The Knight is Still Young

Chapter 46

The next day Michael was up bright and early, he had to get started on his search for Durant before he had the chance to get away again.  However, when he went to the garage to find KITT, he wasn't the only person that he found.  Ashley was there waiting for him.

'I wanted to say goodbye.'  She said when she saw her father, who smiled softly.  Her gesture was sweet and he appreciated that she'd gotten out of bed so early to see him off.

Kneeling down he opened his arms for a hug, so she ran a couple of steps over to him and practically threw herself on him in the hug.  'I'll miss you.'

'I'll miss you too, but remember, I'm coming back.  I promised, didn't I?'

'Uh huh, yes you did.  So don't forget.'

'I won't.  Now as much as I love this hug, I've got to go sweetheart.  The sooner I go, the sooner I'll be back.'

'Ok.'  She nodded and let go of him.

'Good girl.'  He stood up and kissed the top of her head, then walked over and got in the driver's seat of KITT.  'Give my love to Bonnie and tell Devon that, yes, I will be careful.'

'I will.'  She nodded.

'Goodbye Ashley, be good for us while we're gone.'  KITT said to her before he pulled out of the garage.

'Bye KITT!  Bye dad!'  She ran to the door and waved to them as she watched the black Trans-Am drive down the driveway and then down the street, waiting until she couldn't see them anymore before she stopped waving and went back inside.

As they sped down the road, Michael's mind was already racing with ideas on how they could catch Durant.  Devon had said there had been reports of someone using the house that Durant had been using the last time Michael had caught him, so he drove KITT over there.

'Anyone inside?"  Michael asked as they pulled up outside, looking to KITT's monitor as a scan of the house appeared on it. 

"It's clear, Michael, there's no one inside.  But are you sure this is something you should be doing?'  The car knew that it wouldn't be easy for Michael to go through all this after the death of Stevie.  It had been years but some of the pain would still be there.

'I'll be alright KITT, thanks for the concern.  Just keep your scanner peeled.'  He said as he got out and closed the door before going up to the house.  Once at the door he faced his comlink towards the locked handle.  'Mind giving me a hand with this pal?'

'Of course Michael.'   KITT said and unlocked it for him.

'Thanks.'  He replied then went inside.

The furniture in the house was minimal but it was still furnished, with a surprising lack of dust for a house that was supposed to have been vacant the past few months.  However, so far there hadn't been any signs of anything to do with Durant specifically.  As he searched each of the rooms a strange feeling settling over him.  It almost felt like he was chasing after ghosts...and he did not like that feeling.

Some of the rooms, such as the bedroom, were strewn with objects over the floor; things that had been knocked over in someone's haste to get out, it seemed.  Someone had definitely been living there, and it hadn't been that long since they'd left.  However, nothing important had been left behind.  Or that's what the investigator thought until he came to the den, the only room in the house whose door had been locked.

'Hey KITT, I've got another lock for ya.'  Michael said, once more requiring his friend's assistance. Almost immediately he heard the click and when he opened the door he found what the previous resident had been trying to hide.

Photos taken of each of the FLAG agents, Michael, Bonnie, Devon, RC3, Ashley, and even Amber.  There were files on each of them, detailing their jobs, routines, the school Ashley went to..  Everything someone would need to know in order to plan a hit on any one of these FLAG operatives.  Durant had obviously been closer than any of them had realised.

Michael felt his anger spike, he had thought he had been keeping his family safe and yet their enemy had been right under his nose the entire time!  This had to end and he would see to it that when Durant was caught this time, there would be no escape for him again.  He wouldn't let this monster hurt anyone that he cared about ever again.  He swore it to himself.  This time, he would end this battle once and for all.

Caught up in his internal ranting, he almost didn't see the computer set up in the far corner of the room.  However, he caught sight of the machine out of the corner of his eye, snapping him out of his thoughts.

'Hey KITT, it looks like Durant's been spying on us.'

'What?  How?  If he'd been near the mansion I should have been able to pick him up on my scanner.'

'I don't know KITT, but he's got photographs and files on the whole gang, except you and KARR.  So he must have been close enough at some point.  Anyway, I need your help, there's a computer in here do you think you can gain access to it's data banks and see what he's been doing in here?'

'Say no more Michael.'  KITT went to work and soon was able to tap into the computer's systems.  'It would seem that he's been doing more than just spying on us.  This computer also shows that he has been stealing money from local banks to finance himself, according to this he has managed to steal almost half a million dollars.'

'Ok, so he's been making some money for himself and spying on us...  I think that tells us that he's got something big planned and if we want to stop him then we are going to need to find out exactly what that is.'

'I think you're right Michael, but Durant would need more than half a million dollars if he wants to buy weapons, so he's either getting more money from somewhere else or this is only a small scale plan.'

'Either way we've got to find out.  Can you tell anything else about what he's been doing from the computer?'

'At this time I'm afraid not.  There are files on it which are protected by a very sophisticated code that I can't seem to crack.'

'That's alright pal, we'll get Bonnie to help us out with this.'

'Very well Michael.  If you can get the disk out of it we can take it to Bonnie.'  So that was what they did, Michael grabbed the disk and took it back to KITT then the two of them started the drive back to the Foundation mansion.

-/-/-

Another chapter done!  So now the hunt for Durant continues, what will they find when they look at the information on the disk when Bonnie analyses it and just what is the mad man Durant planning?  Find out in upcoming chapters as the story continues!

~ Lexa