TKR: Force of Fear

Part 5

By: Deanna Jordon

"Kyle, I just got a call from Lt. Wiggins." Duke's voice sounded on the overhead speakers in the conference room. Kyle was there with Erica trying to coax information from the computers on Corbett's buyers. "He says he just got a tip that Corbett was seen entering a warehouse down at the railyard. His informant says Trek was with him."

Kyle jumped out of his chair. "Erica, stay here just in case this is a ruse to get us out of here. Jenny, you keep watching the house. Duke, I'm on my way."

"Oh sure leave me here. You go rescue Trek, and I'll just do my nails." Erica stabbed at the buttons on her console.

Kat tried to placate her friend. "Don't worry, Plato and I will keep you company."

#

From a black Mercury parked at the edge of the airport, Allyson, Trek, and Corbett watched as two cars sped away from Sky One. "There they go," Allyson said, pointing towards the huge aircraft. "The other two are covering our old hideout. Let's get aboard."

After they had run across the ramp and underneath the aircraft, they huddled beside one of the plane's massive landing gears. "You stay out here, Bruce, and watch our backs." Allyson helped Trek climb up the strut and onto one of the tires that was assembled in a gang of four with each taller than they were. "We're going to get aboard through the emergency hatch in the bottom of the fuselage," She told Corbett before climbing up into the cool darkness of the wheel well after Trek. Trek quickly located the emergency hatch and used the manual override to open it.

The two entered a lower deck and cautiously made their way to the plane's central computer room, keeping a watchful eye out for any crewmembers still aboard. They had no way of knowing that Kyle had given most of the crew leave since he didn't want any of them in the way if trouble developed aboard the plane. The internal sensors and computer links were being monitored by Kat and Plato to detect any problems that might arise.

"Erica, I've got an intruder alert outside the computer room." Kat said.

"I'm on it. Call Kyle and tell him to get back here." Erica slipped out the door and made her way silently to the computer room, picking up a tracking bug as she went. She listened outside the door and could make out a woman's voice giving instructions. "Kat," she whispered, "What's going on in there?"

"Someone is trying to access the main memory database. The scrambler grid and the feedback loop are keeping the primary systems safe for now. They won't last for long under a determined attack though." Kat whispered back.

"Okay, I'm going in." Erica hit the door controls and shouted "Don't move!" as she entered. Then she shouted louder "Trek!!"

"No!! Keep her away from me!" Trek screamed. He fell back against the wall shaking with fear trying to roll into a ball.

"Trek! I'll get you out of here. Come on!" Erica tried to get past Allyson, but was grabbed. The two women struggled back and forth. Erica managed to knock her opponent to the floor and was standing over her, when Allyson called to Trek.

"You heard her yourself. Now help me!" Allyson demanded.

"Get off of her!" Trek yelled as he pushed Erica off of Allyson. Erica fell to the floor beside her opponent as Trek sank to the floor sobbing in fear. His eyes were wide and sweat poured from his forehead.

Erica scrambled to her feet and reached for Trek as Allyson hit her over the head from behind. "Let's get out of here," Allyson snapped as Erica collapsed into a heap.

Trek was so paralyzed with fear that Allyson practically had to carry him out of the plane. She got him to the same hatch they had entered the plane from and lowered him down to Corbett waiting on the ground. To save time, Corbett tossed Trek over his shoulder and ran for the car. When they got there, Corbett steadied Trek against the car door while Allyson readied a syringe that put him to sleep almost instantly.

"What happened?" Corbett asked as they drove off.

"They set up some sort of new security code in the computer systems. He couldn't get through it quick enough. We were caught by one of them, Erica West. I knocked her out but she'll come to soon enough." Allyson beat the steering wheel with her hand. "The drugs worked too well. He just froze up and wasn't any help at all. We'll have to think of a new plan."

#

"Kyle! Erica's in trouble. There's an intruder on the plane. You've got to help her!" Kat was almost hysterical.

"Jenny get going. We'll meet you there. Be careful." Kyle and Duke called on every ounce of power their trucks possessed getting back to the plane. They screamed into the garage and jumped out just as Jenny came roaring in.

"Where is she, Kat?" Jenny asked.

"The computer room. Hurry!" Plato urged.

They found Erica facedown on the floor, unconscious. Kyle knelt down and felt her throat for a pulse. He let out a relieved sigh when he felt it beating strong beneath his fingers. He and Duke rolled her over onto her back.

"Erica, can you hear me?" Kyle asked in a soft voice.

