around, slashing at his chest with the Tracking Striker, which sent him crashing to the burning floor.
"This place is gonna collapse," Garza said, out of breath. "You need to get out of here, now."
Durst stared at the Silver Ranger's helmet for a long second, before he limped off towards the exit. Garza turned and it was then that he saw Gadarel holding Jessica several inches off the ground against the back wall of Durst's office. He had her by the throat. Garza felt the fury inside of him reach its boiling point. He gripped his Tracking Striker tighter than he ever had before and took off running towards the demon, who didn't even sense him coming.
Garza stabbed Gadarel furiously in the back with the Tracking Striker, sending the weapon directly through the creature's armor and sternum. Something within Garza knew exactly when to stop pushing, as the weapon stopped inches before stabbing Jessica as well.
The Gadarel's piercing scream permeated every inch of the room, as the scream seemed to morph into a devastating howl of intense pain. Garza remembered the last time he had seen such a thing. It was then he had pierced their leader Barbus and destroyed him with the hunter's knife. He looked down at his striker, which seemed to glow in his grasp. It was now the hunter's weapon.
Gadarel's entire body slowly turned to ash, littering the floor, becoming indistinguishable from the rest of the ash from the burning fires around them.
Still stunned at his power, he didn't have time to catch Jessica, as she fell to the floor, once again grabbing at her throat.
"Jess? Are you all right?" Garza asked, as he knelt at her side. "I'm going to get you out of here."
Her helmet seemed to be bobbing quickly, as if she was trying to tell him something.
"Look—out," she muttered.
Garza turned, just as Abaddon grabbed him by the throat with both hands. He gripped the hunter's throat as tight as he could, clinching his fists around it. Garza fought against his grip, but was unable to break his ferocity.
"You have destroyed my brethren!" Abaddon squealed in anger. "Now I shall destroy you!"
Abaddon tried to step forward, when he felt an intense pain in his foot. He looked down to see the Pink Ranger had stabbed her blaster sword into his boot. Abaddon screamed in fury and kicked the Pink Ranger with his other foot. He hit her so viciously, that she went flying onto Garza's desk, which collapsed under her weight.
Abaddon squeezed tighter around Garza's neck, before dropping him to the floor. He bent down and pulled the blaster sword from his foot, as he shouted in pain.
"I will end you and the hunter's line forever!" Abaddon yelled in anger at his prey.
But in that moment, Abaddon realized that Garza was already back on his feet, behind him. Abaddon could feel the power building up behind him.
"Not if I end you first," Garza spoke with a voice full of anger.
Abaddon turned, just as the Silver Ranger slashed at his neck with the Tracking Striker. The weapon once again glowed in his hands as it connected with the Ja'Vey demon's head, instantly decapitating the creature. Abaddon's body stood for only a second, before falling. Before it could hit the floor, it had turned to ash, along with his head.
Garza fell to his knees, as he realized it was over. The fires still raged all around him and from his position on his knees he could see the fallen Pink Ranger in the distance. He rushed to her side, but this time she didn't appear to be breathing. He gathered Jessica into his arms and carried her out of the department, as the walls began to collapse around them.
The flames burned fiercely in front of Stephen Garza. As he stood there, seemingly impervious to the clouds of smoke and dust around him, he couldn't help but stare. That was how it all had happened. That was how it had all ended.
He could hear the approaching sirens. He saw the squad of police cars speed into the area, where his fire truck zord continued to extinguish the flames. Ambulances and fire trucks followed. He saw his fellow officers leave their cars. They stood, staring at their headquarters' collapse. He had half-expected to see them staring at him.
It was then that he heard a small commotion. He glanced over and saw Jimmy Durst being ushered into an ambulance against his will, yelling something about being in command. But, eventually he gave in to clearer heads. As he was laid onto the gurney in the back, he looked out at Garza. Their eyes met for only a second, before the doors to the ambulance closed and he was taken away.
As the firefighters tried to gain control of the flames, Garza walked away. He headed off down the street, as the last fires were put out. He didn't look back once. It was all over.
The next morning, the sun was just as bright as it was every day in Silver City. It appeared that no amount of damage or destruction could ever keep the bright sunshine away. Inside Jessica Lorrie's bedroom, however, there was no sunshine. The curtains were still drawn and it still seemed like night, even as she laid there with her eyes open, staring at the ceiling.
She heard a knock on her door and her throat was so sore that she didn't bother to answer. As she saw the door crack and then open, letting in some light, she looked over to see Spencer Kingston peek his head in. He gave her a solemn smile. He walked over to her bed, carrying a brown envelope. He sat on the side of her bed.
"I know you're probably still sore and I know that if I try to open the curtains and let some light in, you'll be tempted to bite my head off, so I won't bother," Spencer said, quietly.
He saw her smile a bit.
"It's purely out of my concern for your well-being, I assure you," Spencer said, with a smile. "Sergeant Durst and Ms. Shields are going to be fine, which is more than I can say for the police station."
He saw her staring at the envelope.
"He left this for you," Spencer said, handing her the envelope.
Jessica nodded, as she took the envelope. As she prepared to open it, Spencer got up to leave. Jessica grabbed the arm of her countryman and pulled him back to the bed, not wanting to be alone. When she opened it, she was surprised that there was no letter, no words. Just one small object.
Spencer watched curiously, as she turned the envelope upside down and Garza's family ring fell into her hand. Spencer gave her an unsure look.
"What does it mean?" he asked.
Jessica held the ring tight in her hand and closed her eyes. Given her job, she should have been happy to be in possession of the Lunati pendant, which had been melted down to create the ring. But, no part of her was happy. She opened her eyes and looked at Spencer.
"It means he's not coming back," she said, straining her throat.
Spencer lowered his eyes, feeling sad for her. He left her alone and once the door was closed, Jessica pulled the covers up tight and laid back down. Holding the ring tight in the palm of her hands, she closed her eyes, wondering where he was going to go.
Garza's motorcycle sped down the highway, leading out of Silver City. With his helmet tight on his head and nothing but a backpack with a change of clothes, he rode his motorcycle right out of town. It was all over.
THE END
Next time on
Quest for the Lunati Treasure
Dark Shadow appears to be coming apart
at the seams, with Taiyami and Evan at each
others' throats. Miko & Waza are caught
in the middle and when Taiyami locates his
hidden scrolls and uses them, the entire
faction could be destroyed.