Disclaimer: I own no one but my villain! Date posted: Febuary 7, 2000 Categories: HR, A, E, F, ALT Archivers: Take it, please! Mirax Harbin “The Girl on the Necklace” Part Three They heard an inhuman screech. It hurt their ears. The man came storming through the door. “NNNNNNOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!” He bent down beside the robot that had gone first. “NO! THIS CAN’T BE POSSIBLE! NOOOO!” He turned toward them. His dark eyes were almost black, and opened so wide they were almost circles. He ran toward Jessie, who had shakily stood on one foot. Before she or Jonny could react, he had bowled into her, and she fell. He fell on top of her broken foot. She yelled, and kicked him in the side with her good foot. He didn’t seem to notice. He flicked his wrists, and the knife blades they’d seen in the house came out again. He brought one slowly up to Jessie’s neck. He shifted so he was on top of her, and she couldn’t move. The knife came closer... “Noooo!” Jonny kicked the man’s hand as hard as he could. The man screamed, and his hand crunched loudly. It looked almost flat under the glove. It fountained blood, once again spraying Jessie’s shirt, and getting her face, neck, and shoulders as well. She spit out some that had gone in her mouth, hacking. The man lay helpless on the floor, trying to stop his hand from bleeding. He ripped off the glove. Jessie tried not to throw up. The hand was dangling limply, and all red. It was torn open in spots, and white- yellow shards of bone peeked from others. It was spurting blood rhythmically with the beats of his heart. Then Jessie remembered something, watching the man’s watch disappear under red. Watch.. watch... Jonny’s watch! The tracer. She leaped at Jonny, and grabbed his arm. He shrank back, tense from the past few hours. She pressed a sequence of buttons. “Jessie Bannon activating tracer.” A tiny red light blinked twice, then twice more, the signal that the tracer was activated. Jonny looked at her in sudden understanding. They both laughed in relief. Jessie looked around her. The ten feet long, four feet wide section of the hall way surrounding them was littered with two dead men with shots in their heads, nine dead robots, most short- circuited and still twitching lightly, and one fainted man. The walls, ceiling, and floor were red with blood. Jessie looked at Eli Smith, and tried again not to throw up. his hand looked positively disgusting, and his face was blue. He’d stopped breathing. She knelt down next to him, and felt for a pulse. None. “He’s dead! He’s dead!” She laughed out of sheer relief. She really didn’t feel any pity for this sadistic madman. She wouldn’t miss his maniacal laugh or his mocking voice. She wondered if she would have done CPR if he still had a pulse. She didn’t know. Luckily, she didn’t have to. She leaned against the wall. Then she looked at it, and thought better of it. She stood up lopsidedly, trying to keep weight off her broken leg. “Let’s find where we are, and then, let’s go.” Suddenly she felt incredibly, unbelievably tired. Jonny nodded. So did he. QQQQ Everyone was depressed. Hadji had just arrived from Bangalore, and they had explained the situation to him. No one wanted to believe that they had lost Jessie again, and this time, Jonny with her. So no one paid any attention to the red blinking light on Benton’s watch. Race looked at it dumbly. It barely registered in his head... at first. Then he was filled with surging hope that his daughter and Jonny had survived. He grabbed Benton’s arm and stared at the light, letting the meaning sink in. Benton moved lethargically in his grief, and realized what Race was looking at. He jumped up, knocking Race over. “That’s Jonny and Jessie! IRIS, trace signal!” “Tracing... Tracing... Signal originating from an abandoned warehouse on 1768 Cherrystone Street. “Yes!” Benton even thought of yelling ‘Slammin’!’ But he didn’t. “IRIS, zoom in and do sensor scan.” “Performing.” An infrared scanner system showed where the holographic video had been. It showed two bright red live figures moving through the building. There were several blue ones, indicating dead people losing their body heat. “IRIS, identify the figures.” The figures highlighted on IRIS focused on them. “Frederick Stetson. Dead. Neal Daniels. Dead. Elijah Smith. Dead. Jonathan Quest. Alive. Jessica Bannon. Alive. Nine deactivated mechanicals.” Everyone was instantly awake. They ran to the Quest Chopper as fast as they could. Race didn’t bother with a flight system check, just rose as soon as the propellers would generate lift. He pressed the address ‘1768 Cherrystone Street, Rockport, Maine.’ The helicopter went on autopilot and headed toward the building. QQQQ “There’s no way out of here!” exclaimed Jessie, disheartened after an hour of trying to find someway of leaving. they hadn’t even been able to get off the floor. All the doors they could get in had contained only cells like the one they had been in several hours ago. There must have been a hidden door somewhere, but they couldn’t find it. “There must be! We got in!” “How?” “How the hell should I know! I was unconscious, for God’s sakes!” “Sorry.” “It’s all right. We’re both tired... and cranky... and hungry... and tired... and hungry... and-” “Stop!” She laughed. “Paper rock scissors.” “What?” “Paper, rock, or scissors?” “Uh...” she looked confused. “What are you talking about?” “Never mind. I’m just trying to think of something to do until we die.” “We’re not gonna die!” “How do you know! Your leg may get infected, we don’t have any food. Or water.” “Jonny, my leg will not get infected. Worse, definitely. It already is. But there’s no blood or open cuts. It won’t get infected. As for food and water... you’re right.” She looked dejected. “I guess our only hope is that your tracer still works.” They slumped against the wall next to each other. QQQQ It was the first time Race had ever wished a helicopter had a nuclear reactor for an engine. Well, at least this one. He twitched restlessly, waiting to get to the warehouse. The only one who seemed calm, in fact, was Hadji. He was in his meditating position, and he radiated calmness. Race wished he could do that with such ease. “We are within 50 feet of 1768 Cherrystone Street, disengaging autopilot in 5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1.. disengaged.” “Race grabbed the controls, and steered toward the street. “Highlight on screen 1768 Cherrystone.” A white building, probably the nicest on the street, was highlighted by liquid crystals on the glass. Race swerved toward the building. He landed uneventfully on the top, which was fairly big. Everyone climbed out, all except Hadji jittery. They looked around. There was no door into the building. “Damn!” “Just a minute,” interrupted Hadji. He was in his yogi position. “I am trying to reach Jonny or Jessie’s mind. Just a minute.” Hadji’s face didn’t move, nor did anything about him. Neither did Race, Benton, or Estella. They watched his intense concentration with their own. “I cannot reach Jonny’s mind. He is blocked off, thinking about something.” He lapsed back into his comatose state. They hoped he could reach them, because it was probably the only way. QQQQ Jonny looked up. He’d felt something, in his mind. Whoa! He’d fallen asleep on the wall next to Jessie. Jessie was asleep still, with her head leaning on his shoulder. he smiled down at her. She looked perfect and peaceful. Well, except for her shirt, which was dark crimson with Neal’s and the man’s blood, and her leg, which was swollen, twisted a weird way, and several shades of blue, purple, and green. Her face and neck also were covered with dried blood, from the strange man. Suddenly she jerked awake, too, startling him. He leaped back several inches. “Hadji...?” she whispered. She had a weird look on her face. “Hadji? Is that you? What are you doing?” She paused, and closed her eyes. “What do you want us to do?” She paused again, and tried to get up. As soon as she shifted her weight, however, she gasped, and sat back down. “I can’t, Hadji. I broke my leg, and it really hurts when I move.” She paused again. Jonny wondered if she was going delusional form lack of water or something. She looked at him, her green eyes still held pain from her leg. “How far are we from a window?” He looked down the hall. On one end he could se the gruesome scene they’d tried to leave behind. It was starting to smell really bad. No window. He looked at the other end. There was a window, four paned, about three by four feet. He pointed. She nodded. “There’s one down the hall, Hadji.” Once again she paused, like she was listening to something. Or someone... Now he understood. Hadji was telepathically communicating with her, and telling her what to do. “What floor are we on, Jonny?” “I don’t know!” She sighed. “Help me up.” He walked over to her, and carefully put his arm around her and stood up. She sucked in a sharp breath, and grimaced, but stayed up. She limped really badly toward the window, and pressed her head against it. She counted something. “Eighteen floors up. We already tried breaking it, it won’t. Okay, we’ll wait.” She looked at Jonny. “He’s talking to our dads and Mom about something." QQQQ Hadji moved, and opened his eyes. He stood up slowly. “They are on the eighteenth floor. They cannot break the window, and they can’t jump even if they did. They apparently can’t find a way off the floor, either.” Everyone looked grave. They weren’t sure how they could get Jonny and Jessie out, short of calling in half the police force and dynamite. Race snapped his fingers. “I’ve got it!” QQQQ “What’s his plan?” “I don’t know, he didn’t tell me. I hope it works.” “Yeah. At least they found us. Good thing that man didn’t take my watch.” “Jonny! Does your watch still have a laser cutter? Or did Dr. Quest take it away after the window incident?” Jonny looked offended. “Of course I still have it! And I didn’t mean to make the whole window fall out! I just wanted to cut out a piece!” “Yeah, sure.” “I did!” “Whatever. Anyway, can you cut something from this window? Preferably, the entire window this time?” “Sure.” “Okay then, would you please do it?” “Yeah. Hold on, this’ll take about