Episode 12
Goodbye, Kara
They all kept the lights off to keep the room dark. The few windows didn't add much light from outside, even in the afternoon. There were several men scowering through the large cabinets. One was working on a lock using a large set of cutters. All the while, Karns watched the door to make sure no one came in unexpectedly.
One man got up from the ground and checked his watch. He grew anxious and a bit angry. The burglar walked right to Karns. "I should have heard by now that the..."
Karns held up a single finger, telling the gang member to be quiet. "They simply triggered the alarm. It will take more time than you expected."
That didn't do much to help the gang member's mood. All it said was for him to concentrate on his own task. "If they get caught..."
Karns stopped that thought in its tracks, "No one will be caught if they're smart enough to get the job done. That includes you."
"I don't care that Derek has made any deals! If I don't..."
Karns swiftly raised his gun and shot the gang member in the head. That set everyone else to stop working and look at the scene. Karns looked at each one's eyes, tilting his brows to give an authoritarian look.
"Back to work. No one delays this operation anymore." It was said simply, but with much swagger that it set everyone to go back to their rummaging.
Karns turned back around for his watch. He whispered to himself, "Just one more..."
Jeff walked into the same facility. Night had long fallen since the robbery and several hours after the police arrived. Redford was looking at the body that laid near the room's doorway.
She looked up to see Jeff maneuvering around the dead body. "I thought you were at the main crime scene."
"I was, but decided this might be a better place to look at."
Redford had yet to hear of Jeff's one-man operation that ended the stand-off. Looking down at the body, she explained their findings. "This guy was a member of the Protectors. Didn't have any ID on him, so we'll have to wait until morning before we figure that out. The bullet, on the other hand, is the same type we found earlier."
Jeff knew, "The one Karns uses."
"Yup. That and the cameras were all on in the hallways. The strange part was that this was the only room that the cameras were turned off."
Jeff found it strange, until he figured out the reason. "I don't think he cared about hiding his involvement, except in what he took."
"Well, we got a full inventory. Trouble is, we've found a dozen items missing thus far. It'll take time to figure out what each of them really are."
Jeff looked around to find every possible storage cabinet open. Other officers had to lean down, note pad in hand to take a full inventory of the small facility.
Redford said, "The good news is that this was the only room broken into."
Jeff continued looking at the work being done. "Is there anyone who can tell me more about what's stored here?"
She clearly showed that she was disappointed in the current results, "Not really. Apparently all this stuff comes from various laboratories. Until we get a full inventory, there isn't much to do. I suggest taking a rest, while you can."
Jeff turned around, facing the doorway. He gave an audible sigh, in part out of frustration over not being able to do much. "I guess you're right." Looking down at the dead body, "I just hope this doesn't mean we're too late."
Jeff once again threw the backpack onto the extra bed. Just as the night before, he sat down on the bed and removed his wallet. He stared at the picture of Kara, lost in thought. It was at these times he found the worst.
"I think we're getting close to the end, Kara. It's just that...I don't know what to do after this. He maybe near his goal, but he's also at his most vulnerable; staying in one place. He'll go down. I swore that a long time ago. It's just I've found it's not just for you, it's for everyone.
"The trouble is...I've come back to when I lost you. I've spent most of my life alone. Now, I can't really imagine living alone once again."
He lied down with that thought fresh in his mind.
Jeff wandered inside the very busy police department. There wasn't one officer that was sitting, even if they were at their desk. As he passed by, there was a few pats onto Jeff's back - congratulations for the work he did the last night. But that didn't encourage Jeff. All he wanted to do was work.
He was only half-way through the office when both Lewis and Redford approached him. They didn't notice each other at first. They both said simultaneously,
"We have the lead scientist of a few of the stolen projects."
"All the suspects woke up an hour ago..."
Jeff held up both hands, silencing them both. "I take it even though I'm technically not an officer, I'm the defacto lead in finding Karns."
It was a bit awkward for the two police officers.
Jeff furthered that comment, "It seems like that anyway since both of you came right to me, rather than the other way around."
Then another man came up from behind Jeff and said, "It helps that you, frankly, kicked butt last night."
Jeff turned around to look at the decorated newcomer. The formally dressed officer held out his hand in introductions. "I'm Michael Sellers, chief of police."
Jeff returned the handshake, formally introducing himself, "Jeffrey Hunter."
"It seems like you've been man of the hour. Normally we wouldn't allow a civilian to do anything near something like that."
Detective Lewis stood up for that comment, "Well, sir, I have experienced for myself the abilities of Mr. Hunter. That showed me he could be trusted and reliable to make such a call."
The chief nodded then looked at Jeff for more questions. "Where did you learn to do such things."
Jeff answered, "Some of it was required training by the military, when I did scientific research for them. Most has been the experience of chasing Karns down."
"Then it will probably be a good idea to temporarily deputize you. For the remaining of this investigation, you'll take lead."
"You can do that?"
He gave a half-shrug towards the question, "Eh. It's supposed to be for cases of emergency but exceptions can be made."
Jeff showed appreciation toward the offer, "Well, thank you. I'll just say my priority is to pursue Karns and make sure he doesn't harm anyone else."
"Considering, I understand that." The chief was about the leave. Then he turned around as though he forgot to say something (at least that what he wanted to portray). "By the way, Lewis told me your complete story. I understand the possible embarrassment, but you've been given a gift. Don't be afraid to show it."
The chief left to do his own work. Jeff stood there, strangely saddened by the very words that were meant for encouragement.
Redford noticed, "'You alright?"
"Yeah. It's just that was something close to what Kara told me once."
Jeff breathed deeply to regain he composure. He turned back around to the two officers that he now commanded. Now that his position was more official, his voice took a more commanding tone. "Back to where we were at. Lewis: you go first."
The detective informed, "The dozen or so men that you shot last night woke up a couple of hours ago. We interviewed a few of them and confirmed that the job was more of a decoy. At least it was for Karns' objectives. For the Prots, it would have been a significant windfall in money."
"So Karns wasn't involved with that at all there."
"Not entirely. Apparently the plan was that if the vault closed, they were to hole-up until it opened. After that, they were to go to the roof and call for Karns to pick them up."
"All right," Jeff turned to the other officer, "Now, Redford: your report."
