From: "Light Storm" TWO MUCH OF A GOOD MAN? By Minuet and Light Minuet_98@hotmail.com or Laugh1999@hotmail.com Disclaimer: Jury and Branislaf are two Czech guys I Light met on a cruise, where they worked. Kareen and Jason are actual people who let me use their names. Don't own the JQ Characters or the FBI or the CIA or the Chipmunks or "Men in Black." No money or credit. Archivers: Ask us first please! Categories: E, HR (of different sorts), ML, I (we started the category! WHOO-HOO!!) Warnings: It gets kinda (kinda?!?!) violent near the end. Just please be careful. Nothing majorly graphic. No potty words. Oh, and the usual slight insanity. (Well, what else would you expect from us?) Two Much of a Good Man? (1/4) "I will never go back to work again!" Minuet stretched, then adjusted her bathing suit strap. She flipped up her sunglasses to watch a group of muscular guys with tans jog by. "You sure? Won't ya miss all the excitement and chase of the FBI?" Light teased, her eyes following the joggers as well, her head remaining still. Minuet waved her hand in the air and gave a small laugh. "Are you kidding? Not with the native male species around. Chasing them all over the Bahamas will give me enough excitement for a couple of lifetimes!" Light grinned and settled back, focusing on a volleyball game in progress. She and Minuet had been FBI agents and friends for quite a while now. So long, in fact, that they had quit calling each other by their real names, using their nicknames instead. The FBI had paired the two women as partners because of their range of expertise. Minuet was an expert in disguises and camouflage, weaponry and use, martial arts, and x-files operations. Light dealt in interpretations, lock picking, computer hacking, and covert operations. Light and Minuet had become instant friends. Although each had different areas of expertise, they both craved adventure and the thrill of the hunt, and shared the same deep interest in men. Minuet was the more responsible of the two. She was more levelheaded and rational. If there was logic involved, she was ready. Light joked that her reason for being hired was for plain comic relief. Usually, she could contain herself, but she did have her occasional small "accidents", which were mostly run-ins with closed doors, trash cans, desks, the usual. And then there were her laughing fits, which came at odd times for no reason at all. Light rolled over. "Min, do you-" She sat up. "Girl, where'd ya go?" She spotted her talking to a girl and three guys. "...my third time here. It's always been for work, but we finally get to have a real vacation in the Bahamas." Minuet smiled brightly at the blond-haired guy. Light hid a grin. Minuet was at it again. Not that she blamed her. The guy with the deep tan and dark hair was pretty hot. "Hey, Min." Minuet gestured to the four people. "Light, meet Kareen, Jason, Branislaf, and Jury. Kareen and Jason live here in the Bahamas, and Branislaf and Jury are from the Czech Republic. They work on a cruise ship that runs between Orlando, Florida, and here." The dark-haired guy nodded. "They've given up some time off before we have to start getting things ready for the next group of passengers." "That sounds like a really cool job! Probably less stressful than our line of work." She grinned. "I sure hope Minuet hasn't been borin' ya to death." She lowered her voice to a not-so-quiet whisper. "She tends to talk a lot!" Minuet rolled her eyes. "You should talk!" Kareen gave a small laugh. "She hasn't been bothering us. It's nice to meet some friendly people for once." Jason nudged the blond-haired guy. "And Jury here doesn't seem to mind at all, in fact." They all laughed as Jury's and Minuet's faces turned a deep red, even against their tans. Branislaf turned to Light. "Tonight, Crawler's is throwing the best party. Would you like to come?" Light grinned broadly, eyes twinkling. "You bet!" Brother Oliver sighed. He paced around the room, about to go insane. He was useless here. There was no point to his worthless life. At least, that's what he was told. He didn't quite believe it. "Then what am I doing here?" He glanced around. A bluish light partially lit the room. Of course, the computer monitor. The Internet was still up. He sat down in the seat, staring blankly at the screen. He had to find someway to please his superiors. Then an idea came to him. His fingers flew over his keyboard as he muttered to himself. "Let's see. Internet has all kinds of information. Information Superhighway. Hackers. Hacking. Security. National Security. Social Security. CIA. FBI. A challenge!" "First, Federal Bureau of Investigation. They have record of everything and anybody. ID?" Brother Oliver steadily worked his way through the security measure the FBI had set up to block out hackers. "Now for social security numbers...Yes...Personal Identification records...Birth records...good, good... Identification records...better...AHA! Social Security." Brother Oliver located a database containing every piece of information one could hope to find on a single individual. He typed in a random nine-digit number. "Claude James McCray. Male. Omaha, Nebraska. Born on September 23, 1955." He scrolled through personal information, family records, police records. He stopped. "Sentenced to 50 years in prison in 1992." On pure inspiration, he opened up another window. Again, he hacked into the government files. This time, the Central Intelligence Agency. Eventually finding the same type of records, he arranged the two windows wide by side on the screen. He compared the two. "Identical." Typing furiously, he managed to delete the FBI record. Almost immediately, the identical CIA record disappeared. He retyped the nine-digit social security number in a search. A box popped up. "Individual does not exist," he read. He smiled. "I must find Master Rage." Her steady fingers clicked away at the keyboard, her determination obvious. She was sick and tired of having to deal with the Quests every time they turned around. But this time would be different. Instead of hacking into the Quests' computer, she would simply do it another way: through the government. She knew that by hacking into either the CIA's or the FBI's computer mainframes, she would find some information on alien technology. They, at least, must have some sort of record of their extraterrestrial incidents. She was hoping to find a cloning program, or information on cloning. He needed a new body, one that didn't have to rely on the help of mechanics to get around, to keep him alive. She missed the old days before the government raid, headed by none other than Race Bannon that left him paralyzed and confined to a roving chair. She missed his body and his mind before it was corrupted with revenge. Revenge of Race Bannon for his interference of his research. Bannon was the reason he was confined to a wheelchair, the reason why she had to put up with his orders and constant anger. She shook her head. But now, she would finally succeed in finding Jeremiah a body, a permanent body, so they could be together once more. The computer beeped softly. She glanced at the menu that popped up on the screen. Lots of interesting icons filled the monitor, but only one looked promising. She double clicked it, and watched as a small box popped up on the black screen. "ID and password?" Julia sighed. "Great. Where am I going to get an ID and password?" Then it hit her. Of course, it would involve the Quests slightly, but she had no choice. Besides, she wasn't really using them for anything, just borrowing some information. She opened a laptop and logged into the QuestWorld system using a cloaking code so the Quests wouldn't know it was she. She set up a search string, hoping to locate a file that contained Race Bannon's CIA ID and password. She knew he had one, it was just a matter of locating it. She waited as the search began. "Okay, Hadji. Here's your scenario. Three-story building with no windows surrounded by cops. Fire escape is demolished. There is a front and a back door. No chimney. How do you escape?" Jessie Bannon and Hadji Singh watched as the QuestWorld landscape molded into the scene Jessie had described to Hadji. The two were playing Escape or Attack, a mind game. Jonny Quest was monitoring the game in the lighthouse. Normally, he would join in, but he'd rather be directly interacting with the game than just plotting plans of survival. Jonny tuned out Hadji's complicated questions and final answer, and leaned back in the swivel chair. Behind Jonny, a computer screen on the small credenza turned on. A file appeared, scrolled down, then quickly disappeared. More files followed suit. Jonny, whose back was to that area of the lighthouse, never noticed. Bandit barked and jumped in his lap, licking his master's face. "Okay, boy!" Jonny exclaimed, trying to hold Bandit down. He bent down and picked up the foam ball Bandit had dropped at his feet. Bandit's teeth had punctured many holes in it, and it was covered in dog drool. Jonny tossed the ball, laughing as Bandit skidded toward it. The ball bounced under a table and into a little hole between the credenza and the file cabinet. Bandit pawed at it, barking in frustration. Jonny sighed. "I'm coming." He stood up and turned around. But he ignored Bandit, focusing instead on the computer screen sitting on the credenza. The files continued to open then close rapidly. Jonny's mouth dropped open. "Uh, Iris? What's going on?" After about five or so minutes of searching, the computer beeped, letting Julia know that it found a file that matched the search criteria. But when she tried to access it, a beep sounded. "Another password?" She set up a loophole to decode the password. Again, she waited. "So, why did you pull us out, Quest? And you better have a good reason!" Jessie pointed her finger at Jonny's chest. "Jonny must have a reason, Jessie. But, I, too, would like