The large hangar-like doors to the warehouse opened on automatic as the black, modified Trans Am approached. The sun was high up in the sky and it was an almost perfect day, warm but not too hot, barely any clouds, and a fresh breeze was coming in over the old harbor. Michael Knight whistled to himself as he drove Kitt through the entrance, feeling pleased with himself, his satisfaction echoed by his partner. Another case wrapped up and wrapped up well. No loose ends, no one hurt, no one injured, except maybe the pride of some, and everything had been worked out to everyone's understanding. What else could he wish for? He had dropped by at the FLAG mansion, had caught hold of Devon for a few words, and now Michael was looking forward to three days off. He planned to spend them with Bonnie, whom he had promised to take to San Francisco for a weekend. It would be just shopping, relaxing and touristy stuff, like a harbor cruise. Michael had even managed to get a hold of two tickets for the Alcatraz tour and he knew it would be just great. Bonnie was arriving tomorrow and after they had packed, both she and Michael would be leaving again.
As Kitt rolled toward his usual spot on the ground level of the warehouse that was their base of operations now, Michael noticed two things immediately: Karr was not in his parking spot and everything appeared deserted. He frowned. Nick hadn't mentioned anything on his schedule and he had wanted to use the time when Kitt and Michael were on an assignment to get some of his 'office stuff' done. That usually meant Nicholas logging hours in front of the laptop and going through his wide network of activities, getting everything up-to-date. But he wasn't home. Karr never went off on his own and if he wasn't here, then neither was Nick.
"Any messages?" he asked, frowning.
"No," Kitt answered, sounding as mystified as Michael felt. "Do you want me to inquire?"
Michael shook his head. He knew Kitt and Karr shared an open link and that they always closed it off when one was on an assignment, but the connection didn't mean that each knew immediately where the other was. Kitt would have to take off through VR space and have a look around for the other AI.
"No. It's probably nothing." Still, it bugged him slightly. Nick left a message for even the smallest errant.
With a sigh, Michael closed the door and walked up the stairs. The silence all around him made him feel uncomfortable. Bonnie was still with the semi crew and would be here tomorrow, Justin had time off and Nick
and Karr were gone. Right now the building was dead quiet and his steps echoed slightly, the iron stairs adding to the effect. He would stretch out in front of the TV and relax until someone showed up, he decided.
As he entered the living room area on the second floor, Michael stopped. He wasn't alone, he saw. Actually, Nick was home..... and something was terribly wrong. Michael knew Nick for some time now, and he had gotten to know him through the last two years of working together and living in the same building his friend did, actually sharing Nick's home. And he had developed something he might call almost instinctive recognition when something bothered his friend. Nick was a master of hiding his emotions and true feelings behind masks he slipped on with ease. But because of the incident around Jennifer Knight and the cold room, Michael had gotten to know a side to Nicholas MacKenzie few had probably ever seen.
Now....
The living room was dark except for the light filtering through the smoked high windows; the blinds on the upper windows had been shut. Nick was hidden in the shadows, but the sharp angles of his face were still partially visible, the watered-down sunlight playing across his features.
"Nick?" Michael asked, then stopped and stared. In front of MacKenzie lay a gun, loaded, safety clip off; a glass of something alcoholic was next to it. His stomach clenched and he forced himself to relax again. "Where's Karr?" he then wanted to know, carefully walking around the couch.
"At the shop."
It told him more than a lengthy explanation. The 'shop' was a garage owned by a friend of Nick's who had constructed Karr's body shell in the first place and for the AI to need a stay at the shop it meant serious damage. A wave of fear passed through him, transmitted from Kitt.
//Should I contact Karr?//
//No, not yet. Something happened. I want to know what first//
"What happened?" Michael asked aloud.
"Nothing."
Michael came closer and slowly sat down on the chair facing the couch across the couch table. Even though Nick's face was partially hidden, he could see lines of pain and he could hear it as well.
"You are injured."
"It's nothing."