She stepped forward, "We gathered a lead scientist of several of the projects that were stolen. Although you were rather vague with what to look for, I made an educated guess who would be best to talk to. She's in my office right now."
"Thank you. I'll
do that right now. Both you and Lewis keep doing interviews and see if we can get anything out of the captured Protectors. Best case will be a location of Karns and the others working for him."
Both officers gestured their confirmation then walked next to each other toward the interrogation rooms. Jeff headed the other way, toward the office that Redford occupied.
The tall woman looked at the various charts that Redford had posted up. Then she turned towards Jeff upon hearing him enter. He held out a hand for greetings, with her returning the gesture. "I'm Jeffrey Hunter."
"Patricia Teller. You're not an officer?"
"No, more of an private investigator that's working with them. As I heard, you were lead of several of the stolen projects. Can you tell me about them?"
She held up both hands, "Which one? I deal with a large variety of experimental research. I've done biology, computer technology - heck, you name it, I've probably done it."
Jeff found this rather curious. "You don't specialize in anything?"
"Only at first, in physics. But I rather enjoy a challenge. Diving into a new area of science makes it that much more of a challenge."
Jeff shrugged and tilted his head a bit. "I can see that. I'll start with anything dealing with multi-dimensional or string-theory-based research."
She shook her head negative, "Nope. Did some formulation along those lines at MIT, but never even occurred to do that for private research."
"Then any research into energy or energy regulation."
"Not really. We only just started working on figuring out how to draw electrical power from biological sources. We're only growing some cultures right now, but even then it's not something we can put into a storage locker."
Jeff sighed, going down his mental list, "Anything intended for defense?"
She thought for a second, just like every other question. Then something did come into mind. "Actually, there was something stored there. The "Reverse-partical Field Generator," as it was called. Better known as a force field. It was a rather inefficient model. That thing required a lot of power to keep it going, which was the reason we weren't too concerned with any thefts."
"Something like that one would be concerned with corporate espionage."
Once again she shook her head in denial, "As I said the design was impractical. Required too much power. After that model, we scraped the entire design. Reverse engineering it would cause more problems than it would be a help."
"So, what exactly does it do?"
She stood there eyes upward in thought. Words came out of her mouth but weren't vocalized. Then she reexamined her formulation. "The best I can put it into laymans terms is that it creates a highly dense field. By reversing a certain charge, it causes the gravity at targeted points to be extremely high. So high that nothing can penetrate it. Unfortunately, that also includes air."
Jeff drew straight from his own experience as a scientist, "But to do that at a distance, even a short one, that would require some kind of cross-projection system to make sure the space inside doesn't become dense as well."
"Exactly. The projectors themselves are rather small but have to constantly be active. And before you say for the entire field not to be always on, can't be done. Power-up procedures requires at least three seconds; way too long for bullets."
Jeff was about to say something, then caught himself going too far into something that. The line of though was ultimately not useful. Instead he asked, "How much power does the stolen prototype need?"
"Best case would be a giga-jewel."
Jeff knew that if his theory was right - that Karns would take over a power station as the last part of his operation - then that requirement would be easy to fulfill. "Thanks, Ms. Teller. We'll call if anything more is needed."
Jeff was about to turn around to leave, but Patricia had one question for him. "You seem too familiar with all the science to just be a PI."
He looked right at her, "I used to be a scientist. The man I am looking for: he stole my prototype and killed my wife."
She showed sympathy to his story. "I'm sorry. Will you go back into science, after you get this guy?"
Jeff breathed deeply, "Probably not. It's not anything Karns - our suspect - did. It's just that before I met my wife, Kara, science was an interest of mine. With her, she showed how much of a passion I really had with it. Now...that's gone."
"So is being a PI a passion now?"
He honestly answered, "Not really. It's more like something I have to do, something I can't ignore."
Officer Redford swung inside the door. "We got something from the crime techs."
Jeff turned to face the officer. She was pointing with her thumb, a gesture to follow.
"From the storage facility?" Jeff guessed.
"No, the bank. They found that they were trying to get an external connection. Just found out whereto."
Jeff nodded and followed her out of the room.
The car stopped in front of what looked like an old, rundown school. Redford explained the origins of it. "This was closed only two years ago. Before that, several relatively-cheap upgrades were made. That included Internet access. Apparently those lines are still active."
Jeff used his glasses to assess the situation, "There's only one person, in the large room over to the right.
While many of the windows were exposing the room, half of them were boarded up. It was a quick and messing boarding, but they still served as cover.
Redford got out of the car with Jeff following suit. She walked around the car to stand next to Jeff, then removed her gun. Seeing the weapon, Jeff ordered, "Put that away. If there's a firefight, I'll do the shooting."
As Redford holstered her gun while Jeff summoned his own. She raised an eyebrow at the sight. Jeff simply replied to this by saying, "I'll explain later. First let's take care of this."
They moved silently into the building. The initial entryway was a large room, with what would have been the cafeteria. There was a hallway to their immediate right. They calmly walked down it with Jeff in the lead.
It wasn't far before they arrived in what was labeled the "computer room." The door was cracked open. Jeff tensed up, indicating for Redford to be right behind him. He peeked inside to find one person working on a laptop.
Deciding to take a "up-front" approach, Jeff simply stepped into the room, yelling, "This is the police!"
He didn't have a chance to say anything more before seeing the man grab a gun. Jeff shot at him with several bolts. They all missed, but the volley still worked: the man dropped the gun and held his hands up in surrender. "Alright! Alright!" he yelled out in defeat.
Jeff carefully walked around the table to seeing the lone gun on the floor. He waved Redford in. While Jeff kept his stun-pistol trained on the man, Redford walked in to cuff him. She wasn't kind to him.
The hacker wasn't pleased, "OK! I gave up, no need to be rough."
She argued, "That's what they all say."
She finished cuffing him, then spun the hacker around for the interrogation. Jeff lowered his weapon, but decided to keep it around just in case. "You know our first question."
"Yeah, I try hacking various banks, law firms, anything one would want."
"Then what about last night?"
The hacker knew that was the thing that tipped his involvement off, "The bank job. The Prots wanted me to hack the system and open the vault door."
"Then they paid you...or were supposed to."