to hear it." Hadji put the two QuestWorld earpieces on the table next to the main console. "I do have a good reason." He pointed to the monitor where the files had come up. He explained what had happened. "I'm guessing it's Surd. Unless, of course, Iris or our files are just going haywire." "It's usually Surd." Jessie groaned. "Figures." Hadji sat down at the computer, trying to figure out what was going on. "There has definitely been a hacker. I am having a hard time tracing him. Or her. I think we should notify Dr. Quest and Race immediately." Jonny sighed. "Why can't Surd just leave us alone?" Hadji shrugged. "I do not know, my friend. But, we are not certain that it is Surd." Jonny shook his head. "I'm pretty sure." Jessie nodded. "At any rate, I'm going to get Dad and Dr. Quest. They'll know what to do." "I'm so excited about this party! Can you believe our luck?" Light said excitedly, brushing through her wet hair. "You're excited about everything. Including guys." Minuet handed her the hair dryer. "You never cease to amaze me." "I'd be worried if I did!" Light put down the pick and headed to the bathroom with the hair dryer. "Thanks for letting me borrow this." "You are too forgetful, sometimes." She shook her head. "I don't know how you manage to maintain a halfway normal life, you're so bad." "I'm not really that bad. I'm only absentminded when it comes to work, running errands, packing, cleaning-" Light said as she plugged in the hair dryer. Minuet held up her hand. "So basically what you are saying is everything except guys. Right?" Light laughed. "Yup! You got it!" Minuet sighed in exasperation. "Goofy girl." She reached under her bed, pulling out a hefty looking suitcase. She fiddled with a small, hidden latch, and revealed a hidden compartment. Inside were little electronic devices. Micro-sized tracking devices, receivers, transmitters, and a few other gizmos. A friend of hers also in the FBI had rigged up a set of earrings with a receiver in one ear and a transmitter in the other. Although you couldn't actually talk in them, they worked like a two-way beeper that vibrated slightly. She had given Minuet some as well. She was putting in her earring when these was a burst of laughter from the bathroom. Light walked out of the bathroom, her face matching her crimson hair. Minuet glanced up inquisitively. "Light! What happened?" Minuet asked, trying to hold in her laughter, but was unsuccessful. Light grinned sheepishly. Her curly red hair was poofed out, resembling an afro. It looked as if she had plugged her head into a electrical outlet. "It was accident!" she replied in a high-pitched little-girl voice. "Well, brush it out! But first," Minuet tossed a small box at her. Light caught the box and opened it. "Earrings?" She looked at her questioningly. Minuet explained what they were. "This way, if something ever comes up, just twist the back of the earring. It'll let me know a second later." Minuet demonstrated. "Cool, huh?" Light chuckled as her earlobe vibrated slightly. "Nifty!" "It'll come in handy the next time you get in trouble." Light looked at her incredulously. "Me? In trouble?" "Now that you're ready, let's hit the shops." Light started to head toward the door. "Wait! Let me grab a brush!" Minuet grinned on her way out. "You're gonna brush it out so it'll get messy again in the Convertible?" Light shrugged. "Oh, yeah. Well, sure. Why not?" "Finally." Julia finished scanning the file with the information she needed, and saved it to her computer. She quickly logged out of the Quest Mainframe. Bringing up the file on Race Bannon, she found his ID and password and typed them in the box on her desktop computer. More to come... (c) 1999 Light and Minuet laugh1999@hotmail.com minuet_98@hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Come check out our brand new web site! http://www.onelist.com Onelist: Making the Internet intimate From: "Light Storm" TWO MUCH OF A GOOD MAN? By Minuet and Light Minuet_98@hotmail.com or Laugh1999@hotmail.com Disclaimer: Jury and Branislaf are two Czech guys I Light met on a cruise, where they worked. Kareen and Jason are actual people who let me use their names. Don't own the JQ Characters or the FBI or the CIA or the Chipmunks or "Men in Black." No money or credit. Archivers: Ask us first please! Categories: E, HR (of different sorts), ML, I (we started the category! WHOO-HOO!!) Warnings: It gets kinda (kinda?!?!) violent near the end. Just please be careful. Nothing majorly graphic. No potty words. Oh, and the usual slight insanity. (Well, what else would you expect from us?) Two Much of a Good Man? (2/4) "What do you think, Dad?" Jonny asked his father. Benton and Race had arrived a few minutes before, and Jonny had explained what he saw. Now, Benton sat at the computer, typing in command after command. "Well, we definitely had a hacker, that I'm sure of. But as to who it is, or was, I have a hunch." Benton scratched his beard thoughtfully. Race shook his head. "I'll bet my last dollar it was Surd. But what could he want?" Jessie shrugged. "It's not like we're working on some top-secret assignment or anything major." She looked at her dad and Benton. "Or are you?" "No, Jessie, we're not at the moment." Benton answered. "The hacker must have found what he, or she, was looking for. At any rate, they are no longer active." "Maybe we could try to locate the last file the hacker accessed." Hadji suggested. "Excellent idea, Hadj! Then maybe we'll get a lead on Surd!" Jonny exclaimed, but received a stern look from Benton. "Jonny, we are not certain that it is Surd." Then Benton smiled. "But I agree with your assumption." Race clapped a hand on Benton's shoulder. "Well, get to it, Benton. No sense in wastin' any more time!" Again, Brother Oliver sat typing on his computer. This time, though, a cloaked figure stood behind him, his eyes intently watching. "Ready, Master Rage?" "Proceed." Brother Oliver accessed the two databases. "Pick a person." Rage grinned wickedly. "Bill Gates." Brother Oliver smiled and did a brief search. "Now watch as the record on this side is immediately deleted." As Brother Oliver demonstrated, a plan began to form in Rage's twisted brain. Rage clutched the object in his hand, eyes blazing behind his glasses as the identical records were deleted. Brother Oliver smiled in self-satisfaction as Rage held the book up to the computer screen. "The guilty shall rise, then perish for their sinful deeds. So it is written in the Book of Rage!" Julia grinned as the password/ID box disappeared. But her smile soon faded as letters and symbols spilled over the page. She groaned inwardly. The text and information was all coded. She realized that from here on out, she'd have to deal with lots of security. Even to view an menu page. "Figures." Rifling through a box of disks, she tried to locate a certain one. Pulling it out, she popped it into the disk drive, and opened another program. She paused, doing some calculations in her head. Then flexing her fingers, Julia set to work setting up a more sophisticated loop program to decode the information. XII Light and Min are at a store, Ups and Downs. Find some dresses that they like just can't decide on one. Cute guys come up, give their opinions, flirt. Ask for Min and Light's phone numbers. Give them a fake number. Guys leave. Light and Min pay for dresses, leave, laughing. "I dunno, Light. It's awfully-" Minuet paused, looking for the right word. Light grinned. "Just say it." Minuet picked at the florescent green material. "Bright. Ugly. Too old-ish." Light laughed. "That's why it's seventy-five percent off." Minuet continued sifting through racks of dresses and outfits. They were looking for something for tonight's party, but nothing looked right. She ran her hand over a light brown dress. She groaned and turned to Light. "This is stupid." Light nodded. "So let's hit another store." Her green eyes twinkled as she led Minuet to her favorite store, Ups and Downs. "If you don't find something here, I'm gonna scream." Minuet raised her eyebrows. "Me? What about you, Miss Everybody-Already-Has-It-So-I-Can't-Get-It?" Light pretended to pout. "Fine. Be that way." Minuet laughed. "I will!" As soon as they entered the store, a salesperson came up to them. "May I help you?" "That's okay. We're just looking for now." Light grinned. "Okay, Min. We don't have a lot of time to shop. So we gotta hurry this up!" Minuet mockingly saluted. "Yes, Drill Sargent!" She let her eyes wander a bit before she hit the racks. Light, on the other hand, immediately started for a rack of short dresses. Minuet headed toward the nearest rack, her gaze immediately being drawn to a short, gorgeous dark maroon dress. She lifted the hanger with her size away from the rest and held it up to her. She turned to the huge mirror behind her. She grinned at her reflection. "Perfect!" She went into the dressing room to try it on. When she emerged wearing the dress, she saw Light waiting for her. "Wow! That's looks great on you!" Minuet twirled, the short skirt accentuating her slender legs. "Like it? It's so gorgeous!" "Certainly is." A male voice commented. Minuet spun around, coming face to face with a guy whose smile could melt the coldest heart. His hazel eyes were almost hypnotic. Another guy walked up behind the first, hands jammed in his pockets. Again, the computer beeped. Julia turned towards the screen, "Yes! It worked. Now, to find the technology for Jeremiah." She smiled inwardly to herself. She couldn't wait for Surd to get into his new body. Especially the body she was going to build for him. Scrolling down the screen, Julia scanned a menu on alien findings and research. There was a list of objects, species, reports, autopsies, articles, technology, places of discoveries, the list went on. Julia moved the cursor to "technology." Clicking on it, another ID/password box popped up. She typed in Race's