ten minutes.” Jessie waited. QQQQ “Where’s the eighteenth floor?” asked Race. Hadji looked over the edge, making sure that he wouldn’t fall. He counted. “Top.” “Are you sure?” “Hadji counted again. “Yes.” “Damn! It won’t work!” Estella looked at him. “What was your plan?” “Well, we would have gotten a window open, and they would jump out onto the chopper. We’d be hovering outside the window in it. But it won’t work on the top floor. Something about how the rotor blades can’t be over something and that close to it. The top of the building, I mean.” “Damn! Looks like we’ll be calling in half the police force and a giant bomb.” “Oh, we can do it without a bomb. Hadji, try to get Jonny or Jessie. Can you talk to both of them at the same time?” “Yes, Dr. Quest. But, actually, I am not talking to them, only metaphysically communicating with their minds.” “Yes, Hadji. But you know what I mean. Can you?” “Yes, sir. It is very taxing, but I shall try. Just a minute.” QQQQ Jonny heard something. A small voice in the back of his head, that sounded like... Hadji? “Jonny? Jonny, I must speak with you...” the voice whispered, echoing strangely. “Hello? Hadji, is that you?” Jonny was confused. Hadji had never communicated to him through his mind before. He didn’t think it would sound like this. He looked at Jessie. She was saying something. He could hear it dimly, but only dimly. He tried to read her lips. All he could make out was her saying, “Hadji.” So that had been Hadji. He heard it again. Now it was louder. “Hadji, what is it you want?” he inquired. Jessie’s voice came back to him. Somehow, he could hear her through Hadji. “He wants us to find a way to get out of the window. I told him we already have.” “Thank you, my friend. I must go now. We will see you soon,” he heard Hadji say, before his voice faded away. He shook his head. That was really strange. He looked at Jessie. “You look confused.” He could hear her clearly now. It must have been something with Hadji. “He’s never done that to me before.” He shook his head again. “Oh. Well, we’re supposed to wait by the window.” She put a hand on the wall, and tried to stand again. She couldn’t. “Damn! My leg...” She looked pained. She tried again, and she still couldn’t. She slumped against the wall. Jonny watched her. After her second try, he walked over to her. Standing in front of her, he offered her his hand. She looked at it, then took it, and wrapped her fingers around his. he pulled her up, and she stood, tentatively, on one leg. She was shaking slightly. She was really drained. She was also having a hard time keeping her balance. He slowly put his arms around her, hesitatingly. He looped his arms around her back and stomach, standing slightly behind her, and to her right. She leaned against him, closing her eyes. He could feel her trembling against his chest. He hugged her tighter, drawing her to him. She breathed deeply, and looked up at him. he looked down at her. They stared at each other for several minutes, just looking in each other’s eyes. He bent closer to her, and brushed his lips against hers tentatively. She closed her eyes again as he kissed her again, and she kissed him back. He broke off and leaned back, watching her. Her eyes were closed, and she was smiling slightly. She opened her eyes and spoke. “You know what that reminded me of?” “Uh, no...” “That scene from Titanic, where they’re at the front of the boat. It would have worked better if we were on a boat, instead of some damn prison building, and my leg didn’t look like I put it in a meat grinder and pressed on.” “Really.” He laughed. “That was a strange observation.” “I know!” He smiled at her, and pulled her closer. He kissed her again. This time she broke off first. “You know, we really should be looking for a way out of this damn shithole.” “Hey, we got the window out for them! What more do they want us to do?” “I don’t know. C’mere.” “Where?” “To the window.” He walked with her, mostly for her, to the space where the window had been. It was cold outside, in the fifties. Sometimes Jonny didn’t like Maine weather. But it was great in the winter when they got lots of snow. She looked out. Her hair blew into his face, whipping in the wind. He moved to the side, loosening his hold on her waist. She collapsed, and only her hold on the window frame kept her from falling. She gasped as she leaned on her broken leg. Jonny quickly moved back toward her, easing her up. She clutched his arms in a death grip. Pressing against her back to keep her form falling again, he let her look out. This time she looked up. She turned to face him. “Jonny, I can see the end of a rotor blade. they’re on the roof!” Jonny looked at her. She was now just as close as before, just facing him, with her arms folded against his chest, so it was easy to look right at her. “I’m positive! Look up!” Jonny did. He pushed her gently to the side of him, holding her just as firmly. She was right. he could see the last foot and a half of a helicopter blade. It had a ‘Q’ on the end, for Quest Enterprises. Jonny pulled Jessie to him, and twirled her in a circle, making