Michael smirked. Sure. Nothing. Nicholas called a gun shot wound 'nothing'. He knew how to take this classification of his friend's injuries and he knew that Nick had probably done nothing more than the basic first aid. Not that Michael knew more about first aid, but he could at least help bandage what needed bandaging.
"I'll get the kit."
With that he got up and walked over to the cabinet where all the medication and first aid stuff was stored. Since they sometimes ran into more trouble than expected and both ended up with bruises and cuts, Bonnie kept the cabinet well-stocked. Michael got out a box of first aid materials and went back to the living room.
"Nick, don't argue, let me help," Michael said without giving MacKenzie a chance to protest.
The narrowed eyes met his, then Nick simply got up. Michael noticed that he favored his left hand and that he winced almost imperceptibly. As he stepped into the meager light, Michael winced himself. There was a bruise on Nick's left temple and he looked haggard and in pain. His right hand was wrapped up in a bandage and Michael didn't want to know what was hidden beneath the shirt. As Nick slowly undressed, Michael was told. The discoloration above the ribs was a first clue to the possibly cracked or broken bones. Michael didn't say anything, simply taped them, stabilizing the fractures. He then cleaned the cut over Nick's eye and rewrapped the wrist.
"What happened?" he asked softly as he taped the bandage.
Nick stared at the floor, trying not to breathe too deeply. "Like I said, nothing."
"You look like someone ran you over with an eighteen-wheeler and that Karr is at the shop means he needs substantial repair." Michael closed the first aid kit. "And it looks like whatever happened to him, got to you too." Nick briefly closed his eyes and Michael saw the exhaustion. "Nick... please....? I thought we had come to an understanding?"
"And the understanding also says 'no questions about personal stuff'."
"So this was personal?"
Nick looked at him, face expressionless. He laboriously redressed and walked back to the couch. "Yes," he said after what seemed to be a life time.
"Nick, either you spill it or Kitt gets it out of Karr eventually. You know he would."
MacKenzie glared at him and Michael simply met the angry eyes with calmness. "I ran into someone and it didn't work out as I had planned it, okay?" he finally snapped.
"And this someone got that close and nearly took you apart?"
"No."
"Then what?"
Silence again. //Kitt?//
//I'll try//
//Thanks//
Michael sat down opposite Nick again, trying not to look at the gun. "Expecting company?" he asked casually.
"Possibly."
"That personal then?"
Nick didn't answer. Michael felt like strangling him. Why couldn't he just tell him?!
"I thought you trusted me," he finally said and was perversely pleased to see the other man flinch slightly.
"I do," Nick muttered.
"But not with that?"
"It doesn't concern you."
"Visitors brandishing guns concern me, MacKenzie, and it looks like that's what you are expecting. So spill it!"
The silence stretched and the light got less as the sun set slowly. Michael was patient. He had time and he would go nowhere. He lived here, just like Nick, and sooner or later Nicholas would talk.
"I helped out a friend," he finally said into the silence and it startled Michael out of his thoughts. "I got a call and decided to help."
"And it went wrong?"
"Not right away." Nick sighed.
Michael tilted his head, raising an eyebrow, waiting. MacKenzie glared at him for a while, then finally surrendered.
"Okay, you win," he growled. Nick met his eyes. "My friend's name is Cameron. I've known her for a long time. A very long time."
"Long as in... before?"
He nodded.
Okay, Michael thought. Before Nick was hired by Wilton Knight. That meant that Cameron was connected to his shadowy past.
"She asked me for assistance with a problem and Karr and I went to help. I didn't know who would be involved and that it was actually all set up to get to me."
"She set you up?"
Nick shook his head. "No, Cam had no idea. She was in trouble, she called me, and the person who set this up knew how it would go."
"Who was it?" Michael asked softly.
"Kerrington."
He stared, shocked to the core. "Paul Kerrington?" he whispered, age-old memories racing back and slamming into his mind. He shuddered as the shooting incident came back, how he had nearly died in the desert, how the neuro implant had been activated.