information. Just as she suspected, another page crammed with coded letters and symbols loaded. "This is so repetitive." She set up the same loophole program, and leaned back to wait. "Well done, Brother Oliver. You are useful after all." Oliver beamed. It wasn't much of a compliment, but it was much more than what he usually heard. "Thank you. I am glad you approve." "Brother Oliver, the time has come. I have come up with a plan. I want you to begin the deletion following my orders. For now, my enemies shall be taken care of. " "And who is that, Master Rage?" Ezekiel Rage closed his eyes, an image forming. He saw a car swerving, a little girl screaming, and the car heading over a cliff. They would pay. For Carla and Abby they would pay. "The top people of each branch of government. Weaken their government." Rage stared down at the eager man before him. "Think you can handle that?" Brother Oliver nodded meekly. "Of course, Master Rage. Is there anyone else?" Rage glanced down at the book in his hand. "Yes, there is. Dr. Benton Quest and Roger 'Race' Bannon." For the millionth time that day, the computer beeped, signaling to Julia that it was done decoding. Scanning the file, she located a cloning program and procedures the government had gathered from alien information. "This will take a while to get set up and ready to go." She saved the information and printed it out. "Might as well get started." "I cannot believe it's been so long since my last vacation!" Minuet exclaimed. Light nodded. "I know. It's been way too long. I am so ready to party!" Minuet laughed, concentrating on the winding road. "Today was fun. And to think, we still have a whole week left!" Light glanced down, noticing the box of CDs half hidden under her seat. She picked the box up, looking at the titles. "Awesome, huh? I haven't had this much fun since, well, high school." She smiled to herself, remembering. "Those were the days." Light nodded. "They were fun, but such a headache. Hey! What's this?" Minuet shrugged. "I dunno. Stick it in." Light slid the CD in, and adjusted the volume. She burst into laughter as a high pitched voice began singing "Men in Black." Minuet raised her eyebrows at Light. "What is that?" Light grinned. "It's called 'The A-Files' by Alvin and the Chipmunks. It must have gotten mixed up with my other CDs when I brought them with me!" Minuet shook her head. "You're crazy." "Killjoy. You don't know how to have fun!" "You are unbelievable. And that reminds me. Don't forget your ring I've already got mine." Light nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Just in case something comes up at the FBI and they need us to bail them out." She reached into the glove compartment, pulling out a specially made ring. When the agents needed to be contacted, the ring would set of a slight, short vibration. It was a normal looking ring, just as were the earrings. She slipped hers on. "Okay. Is that better, Mom?" "Thank you!" Minuet turned on her turn signal. "Lucky for you we're here!" Minuet parked, and she and Light got out and walked toward the deck of Crawlers'. The nightclub looked spectacular, set against the sky, with the bright red sun slowly beginning to hide behind the edge of the ocean. The deck completely surrounded the nightclub. Music drifted out the windows and doors as people walked in and out. A gentle breeze drifted around, whispering through the grass. The skirts of their dresses gently flowed in the wind. Light wore a short, emerald green dress with spaghetti straps, cut low in the back. The emerald color set off her eyes. Minuet wore a dark maroon dress. Her short skirt showed off her slender legs. Her dress was also low cut in the back, and in the front. Light nudged Minuet. "Look who's here to greet you!" Minuet's gaze shifted to the side of Crawlers' where Jury stood waving them over. Minuet's eyes twinkled. "I'm gonna have fun tonight!" Light laughed. "You always do. Looks like Jury's a little anxious for you to get over there." She nodded in his direction. He was shifting from one leg to the other, while he stood next to a few other people. Light assumed they were Kareen and Jason. She couldn't see Bransilaf. Kareen called out. "It's about time you two got here. Jury's been driving us nuts." Minuet linked arms with Jury. "Really?" He smiled. "I'm just a love sick puppy." Jason groaned. "C'mon. Get real, man." Then Jury frowned. "Unfortunately, I can't stay long. I have some things I must take care of before the ship takes off again tomorrow." Minuet looked at him with puppy dog eyes. "Can't you stay for a while?" He shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I really have to leave soon." He held out his arm. "But until that time arrives, care to dance?" She smiled at him and took his arm. Together, they made their way inside through the mass of bodies to the dance floor. Kareen took Jason's hand as well and looked at Light. "I hope you'll forgive us for hitting the floor." Light waved her hand and grinned. "Be my guest. I have some huntin' to do." "I think I've found the file that he, or she, looked at last." Benton typed in a few commands, and Race typed in his password. "Shootfire! That has all my confidential information in it! What would they want with that?" Race ran a hand through his hair. Jonny piped up. "Maybe they wanted to pretend to be you and get into the government files?" he suggested. Race snapped his fingers. "Could be. Benton, let me have the computer." The three teenagers and Benton looked on as Race logged onto the government database. He used his ID and password to log in. "Maybe they got into here to look for something. I want to know what could be so important." They waited as the computer searched. It granted Race access. Race searched around a bit. "If it really was, Surd, what would he be interested in?" Jessie asked. "That's a good question, Jess." Race looked around a bit. "There!" Jonny exclaimed. "See that little icon? How about alien technology?" "Good thinking, son." Benton clapped a hand on Jonny's shoulder. He clicked on the small icon. Again, Race had to type in his ID and password for access. The computer did a brief search, then beeped. Race frowned as a box popped up. "Access denied? But it just worked a few minutes ago!" Benton scratched his chin. "Try it again. Maybe you typed it in wrong?" Race tried it again. Still, the same 'access denied' box came up. "Fur on a catfish. What the heck is going on?" CIA Special Agent Natalie Gooding sighed wearily. There was nothing she hated more than completing paperwork. She absolutely loved her job. She had decently smart people working under her. Her work hours were tolerable, with great pay. It was the paperwork, and her demanding boss that drove her nuts. Her job at the CIA was to basically keep her staff in line, and make sure nothing went wrong. Her branch of the CIA dealt with the flow of information going into their record databases, and the amount of information being viewed. Because their information came in from many locations over the globe, each computer was hooked into the CIA mainframe by modem, allowing CIA personnel access to the computer databases. Each member of the staff had a designated area in which to oversee the flow of information. If there was an unusually high increase of access in one area, it usually meant a hacker, and she would be notified immediately. But for now, she concerned herself with the paperwork. That is, until there was a knock on her door. Natalie looked up, grateful for the interruption, until she saw who it was. A portly man with a baldhead walked in, a small stack of papers in his arms. He plunked them down on her desk. "Gooding! I want these read, filled out completely, and on my desk by tomorrow afternoon." He wiped the sweat from his forehead. She briefly leafed through the stack, silently groaning to herself. "Sir, that's going to take time." He shrugged. "Then I guess you ought to start right now." Before she could protest, he was gone with the door closed behind him. "I do not believe this." Picking up the first page, she set to work filling it out. But it was not allowed, as another knock sounded. She rolled her eyes. "Come in." "Sorry to bother you, Agent Gooding, but you might want to take a look at this." Natalie narrowed her eyes. This better be good, she thought. "What is it, Rogers?" "Well, Tommy has found an increase in information being accessed." "Is it heavier than normal?" He shook his head. "Not really, ma'am." She forced herself not to roll her eyes. "Then what's the problem?" "Well, a large number of people are trying to access restricted information, most of whom are former or current agents in the government." He took a deep breath, unsure of how to explain. She waited for him to continue. "As of yet, we haven't gotten any calls referring to the problem, but-" "So there isn't a problem, then?" He shook his head. "We're not sure. I called down to switchboard. Agent Tony Jones, the guy in charge, says that a lot of people with the correct access codes keep calling, but their ID's aren't checking out. The problem seems to be everywhere." She sat up straight, her eyes wide. "What do you mean?" "Well, a few of the people in our own office can't log in. They have tried their IDs and passwords, but nothing comes up. Only the message that the individual does not exist." Rogers shook his head. "Something's wrong here." Natalie nodded. "And we need to find out what's going on." Again, there was another interruption, but this time, the person didn't bother to knock. "Natalie! Pick up your phone on line five. Agent George Willis from the FBI is on. He says it's urgent." Agent Cory Hill ran a hand through his hair nervously. Before Gooding picked up the phone, she shooed the other agents out of the office. Hill looked questioningly at Rogers. "Do you know what's going on?" Rogers shrugged. "Not much. Just a little here and there." He proceeded to fill in Hill. Hill whistled. "Wow. We definitely have a problem." Rogers nodded. "You said it." "Rogers! Hill! Get in here now!" Gooding's voice came through the door. "Yes, ma'am?" She took a deep breath. "I just got off the phone with Willis. It seems the FBI is having the same problem. All they can figure out so far is that some trigger-happy hacker is out there, having fun." Rogers' eyes widened. "This is so not good." "Exactly. Willis said the FBI is going to send out some agents to find this hacker. At the moment, the FBI is trying to get a trace on this alleged hacker." She took a deep breath, glancing at the computer on her desk. The screen saver had been activated. "Gentlemen, I suggest we do the same." "Well, now what do we do?" Jonny asked as he shifted from one foot to the other. He was dying to do something instead of sitting around. Benton looked thoughtful. "I'm not really sure." Race stood up. His jaw was set firm. "We're gonna get to the bottom of this." Jessie shrugged. "Good idea, but how, Dad?" Race glanced at her. "I'm going to call the CIA." He headed out the door. "I've got to make a phone call." Back in his bedroom, Race picked up his phone extension. Dialing a series of numbers, he paced around the room. Finally, someone picked up the phone. "Jordan Real Estate." Race sighed, going over the admission codes in his head. 