"The latter. I didn't take the job for the money, it was for the challenge. Individual accounts...simple with either spyware or just brute force. But a bank itself, man that was challenging. They had trouble just getting it off the intranet."
"How were you supposed to be paid?"
"In cash, right here. They never showed. But if you're looking for them...I do have something to trade."
Jeff presumed, "You want a deal."
"Of course. I had this just in a case like this. They didn't uphold their end, and I d
oubt they'll come back to me anyway."
"You put spyware on their computers."
The hacker countered, "Their cell phones actually. I have it right on this laptop."
Jeff walked on over to the laptop. There was a program still running. Jeff shut it closed and disconnected the wires from it. The hacker interjected, "You'll have a rather difficult time getting it. I always make sure to have a tough encryption."
Jeff looked the hacker right in the eye, showing defiance towards the offer. "At this point, I'd rather take my chances. Let's go book 'em, Redford."
She shoved him forward, moving him out of the room and to the car.
The laptop was placed along side a desktop monitor with computer cords connecting the two. The tech was completely engulfed by the work on the desktop. His actions were being mirrored onto the suspect computer. Jeff paced around the laptop as the tech performed his initial analysis.
The tech smiled, having solved a predicament. He turned around to inform Jeff, "This guy is smart, but missed a few important things."
Jeff kept his arms folded, "What does that mean for us?"
"I know where the files are but the encryption program too tough to break outright. To get to the stored records, I have to brute-force the password.
"On the other hand, the spyware is sending data to this computer. All it has is the location. I could do more once I break into the program."
Jeff sighed, "But that could take several days."
"At best. More likely this guy has a good enough password that it'll take months, if not years, before the computer can crack it."
Jeff ordered, "Well, go ahead and see what you can do with the spyware and see if we can track down some of the Prots."
The tech turned and begun working on the computer. "Give me about an hour and you'll have it."
Jeff nodded, leaving the room to do other work.
This time there was three cars in front of the Prot's stronghold. In each there was at least two officers. Jeff came out of the lead vehicle, letting Redford take care of initial preparations. All the officers were mounting armor on themselves.
Jeff stood forward and examined the building with the scan-glasses. The stronghold wasn't large, about the size of a large house. But the old office building allowed many spaces that one could hide in.
Fully equipped, Redford walked up behind Jeff. "What do you have?"
Jeff answered, "Around twenty-five are in there, mostly in groups of twos and threes. In the second floor there's a large group; I wouldn't be surprised that one of their leaders is among them."
"More than twenty," she thought about the situation, "May have been good idea to have brought Lewis."
"He's still doing interrogations; that'll take him the rest of the day to finish." Jeff was reassuring, since tactically he knew they would succeed.
Redford, on the other hand, didn't like the odds if something went wrong. It went against her instincts as an officer. "Let's get you suited up before we do anything else."
Jeff turned and walked over to the car. As Redford got out a vest for Jeff, he removed his backpack. He looked around at the other officers, giving orders while he put on the vest. "I want four of you to head around the back. We'll take everyone out on the way to the central stairway."
From the front seat Redford grabbed a headset for Jeff. With the vest on, he put his backpack on - finding way too tight. Whispering to himself, he noted, "And this is why I don't like vests."
He had to take the backpack off to loosen the straps. Trying it again, he found it fit enough for this mission. Redford handed the headset to Jeff. He put it on, seeing the other team turning the corner. It wouldn't take them long to get to the rear entrance.
Jeff waved for the remaining two officers to follow him. They all withdrew their weapons. Speaking to them as well as to the headset (and thus to the other team), he ordered, "Don't fire unless absolutely necessary. We won't be able to find Karns or any of the Prot's leadership if we just have dead bodies."
They stood at sides of the door. It was boarded up, likely because this was a glass door without the glass. With everyone ready to barge in, Jeff had to make one more check with the other team. "Are you guys ready?"
Over the headset, he heard, "Ready."
Jeff nodded to everyone, indicating the time was very near. "Go."
Jeff took the lead with his stun-pistol aimed upward. The door was unlocked, making entry very simple. Inside, the condition of the facility was much more well kept. There wasn't much decoration in the halls. There also wasn't much dust as one would expect in an abandoned building. Jeff watched with his glasses, noting and tracking every life-sign.
Just a few steps inside was doorway. It was a formerly an office. Now it was turned into a bedroom. He pointed to it, showing the others that someone was in there. Redford and the other office took position to get the best view; right next to Jeff.
Jeff decided to start the firefight. "This is the police!"
Two men ran out with gun in hand. They weren't ready as Jeff fired his stun pistol at them before they got to the doorway. Others heard, diving out of their rooms and firing down the hall. Jeff turned to see them.
"Four of them!" He pointed out for the other officers, "One on the right, four doors down. Three on the left, five down in the hallway."
Summoning a second stun-pistol, Jeff fired a barrage down the hall. Redford and the other officer took the opportunity to dive across the hallway to the very room the unconscious Prots were laying. In a better position, they tried to fire at the larger group.
His first pistol's energy ran out. With a slight bit of difficulty, he clicked the battery out. Putting it behind his back, it flashed to a new battery. He slid it back into the pistol, all the while hearing bullets hit his cover.
Redford turned back out of cover firing and hitting one of the Prots. Responding to the bloody splatter, another Prot fired back. It hit her in the chest. She dove away as she felt the bullet hit. The other officer looked at her chest, assessing her injuries...which there were none. "I'm fine; the vest took it."
The officer nodded and went back to firing at the violent gang.
Jeff finally shot the lone Prot. He looked at the other group, finding one of them lying down but still alive. The other three were still up. Each took turns at firing mostly at Redford.
Spinning into the hallway, Jeff kept his back to the wall. He slid up to get closer while trying to stay out of sight. His was able to get halfway before one of the Prots noticed him. Using his left-hand weapon, Jeff fired. The Prot dove back. This allowed Redford and the other officer to move up. The three enemies would try to attack Jeff, but couldn't fire with the advancing police officers.
When all three were close, they kept their guns trained. Jeff, with no notice, dove into the hallway. One of the Prots decided to run down the hall. The barrage of stun-bolts hit all three before they could do anything about it. Jeff even hit the bleeding Prot, who had still held his gun.