"Yes." There was pure ice in Nicholas' voice.
"What happened next?"
"He attacked. I thought I was safe inside Karr, but I was wrong. Kerrington had somehow managed to get the formula to break the molecular bonded shell. He sprayed it on Karr and then he attacked for real."
Michael gaped. "Oh.... my... god..." was all he managed.
Michael and Kitt had experienced this once as well and it had been the worst he had ever gone through. Kitt had been totally vulnerable and their opponent had used it.... He shivered and felt his horror echoed by Kitt who had still not managed to get through to Karr. If Karr had been seriously damaged because he had lost his only protection.... Michael didn't want to imagine the condition the Stealth was in right now, physically and emotionally. Kitt had been afraid for weeks after that, evading obstacles, hesitating, but he had worked through it with the help from friends and his partner.
"How bad?" Michael now asked.
"Bad enough." Nick closed his eyes, briefly resting his head against the couch.
"You were inside when it happened?"
"Yes." He swallowed. "It's over."
"Over....?"
"Kerrington just miscalculated a bit." Nick's voice was totally flat. "He wanted to kill me off personally, but he was too bold. I got him."
"He's....?"
"Dead."
"Ah." Michael stared at his hands. Nick was a government-trained assassin, he knew, and he was always reminded of it when something like that had happened. "Why the gun then? Afraid his ghost might come back?" he tried a joke. It failed miserably.
"No. Kerrington has friends and they won't be happy."
Silence again. Michael sent out an inquiry to Kitt and got a 'busy' reply in return. Apparently his partner had finally managed to contact his older brother. He left him to it.
"What else happened?" he finally asked, something telling him that there was more.
Nick rubbed his forehead, wincing. "Nothing much."
Michael groaned. "Come on...."
"Cameron didn't make it," was the finally whispered explanation.
* * *
The place was as dark as the warehouse but had a more greasy and dirty look to it. It was located in an area of town no sane person would venture into after dark and few visited throughout the day. The area was ruled by gangs, was the regular witness of fights, and sometimes things broke. Police had given up on chasing the gang members once they had entered the maze of back alleys, littered and narrow side streets, and the partially condemned buildings. In the middle of this inhospitable place was Bear's workshop. No one bothered him, neither gang members nor police. The gangs knew him, respected him and sometimes asked for his mechanic skills. Casey was known around here as well and no one messed with her. She was 'Bear's Girl', though when she heard it, the person who had said it ended up with a few loose teeth and bruises in certain abdominal areas.
The building housing the workshop belonged to the few who had not been declared condemned. It had been a factory once, the old conveyer belts standing still and gathering dust now, the smell of grease and oil hanging in the air, mixed with decay. One wall was hidden behind stacks of crates. Behind barred windows and a security net that was very effective as a few newer gang members had found out, a true treasure of technological support and mechanical help resided. The basement was filled with computers, supplies, spares and more. Casey and Bear had their own living spaces downstairs as well and no one had ever managed to break in as far as their personal 'sanctum'. Except for a certain dark-haired ex-agent who now had his car parked upstairs.
Dim light shone onto the twisted and wounded hull of the Stealth, coming from a few bare bulbs. Bear liked to leave the two lights on at night, for no apparent reason. Karr sat in the circle of twilight and if he were human, he would huddle. It was undignified and he would never confess it, but huddling was like he felt right now. He was vulnerable, weak, and he had been seriously compromised in his latest battle. Getting his molecular shield ripped open had been the most horrifying experience ever. He could still feel the sting and fiery trail of the bullets, the drops of acid eating away at his substance. He recalled armored vehicles crashing into him, denting his metal shell, herding him toward a specific point. And then there had been the missile launcher. It had hit the metal barrels in front of him....