'Jordan Real Estate' was a code name, and it changed daily. "Cobras can't walk." Race held his breath. The codes were really stupid, and hard to remember. The last time he called, he said one wrong word and got disconnected. "With whom would you like to speak?" the voice answered. "I need to speak to the House." "Wood or bricks?" Race racked his brain. "Styrofoam." There was a clicking noise, then "Please enter your ID number." Race punched in his ID code, then waited for clearance as the computer on the other end checked his ID against the computer records. "Hold please." Another series of clicks and electronic whirs sounded. This time, though, a recorded message responded. "I'm sorry, but that number does not exist. Please try again." Race groaned. "Not again," he muttered to himself under his breath. He again tried to punch in his ID number. The time, the message was more hostile. "Number does not exist." The next thing Race heard was the sound of the other line being hung up. "Great. Just great." More to come... (c) 1999 Light and Minuet laugh1999@hotmail.com minuet_98@hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Start a new hobby. Meet a new friend. http://www.onelist.com Onelist: The leading provider of free email list services From: "Light Storm" TWO MUCH OF A GOOD MAN? By Minuet and Light Minuet_98@hotmail.com or Laugh1999@hotmail.com Disclaimer: Jury and Branislaf are two Czech guys I Light met on a cruise, where they worked. Kareen and Jason are actual people who let me use their names. Don't own the JQ Characters or the FBI or the CIA or the Chipmunks or "Men in Black." No money or credit. Archivers: Ask us first please! Categories: E, HR (of different sorts), ML, I (we started the category! WHOO-HOO!!) Warnings: It gets kinda (kinda?!?!) violent near the end. Just please be careful. Nothing majorly graphic. No potty words. Oh, and the usual slight insanity. (Well, what else would you expect from us?) Two Much of a Good Man? (3/4) Three hours and five guys later, Minuet was still dancing, or rather, trying to. But she wasn't having a whole lot of luck. Minuet glanced up at Alexander. "You'll have to forgive me. Like I said, I'm not much of a dancer." Alexander grimaced. "So I've noticed. I'm going to have a permanent imprint on my foot." "Hey! Can I help it if your feet keep getting in my way?" she accused playfully. "Excuse me?" Alexander arched an eyebrow. "But I'll bet I can teach you in no time." Minuet smiled. "Oh, really?" He dipped her. "Slightly old-fashioned, but still fun." She laughed, enjoying herself. "Do you dance often?" He was about to reply when a slightly startled expression crossed Minuet's face, then immediately disappeared. "Are you okay?" Minuet nodded. "Yeah." A slight vibration in her ear had startled her. It took her a minute to realize that her earring was going off. But she didn't have time to wonder about what to tell Alexander, because the next thing she knew, Light was tugging at her arm. "Hey! What's going on?" Alexander looked back and forth at the two. "Sorry for being rude and interrupting you two, but I need Minuet. It's kinda an emergency." Light shifted from one foot to the other, never able to stand still for a moment. She was a little anxious to get going. Minuet smiled apologetically at Alexander. "Sorry to dance and run, but we've got to leave." Alexander crossed his arms. "What? Are you going to turn into a pumpkin at midnight? Or a mouse?" Light shook her head. "Just a couple of superheroes." Minuet waved her hand. "Just trust us. Maybe one day, you'll find out! Bye!" "Wait!" But neither stopped. The two agents made their way towards the door, leaving a confused Alexander watching their departure. Race slammed the phone back in its cradle. "This is so ridiculous," he grumbled. He shook his head as he headed back to where the rest of the Quest Team was assembled. He had called quite a few of his buddies in the CIA, but most of them said that they hadn't had any trouble. Benton looked up anxiously as Race appeared. "Find anything?" Race shook his head. Jonny stood up and pointed a finger at Race. "I told you it's Surd. So why don't we go look for him for a change?" Hadji shook his head, slightly irritated. "We are not sure it is Dr. Surd, Jonny." Jessie held up a hand. "Guys, let's not go through this again. Okay?" Before Jonny could get out a snide remark, Benton's watch beeped. Benton looked at it, then motioned for everyone to follow him. "Race. The government's sending a message. It might have something to do with this problem." "'Bout stinkin' time!" Race exclaimed. "Incoming message from the United States Pentagon in Washington D.C." Iris reported. Hadji sat down at one of the computers and typed in a command that would allow the wall of monitors to display the message. "Commander Bennett? What in Sam's hill's goin' on?" "Bannon, Dr. Quest. It seems Ezekiel Rage is up to his old tricks again. And as usual, things are pretty bad." Race narrowed his eyes, his anger building. Each time they had an encounter with Rage, the whole Quest team was in danger. Especially his daughter, who Rage tended to mistake for his dead child, Carla. "What does he want now?" Bennett leaned forward. "Here, see for yourself. The Pentagon receive this message not too long ago." He pushed a button, and a new picture replaced Bennett's office. Race visibly stiffened at the sight of Rage's ghastly face and the book, his trademark. "My pathetic Americans. Your judgement day is forthcoming. Over a period of four days, chaos will erupt in your country, as well as the rest of the world, as the count down begins. I have begun by deleting identification records of some of the top, as well as random, people all over the world. I will continue to do so until judgement is passed, and man no longer exists on this pitiful planet." Rage held up his book. "Chaos and disorder shall engulf the guilty! So it is written in the Book of Rage!" Bennett's face reappeared. His fingers nervously twirled a pen. "Well?" Dr. Quest wasn't quite sure what Bennett wanted to hear. "Looks like we have a bit of a problem." Bennett nodded. "I've talked to some of our allies in other nations. They have received the same message, some translate into each of their native languages." Race slammed his hand down on the table. "This has got to stop once and for all! So what do you want from us?" Race already knew the answer, but he didn't want to appear eager to take on the assignment. Bennett leaned back. "Well, the FBI is sending out two of their best agents. As is the CIA." "And that's where we come in." Race crossed his arms. Bennett nodded. "The two FBI agents are going to contact you for any information you have on Ezekiel Rage. They, I do not know who they are yet, are being sent to infiltrate Rage's hideout. Any assistance you can provide will be most helpful. Any leads you can work on will also be appreciated." Bennett gave Race a few more instructions, then they terminated the transmission. Race ran a hand through his hair. "Well, looks like we have a world to save." Hadji smiled as Jonny and Jessie slapped a high five. Dr. Quest shook his head. "Here we go again." Just minutes later, Minuet and Light received the same message from the FBI Headquarters. The message ended with their latest mission: To infiltrate Ezekiel Rage's hideout and stop him at all costs. Their instructions also stated that they were to keep in contact with former CIA Agent Race Bannon in Rockport, Maine. Bannon would give them the information needed to begin the search for Rage. Light choked on her soda. "Race Bannon? As in the legendary Race Bannon?" Minuet nodded. "Yep. The guy's famous. Anyway, he's supposed to have dealt with Ezekiel Rage quite a few times before." Light grinned. "I wonder if he's married?" Minuet looked at Light skeptically. "Do you really think a guy with his kind of job, similar to ours, would be tied down?" Light shrugged innocently. "It could happen." "Besides, he's probably too old and too, uh, aged. I mean, have you heard the thousands of stories about this guy? It must have taken him years, if not decades to accomplish them!" Minuet scanned over what information they were given. "Well, looks like this is gonna be somewhat tough. All the FBI knows is that Rage's place is on some uncharted island east of Florida, somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean." Light groaned. "Figures. We start out with a great vacation, and duty calls. Well, at least we'll still be out on the water. Somewhere." "Well, start