sure that her feet weren’t touching the ground. He laughed joyously. She laughed with him, wrapping her arms around his neck in case he let go of her. But he didn’t. They twirled around for at least five minutes straight, until Jonny crashed his side into the wall. “Ow!” he cried breathlessly. They jerked to a stop. Jessie kept laughing. She knew he was all right. He ran into things all the time. “Come on, let’s go! We can probably climb up there easily.” “Correction: I can climb up there easily. You will wait here. We’ll get you up, don’t worry. But there is no way in hell you’re climbing up there with a broken leg.” Jessie sighed. She hated sitting and doing nothing like that. “I guess you’re right. But I absolutely hate doing nothing.” “I know.” He smiled slightly. “How are you gonna get up?” “That I don’t know....” QQQQ “So how do we get the window out?” Hadji looked up at Race. “It is already out. Jonny used his laser cutter.” Race sighed. He still didn’t know what to do. He preferred not to get half the Rockport Police down here. But if I have to, I will! He hoped to God nothing had happened to either one of them. Jonny Quest was as much a child of his as Jessie. He didn’t know what he’d do if he lost both of them. In the back of his mind, he’d always hoped, almost believed, that Jessie hadn’t died in the fire. She was more of a survivor than Jonny, which was something to say for her. He hadn’t believed she would give up without a fight. And he had been ecstatic, the happiest he’d ever been, when Benton ran into his hotel room exclaiming, “Jessie’s alive!” over and over. He and Benton had run around the room like a couple of kids. The people below had called the main desk and complained. He smiled to himself. But now, what the hell were they gonna do. He repeated to himself that he would not call in the police. It was a matter of personal pride now, and he wouldn’t accept any help. Well, if it got to dangerous, he would, but he hoped they’d be able to pull it off without outside help. They could have gone down to street level and try to get to the eighteenth floor, but Jonny and Jessie had said that they hadn’t found any way to get onto that floor. And, there was the slight problem of getting to street level. The Quest Chopper had unusually long rotor blades, which housed extra electronics. The old road was below them was only one lane wide, and that wasn’t wide enough. This building, as well as any of the others he could see, didn’t have a fire escape. He thought about breaking through the floor, and into the ceiling of the eighteenth floor. he looked under his feet. No, we took the chopper with the small armament. They didn’t have anything that would be strong enough to break through the concrete. Also, if they had something that did, they ran the risk of it going too far, and damaging the building, which might just make it fall on top of Jonny and Jessie. Too many problems! He was interrupted by Estella. “Race? Race!” He looked up. “Hmm? What is it?” “We were wondering if you had a plan.” “No.” He said wearily. He put his head in his hands. “They may be on their own with this one. Knowing those two, though, they’ll just pop out of thin air as if nothing happened at all.” QQQQ “So... how are gonna manage to get up there anyway?” Jonny looked at Jessie. “I have no earthly idea. Maybe.... No. Hmm.” He put his chin on the top of her head, and closed his eyes. Jessie shifted her head and looked back up at him. “Well....?” He pretended to glare at her. “Well, I don’t know!” he said in mock exasperation. “Your turn for escape plan block, huh?” “Guess so.” “Ha! Now you know what it’s like. To have someone pester you, and you can’t think, and...” He stuck his tongue out at her, and made and outrageous face. She was reminded of him doing that.. oh, so long ago.... But then, they weren’t stuck in a building down the hall from the bodies of them sadistic madman who kidnapped you and his crones, and covered in their blood. She grinned. Well, she was covered in their blood. Suddenly she pivoted on her good foot, and tickled Jonny’s ribs. He jerked away, and fell, dragging her down with him. Pain shot through her leg as she twisted it, but she ignored it, and kept tickling him. He laughed, wiggling away from her. She rolled away from him, but his arms were still around her, and she ended up next to him. “I’ll remember that,” he commented. “If I go down, you’re going with me. More Titanic crap.” Jessie groaned. “No, see, you’ve got it all wrong.” She pretended to lecture him sternly. “See, Mr. DiCrapio loved Rose, so he wanted to die with her. Well, that’s what they want you to think. My interpretation is very different. he decided that since she was suicidal, he’d follow her, ‘cause it made him look like he died for a noble cause. it made her look like a spoiled rich girl who didn’t get the slightest thing her way, and so she killed herself. Actually, he was the spoiled one, and so he was looking for a good excuse to die. And she was his avenue. Only then, she decided not to die, because of him. So he led her on, and then got a noble death in the