..... and the Stealth was suddenly faced by a wall of flame. Nick held on to the steering wheel, clenching his teeth as Karr hit an obstacle and his front went high up into the air. He was suddenly airborne. All the AI's systems were going haywire with the missile's emissions and Karr gave an involuntary gasp. Within a nano-second every single of his supports went down and it was like getting cut off from all his senses at once without warning. His body, the car he was installed in, did a 360 degree turn in the air and then hit the ground at an impossible angle to outbalance. The momentum carried them on, turning him over several times, flames erupting from where the missile's liquid contents had ignited on his skin. He tried to get the PLRS working again, but to no avail. Nick's head hit the steering wheel, then he was forced back into the seat by the force of the impact. His head hit the side window and Karr heard a sickening 'thud'.
The Stealth still turned over and over. Dizzy, feeling the fire lick at his systems, Karr tried to get his bearings.
"Nick!" he croaked.
There was no reaction from his driver and even without his now wrecked systems it was clear to him that Nick was unconscious. There was nothing at the other side of the neuro implant; just static. Blood was running from a deep gash on Nicholas' forehead. And then there was an impact on his left side, rocking the now severely compromised structure of what was his only protection: the car. Nick moaned and his hand twitched faintly.
"Nick!" Karr cried, panic worming its way into his normally so controlled voice. NICK!>
"Karr....?" the ex-agent groaned. "What happened?" he asked groggily.
"Someone is trying to kill us."
"Never would have guessed," MacKenzie mumbled, blinking blood out of his eyes. "System check?"
"All systems down."
All systems down.... all systems down...
It echoed in his mind over and over again. For a few minutes he had been almost deaf and blind, his only reality the neuro link to his driver, his only sensations that of his own pain and the pain felt by Nicholas. Slowly everything had come back, at least in fragments. He remembered hearing voices, then a shot, and he had been aware of Nick suddenly outside the car.
And Kerrington was dead.
The next recollections were those of being towed away, then the shop, Bear's comments, someone calling Ed....
Karr shivered.
He also recalled Nick's condition and the death of Cameron. Not that he had any special relationship to her, but his driver had and the link made it possible to receive images of a person Nick knew, especially when it was an emotional involvement. Cameron O'Connor had been a friend, a colleague and a partner; she had been a face out of the past, a friend in need, and now she was dead. Nick saw it as failure, and though he had failed on occasions before, it had never hit him this hard.
Suddenly there was the feeling of something touching his outer shields. He flinched and realized that it was Kitt. So Michael and he had come home; they had discovered something was wrong; and now Kitt wanted to talk. And strangely enough, Karr found he wanted to talk as well; maybe not in any way Kitt might want to, but he would let his brother closer.
*
Kitt had finally made it. It had taken him some time to get through his brother's shields to send the request. Karr had walled himself off and hadn't bothered to check on the outside. Kitt had finally knocked strongly and non-stop and Karr had heard him. Now he walked through the outer regions of where their CPUs joined into one, where the link existed the strongest, and looked around. He discovered Karr as a shadowy presence not far away, still shielded.
_May I enter? he asked softly.
The shield keeping them separated wavered then dropped. Out of the darkness around him a pair of silvery eyes glowed softly. Strangely enough Karr had an almost humanoid appearance in the VR space they shared and so had Kitt. Kitt had always explained it through his contact to Michael and other humans, and later through the neuro implant. But Karr had always despised human life. His acceptance of Nick as a driver and partner had come slowly and painfully.
_Are you okay? Kitt wanted to know, slowly coming closer.
_I've felt better, Karr replied, his voice as dark as his appearance.
_How much were you damaged?
The other Ai was silent for a while. _Enough, was the whisper eventually.
Kitt drew even closer. He wanted to know, though he had an idea through Michael's conversation with Nick already. Suddenly Michael sent the brief image of a molecular bonded shield shattering. Kitt winced, moaning.
//No....// This was horrible!
_Your MBS was destroyed, he said softly. Karr stared at him and withdrew a bit. Kitt followed. _I know how it feels. It happened to me as well. It's been years now, but it still hurts to remember. I was so helpless, Michael needed me, and I couldn't help. They destroyed my body and.... Kitt hesitated. _It hurt a lot, he finished.