packing. We gotta get ready to head to Florida. And find the videophone link-up gear. We need to go ahead and get instructions from Race." Minuet set the papers on the desk in the sitting room. She rummaged around in a drawer for paper and a pen while Light set up the phone. "So how did Race get this information?" Light asked as she began hooking up the phone. Minuet shrugged. "Apparently, the family he's the bodyguard of, Benton Quest and his son Jonny, seem to be involved in quite a few adventures of their own. I hear Dr. Quest is a phenomenologist and quite an excellent scientist. From what I can tell, they've had their own run-ins with Rage." "Okay. I think it's ready. And I'm sure I set it up right this time." Light grinned. "I don't plan on paying for another one. They are expensive!" Minuet nodded as she checked the information sheet, then dialed up Bannon's number on the videophone. She assumed he was expecting their call. She sat down and waited. After a moment, she watched as the videophones negotiated, verifying the users. Light came up behind her and watched just as they received confirmation. But the man who appeared before them on the screen was not the man Minuet described. Minuet could feel her blood pounding in her ears. She was glad the handsome man couldn't tell her heart was racing. On the other hand, Light wasn't as fortunate. As hard as she tried, she couldn't control the rush of blood to her face. Minuet quickly recovered, or as well as she could and made the introductions. She had much difficulty trying not to stare at his bulging muscles. When Race grinned, both women about fainted. "I see someone's been out in the sun too long." Of course, that made Light blush even harder. "You could say that." Minuet nudged Light so Race couldn't see. "Anyway, I think you have some information for us?" Race nodded. Both agents could hear some papers rustling around. "I'll fax you what information I have after we get off the line. It has a map of the area where Rage's island is. Granted, we haven't pinpointed the island yet, but it's in the general area." "Great. Are you going to come meet us in Florida?" Light asked. Race ran a hand through his hair. "Actually, I'm not going to be able to. I have a lead to follow in Gainesville, Florida, while you search for Rage. But I'm sending my eighteen-year-old daughter, Jessie, and Dr. Quest along to help you." Light tried to keep from showing her disappointment. She had been looking forward to working with Race. "Jonny Quest and Hadji Singh, Dr. Quest's son and adopted son, will by accompanying me. Good luck on finding Rage. Be careful. He's quite dangerous." Minuet nodded. "No problem. And thanks for your help." They exchanged numbers to be reached at, then hung up. Minuet reached over and flipped on the portable fax machine. "Well, looks like we'll have some help on this mission." Minuet commented. Light shrugged. "I guess so. I would rather have had Race, but if his daughter is anything like him, she'll be very helpful." Minuet checked the fax machine as the last pages finished processing. "Okay. This is the last page. Looks like we're ready to head out." Light raised her hand as if holding out a sword. "Onto the chase!" Light readjusted her backpack's arm strap for the millionth time since their plane had landed. "So, I assume we should start looking for Jessie and Dr. Quest." Minuet nodded. "Yeah. I'm glad Race sent us a picture of them. Or else we'd never find them." They waited for about ten minutes, hoping to find the two Quest Team members. But they saw no one who resembled either Jessie or Dr. Quest. "I didn't think they'd be this late. Their flight arrived about twenty minutes ago." Minuet tapped her watch worriedly. "Maybe something happened to them?" Then Minuet's cell phone rang. She grabbed it from her bag. "Hello?" "Minuet, it's Race." Minuet mouthed to Light who it was. "Race? Dr. Quest and Jessie never showed up." "I know. I just found out that they were ambushed en route to meet you two. I'm assuming it's Rage. Furthermore, Rage has deleted more records of some top people in the Government. And he's gone public with his kidnapping of some of the senators." Minuet ran a hand through her hair. "So now we're running against time as well." Emotion racked Race's voice. "I don't care so much about the government as I do getting my daughter back. If Rage so much as touches her, he's a dead man." "Don't worry, Race. We'll get Jessie back. And Dr. Quest." When Minuet said that, Light's eyes widened. "You can count on us." "Thank you so much. I trust you." He sighed wearily. "As soon as we can, Jonny, Hadji, and I will try to meet up with you. We have an idea where the senators are being held." After hanging up, Minuet filled Light in. Light let out a soft whistle. "That is not good. Poor Race." "Poor Jessie and Benton," Minuet corrected her. Light put a hand on her hip. "Well, then, let's get to it. We are gonna have to find us a boat." Light and Minuet finally found the island where Rage was hiding out. Although there were few islands located in the area Race had described, only one was large enough to conceal something large deep into the forest. Light glanced up at the sky, then at Minuet. "Man, I'm glad it stopped raining for a while," she said in a hushed whisper. "It's gonna make the going a little harder." Minuet nodded. "Right. Try to stay away from the mud. It'll give us away." They proceeded on, carefully making their way about two hundred yards into the forest, not making a sound. Look at all these weird plants, Minuet thought. The ground was covered in bright colored plants, some over five feet tall. Glancing at the ground, Min spotted something. She whistled softly at Light. Light noiselessly walked to Minuet's side. She looked down at where Min was pointing. There in the mud, where two sets of footprints. "Looks like a couple of big guys," Minuet guessed. Minuet stepped carefully around the footprints imbedded in the mud. The two carefully followed the direction of the footprints, cautiously maneuvering their way around the mud. They paused every so often to listen and watch for movement, trying to remain hidden among the vegetation. Minuet whipped out her gun, signaling Light to keep watch behind them as she moved ahead and knelt down behind a large plant. With a hand gesture, she told Light she saw some movement. Light also dropped down, aiming her gun, searching out a target. A branch above Minuet twitched, but before Light could warn her, a man jumped down, tackling Minuet, pressing her against the ground, her face in the mud. When he flipped her over on her back, she kicked his knee, causing him to stagger backwards a few feet. "You little-." He recovered himself and jumped forward, his knife revealed, and slashed her face from her right eye down her cheek in a line. "Oooh." She groaned as her eyes watered at the sudden pain. She pulled her hand away from her face, her hand sticky with mud mixed with blood. Her eyes flashed with anger as she turned back to the armed man. Minuet charged him, aiming a kick at his chest. "Oof!" He doubled over, gasping for air. Standing upright, he ran at her. She tried to turn away from him, but slipped in the mud. He fell to the ground and pinned her there. She struggled with all her strength, but he was too strong and heavy. He grabbed her hair, pulling her head up out of the mud. She grunted as she felt the knife press against her back, the tip close to puncturing her skin. "Hold still, 'cause I won't hesitate to kill you. You choose." Light had started to jump up to her partner's aid when an arm snaked around her throat, forcing her head against her assailant's body. He kicked her in the back of the knees, bringing her to the ground. She tried to move away from him to get to a defensive stance, but as she stood up, her left knee buckled underneath her. She fell to the ground and rolled away, caking herself in the gritty mud. She crouched, like a cat poised to jump. As her attacker lunged for her, she swept her right leg under his, knocking him to the ground. He cursed and reached for her leg. She looked behind her and kicked him in the face as hard as she could. She quickly pulled out of his reach, crawling towards a tree as he got back to his feet. Light reached the tree and pulled herself up, limping on her left leg. She turned in time to see the man charge at her, his nose dripping blood. She quickly ducked away, but he reached out to her retreating arm and yanked her back to him. He twisted her arm behind her back and knocked her back to the ground. He straddled her legs, pining her arms behind her with one hand. His blood dripped down on her back as he grabbed a broken tree branch nearby. The last thing Minuet heard was a strangled cry before her world exploded to darkness. Light's eyes fluttered open, and a stabbing pain pierced through her head. Her vision was blurry, and the shapes she could see seemed to swim around in circles. She shook her head, trying to focus, but made the pain worse. "Ohhh," she moaned. Her head ached, her muscles were sore, and her mouth tasted like mud. Some of her hair had fallen out of her ponytail and was plastered against her face. She tried to brush her damp hair away from her face but found her arms bound to the chair she was in. She lay still for a moment, letting her eyes focus on the fan blades above her. She realized she was in a reclining chair, much like a dentist's chair. Glancing down, she was the leather straps holding her down tightly at the waist, ankles, and wrists. Minuet. Where was Minuet? Light glanced around, noticing a small laboratory set up across the room, and more reclining chairs. The nearest one on her right held Minuet. "Min?" There was no response, but Light sighed with relief when she was her chest fall and rise. "'Least she's alive." She said, noticing her swollen cheek from the huge gash. Light became dimly