Erica let out a low moan and groggily put her hand to her head. "What happened?"

"I was hoping you could tell us." Kyle and Duke helped Erica to her feet and steered her into a chair.

She sat for a moment trying to remember, them looked around wildly. "Trek! Trek was here. Trying to get into the computers. There was a woman with him." Erica tried to get up but Duke gently pushed her back down into the chair. "It was awful Kyle. Trek knew me but he was terrified that I was going to hurt him. He hit me then he just stood there and . . . ." Erica stopped. "Kyle, I've seen people who are frightened but this was way beyond. He couldn't move he was so scared of me, of this plane. What have they done to him?" Erica wobbled and would have fallen out of the chair if Duke hadn't caught her.

"Sounds like they've tried to use some sort of mind controlling agent on him. At least we know he's alive. That gives us a chance to get to him." Kyle spoke into his comlink,

"Dante, can you tell if Trek got to the computer's memory core?"

"No he didn't. The feedback loop stopped him. It shouldn't have. My guess would be that he's too drugged up to think straight. He would have been able to get through it like butter, if he'd noticed it." Dante said.

"Good. At least we know Sky One is safe for now. Contact FLAG and tell them what's happened." Kyle turned back to Erica. "Any ideas where they might be heading?"

"Sure do. I managed to get a bug onto her jacket while we were fighting. Kat should be able to pick up the signal and we can follow them." Erica stood up, hanging onto Duke for support.

"Can you make it?" Jenny asked. "Maybe you should go to the infirmary and get checked out. You've got a pretty big bump there."

"No, I want to go. I'll be alright." Erica stated and let go of Duke's arm. "See, all better"

"Okay. You ride with Duke." Kyle smiled, thinking that type of courage was exactly why Erica was on the team.

"I can take her." Kat protested.

"No offense but we need you here. Your job is to liaison between us and the police department. Call Lt. Wiggins and tell him what happened. Let him know we are following the signal and not to interfere unless I say so." Kyle said as he led the way to the garage.

"Yes Kyle." Plato and Kat said together making a note not to use the term interfere when they contacted Lt. Wiggins.

"Jenny, any chance they are going to the house over on Cedar Creek?"

"It doesn't look it. Domino thinks the house has been deserted for the last week at least."

Duke helped Erica into Beast as Kyle and Jenny got into their respective cars.

"Beast can you pick up the signal?" Erica asked as they left the garage. Her voice still sounded weak to Beast.

"Yes. That female rattlesnake is about 5 miles away and still moving. Are you okay Erica?"

"I'm fine Beast. Just get us to Trek. I want another go at that blonde sneak." Erica's voice was sounding stronger as the pounding in her head eased off.

#

The signal led to a modest house on the outskirts of town. The same black Mercury coupe was parked on the street in front of the house. The curtains were drawn across the front windows preventing any glimpses into the interior.

"Dante, do a bio-scan of the house." Kyle instructed.

"I am detecting three people. A woman and two men. One of the men is unconscious. Kyle, I'm afraid it's Trek." Dante said softly.

"OK, Duke, you and Erica cover the back. Don't let anyone leave. I'm going to scout around the house. Jenny, see what you can do about disabling that car. Let's go." Kyle made his way across the street and into the side yard of the house. Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed Beast drive down the street and turn down the alley way and Jenny knifing the tires on the car.

Kyle found a small window on the side of the house where the curtains weren't quite closed together. He peered across a dining room and into a slice of the living room. A man he recognized as Bruce Corbett was on the phone. A woman, whom he guessed had been their intruder on the plane, was pacing the rug. There was no sign of Trek.

If he was going to learn anymore, it looked like he'd have to get inside the house. Around back, Duke and Erica had already tried the back door and found it locked, that just left the front door. He crouched on the front porch beside the door and waited for Jenny to join him.

#

"I'm going to check on Sanders. You call Inzari and see what he wants us to do next," Allyson instructed. "For my money, I think we'd be ahead if we killed him and cleared out."

Corbett hung up the phone and glanced through an open door across from the living room. Trek was still lying exactly as Corbett had dumped him on the bed. "Don't bother. He's out cold. An atomic bomb couldn't wake that kid up." He looked Allyson in the eye. "Let's not go killing him yet. If nothing else, I have some clients who would be interested in giving him a new home."

Allyson turned away.

"By the way, Ms. Davies, you practically overdosed him with that last shot. And that was our last dose, you know. I suggest you turn your attention to getting us some more. We're going to need it if we plan on doing much more with him." Corbett turned to dial the phone. "If it has a chance to wear off before we sell him, we won't be able to control him."