Karr was silent for a while. _Yes.... I... I'm sorry. I didn't want you to recall this.
_It's okay. I'm past it. You aren't.
_I will be soon.
_It won't happen in a matter of days, Karr.
Kitt moved even closer and reached out, his arm transforming into a tentacle of white light, touching the darkness that was Karr. The other AI let him, a sign of how rattled he was through the near-death experience. Kitt tried to find a few images of what had happened, what had been thrown at Karr, but his brother kept it all hidden.
_What did they do?
Karr shuddered. _Enough
Kitt sent another inquiry, a wordless one, and Karr turned away.
_You can talk to me whenever you feel like it, Kitt offered. _I want to help.
A few images of bullets ripping into Karr's body shell and acid eating away at his frame appeared, but Karr swallowed them immediately. Kitt understood.
Karr let him wrap part of himself around his core unit. _I know. Thanks, the other AI muttered.
Kitt smiled and let the matter rest. It would take a while to get Karr to talk because unlike Kitt, the darker AI was not big on spilling his feelings or talking about something that bothered him personally. But they had time and the moment his brother was back at the warehouse with him, they'd have the familiarity of the place to aid him.
* * *
They had talked for what seemed like hours. Michael had made coffee, leaving the bottle of whiskey on the table though. He didn't want Nick to think he disapproved of the alcohol and he knew Nick rarely drank enough to let him forget what was going on around him. MacKenzie was much too careful to drink himself into oblivion. Through the conversation Michael had heard and discovered a few new aspects of the former CIA agent and it shed a bit more light.
"Who was Paul Kerrington to you?" he asked as he emptied the second cup of coffee.
"Someone, about the only one, who ever got away from me more than once," Nick answered with a slightly distant expression.
"So you took it personally?"
"No. I was doing my job and throughout my... career, I ran into him several times. He made it personal then. He thought I was following him and he tried to get rid of me. It never worked." A humorless smile appeared on his lips. "Then you got involved and he again got away, then again after the shooting." Nick sighed. "This time he won't get away again."
"You won."
"Not really. He managed to score more than I did and I was lucky to get away with a few bruises."
Michael grimaced. He wouldn't call the injuries 'a few bruises'. His eyes fell on the gun again, the light of the living room dully reflecting off the dark metal.
"You think they'll come?"
"I don't know. Kerrington was lately getting quite chummy with several heads of various 'export services'. Guns, drugs, you name it. His death means they lost a valuable resource. If they are bright enough they'll realize I'm not worth the effort; if Kerrington got through some of their thick skulls he might have bought himself some revenge. I'm just careful." Nick looked at Michael, face very serious. "And I'd advise you to leave."
"I'm not leaving you like this. You have practically no defenses!" Michael protested.
"I'm perfectly able to take care of myself, Michael," Nick said flatly.
"Maybe, but when you offered us this place as a refuge you also accepted my partnership. I'm not leaving you alone, pal. You'll have to throw me out if you insist on my leaving."
Nick sighed tiredly. Silence settled between them again and Michael stared out of the dark window, gently touching Kitt's presence in his mind.
//I'm fine//
//I know. How's Karr?//
//Disturbed. Understandably//
Michael nodded, glancing briefly at Nick who was staring into his almost empty cup of cold coffee.
"You and Cameron were close, right?" Michael suddenly asked.
Nick's head came up and he stared at Michael. Michael smiled secretly. Score. He had hit a sensitive spot.
"We were friends," he finally said dismissively.
"Good friends?"
Silence.
"Past friends," Michael said as if he had realized it himself. "She was someone from your CIA past?"
"In a way." Nick sank deeper into the couch. "We went back a long time." His voice was soft, as if he was talking to himself. "We were trained together; she was too stubborn, I was too cold, too controlled. They stuck us into separate teams; after a few months we were back on the same one. She was one of the best."
Michael watched him silently, noting the fine lines of stress on the visible half of Nick's face; the other half was hidden in the shadows.