end. I’m telling you, he was very intelligent, and very devious.” Jonny laughed. “I’m sure.” “It’s true.” Suddenly she got an enlightened look. “I’ve got an idea, and it just might work.” QQQQ “Hadji, try to contact them again.” Hadji looked at Estella. She was fidgety, and obviously very worried. “All right, Ms. Velasquez, but I can only reach one at a time. I do not believe I have enough energy to reach both.” “That’s fine. Just ask if they have a plan.” QQQQ Hadji drifted back into full consciousness. He opened his eyes, and found Race, Dr. Quest, and Estella staring at him expectantly. “Well?” “Yes, Ms. Velasquez, they have a plan.” Everyone visibly relaxed. “Well, what is it?” “They would not tell me.” “Who?” “Neither. I asked both.” Race looked extremely annoyed. “What did they say?” “To wait, and they would come.” “I’ve heard that before.” They all sighed simultaneously, except Hadji, who looked amused. QQQQ “Do you really think this’ll work, Jess?” “I have no idea. But I don’t have another idea, and I don’t think you do, either. So...” She looked up from the small box of work jumpsuits she was carrying. "If you don’t wanna do it, though, we won’t.” She looked worriedly at him. “No, it’s okay. We need to.” He smiled at her. “Besides, you always said I took stupid risks.” “You do. But it’s kinda different when your dad’s life depends on it, or the safety of the world or somethin. Trying a stupid stunt like this is a totally different class.” "Why? This time its your life.” “Not exactly. I could, we both could, get out of here some other way. You don’t have-” “I told you, Jess. I’m going to.” “All right.” She stepped over the bodies and wrinkled her nose. “It smells positively gross here. Let’s dump them out of the window, too.” Jonny looked at her strangely. “You actually want touch them?” She looked back at him. “Well, it’s better than smelling them! And besides, I don’t want to slip on poor Neal and land on him.” “Well, okay. Have it your way.” They put the boxes down. Jonny looked at the body below them. It was Fred. “Well, come on, time for you to go.” He sniffed. It really does smell bad. He picked up the bodies arms. Jessie bent down and picked up the arms. It was kind of hard for her because she had one of the robots’ legs tied to her arm. It was the only crutch type thing they could think of. So, using the laser touch, they’d cut off one of the robots’ legs, and used strips of the work suits to bind it to her arm. She could walk much better now, although her lag looked really bad. It was broken in at least two places. Jonny could feel bone jutting out of place when he touched it. It was swollen, and a rainbow of colors ranging from green to purple to dark, angry red. Jessie said it didn’t hurt, but he could see her face pale slightly when she moved a lot. They carried Fred’s body to the window. After three heaves they threw it from the window in an arc. “Fred has left the building!” crowed Jonny. Jessie looked at him in disgust. “That’s just gross.” she commented. He grinned at her. She sighed and shook her head. QQQQ End Part Three ate Posted: Febuary 7, 2000 Categories: HR, F, E, A, ALT Archivers: Sure, if you want it. Mirax Harbin “The Girl on the Necklace” Part Four Two hours later, it was done. Hadji had communicated with each of them several times. But they steadfastly refused to tell him what their plan was. Each time Hadji had left saying, “I will contact you later.” He always had. But now they were done. Jessie looked at it doubtfully. “Are you sure this’ll work. it doesn’t look very strong.” Jonny picked up the cloth. he held one of the super- sharp points of the grappling hook to it, and ran the hook down the cloth. It barely broke a thread. “Jessie, this’s kevlar. It’ll stand fifty pounds per inch of pressure. I thin I’ll be fine.” he looked at it with her. They had made a very simple device, although it had taken them a while because they hadn’t had very good tools. it was a metal grappling hook- type device with extremely sharp points. Jessie had melted and reformed the metal for an hour, using one of the robots’ feet. Jonny had ripped up shreds from the work suits using the laser torch once she was done with the grappling hook. Then they’d tied the cloth together and to the hook, and when they were done, it looked like a strange metal kite with a long, ragged tail. Jonny held it up. “It doesn’t look like much, though,” he admitted. “No kidding. But, it’s not doing much, either. Let’s try it. I mean, the worst that could happen is that something breaks and we fall eighteen stories and smash next to our dead friends,” she said mock cheerfully. “You’re being extremely encouraging.” “I know.” She grinned, but then it melted into a look of absolute seriousness. “Be careful, please,” she whispered, her eyes full of fear. He looked down at her. “I swear I will be. Now help me with this.” They walked, or, he walked and she kind of hobbled to the window. Both looked up. Jonny looked at Jessie. “You always were better at lay- ups. You do it.” He handed her the hook. Jessie stared at it. “Jonny, this isn’t a basketball game. You