"I'll make a couple of phone calls," Allyson said, snapping on the TV to catch an episode of "CHiPS" while she waited for Corbett to finish his call.

Kyle whispered into his comlink. "Duke, I've found Trek. You and the others get ready. We need to get inside and fast. There's only the two of them."

"You give us the word," Erica responded, nodding as Duke made ready to kick down the back door. She guessed Beast was watching their backs and felt sorry for anyone that got past them.

Coming up with a plan, Kyle stepped up to the front door while Jenny crouched behind him out of sight. She couldn't believe it when he knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Corbett's voice sounded from inside.

"Pizza delivery!" Kyle called, glancing down at Jenny and hunching his shoulders.

She couldn't believe it when she heard the door being unlocked.

"No one here ordered a--" Corbett was saying as he opened the door.

Before he could finish, Kyle shoved the door open, knocking Corbett off his feet. Racing through the door behind Kyle, Jenny yelled into her comlink for Duke and Erica to hit the back door.

Duke hit the door for all he was worth, but it didn't give way. Erica could hear sounds of struggle and running footsteps inside the house before someone yelled "Blow it!" as Beast told the two to take cover. A second later an explosion knocked them off their feet as the door was blown off its hinges at them. The explosion inside the house seemed to envelope every room.

"They wouldn't," Erica thought, seeing flames begin to gain purchase on every wall she could see inside the house. "Trek!!" Erica yelled, diving into the kitchen through the dust, spreading flames and smoke.

A car burst from the closed garage and sped off almost hitting Dante. "Beast, we need you!" Duke yelled into his comlink as he sprinted away from the house.

"I suspected as much," the black truck said, racing through the yard to Duke's side and opening the door for him.

"Let's go!" Beast yelled as Duke jumped in. In less than a second they were close behind the fleeing car.

While Duke chased their suspects, Kyle and Jenny pulled themselves up from the floor where the explosion had knocked them. As the ringing began to ease in their ears, Kyle ran deeper into the house, braving the fire to search for Trek. Jenny raced outside to Dante and pulled a fire extinguisher from the cargo hatch.

"Fire trucks are on the way," Dante said. "I estimate they will be on the scene in eight minutes."

"We don't have eight minutes, Dante!" she called, running back into the house.

"Trek! Where are you?!" Kyle had covered his mouth and nose with his arm. Using hand motions, he told Erica to search the left side of the house while he searched to the right. Jenny stayed in the living room, using the extinguisher just enough to keep an escape path clear for her friends.

Kyle moved into the first room he came to and saw Trek lying on the bed. Moving fast, he scooped him up and made his way back to the front of the house. Erica saw him and followed him out. Jenny sprayed down enough of the flames for them to be able to get out without getting badly burnt.

Out in the front yard, Kyle laid Trek on the grass and collapsed beside him. Erica knelt down and felt for a pulse.

"How is he?" Jenny gasped as she fought for breath. Sirens were wailing in the distance.

Erica looked up with tears in her eyes. "Not good. His breathing is too shallow and his heart rate is way up. Those drugs must be keeping him in such a state of terror that it's about to overwhelm him. Much more could kill him. It's a good thing he's unconscious. After what happened on the plane, seeing all of us here could literally scare him to death."

Kyle used his comlink to have Dante to add a call for an ambulance. As the sirens began to wail in the distance, he wondered how Duke and Beast were doing.

#

Duke and Beast raced down the open highway after Corbett and Allyson. The two were darting through traffic, changing lanes and cutting in front of other cars in an effort to lose their pursuers. At least half a dozen cars ran off the road trying to get out of the way.

"Beast target their tires. Get your missile ready." Duke ordered.

"My pleasure." Beast sounded grim. "Missile away." The projectile soared after the car and exploded against the back tire, sending the car spinning out of control and overturning.

Duke pulled up and rescued both people from the burning car. He instructed Beast to call for emergency vehicles while he contacted Lt. Wiggins and made arrangements to have both of the prisoners picked up. His last call was to Kyle to report the capture and inquire about Trek's safety.

#

A week passed. The doctors had confirmed Erica's assumption that Trek was indeed suffering from an overdose of toxic mind-control drugs. Working quickly, they had managed to purge most of the toxins from his bloodstream. Rest and time they said, would take care of the rest. At least they hoped it would.