Jeff turned to the two officers, "Call the ambulance. No doubt the other team faced similar numbers.
"I also want both of you to hold this position. There's two more down that hallway. Hold them there."
Redford had to ask, "You're going up alone?"
"After meeting up with the other team, yeah. I'd rather not take the time to clear those two out before going up the stairs."
"Alright. Be careful." That was her as an officer speaking, trying to convey to Jeff not to take any risks.
Jeff moved down the main hallway and to the central stairway. Once he arrived, Jeff had found two more officers. One informed him, "Encountered four Prots; all went down quick. I sent the other two guys down to secure the rest of the floor."
Jeff said, "There isn't much left, but wasn't a bad idea. Let's go up stairs. There's only one group there."
Jeff led the pair up the two sets of stairs. The second floor was much more open with larger rooms than the first. There was one main hallway, whi
ch Jeff led the group down towards the set of life-signs.
It was five men, circled within their own conversation. The quietness that enveloped the floor told Jeff that they hadn't heard anything from below. It was as though the entire building had soundproofing. Which was fortunate for Jeff's team.
The group stood in a large room. They were just out of view from the doorway. Jeff indicated to the other officers to stay put for the moment. He stood in the doorway, holding both pistols ready.
"Police! Hands in the..." Jeff couldn't finish; the two with their backs turned pulled their guns. He shot them, but there was still three more to contend with. Bullets flew by as he dove back down.
"Stop!" Jeff heard it come from the middle of the group.
The gunfire ended. Jeff and the other officers didn't know what to make of it. The leader of the group yelled out, "We're putting our guns down."
Jeff dared a look to find the remaining men set their guns to the floor. They raised themselves back up with hands in the air.
The leader looked at him, "I want to talk."
Jeff saw the leader was the most well dressed of the men. The suit conveyed that this was someone who loved to display his wealth. Waving the other officers in, Jeff kept his weapons trained. The two officers dealt with the minions first, cuffing them. Then the leader was cuffed before Jeff said, "You said you wanted to talk."
"You want Karns, right?"
"The point?"
"We want him as well. He burned us last night."
Jeff prodded, "How so?"
"You saw the body. It was that and the stuff we took was crap." The leader showed in his expression that Karns' betrayal was not going to be tolerated.
Jeff said to the high-minded criminal, "So now you and your gang want to make a deal."
"Give me more credit. I know you won't do that. No, call it good behavior if you like, but I'd rather get the bastard."
"Do you speak for the rest of your gang?"
The leader remained silent. That told the story.
"You're alone on this," Jeff presumed.
"You've had problems with your bosses. Nothing's happy-cheery, especially here in the dark side of the street."
"So what do you have to give?"
"I know what he needs and where he's going to get it."
Jeff and Redford kicked in the door. There was several people on the floor of the laboratory. They all were as flat and still as possible. One of them yelled, "Don't move! There's a bomb!"
Jeff looked around. There was one such package placed on a table. Looking at it, he couldn't figure out the exact trigger. Jeff lowered himself to speak to the scientist. "What did he say about the bomb?"
The scientist was still very nervous, "He...he ordered us to get down. He had a gun...then place it there. Said that if any of us got up before five o'clock, it would explode."
That told Jeff something. He summoned a small kit from his backpack, then took out a spray bottle. He sprayed a mist around the area. There were several beams that just barely missed the doorway.
Redford said, "We were lucky."
Jeff countered, "No, Karns wanted it this way. To take more time from us."
Ducking below the beams, Jeff crawled to the table that the bomb was placed on. He looked around to find a cart that was just about the same height. Spraying around the bomb, he found the points that each laser came from.
He looked over to the woman lying next to the cart. "Can you slide the cart over to me?"
The timid woman took hold of it and tossed over to Jeff. Before he did anything else, he said to all the scientists, "I want everyone to crawl to the doorway. Officer Redford will escort you out of the building. You are not to come in until our say-so."
They all cooperated, crawling cautiously to the doorway. Once out of danger, each one expressed relief. Redford kept ushering each one out towards the building's entrance.
Once they were all gone, Jeff went to his operation. He sprayed the mist once again. His next task was to take the bomb directly in his hands. Slowly, he shifted it onto the cart. Once on the cart, he crawled with the cart in tow. His method was slow and methodical. The beams were the barriers that couldn't be broken. At times he came centimeters away from that danger.
His target was an adjacent room of equal size. It looked empty of any purpose: exactly what he wanted. The cart moved until he hit the doorway. The slight bump at the doorway was a mountain for the cart. It seemed like he made no progress, only giving an inch by inch.
Finally, it was inside the room. He closed the door with equal speed to his final push. Once it was closed, he gave a sigh of relief. Getting up, he gave himself a moment to look around. Right at the center of the room, there was cables that went to a missing object. It was too obvious.
"Karns got the last piece."
Detective Lewis stood in a corner of the interrogation room. He had paced back and forth while the Prot captive sitting silently in the seat. This interrogation turned out to be one of the more difficult ones. The prisoner had remained silent for an hour.
"You won't even give your name, something I have right here!" He pointed to the license that was tossed onto the table. "You know that this silence is more confirmation for us than anything else."
He was about to approach the table once again, but then the door was barged open. It was Jeff, "Lewis, I need you out."
Lewis tried not to show it, but he breathed a sigh of relief. Almost every interrogation was about getting new information, not trapping anyone unless necessary. The ones that stayed silent were the toughest to crack.
Once outside, Jeff was quick to give an order, "I need you to help Redford and get every power plant, transfer station...anything that would generate electrical power in-mass."
"What's this about?"
Jeff informed, "Karns took the last piece of his machine. The only thing he needs is a massive power source."
Lewis thought about the situation, "Depending what he needs, that could mean quite a few things. Some of tallest towers require a power station in itself."
"Then check those as well. He may work quickly or it may take a while."
Jeff was ready to leave, but Lewis still had one question left, "How do you know that Karns hasn't already left yet? It might be to his advantage to just go to another world."
Jeff removed his remote key and showed it to Lewis. "I set this to alert me whenever Karns goes off-world. As for the why...I don't know. But maybe one of these guys knows something about it. For now, it'll be more important for you to check those power stations."
Lewis left toward the offices to do just that. Jeff decided to take his own advice and turned toward the jail cells.