aware of voices somewhere outside their prison. A door opened on Light's left, and three people appeared. The first man, a stocky man with a shaved head, had his rifle trained on Light. The second, a woman in a lab coat, walked toward the small laboratory, rummaging around in a drawer for something. The third, in a black overcoat, dark reflective glasses and black boots, leered at Light. She immediately recognized him. "Ezekiel Rage." He grinned wickedly. "So, you have found me." He turned abruptly to the gunman. "Brother Steve, wake up the sleeping one." Steve grunted, walked over to Minuet, and slapped her across the face. Light cringed as Minuet moaned in pain. She glared at Rage. "Was the really necessary?" He ignored her. "Sister Barbara. Are the syringes ready?" The woman nodded. "Yes, Master Rage." Minuet's eyes were slowly beginning to focus, or as well as possible since the area below her right eye had puffed up. "You're never going to get away with your scheme." Sister Barbara approached Light first. She held up a syringe filled with a clear liquid. "This won't hurt a bit. Yet." "What are you going to do?" Minuet asked as she tested her bonds for a chance of escape. Rage laughed as Sister Barbara injected first Light, then Minuet. "You are being injected with our latest experiment. A toxic poison taken from the native plants of this island. By mixing them with other poison s, the victim is given forty-eight hours to live." Minuet stared at him through narrowed eyes, hoping he was bluffing. She again tested her bonds. "Why not just kill us now?" Rage held up a battered book. "Those who intervene in the judgment of the world must suffer! So it is written in the Book of Rage!" Light raised her eyebrow at Minuet. Minuet guessed what she was thinking. This guy is nuts. Minuet looked at her sharply as Light turned to Rage. "Why are you deleting the personal records and IDs of the world's leaders?" she asked, stalling for time. Minuet understood what she was doing and began to look around for anything that might help them escape. There wasn't much within reach since her wrists were bound to the chair, as were her ankles. As far as she could tell, Race was their only hope. If he could just find Rage's hideout... "The only way to identify a person is by fingerprints. Without a record of fingerprints, a person does not exist. If a leader does not exist, chaos will ensue. Wars will break out. That is the punishment of the naïve." As Rage explained, the woman left, and two more men entered the room, each carrying rifles similar to Brother Steve's. They were the same men who had attacked Minuet and Light earlier. The one with the bandaged nose was glaring at Light. Rage turned to the one of the men. "Take them to their rooms. It is time for their suffering to begin." Steve kept his gun trained on the two captives as the newcomers released their bonds and secured their hands behind them with wire, then masking tape. They roughly walked them out the door, keeping their guns aimed. They were led down a hallway lit only by a few lights, which gave off an eerie glow. Steve led the way, with the two other men roughly herding Minuet and Light along the way, shoving and prodding. As two of the men kept their rifles pressed against Min and Light's backs, Steve pulled out a set of keys from his pocket, and continued walking down the hall. They came to a halt near the end of the hall, right under one of the lights. Steve stuck the key into a keyhole hidden in the wall, and a well-concealed door slowly opened. A ray of light poured down the set of dark, steep stairs. "Come, ladies. Your dungeon awaits." Steve smirked as he held the door open. "Carl, Burt, lock them up in separate cells." He smiled, but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "Make sure they are cozy in their new home." Carl and Burt shoved their captives down the stairs. Light half limped, half fell down the stairs. Minuet had a hard time keeping her balance as she slowly and blindly made her way down. There was no railing and the stairs were narrow. She pressed herself against the wall to keep from falling over. Steve stayed up in the doorway watching their backs disappear into the blackness. By the time they had reached the bottom, Light was ready to collapse from exhaustion and pain. One of the men turned to his partner, the one with the broken nose. "Burt, flip the switch." Burt felt along the wall and flipped the electricity handle. There was a sizzling sound as two dim lights began to flicker on. There was a cackle of laughter before the door above the stairway was slammed shut. Minuet leaned against the wall, also exhausted. She felt like the poison was slowly beginning to take effect. "Where are you taking us?" Carl grinned. "To your final resting place. You shall spend your remaining hours here. After you die, your bodies will decay rapidly because of the poison. But do not worry, for you shall not be missed. After all, how can you miss a person, or for that matter, search for a person, if she no longer exists?" Light took a shaky step forward. "You piece of -" but she collapsed before she could finish. "Light!" Minuet cried. She tried to run to her, but Carl caught her. Burt snapped the gun in her face. "Shut up!" he wheezed in a nasal voice. He turned away from Minuet as Carl kept her restrained with much effort. He walked over to the fallen agent and kicked her in the side. "Get up if you know what's good for you!" He kicked her again as Minuet screamed and tried to get away from Carl. "Leave her alone! Can't you see she's hurt badly?" Burt sneered. "Then perhaps she would prefer to go ahead and die. That is, if you don't shut your face." Minuet's eyes widened. "You wouldn't." She kept struggling against Carl's grip. Burt raised an eyebrow. "Would you care to find out?" Minuet just glared at him. Burt looked past her at Carl. "I don't think she believes me." Carl grunted. "Then show her you mean business." Burt nodded and reached up to Minuet's swollen face. "Such a lovely face." He frowned and slapped her across the cut. Minuet's eyes teared up. "Don't test me again." More to come... (c) 1999 Light and Minuet laugh1999@hotmail.com minuet_98@hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Come check out our brand new web site! http://www.onelist.com Onelist: Making the Internet intimate From: "Light Storm" TWO MUCH OF A GOOD MAN? By Minuet and Light Minuet_98@hotmail.com or Laugh1999@hotmail.com Disclaimer: Jury and Branislaf are two Czech guys I Light met on a cruise, where they worked. Kareen and Jason are actual people who let me use their names. Don't own the JQ Characters or the FBI or the CIA or the Chipmunks or "Men in Black." No money or credit. Archivers: Ask us first please! Categories: E, HR (of different sorts), ML, I (we started the category! WHOO-HOO!!) Warnings: It gets kinda (kinda?!?!) violent near the end. Just please be careful. Nothing majorly graphic. No potty words. Oh, and the usual slight insanity. (Well, what else would you expect from us?) Two Much of a Good Man? (4/4) "Okay, Hadji, I need you to see if you can hack into Rage's computer files. I know he keeps a lot of information stored. See if you can find anything that will help us figure out how to restore the lost records. And if possible, see if you can find a given location at or near where he is." Hadji nodded. "I'll get to it." He reached for his backpack on the seat next to him and pulled out his laptop and satellite link-up gear. "What about me?" Jonny asked from the passenger seat of Race's car. "Open the glove box. See that map?" Jonny nodded. "Good. Figure out where we are. And make sure you read it right-side up this time?" Jonny snorted. "You sound like Jessie." Race gave him a look. "But that's okay. Right?" Race narrowed his eyes at Jonny. He tried not to grin as Jonny started fidgeting. "Uh, well, sure. That's what I mean." Hadji interrupted. "Race, we have a problem on our hands." Race glanced at Hadji's grim face in the rearview mirror. "I don't think I want to hear this." Hadji shook his head. "From what I have found, Rage had been expecting the FBI Agents. They are now his captives." Race slammed his fist down on the steering wheel. "I don't believe this! This is worse than a zit on a first date." "Uh, Race? There is more. One of Rage's cult members had invented a new poison, which, when injected, will kill a person in forty-eight hours. He's given the injection to both agents. I'm not sure if Jessie or Dr. Quest have received the injection." Race quickly pulled off onto a side street and turned around. Tires squealed as he took off in the direction they had come. "Race? Where are we going?" Race glanced in his rearview mirror, aware of the danger he was about to put his young trainees in. "Guys, you are going after Rage." "My friend, I believe we are getting closer to Rage." Hadji sat at the Questor II's computer console, checking directions as Jonny steered. "I would hope so, Hadji." Jonny shook his head. "Race is counting on us to find Rage and release everyone." Hadji nodded. "Exactly. There is so much at stake now." They continued on a course, searching for Rage's island. After a long, diligent search, they found the island that matched the data Hadji had put together. Jonny steered the Questor II to a nearby island facing the other island. He and Hadji jumped off and pulled their boat inland. They gazed across the waters to the island brimming with trees. Hadji shaded his forehead from the bright red sun. In a few hours, the day will have turned to night. "So, what do we do now?" Jonny asked. Hadji thought for a moment. "Well, we have a few options. Head for the island at night under the cover of darkness, or go ahead and proceed now." Jonny raked a hand through his blond hair. "Well, if we go at night, we'll have a slightly harder time finding Rage's place. Even with Dad's new heat-sensory goggles. I'm