For the first three days, Trek remained unconscious. Finally, with most of the drugs out of his system, he woke up. FLAG psychiatrists had worked with him for the rest of the week to make sure that he was making a successful recovery from the brain washing attempt.

The next day Kyle and the others arrived to visit their friend. They entered the room slowly and carefully, not wanting to provoke any kind of reaction that would add to Trek's medical condition. Erica entered first, carrying a small flat package. Trek was sitting up in bed, looking much better than the last time she had seen him.

"Hi," she said softly. She stood next to the door ready to bolt.

"Hi, come on in." Trek waved for her to come over.

"How are you?"

"I'm fine. Where is everyone else?" Trek peered at the door.

"Kyle, come on in." Erica spoke into her comlink. She smiled broadly as the others came in. "You look a lot better. Here, I brought you a present." Erica's words were almost tripping over themselves.

"Thanks. Thanks to all of you. You saved my life." Trek looked down at his hands which were starting to shake ever so slightly.

"We can leave if you need us to." Kyle said, pointing a thumb at the door.

"No, don't go. I'll be okay. The docs warned this might happen." Trek sighed mightily and managed a grin. "So tell me, what happened?"

"What do you remember?" Jenny asked. She was sitting on the end of his bed while Erica stood on the opposite side with Kyle at her shoulder. Duke was standing at the foot of the bed, hands at his sides. All were taking precautions to look as unthreatening as possible.

Trek took a deep breath. "I remember going to the bookstore, meeting some guy . . . then it starts getting pretty jumbled up. There's a girl, voices, images and fear. It was horrible. I only remember fragments but all of them are terrifying. I do remember waking up and having this woman tell me you were after me. She had me convinced you were trying to kill me." Trek stopped and hung his head, covering his eyes.

"It's okay." Erica sat down and hugged Trek tightly. "It's all over now. Corbett's in jail and so's this Allyson Davies woman." Erica stroked Trek's hair and rocked him back and forth ever so slightly. It brought back a memory of the music and technique Allyson had used. Realizing that, Trek straightened up, biting his lip.

"I remember being in the computer room. I tried to hurt you didn't I?"

"You just knocked me down. That Davies woman was the one who gave me the bump on the head. It was worth it though. I was able to plant a bug on her and we tracked you down with that." Erica retrieved the package she had brought in. "This is for you," she said in an effort to change the subject. She didn't want to bring up memories that would set back Trek's progress.

"Thanks," he said, mechanically pulling off the wrapper until he saw what it was. Then he became much more excited about it as he literally tore the paper away. "The Shadowmen comic book I bought." He flipped it open to look at the autographed dedication to him. "I thought I'd lost it. How'd you get this?" Trek's eyes shone.

"Your friend at the bookstore found it right where you dropped it."

"I've got something for you too." Kyle handed Trek his comlink which the police had recovered. He smiled as Trek strapped it on.

"Plato, are you there?" Trek asked timidly.

"Trek! Hey pal how are you? Bee-d-beep." Plato's voice was a perfect imitation of the robot from Buck Rogers. Everyone laughed.

The five visited for an hour before the nurse came in and shooed everyone out. Kyle was last to leave but stopped when Trek asked him to stay.

"What's up?" Kyle came back over to the bed. He waited for Trek to speak.

"I'm not sure what to say. Some how I feel like this was all my fault. I should have been more careful." Trek looked at the walls, the floor, anywhere but Kyle's face.

"It is not your fault. These guys went after you because of your expertise with Sky One's systems, nothing else. They had to plan a lot to get to you. We found out that Corbett had been following you for weeks trying to find a way to get you alone. You were always with one of us or with Plato." Kyle clapped a hand on Trek's shoulder.

"Anything else bothering you?"

"What about the ransom demand?"

"That was Mullins. He decided to get rich while his friends had you. He confessed to the police after Corbett and Davies were booked. He didn't want any part of attempted murder."

"Kyle, one more thing. I don't know if I'll be any help to you anymore. I've been shaking the whole time you've been here. I've had nightmares that leave me screaming. How long is this going to last? How am I going to be any help to the team if I'm too scared to do anything?" Trek sank back against the pillows and turned his face away.

"It will get better. You've already dealt with the FLAG doctors. They'll help you get through it and to deal with the nightmares. I've seen 'em help lots of people. You've got your comlink, call any of us anytime. We'll get through this together, okay?" Kyle smiled. "Besides, we need you. Erica's in charge of the computers while you're gone."

Trek groaned and burrowed his head under the covers as Kyle left the room.

#

The end