could die if this doesn’t go right.” “Jessie, do it. You can do it better.” He closed her hand around it. She looked at it like she wasn’t quite sure what it was. The she leaned out the window. She looked at the roof. The she came back in. “Help me get this thing off, will ya? It’s in the way.” She shook her arm and the makeshift crutch. He untied it from her shoulder. She threw it out the window. they heard it clatter on the street below after about ten seconds. “And just think, that could have been me. Only I probably would have gone ‘splat!’” Jessie looked at him. “I can’t believe you...” she muttered. the she leaned out the window, and looked up again. She started to move to the side, because she only had one leg on the ground. Jonny slid his arms around her waist again, holding her tightly. She acknowledged with a whispered, “Thanks,” as she concentrated above her. Suddenly, she moved her arm slightly, and made a perfect lay- up motion. They heard it clatter lightly. She leaned out and grabbed the rope of work suits. She tugged on hard several times. No shifting at all. She turned in his arms and held in out to him. “It’s as good as it’ll get.” He took it from her. “Thanks.” She smiled. he leaned down and kissed her softly, then released her and tugged on the rope harder than she had. It still didn’t move. He sighed, “Well, here goes.” He turned to look at her. She smiled slightly. He saluted her in the was they’d developed when they were younger, with only the first two fingers, and stepped onto the window frame, holding tightly to the holes they’d left for hand and foot holds. He stepped off the window frame and began to climb. QQQQ Race jerked his head up. “Hey, did you hear something?” No one looked at him, but everyone shook their heads. They’d been sitting on the roof for two hours while Jonny and Jessie put their supposed plan into motion. He wondered if they’d even had one then. “No, I heard something. A clatter. I swear.” This time, Hadji looked at him. “You are correct, Race. I just heard the same thing.” he stood up and turned in a circle. “Although it may have been nothing.” Race shook his head. “No, it was somethin. What, I don’t know. But it was somethin.” He heard a noise behind him and whirled around just in time to see Jonny stagger, obviously exhausted on to the roof. He smiled at them, swaying slightly. “Told you we had a plan...” Then he collapsed. Luckily, Race had moved to right next to him, and caught him. he looked at Jonny. “Jonny, where’s Jessie? Is she okay? What about her leg? What-” “Race!” Estella interrupted him. “Jonny is in no position to talk to you about this. Can’t you see he’s exhausted? He’s been... Only God knows what... and your acting like he’s a Russian in and interrogation chamber!” Race looked at Jonny. He was trying to stand, but it wasn’t working right, and his knees kept giving out. Race’s face softened, and he supported Jonny more. “Sorry, Stel.” She smiled at him. “It’s all right. We’re all upset about her.” Jonny tried to stand again, but it still didn’t work. He whispered, “Grappling hook, Jessie... broken leg... pull her up...” Then he was unconscious, the last ten hours catching up with him. QQQQ Jessie looked up worriedly. She’d seen Jonny go up and no black and blue mass had flown down past her, so she assumed he’d gotten up. But what she was going to do, she didn’t know. She wondered what Jonny was doing. Please oh please oh please let him be all right! Suddenly, something came over the edge of the roof. She jumped back with a gasp. She hesitantly looked back up. It was Hadji. Race was holding his feet, and his waist up was hanging over the edge. He looked at her. She stared back. “Uh... hi, Hadji.” She looked bewildered. “Hello, Jessie. We’re trying to figure out how to get you up.” He looked around. “It is not going to be easily accomplished.” “Okay... Well, then I’ll have to hug you later. But I know what to do.” “What?” “Well, could Dad pull up that grappling hook thingy if I was on it?” “I am sure he could.” “Great. I’m gonna get on it, and he’ll pull me up. Can you tell him that?” “Of course. Just a minute.” Hadji snapped his fingers, and Race pulled him back up. QQQQ “Well,” Race demanded anxiously, “What did she say?” “She said to put the grappling hook down, she would get on it, and we would pull her up.” “What?!” “That is what she said.” “Well,” Race looked around him. Estella and Benton were looking at him expectantly, and Jonny was still asleep. “I do not believe we have another option, race.” “You’re right, Hadji. Guess we’ll go with her plan.” “What plan?” interrupted Jonny. He was groggily sitting up, shaking his head. “Aren’t you supposed to be unconscious or something?” “Very funny, Race. What’s her plan?” he insisted. “Basically, we pull her up.” “What?!” “Exactly what I said, kiddo. But we don’t have anything better to do. You got any ides?” “Well, no... But that’s too dangerous!” “Jonny, have you ever known Jessie to purposely do something that was the safer option?” “No.” “Exactly. So, we do it her way.” “All right, but I wanna help.” “Doing what, kiddo?” “Well... I