sure that island is teeming with life." He glanced down, picking up a small broken limb. "But if we go now, we have more of a chance of getting caught." "How about we compromise? We go ahead and go to the island. With our few remaining hours of daylight, we lay low and observe what's going on. Check things out and form a plan." Jonny nodded, picking up on Hadji's thoughts. "And find Rage's place. Maybe even figure out where everyone is being held. Then when darkness falls we get them out." Hadji shrugged. "Close enough." Jonny jumped back on board the Questor II. "Well, what're you waiting for? Let's move!" "Julia, do a molecular scan of Bannon's body. Make a copy of his DNA and enter it into the clone program." Surd gave a few more instructions and rolled out of the room. Julia sighed and set to work. This was the last time she would take orders from him. Once he had his new body, he could do things for himself. Working diligently, she completed the copy and set to work on making the clone. Once the clone was made, she set up the mind transfer. All they had to do was transfer Jeremiah's brain and thoughts into the clone, and her work would be complete. Jeremiah would have a new body, and Julia would have her old Jeremiah back. For good. Surd laughed to himself. He was dying to get into his new body. Contrary to Julia's hopes, he was working on a plan to still take over the world. But this time using Bannon's body. Once he was in his new body, the only obstacles he had to face were to get rid of the Quests and Bannon, and to take over Ezekiel Rage's plot. He knew that with Race's body and status, he could get almost anything he wanted. And with the Quest Team gone, no one would be the wiser. "Oh, Bannon, you have no idea what you can accomplish. You pathetic fool. You could have had everything. But I shall now have my time. I shall live my life the way I would have if you had not interfered years ago. Your life shall be mine, just with an interesting twist." He pressed a button on his wheelchair. "Julia! Is it ready?" "Almost Jeremiah. Just a few more details." "Well hurry up! I'm growing tired of waiting." An hour later, Jeremiah Surd and the clone were logged into QuestWorld. In reality, Julia had strapped the clone to his chair, so he would not escape. The clone was an exact copy of Race Bannon. Voice, muscles, and all. Surd waved his virtual arms around, relishing the though of free movement. But soon he would have complete freedom of movement. Both in QuestWorld and in real life. "Julia, stand by to activate the program!" He turned around to see the Race clone glaring at him. "What do you want, Surd?" Even the accent was unmistakably Race's. "Oh, nothing much, Bannon." He grinned as his arms became long lassoes, ready to rope in the clone. "Just your body, my dear friend." Race-clone took off running. "I don't think so, Surd!" He ran for a minute, knowing that as long as he was in QuestWorld, he was vulnerable to Surd's evil plan. He had to find a way out. "Lorenzo! Get in here!" Julia snapped. She had spent the day free of his idiocy. But now, much to her annoyance, she needed his help. He sneered as he slowly, casually walked in. "Yes, Julia?" he asked sweetly. "Cut the crap, Lorenzo. Stand by Jeremiah's wheelchair. As soon as I log Bannon and Jeremiah out of QuestWorld, make sure Bannon doesn't go anywhere in the chair." Julia put her hands on her hips. "Think you can possibly handle that?" His smiled didn't reach his eyes. "Of course, Julia." Julia did her best to hide her frustration. She didn't need any of Lorenzo's klutz attacks messing this up. They were too close. While Julia had her back turned away from the control panel, Lorenzo quickly reached over and flipped a few switches. He was sick of taking orders from Julia and Surd. And if Surd succeeded in trading bodies, he would rather die than spend his life doing Surd's dirty work. As far as he was concerned, this clone experiment was over. The screen started flickering. The view of QuestWorld was seriously distorted. Julia went to the monitor and tapped the screen. With her back still turned, Lorenzo pushed a few more buttons. He had no idea what he was doing, but it didn't matter. Not as long as he messed this up enough. Suddenly, the metal bonds that help Race2 to his chair were released. Race2, in QuestWorld, felt it. Automatically, he reached up and pulled the eye visor off his ear. Surd stood dumb-founded as Race2 disappointed in QuestWorld. The only thing Julia saw was a fist flying at her face. "Thanks, Lorenzo." Race2 smiled before he punched Lorenzo out. He made quick work of tying Julia up. He left Lorenzo untied and Surd still in QuestWorld, with no way out. He figured he'd be nice to Lorenzo since he had helped him. Besides he had more important matters. He had to find Race1, his original self, and 'discuss' certain matters. He picked up a phone and punched in his cell phone number. Race1 answered. "Bannon." His eyes grew wide as he listened. "What?" He listened again for a few minutes. "Okay, I've got a trace on you. I'm comin' to pick you up." Race1 shook his head in disbelief. "A clone. Unbelievable." "Well, at least he's on my side." "Light? Can you hear me?" Minuet called out. She felt along the wall with her bound hands. She could feel the wire cutting into her wrists. There was a soft groan. "Yeah. You okay?" came the weak reply. "I'm alive. Are you okay? I can't see a thing." Minuet listened for Light's voice, trying to follow the sound. "I'll live. At least for another forty hours. Or less. We gotta get out of here." Light stood up shakily. "I know. But first, we have to get out of these stupid bonds. Keep talking so I can find you." She kept walking along the wall, listening to Light mutter. Finally, she felt something soft and heard Light gasp. "Careful! My back is killing me." Light slid back down to the floor, very weak. Minuet joined her, resting her aching head on the wall. "Sorry! Like I said, I can't see." She tried tearing at the tape on her wrists with her teeth. "What are you doing?" Minuet paused. "If we can get this stupid masking tape off, we can undo the wire around our wrists." Light took a deep breath. Big mistake, she thought. Her lungs ached. She knew she had a few broken ribs. Focusing on her wrists, she set to work. After a few long moments, she groaned. "I am losing it. Remember that little knife in my boot? I still have it." Minuet leaned back. "Can you get to it?" Light tried with no success. "No, I can't bend at the waist. Can you reach it?" Minuet felt her boot. "I think so." She moved her bound hands. She felt the little side pouch on the side of her boot. "Got it." She flicked the tiny blade out. She set to work, trying to cut Light's bonds without cutting her wrists. After what seemed like an eternity, Light was able to rip her tape off with her teeth, cringing in pain. With Minuet's help, she undid the wire. Once free, she rubbed some circulation back in her wrists, then released Minuet. "Finally. That wire was really cutting my wrists." Minuet stood up and helped Light up. "Think you can still pick a lock?" Minuet pointed behind her. "I felt a door back there." Light grinned in the inky blackness. "Oh, I'm pretty sure I still can." Minutes later, they were out the door. After a little disguise power, courtesy of Minuet, they bypassed a couple of guards. Unsure of where to go, they walked down a hallway. Emerging through a door at the end, they found themselves in a near empty hanger. The hanger held a few helicopters and had a roof that opened and closed easily. Light nudged Minuet. "Think you can hot-wire a chopper?" she whispered. Glancing up, she was amazed at how dark it was. "You bet." Minuet made her way over to the copper, skillfully avoiding and people. After a quick inspection, she hopped aboard as Light went to the small office to see if she could find anything useful. Minuet waited until the last worker had left and Light hopped in the other side before she started the blades. As she started it up, Light turned to her with a worried look on her face. "Rage took off in a chopper a few hours ago." She handed Minuet a piece of paper with some information scribbled down. "Here's the location where he's headed. Apparently, he's also taken Jessie Bannon with him." "Okay, there's the helicopter. Now we've gotta find Rage and Jessie." Minuet and Light jogged carefully through yet another rain forest. This time, looking for any sign of Rage or Jessie. "Hey, Min! Check this out!" Light pointed to a small inscription on a jutted out root, right outside the entrance to a cave. Minuet bent down. "It's a Q. Q for Quest?" Light shrugged and jumped up. "Only one way to find out. C'mon. Let's check out that cave." Minuet held her hand over her flashlight so it gave off only a partial glow. Light followed suit. Before they started into the cave, Minuet paused. "You know that if something happens, we're not going to be ready for a fight." Light nodded. "You're right. That creates a small problem. So, we're going to have to be careful. And if Rage really does have Jessie, we cannot risk putting her in danger." "You can leave the fighting to us," a new voice spoke. Minuet whirled around. Two teenage guys were standing off to the side of the cave. The blonde kid looked anxious to beat a few heads. The dark skinned guy with the turban placed a hand on the other's arm. "Forgive Jonny's rudeness. I am Hadji Singh. And this is Jonny Quest. I assume you are the two FBI agents Race contacted." "Yeah." Light nodded. "You're Dr. Quest's sons. And the Q on the tree was for Quest." Jonny grinned. "Yeah. To let Race know we were here. Standard signal." Minuet gestured to the cave. "How did you get here? Or, more importantly, what's going on in the cave?" Jonny shrugged. "Rage has Jess in there. There are also some other people in there. Hadji and I managed to 'borrow' a jeep. But we're