Chapter 18

Michaela ducked, easily avoiding the swinging fist.

She then caught the foot that came flying toward her face.

The man twisted his foot free of her grip by flipping so that his other foot came up in a kick aimed at her head.

Michaela spun out of the way, bringing her own foot up in a high kick.

He blocked her kick with his forearm.

Before she could lower her leg, he grabbed it and pulled her off balance.

She fell face down on the floor, her leg still in his grip and being held painfully behind her.

The gym door crashed open, and she heard Casey snarl ferally, "Let her go!"

The man's momentary shift of attention was all Michaela needed. Ignoring the pain, she twisted free, and jumped to her feet.

She aimed one more fierce kick at his head.

The man's unconscious body dropped to the floor.

Casey ran over to her. He scanned her quickly, then asked, "Are you okay?" even though he already knew the answer to that.

"I'm fine! Tilly?"

"Kitt went to help her." Casey pulled Michaela into a quick embrace.

Pulling reluctantly apart, Casey leaned over and pulled Michaela's assailant, who was just coming to, roughly to his feet.

"Kitt says he got to Tilly in time. She's pretty banged up, but she'll be okay."

"Great! Let's go see if either of these bozos know where Drakon is!" Fury flashed through Michaela's piercing blue eyes.

Casey reached into the jacket pocket of the man who had attacked Michaela. He pulled out a cell phone, holding it up for Michaela to see. "Look what I found! Bet I can get some great info out of this."

The two marched their prisoner to a small interview room.

Carlee and Kitt had already taken their charge inside when they got there. Kitt handed Casey a cell phone and a set of keys.

"Goodie! Another toy!" Casey exclaimed gleefully, more to disconcert the man he was holding than anything else. "Mind if I stay out here and keep an eye on him and play with these?" A third eye appeared in the side of Casey's head, staring squarely at his prisoner. It blinked sedately.

The man shuddered and turned his head away.

"Sure, sweety! Have fun!" Michaela said, leaning toward Casey and giving him a kiss.

"That is so not right!" Michaela's assailant yelled after her as she disappeared into the interview room.

Casey held both cell phones in his free hand. As Drakon's man watched, what looked like pieces of Casey's skin separated from his hand and rolled into both phones.

"What the... Drakon was right, you're some kind of machine!"

"So, Mr. Mark Conyer, does your wife know what you do for a living?"

Mark Conyer jerked and tried to twist out of Casey's grip, his eyes wide with anger. "At least my wife's human! You and that girl! That's disgusting!"

"Oh, here's an interesting number. Smart not to program it into your phone. Let's see if this will lead me to the person I'm looking for."

Conyer's eyes opened even wider when he heard his own voice issuing from Casey's mouth.

Casey allowed Conyer to hear his end of the conversation.

"Yes, sir! They're both dead."

A pause as Casey listened to Drakon speaking from the other end of the line.

"Okay, sir. We'll be back as soon as possible." Casey hadn't even used Conyer's cell phone. He had routed his own signal through Conyer's cell so it showed up as Conyer's number on Drakon's phone.

Reverting back to his normal voice, Casey said, "What fun. I get to use more technology. Tracking via GPS because he's on a cell phone. I love technology!"

Pulling Conyer away from the wall, he pushed him into the interview room. Waving the cell phones at Michaela, he said, "The wonders of the modern age! I'm tracking his cell via GPS. We've got him!"

Looking to Kitt before heading out the door, Michaela said, "Kitt, hold these two and have the police come get them. Casey, let's go!"

Michaela bolted out the door, Casey close on her heels.

The truck skidded to a halt in front of the mansion as they were descending the front steps.

* * *

"Where is he, K.A.I.S.Y.?" Michaela asked, as she floored the accelerator. The Canyon rocketed out of the Foundation driveway far faster than any normal Canyon should have been able to.

"It looks like Tilly was right about a cabin in the Sierra's." K.A.I.S.Y. brought up a map of the area where the GPS signal was originating from. "This place is way off the beaten path. Dirt road runs ten miles up to the cabin. Very rugged terrain."

"Fun!" was Michaela's reply.

"We're about one hundred twenty miles away. Given the hour, I would suggest we stick to the speed limit. I also suggest we make our approach to the cabin after sunset.