dunno. I just want to help.” “All right, all right. Hold this for a minute.” Race handed Jonny the grappling hook. He walked around the edge of the building over the window where Jessie was waiting. He looked at the spot where Jonny had climbed up. There were three dents in the metal. “Nice shot,” he said appraisingly. “Jonny, did you throw this, or Jessie?” “Jessie did.” “That’s my girl,” said Race proudly. “You mean our girl.” “Sorry, Stel. Right about... here. Bring it to me, kiddo.” Jonny obediently walked over to Race and handed him the hook. Race inspected it, and place it exactly where it had been. He dropped down the rope. “Jonny, I’m gonna do to you what I did to Hadji.” “What’s that?” “Oh, yeah. I’m gonna hold your legs, and you go over the side and talk Jessie through it.” “Race, Jessie is hardly incapable.” “I know that, Jonny. I just want to be sure!” said Race, his over protectiveness coming through. “All right, lower away...” Jonny lay face down on the roof. Race grabbed his ankles, and they slowly inched toward the roof. Jonny gradually went over the edge, until he was hanging down, from his waist down swinging free. “Jessie?” he called. he didn’t see her. “Jessie!!” Then he saw her. She was lying on the floor in the hallway where he’d been, unconscious or sleeping, he didn’t know. But she wasn’t answering him. “Race? Race, she’s unconscious or asleep, I can’t tell. But she’s breathing, she’s alive. I’m gonna try to get a hold on the rope and go down to her.” “All right, Jonny, but be careful!” “I will, hold on!” He grabbed a hold of the rope, and clutched it tightly, and the threaded one of his arms through one of the bigger holes. “Okay, race, I want you to let go of me now!” “All right, Jonny. On the count of three! One... two... three!” Race let go of Jonny’s legs, and at the same time, Jonny swung around and off the roof. He was hanging by his one arm and his fingers. He just hung there for a second, and then he slowly climbed onto the rope, and stepped carefully onto the window frame. He knew one wrong move could kill him. Slowly, he bent down, and crawled through the broken window, cautious of every move. Once he was inside, he bent down next to Jessie. He checked her pulse. Regular, strong pulse. But she was breathing shallow. Probably unconscious. That meant she was going to have to wake up of her own accord, and he couldn’t do anything. Damn! He looked at the rope, the side of the building, and Jessie. Then he looked at the rope again. He had an idea. QQQQ Race looked anxiously over the side of the building. Where the hell is Jonny? As if on cue, he heard Jonny. “Race, she’s unconscious... She looks okay, but she is unconscious. I’m gonna try to rappel up the side of the building, then you pull her over, then me. Okay?” “I heard you, Jonny.” “It’ll take me about ten minutes to get a makeshift rappelling harness! Hold on!” Race sat back, and waited, praying fervently for the first time since Jessie had disappeared. QQQQ Good thing we made about ten extra feet. Jonny looked at the rope. he’d fashioned a crude rappelling harness, which wouldn’t last very long. He hoped it would last long enough. he fastened it around his waist, picked up Jessie, who was still unconscious, in one arm, and grabbed the rope in the other. He jumped out from the window. He swung about four feet out before his feet hit the wall again. He adjusted Jessie, making sure he had more than one hold on her in case he slipped, and called to Race. “Okay, you pull up about two feet and I’ll rappel up it!” Race apparently heard him,because Jonny felt a jerk, and he walked up the wall. He looked up. About eight more feet to go. “Okay!” Another jerk, and he went up more. He and Race did this until Jonny had the gutter in one hand. “Race, I’m up!” Race looked over the edge. Relief and Joy flooded over his face as he saw Jessie. Race grabbed her from Jonny, and stood up, carrying her like a baby. Jonny climbed over the edge. he undid the rope, and tossed it and the hook over the edge. Good riddance to my last memoir of this place. He would always have it in his memory, though. He smiled wryly. Along with Dr. Zin’s prison, Hadji’s cousin’s prison, Rage’s disciples’ captured launch pad... He looked in front of him. Jessie appeared to be coming to, and Race, Estella, Hadji, and his dad were hovering over her. She opened her eyes, and closed them again, adjusting to the glare of the bright light. She opened them again, and saw everyone converged on her. her face lit up, and she gave all of them a huge hug in succession. Jonny held back. Hey, I’ve spent the last day and a half with her, let them have their time. Nobody appeared to notice he was gone. Jessie sat up. “Where’s Jonny?” Everyone looked at each other, noticing he wasn’t there for the first time. Jonny walked up to her, in between Race and his dad. Jessie stood up and gave him as big a hug as she had given race or her mom. “Thanks,” she whispered. “For what?” Jonny looked at her, confused. “Well, let’s count, shall we? For meeting me at the mall, covering for me in front of the reporter, saving me from