not exactly sure what to do. We were kinda hoping you and Race would show up. Where is he, by the way?" "What do you mean? We thought he was with you." Light looked confused. Jonny shook his head. "No. He went to rescue you." "Well, we managed to escape." Minuet shrugged. "So, the question remains. What do we do now?" Before anyone could reply, the sound of a jeep reached their ears. The foursome quickly hid. As soon as the jeep exited the cave and disappeared from sight, Jonny turned to Minuet. "We're gonna follow it. Be careful and good luck!" Light and Minuet watched as they took off to their hidden vehicle. Seconds later, they heard a jeep engine take off after the first. "That's our cue." Light followed Minuet into the cave. About a hundred yards into the cave, they heard Rage's voice. The anger in his voice was clear, as was his insanity. The agents stepped up their pace. After a moment, they found that the passageway opened up into a larger room. Off to one side, Rage had Jessie backed into a corner. He waved his arm around angrily, while the other hand kept a gun trained on Jessie. She looked frightened but did her best not to show it. There were a few other men in the room as well. Light's eyes flashed angrily. Before Minuet could stop her and remind her of the their practically impossible situation, she jumped forward. She ran to Rage, sweeping her leg under his and knocking him over. One of the armed men ran towards Light. Minuet had climbed up on a crate, and now jumped off and onto his back. The man collapsed, surprised. Before he could recover himself, Minuet knocked him out with a blow to his neck. Four more men left their posts to take on the agents. Already exhausted, Minuet and Light did their best to put up a fight. Outnumbered, the fight quickly turned one-sided. Rage's men showed no mercy, attacking them with the butts of their guns, kicking and punching. Jessie, who had been standing off to the side, snapped out of her bewilderment. She ran up to the nearest guy and kicked him in the back of the knees. She started to reach for the fallen gun, but he got to it first. She stomped down on his wrist, then kicked it, accidentally kicking the gun out of reach. Rage watched from a short distance as Jessie knocked out the man after slamming his head against the wall with a sickening crack. Rage clutched his book in fury as he surveyed the situation. Minuet, Light, and Jessie were still standing, but barely. They each faced off with the three remaining opponents. One of the men finally charged at Minuet, knocking her to the ground. But then, the man was lifted into the air and thrown across the room. Minuet opened her eyes and saw a pair of concerned blue eyes looking down at her. "Are you okay?" Race asked, worried. Minuet coughed. "Uh, yeah. I think so. Thanks." Race smiled, and Minuet's heartbeat quickened. "My pleasure." He helped her to a sitting position, keeping one arm around her to support her. She smiled gratefully at the handsome man. She noticed he had his own cuts and bruises. His hair was disheveled, but somehow, he looked even cuter. "What about Light and Jessie?" Minuet glanced around. She saw two of the men lying unconscious with Jonny and Hadji standing over them. Jonny ran over to Jessie and embraced her reassuringly. She was still trembling. To the left, she saw a man with white hair turning away from Rage's fallen henchman to make sure Light was okay. Light, who had collapsed on the cold floor, looked dazed and ready to cry. When he faced her, helping Light to walk, Minuet gasped, just as Light did when she noticed the man kneeling down next to Minuet. "Wha-? I thought-! But-," Minuet sputtered. Jessie looked even more confused. "Dad?" she questioned weakly. She glanced back and forth between the Races. Race, or rather, the Race next to her smiled. "We'll explain it on the way to the hospital. As an army of men ran into the cave and took charge of the situation, Race2, the Race helping Light, nodded. "Yeah. You two look worse than a cat in the middle of a dog pound." Race2 half carried, half-helped Light out of the cave. Minuet was in no better shape, as she and Race1 followed Hadji out of the cave. Next to Hadji, Jessie and Jonny still had an arm around each other as they exited as well. Arriving outside, the glare from the helicopters and floodlights was blinding. Jonny grinned broadly as Benton, looking a bit worse for wear, ran up to him, hugging him tightly. "C'mon, Benton." Race 1 gestured toward Jessie, Minuet, and Light. "We gotta high-tail it to the hospital." "Let's kick it," Race2 added. 20 hours later... "You sure took a beating back there, ladies." Mark Treyford shook his head. As soon as he heard two of his best agents had been put in the hospital following the capture of Ezekiel Rage, he had flown in to check on them. Anna "Crater" Marcus had accompanied him, concerned about Light and Minuet. Anna looked at Minuet's heart monitor. It still had a decent beat, but Minuet didn't look healthy. In fact, both she and Light looked awful. Minuet had sustained a broken arm, a bruised neck, a swollen eye, a huge gash on her face, and lots of bruises and cuts. Light sure wasn't any better. Her sprained ankle turned into a broken ankle. She had a couple broken ribs, bruises and cuts. Both of them had sore muscles and other problems. Not to mention the fact that the poison was really taking its toll. The door swung open, and Dr. Jefferson walked in, followed by the two Races. Each held a syringe in his hand. Race1 smiled down at Minuet. Race2 walked over to Light's bed and sat down on the edge. Dr. Jefferson grinned. "You ladies are lucky. They were able to find the antidote to the poison." Light smiled weakly. "Kinda cutting it a little close, don't you think?" Race1 shook his head. "It doesn't sound like you want this." He said teasingly. Light clamped her mouth shut. Race2 took her hand. "But at least we found it. Rage wasn't too cooperative." Minuet eyed the needle. "Well, I guess we ought to get this over with." "You're sure we can't just drink it or something?" Light asked, also looking warily at the needle. Dr. Jefferson shook her head. "I'm afraid not. It must be injected directly into the blood stream for it to work effectively and quickly. And I don't think I need to remind you that you are running out of time." Light sighed. "I guess it's now or never." She stuck out her arm and turned her head, squeezing her eyes shut. Minuet groaned. "Then I guess now, huh?" Race1 injected Minuet, who cringed slightly. Race2 gently gave Light the antidote. Minuet still had her eyes shut. Race1knelt down next to her. "C'mon, Miss Min. The worst part's over." "Tell it to my arm." Dr. Jefferson laughed. "Well, I'm not too sure how long we're going to need to keep you here. It depends on how well and quickly the antidote works. But as soon as I see you're much improved, I'll release you." She winked. "I know how awful this place is." With that, she left. Light closed her eyes. "I just want to sleeeep." Minuet glanced up at Race1. "What happened to Rage?" Race1 chuckled. "Rage is locked up tighter than a python in a zoo. The G-men-" "AHEM." Light narrowed her eyes at Race1. "'Scuse me. G-people. Anyway, they've found all the evidence, including backup files of the identification and personal records. Granted, they have no way to know if any records are missing, but they are working on it." Race2 held up his palm. "Don't forget Jeremiah Surd." Race2 quickly recounted the Surd's cloning project. "So basically, everyone's in jail. Lorenzo's getting off a bit easier than the rest. After all, if not for him, ya'll wouldn't be here 'bout now." Race1 pointed a thumb sideways at Race2. "Glory-hog." Minuet covered her eyes. "Okay, okay! Sorry I asked!" Race1 bent to kiss her forehead lightly. "Then time for you to sleep." Race2 smiled down at Light. "Sweet dreams, love." "Be dreamin' about your next vacation." Minuet smiled sleepily. "Anywhere?" She glanced at Light. Just a short time later... Light glanced at Minuet across the hot springs. "I can't believe this. Finally a vacation." Sliding farther down into the soothing water, Minuet laughed. "I seem to recall that after you said that the last time, we were nearly killed." Light grinned. "Yeah, well, I sure don't mind being rescued by Race." Minuet nudged her gently. "By your Race, don't forget. We each get our own." "Someone call my name?" Race2's head popped around the screen. Race1 walked out as well. "You mean our names." Light laughed. "Details, details! I could get used to this!" Not long after receiving the antidote to Rage's poison, Minuet and Light were released from the hospital. The Races had flown them to Australia. It was soon apparent that their favorite place was the hot springs. Whether it was the scenery or just the relaxation of the springs, they kept returning. Race1 stretched, the water gleaming on his muscular body. "Maybe we should move here." "Don't forget, Doc could easily recreate this in QuestWorld." Race2 pointed out. "I dunno. I don't exactly think it'd feel the same." Minuet said. Race1raised an eyebrow, standing up out of the water. "The same as what? This?" He picked up Minuet and carried her out farther into the water over his shoulder. Light laughed as Race1 dunked Minuet underwater. "You like that?" Race2 grinned. "Uh. Actually-" Race2 threw a volleyball at her. "How about a little game?" "Did I hear guys and against girls?" Minuet called as she ran up. Race1 raised an eyebrow. "You mean you're ready to get smothered!" "I don't think so!" Minuet exclaimed as she was tackled to the ground. And romantic chaos ensued... End. Hey!!! Who says dreams can't come true?!?! (c) 1999 Light and Minuet laugh1999@hotmail.com minuet_98@hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ We have a new web site! http://www.onelist.com Onelist: The leading provider of free email community services