It was on the other side of the building. The jail cells were purposely placed a ways from the interrogation room, where officers could place any number of objects or anyone to pass by.
Jeff marched in, passing all the jeering prisoners. Usually there was only a few in there. Now the sound alone told how unusual having all these gang members said about the situation.
He went straight to the last cell. That was where the Prot's leader stood silently. He was contempt with having all of his fellow members harass the police any way possible.
Jeff stood in front of him, holding a serious look on his face. "Did you ever meet or speak with Karns?"
The prisoner commented, "Direct. Says that Karns got the thingy he wanted."
"Yeah, and he'll for all intents and purposes gain more power because of it. Moreover, he'll kill countless people."
The Prot played along, "Well, can't have that happen, can we? You know what I mean by that. So what do you need to know?"
"Did he say anything about the devices he took for himself?"
"Nope. At least not to me. Overheard a few small things, mostly some "rail thing" couldn't work until he got them."
Jeff knew, "I take it he used the words "Dimensional Transport."
"Yeah, that's it! Said that they were repla
cement parts, to make it even better."
"Did he say where it was?"
The Prot leader shook his head, "Only said that he would use it once the bank job was done to get the guys out. Confused the heck out of me, since it sounded like a helicopter yet he said he would make it better. Can you answer that for me, pal?"
"Nope."
The Prot leader shrugged. Nothing was received though not much was given -for both of them. With that answered, Jeff left the jail. From the bars, the Prot leader yelled at Jeff with a sense of whit, "Just hope this gives a good word for me."
Jeff was inside what was an empty office. Everything had to be closed off from the rest of the action that the police station was experiencing. Laid out on the floor was all the diagrams and schematics that Jeff obtained from Karns.
He looked down at them, lost in the thought of trying to outwit Karns. Currently he had only a few hints and hoped that looking at this would show him more.
Nothing had come to him.
The door opened with Chief Sellers on the other side. He stood in the doorway, mostly due to the scattered papers. "I see you have everyone working very hard."
Jeff kept his stare downward, "If Karns gets that device working, there'll be a lot of casualties. And not just in this world."
"As you have said. I'm just curious, when's the last time you had any time off?"
Jeff sighed, "A long time."
Sellers knew why, "I'm guessing that since your wife's death, you've been working all this time."
"More literally than you think."
"Is getting Karns that important?"
Jeff looked at the chief, "It is, but that's not why I've worked so hard."
"Then what is it?"
Jeff again sighed, "I guess I've reverted back to the man I was...Kara had a way of making life enjoyable. She laughed all the time, gave more time to having fun than to work. It came with its own difficulties, but she never did anything unless she enjoyed it."
Sellers empathized, "In a job like this, I see what you mean. In trying so hard for the payoff, we miss too many things."
They stood in silence as though the other would talk. Then Sellers said, "Live now or in the future. I've found most we throw into prison choose one or the other in the extreme. I hope you can find a balance."
"I hope so as..."
Something about that got Jeff thinking. He looked between several of the diagrams. Leaning down, he picked up one. Then he shifted over to a picture of the force-field generator.
"That's what I missed. It's not just about how much, but the amperage as well."
The chief of police was curious, "What do you mean? I'd assume he'd have a transformer for that...thing"
"I meant it more metaphorically. The force-field generator, for example, takes a few seconds to generate the field. Powering up the device itself takes minutes. That maybe the least of his worries when it comes to time."
"So how long do you think he would need?"
Jeff already knew the formula, "Ideally, an hour minimum. But being he probably is not working with the most ideal pieces, it would take a bit longer."
Jeff races past the Chief, almost shoving him out of the way.
He turned right into Redford's office. She had just finished with a phone call. Jeff almost yelled at the officer, "Redford, I need you to do something else for me."
She turned to him and got up off her seat. "What is it?"
"I figured that even if Karns finds a power source, he needs to hold onto it. That means he needs help."
"If you're thinking that the Prots would help him, I doubt it. From what I've heard, even if they trust him enough for another job, it would require an immediate payoff for them. No more favors."
"Then the question is: who else would do such a favor?"
Redford's answer was immediate, "The Shells would. Black Dogs wouldn't do a thing unless you get initiated."
She moved to her desk, taking out a map. Circled was the territory, with several buildings also circled with a different color. She waved Jeff forward, so she would show what this meant. "This is the Shell's territory, and all the suspected hideouts. Recently we have confirmed one: their main gathering place. However we had no evidence or emergency to get into it at the moment."
Jeff said, "Until now. If you need me to, I can pass the formulations of what Karns is doing."
"If you had that, why not take the time for a proper warrant? It would take an hour at most."
That concerned Jeff, "I don't want to chance it. Call anyone available. If that's the meeting place, we'll get our answers there."
There was one SWAT truck already there as Redford pulled her car there. The bar was a single building, one that had several entrances. Jeff got out of the car and approached the lead SWAT officer. "Seen anyone go inside or out?"
The SWAT officer was still putting on his vest, the last one to get ready. For him, that was the usual routine. "Nope. All we have is there's two people in. Both are on the suspect list. By the way, I'd appreciated if you brought us in on that last op. you did."
Jeff replied, "I didn't necessarily call for you."
Redford went to her trunk to get herself and Jeff equipped. She said, "I made the call. It was a gang installation, one I'd prefer more intact. You guys aren't known for subtlety."
The SWAT officer glared at her, "Then why now, "Ms. Subtlety?""
Jeff stood between the two, "No need to get angry. I asked for anyone available. The others are working on where Karns will target."
Now it was Jeff that the SWAT officer looked at, "I take it you want a swift end to this case."
Remaining firm, "Now more than ever."
The SWAT officer finished fastening the last strap, "I'm ready anytime."
Jeff turned to the building and examined it with his scan glasses. "There's five people in the basement."
The SWAT officer turned back toward Jeff, "How would you know..."
Redford cut him off, replying, "Don't ask, just go along with him. He'll do that quite a few times."
The officer began strapping her own vest.
The bar's interior was rather quiet despite the television that displayed a baseball game. The lone biker was drinking while watching the game, all the while the bartender kept to himself.
Then every door was kicked open. Each had two SWAT officers with their guns raised. Jeff came in right after them at the main entrance with Redford in tow.