the lovely robot, saving me from that strange man, getting me up here, somehow....” she trailed off , grinning at him. Everyone laughed. “Eli Smith.” Jessie looked at her father. “What, dad?” “Eli Smith. The man.” Jessie nodded her head, “He said he knew you...?” Race looked at somewhere behind her, focusing on the past. “Another agency friend...” Jessie nodded again. “Oooohhh.” Benton looked startled, then asked, Where is he?” Jessie looked surprised, and then she giggled. “He left the building.” Jonny laughed with her. Everyone else looked at them, confused. “Nothing. just Jonny’s sick humor,” explained Jessie. Everyone still stared at them. Jessie and Jonny sighed simultaneously. “Look at the road.” Race looked at Jessie as if to say, “What the hell!” before he did. His eyes widened. “We can’t just leave them there!” “Burn them.” “Jessie...” “Hmm?” “We can’t just burn them!” “Why not?” “We just...Oh, all right.” Jonny and Jessie laughed. QQQQ Ten days later, they were all in the living room. Jonny and Jessie were sitting in one of the big chairs. Her leg, wrapped in a cast up to her thigh, was propped on the arm, and she was sitting basically on Jonny’s lap, with her head on the opposite arm. Everyone seemed to accept that something had happened between them some time, in that building, or before, they didn’t know. But no one protested it, even Race, which surprised them all. Jessie’s theory was that he’d always wanted them to get together so she wouldn’t be exposed to ‘the darker ones,’ as he said it, but he hadn’t given them any hints. Hadji watched them carefully. “What did that man, Eli Smith, do to you?” he asked. Jonny and Jessie looked at each other. “You know. You saw it on the tape,” answered Jonny. “No, Jonny, he means in that building, whatever it was,” replied Race. “An old storage building,” interrupted Jessie. “What?” Jonny looked surprised. “How’d you find that out?” “I looked it up. Had IRIS do it. That’s why those work suits were in there. Being stored.” “I’m glad they were.” “Me, too.” Race interrupted them. “What happened though? How’d they all die?” Jessie started. “Well, you saw him... remove... us. He took us to that weirdo building. We woke up in a cell- type place. I woke up first, and he took me out. Left Jonny there.” Jessie saw Race tense out of the corner of her eye. “He didn’t hurt me, Dad. Just said all the ways he’d kill us.. kill you... You know, typical sadistic madman things.” Everyone laughed. “Well,” Jonny continued. “When I woke up he brought her back in. Left us there after giving us a little pep talk.” Jonny and Jessie laughed, remembering him. “The he left us there for a while and we...” He and Jessie glanced at each other briefly. “Talked.” “So then he came, sent his little friends after us, and we got one of them. He must have died. I don’t know what happened to him.” “Wait a minute!” interrupted Race. “There were three guys?” “Yeah. Why?” “IRIS only picked up two.” “That’s okay. He must have gotten away. I don’t really care. None of them seemed like they’d be much without Captain Insano.” “Are you sure?” “Yeah. Don’t worry about him. Anyway... after that he took us into the hall. He shot his own men, just to get rid of them for a demonstration.” Jonny and Jessie both shuddered, remembering the cruel killing. “And...?” “And then he sent out his mechanical toys. They weren’t very hard to get rid of. Just a little blood did the trick. But then he snapped, and kinda got a little upset. he tried to kill Jessie with his handy dandy glove-knives. But I kicked his hand-” “And kinda killed it!” said Jessie. “Right. So he died of blood loss. Then we dumped ‘em out of the window, ‘cause they weren’t helping the atmosphere.” “Next time, think about the atmosphere when three dead bodies land on someone’s head,” commented Race dryly. They all laughed. Jonny waved his hand, dismissing the matter. “Don’t worry, we’re not that stupid.” “Speak for me, at least,” said Jessie with a fake Godly air. Jonny laughed and almost pushed her off of him, then thought better as he looked at her leg. “Shut up,” he muttered under his breath. Jessie looked at her leg. “You know, who would have ever thought you’d be a safety precaution broken?” she sighed. Everyone cracked up. QQQQ One man, however, was not laughing. or smiling happily. He was, however, smiling a cold, humorless smile as he looked at the Quest compound from a half a mile off the coast. He laughed coldly, rubbing his nose, which was twisted, as though it had been broken and never healed... QQQQ The End! Of this one, at least. The next bit coming soon. I already know the plot! I’m so proud of myself! It just came to me, in civics one day. Wow! See, school does have a hidden meaning. Whoooaaaaaa! I kinda got the idea for my next part, (Called ‘An orphaned Child ’) from the title, “What Shall We Do With The Child?” so whoever wrote that, thanks. (I don’t remember who did.) and don’t worry, I didn’t read it and copy it, I just saw the title, and was thinking about what the thing would be about, when I was like, “Hey! Great idea for my next one!, so don’t sue me, please.