"Everyone hands in the air!" the SWAT yelled to the occupants.
The two did just that, not wanting to be involved. The biker was more used to the situation. The bartender, on the other hand, portrayed a scared and nervous attitude.
While four of the six officers took the time to check the two suspects, Jeff calmly walked to the back. The back room had the main feature of storing bottles of various alcoholic drinks. Toward the rear was a staircase. The SWAT officer went behind him, insisting on entering first. While he was able to get past Redford, Jeff was more insistent on taking lead.
He calmly walked down the staircase to the doorway. Watching the life-signs, Jeff held one hand to the door. With pistol in hand, he fingered the countdown. At three, he rushed in. "Police, hands in the air!"
The empty basement had the five men in an odd circle. One tried to withdraw his weapon, but Jeff shot at him. The others scattered with their weapons ready. Jeff moved forward, letting the SWAT officer and Redford in. With another shot shot from Jeff, the Shells gang members knew they were overpowered.
The SWAT ordered, "On your knees, hands on your head."
The remaining four did just that. Jeff kept his pistol trained as the SWAT officer and Redford checked the four and cuffed them. With that done, he put his pistol away. Looking around, there was a suspicious door toward the back.
He walked towards it. Before he could touch it one of the prisoners said, "Don't open that!"
Jeff turned around and looked at him for an explanation.
"The guy l
eft thirty minutes ago, said not to open it. Said it was a trap for you guys."
Jeff turned back around, holding the glasses to inspect the door. The x-ray vision revealed what looked like a safe. On top of that, there was a box: a bomb. He approached the door to find the doorknob wired. Jeff couldn't identify any other trigger. From the backpack he summoned a small drill. Putting it to the door, he drilled a small hole through it.
Without turning, he asked the SWAT officer, "Do you have a spy camera, one you would put under doors and such?"
The SWAT officer took a small string from his vest. He gave it to Jeff and it was promptly shoved into the drilled hole. The officer took out a monocular: the headset the camera transmitted to. The findings weren't good.
"It's got a timer! One minute!"
That prompted everyone - including the gang members - to get up and run for the door. The police officers did the same. Jeff stopped one SWAT officer. "We can't leave him."
He referred to the unconscious gang member. The officer nodded, moving to carry the man. They lifted him up by the shoulders then moved as swiftly as they could. They moved up the stairway, then across the main interior and out the door.
Jeff and the SWAT officer dragged the limp body as far as they could. The clock was nearing...
Most of the officers ducked behind the van. Another officer went along with Redford behind her car. While a couple were looking at the two running out of the building, others had their weapons aimed outward. They fired their guns, warning shots for the fleeing criminals. Two stopped, falling forward in surrender. The others simply ran away and didn't look back.
Jeff and the SWAT officer was halfway out when the bomb went off. It was mostly a boom, the shock-wave rippled throughout the parking lot. Smoke billowed from the bar, showing that fire had erupted within the basement.
Now out of danger, Jeff set the unconscious prisoner down. The SWAT followed suit.
Redford opened her car door. She spoke into the radio to get fire fighters at the scene. Jeff watched as SWAT officers ran to the remaining gang members, pulling them up.
Jeff approached them with much anger borne from frustration. "Where is Karns!"
"It's too late. They should be there in five minutes. You'll know where soon enough."
Jeff, with greater frustration, ordered the SWAT officer to take him away.
Redford's car came right as Lewis and several other officers also arrived. The power station was for an urban design. Most of the power lines spurred out from the roof. Jeff got out and looked up at the five story building. The SWAT van came up moments later. Every one of them were still suited up, ready for the upcoming fight.
Jeff inspected the building until the lead SWAT officer, Redford and Lewis stood around him. They waited patiently for the few moments, knowing that he was investigating their grounds.
He informed the group, "Got well over two dozen men in there."
Lewis asked, "Got an idea where our target is?"
"They get more dense towards the higher floors. I can't see anyone on the top floor, but I also can't locate the Transport."
"I checked on the way here: there's limited controls on the third floor."
The SWAT officer offered, "My team will go for that."
Jeff ordered, "Then everyone else is with me to the top. My guess is we have about ten minutes, maybe fifteen."
Redford commented, "Cutting it close."
"Which is why we need to go in now."
The main doors bursted open. Jeff had taken the lead, holding the pair of stun-pistols. The others held a variety of long-barreled weapons. They all looked around to secure the main room. Jeff had better intel because of his scan-glasses: he knew no one was in the room.
Going to the elevators, Jeff pressed a button. Nothing happened. It didn't light up or do anything to indicate it was working. The SWAT officer yelled, "Elevators are out. Have to go the hard way."
Jeff waved them towards the main stairway. He paused before barging in. Inside, he dashed and fired upward at all the defensive gang members. Lewis and Redford followed while other officers took separate walls. All fired their weapons upward.
A bullet hit one gang member. He was taken aback, holding the chest wound. Then he started to faint. The woozy enemy fell onto the railing. Then he flipped over and fell down the shaft. The body hit dead center of the floor.
Jeff continued the assault, firing at several targets. One was hit by his pistol. Then he was subsequently hit by a bullet into his abdomen.
In looking down, Jeff saw two officers were wounded. One was holding his stomach where a bullet barely penetrated his vest. The other had a wounded leg. A SWAT officer was helping the two of them to get out of the building.
Bullets still flew from above. Now they were several floors up and couldn't really hit them. Jeff ordered, "Up the stairs!" The former scientist led the charge up the stairs. He wasn't all that careful in his charge, firing at the gang members that got into his immediate view.
Redford and Lewis took a more careful pace. They stopped to fire at the gang members a floor above. This allowed Jeff's charge to go more unimpeded while the gunmen being distracted and cornered.
He stopped once he got to the third floor door. He held that position despite several gunmen targeting him. Kneeling down, he fired with both pistols across the stairway. All the bolts nearly hit the gang members.
Redford and Lewis stopped and stood behind him. The two fired in concert with one-another. When Lewis ran out of ammo, Redford kept up the cover fire as he reloaded.
The SWAT team arrived, with the lead officer going in last. "We're in. Now go get the bastard, Hunter!"
Jeff had to reload his own weapons before advancing. He then got up and began the charge.
One last flash came from the stairway door. Then Jeff broke it open, letting in the flood of other officers. The fire fight continued with many of the gang members taking cover within the large complex of cubicals.
As each officer came in, they too took cover within the immediate hallway. They each took turns firing down their route.
Jeff tapped Lewis' shoulder. Both he and Redford turned to him. "Follow me. Redford, stay here and keep covering fire at them."
Jeff went down the horizontal hallway. He turned right into a cubical. Lewis following him, knowing that Jeff had a plan. Jeff climbed onto the desk, careful not to slip on the stacks of papers.
Peeking over the walls, he couldn't see anyone. Looking back at Lewis, he said, "Watch my back." It was meant very metaphorically.
Lewis climbed onto the same desk, raising his rifle to just over the cubical wall. He watched the main battlefield, making sure no one took notice.
Jeff had a somewhat difficult time climbing over the short wall. He almost fell as he flipped himself over. Then he looked over the next cubical. Lewis took this time to more easily leap over the wall.
The gang members felt confidant as they held the dozen police officers against their nine. Then bolts of light and gunfire came across their side. Looking across, they saw one officer had somehow flanked them. Two of the gang members adjusted to cover themselves.
A minute later, bolts of light came from their rear. They saw Jeff had gotten around to the back. This forced the gang members further into the cubicals. That allowed the police officers to advance. As one gang member attempted to give a glance outside, bullets came from multiple angles.
The gang members looked at one another. No one was injured but things were getting hairy. With one solemn nod, they set their guns down. Sliding them out into the hallway, this said everything to the police officers. They knelt as Jeff came into view. He threatened them with his pistols. "Where's Karns?"
On the third floor, the SWAT officers was facing similar resistance. One gang member got hit, a bullet penetrating the table they used as cover.
The SWAT officers advanced towards the double-doors. The SWAT advanced as another gang member was hit in the head. The other gunmen retreat
ed further back in the hallway.
Outside the room, they heard clanging and gunfire. As the lead SWAT officer shoved the loose door aside, he saw exactly what happened. First he had to dispatch the gunman, who turned to face the officer. A single shot hit the man dead center in the chest. The gunman collapsed and laid dead on the floor.
The damage had been done. All the controls sparked, damaged from the sabotage that the gunman performed. Cursing to himself, the SWAT officer held his hand to his headset,
"Hunter, the controls are shot. You're going to have to take out Karns yourself."
Jeff held his headset as he heard this. He had put away one of his pistols to keep that hand free. "Gotcha. We only got a few minutes, so get out of the building if you can."
Over the headset, the response was quick, "Roger."
Jeff along with Lewis and Redford was standing at a short stairway. Taking the lead, Jeff charged up the stairs and through the doorway.
There was a distinct hum throughout the rooftop. Much of it was the power lines that hovered above their heads. But there was one unique hum that came from the center of the roof. Although transparent, Jeff could see the force-field that surrounded the Dimensional Transport. Behind the vehicle was a large device. Large cables laid between the two. Many of them went to the tubes that projected the portal. Jeff saw a few thick cables went through the field, but knew he couldn't do anything about them.
He tried using his glasses to quickly examine the field, then lowered his hand in frustration. "Can't get anything from that field!"
That's when the effect started. A small puff of air exploded behind Lewis, staggering him forward a few steps. "What the heck!"
Jeff knew, "It's starting! We need to stop it now!"
In desperation, Jeff shot the field. It flickered. Switching modes on the stun-pistol, he shot a larger bolt into it. The flicker was more apparent and more severe. Moreover, his glasses told him something.
He waved at Redford and Lewis. "I want you two to give a continuous fire at the large box there. When I fire, the field flickers for a tenth of a second, so we have one shot at this."
Both nodded right toward each other. It was acknowledgment of both the plan and their need for each other's support. They stood up and took different angles at their target. Jeff replaced the battery of his stun-pistol. He aimed at the field, then gave the mark.
"Go!"
The two officers held their triggers down, letting a constant and uneasy stream of bullets out. Jeff fired one large bolt that shoved him back a step. The plan worked: the field flickered, letting in several bullets that hit their mark. The large box flickered. Then power began to disrupt. The field flickered more severely, then dissipated.
The increasing air explosions stopped as the entire station grew quiet.
Then another sound erupted. The Transport began lifting off. Jeff ran forward but couldn't reach the transport with his own hands. It started to hover away from them, cables snapping into the device's remains. Jeff reached out and shot the grappling beam at the Transport. He was immediately pulled off his feet as the Transport flew away.
Jeff flailed for a second before regaining his composure. Using the grappling beam, he pulled himself to the back of the Transport. He un-summoned his stun-pistol to give him a free hand. Putting his knees on the metal plating to stabilize himself, he leaned over toward a crack. Grabbing hold, he released the grappling beam. He then aimed higher and shot the beam towards the roof. Using the pull-feature, he slowly slid himself up towards the roof.
He climbed uneasily onto the roof of the Transport. His grip tightened as the vehicle tilted and winded around the cityscape. They were headed toward a large, tree-coated park. Jeff climbed until he was near the cockpit.
Jeff leaned down, near the edge on the drivers side. He and Karns clearly saw each other. It was Jeff's way of saying, "checkmate." Karns knew it.
He summoned a grenade into his hand. Jeff pulled the pin and threw it into the portal generator. The entire tube exploded, causing severe damage to the back of the Transport. The force threw Jeff back, forcing him to latch the grappling beam back onto the roof. There he held on, watching as the Transport leaned down and dove right for the trees.
Scenes flashed before his eyes. Each was a vision of him helping people during his inter-world chase. Of Bobby and Teresa: a couple that grew from sadness. Of Parker Jaden: a man who found what really was important in his world. Of Allen Carlile: the father who lost his life trying to do his best. Miles, who found the same purpose his fallen brother-in-law discovered. Karl Finard, a lost fate.
Then of Kara. She was smiling. They danced around the newly placed floor in Kara's studio.
There was only one thing on Jeff's mind before the trees came too close.
"Thank you, Kara."
One year ago
Jeff stood in front of Kara, filled luggage standing next to her. She was fixing Jeff's collar, despite his feelings that it was unnecessary.
Jeff said to her, "You aren't forgetting anything? Toothbrush, book, excessively large dress..."
That playful comment cause Kara to tug the collar just a bit too tight. She giggled, then finished up her work. "You'll be fine tonight."
"I'd rather have you here."
She looked at him, "I would too, but that competition in New York is too important."
Unfortunately for Jeff, she was right. "Yeah, I know. It's just I'm not sure if I'm good at mingling with other people."
Kara looked at him with the same loving eyes that he was still not used to. "Jeff, I've been with you for the past two years. You have an intelligence and determination that I could never touch. Don't worry about the what-ifs, just go for it. I want you to show everyone what I see in you. You got so much to offer."
Jeff held her hand. "I'll try."
Rather than say goodbye, he leaned forward and kissed her. They held that kiss for a long time.
Present day
Jeff groggily woke up. Pain seared throughout his body. He placed his right hand on the ground, lifting himself up a bit. Then his left landed, but the pain was too much. More than likely it was broken.
"I really have to stop doing things like that."
He eventually got himself up onto his feet. Looking at the Transport, he saw what had remained. There was one huge glob that was the main body. The back was open but flames enveloped the interior.
Searching the ground, he found his scan-glasses. Even though they had flew off his face, they miraculously survived the fall. Jeff picked them up and wiped away the dirt and ash. Setting them back to his eyes, his vision was fuzzy but he needed them.
Holding the rims, he scanned the remains of the Transport. The flames didn't help. Finally, he found where the pilot cabin would be. It taken the brunt of the damage, but something was amiss. The seat was still there, complete without its occupant.
That meant Karns was alive.
Jeff scanned the area, looking for a life-sign. Then he found it. Karns looked right at him. A bang rippled through the trees. Jeff ducked, quickly looking around. A large piece of metal was behind him, good enough for cover.
He dove behind it as pain rippled through him more than ever. Jeff ignored it, had to ignore it. He saw the bloodied state that Karns was in. Neither could get far in such an injured state. Karns would be worse off with the police after him.
Jeff summoned a stun-pistol. He tried to summon a second one, but his arm shot even more pain as he swung it back. The one will do, Jeff hoped.
Sliding up the metal barrier, Jeff shot several times at his enemy. All the bolts went wide. He wasn't sure if it was his aim or his injuries that caused it. Either one meant that he had to get closer.
He pressed his bloodied foot onto the ground and readied to run. Jeff searched around, finding only trees as decent cover. So he pushed himself up and ran.
Gunfire came as predicted. Jeff returned in kind, sending several bolts of light in the same direction.
Arriving behind a tree, Jeff felt the heavy breathing in his chest. Looking down, he checked the stun-pistol's battery. It was running low. Once again he tried reaching back to summon something. The pain kept his left arm restricted, along with the ability to get more ammo.
Jeff turned around to face Karns. He saw the villain brazenly standing up behind a metal frame. Reaching outside cover, Jeff fired the last of his ammo at Karns. One hit a loose piece of metal, surging energy throughout the cover Karns had taken. It shocked him, but it barely phased him.
With no more ammo, Jeff tossed the weapon aside. He couldn't hit anything in his state anyway. Karns was probably the same. So he decided to take the initiative.
Jeff turned out into the open and ran right at Karns. The villain fired but missed as the last of his bullets ran out. Jeff almost fell as his fist ran into his enemy. Karns stepped back, throwing his gun away. Wiping the blood away from his face, he looked at Jeff.
An explosion rippled to their side. Both simply stood, ignoring the nearby flames. Even the flimsy piece of metal between them had flew from the destruction; but not them.
Karns moved, slamming his own fist into Jeff. There was no pain, so Jeff returned the favor. Then Karns swung his other fist. Neither cared to dodge or defend.
Jeff aimed lower, hitting Karns in the chest. Then Karns aimed even lower, hitting Jeff in the stomach. The compression forced Jeff to lean forward, gasping for air. It took a long second for him to recover. Then he ran right into Karns.
The two fell to the ground with Jeff on top. He hit Karns with one swift punch after another. As he pulled back from his last punch, he rammed it forward into Karns' face.
That was when Jeff realized that his enemy was unconscious. Taking a few heavy, restful breaths, Jeff put his hand to the scan-glasses. Karns was alive, though very injured.
Rolling onto the ground, Jeff let his body rest. He stared up in the sky, seeing smoke rise into the air. Then he heard the heavy hum of a helicopter. The shadow of the flying vehicle flew above and obscured his view.
Two weeks later
Jeff stood approximately over where he buried the holographic device - where he buried Kara. This was a different world with no marker. But the beach looked very similar, which was why he was there.
His arm was still in a sling, healing from his final encounter with Karns. Underneath his cloths held more bandages. The physical pain was gone. However, he had a different pain today. Different from when he lost Kara and yet very similar.
Wind whipped his face as he spoke, "It's been a while. I've missed you. I thought maybe getting Karns would make things better. It hasn't; you're still gone."
In his good hand Jeff tightly gripped a diamond chain. Flickers of red and blue came from his hand.
"We had great times. You were able to show me...well, everything. That I could be something beyond my work, beyond what I did. That I was someone, a living person. More importantly, I got to meet you; live with you...love you. Your smile, your love of life. I still see that red hair of yours everywhere."
Jeff had to stop. He needed to say these things to Kara. This wasn't something he was used to, something he hadn't experienced before. He never had to. Before he was closed off and only explored the abstract world. Kara changed that.
He took a deep breath. "You gave me a lot, Kara. That strength of yours gave me the most important thing: a reason to live. It showed me there was more to life than physics and accolades. Your energy and creativity, they made you the brightest star. I...enjoyed the time we had.
"I know that the only thing you want me to do is be happy. But I can't, not while I see you every night. So...I have to let you go."
Jeff released the bracelet that he held. The ruby and sapphire gems shown bright in the small hole that he dug. He then removed the wedding ring that he held onto his hand for so long. Looking at it in his hand, he pondered setting it down. Instead he decided to set it into his pocket. Kneeling down he swept the piles of dirt over the shining bracelet.
"I'll always remember those times. There's not a single thing I regret, either the good times or the bad. But I have to move on, without you.
"I have to go. Thank you, Kara."
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