"She was the best," Nick corrected. "She tried to keep me from leaving, but in the end she agreed. She told me to live my life." A humorless smile crossed his features. "I went free-lance. When she called me a few days ago.... I was surprised. I wanted to help; I had to help. Now she died."
"Nick..."
"Don't!" Nick snapped angrily. "Don't even say it! It was my fault! I underestimated the situation!"
"You are not superman. You have limits. I think we talked about that before." A mild smile crossed Michael's lips.
Nick simply glared at him, then settled down with a sigh.
"You should get some rest," Michael finally.
Nicholas shook his head. "Not yet."
"Nick, you had a rough few days, your body needs to heal and your mind....."
"I am okay," Nick growled and his voice dropped to a dangerous level.
Michael ignored it. They had had similar encounters before. He simply met the glare and waited. Nick turned away with another growl. Michael smiled and collected the mugs, carrying them over to the kitchen area and putting them into the dishwasher. He knew Nick couldn't rest now, but he at least wanted him to calm down a bit. Losing a friend was never easy and Cameron seemed to have held a very special place in Nick's heart. From the explanations he had deducted that Cameron hadn't been a love interest but a very good friend, a close partner and generally one of the few persons Nick let close.
//Kitt?//
//Here, Michael//
Michael smiled at the reply. //Keep an extra eye open. We might get visitors//
//Of course//
//Are you okay?// Michael inquired. He knew that Kitt had gone through something similar as Karr and old wounds never really healed. AIs didn't forget.
//I'm fine. It's okay//
Michael smiled again and briefly hugged his partner, then returned to the couch group. Nick was resting on the couch, knees pulled up, leaning against the backrest. He was staring out into the darkness, a faraway expression in his eyes. Michael just sat down, propped his long legs up on the table, keeping him company.
Throughout the next hours exhaustion finally won and Nick slipped into sleep. Michael, who had been watching TV, smiled and switched it off. He then got up and silently went downstairs where Kitt sat in the soft light coming from the service station. His partner automatically opened the door and he slid inside, leaning back, hands resting lightly on the steering wheel close to the sensor.
"How is Karr?" he asked.
"Frightened. We've talked, but I think it will take a while for him to admit what he feels," Kitt answered softly.
Michael nodded. He had a good guess what the other AI might feel like, calling on his experience with Kitt after the disastrous run-in with the Juggernaut. "Nick's sleeping. They both need to recover from this, Karr emotionally, Nick physically."
"I'll help him," Kitt declared.
Michael brushed gently over the sensor, smiling. "I know. I'm counting on it. Nick's strong, but he lost a good friend and no one is strong enough to withstand this blow unscathed."
"He has friends."
"Which he only slowly accepts."
Kitt seemed to nod, a gesture Michael felt through the neuro implant as if Kitt was a presence next to him, and in a way he was. "He lived his life alone for such a long time that it takes a while to unlearn."
Michael smiled. "Yeah, I noticed. At least he talked to me." He yawned and stretched. "I'll catch some shut-eye. In case someone tries to break in here, call me."
"Will do, Michael."
* * *
Somehow Michael hadn't believed in a team of killers coming late at night and trying to take out Nick. It sounded like in a bad movie, though with MacKenzie, some of the events were movie-style. Not that his life was oh-so-normal either. He was proven otherwise at 3 am in the morning, an hour after he had retired to his room. The alarm call from Kitt came over the com link and the neuro implant, and by the time Michael was out of bed and asking Kitt for directions and positions, Nick had already engaged his first opponent. The attackers were clad in dark clothes, but they didn't look like professional assassins.
Michael came to Nick's aid, knocking out a guy sneaking up with a gun, ducking under the attack of the third. Within a few minutes the three goons were out cold. Nick was breathing hard, which was unusual for him, and very pale. Pain was prominent in his eyes and Michael immediately did a visual check on his friend. There were no wounds, but what he had already received as injuries had been bad enough and had probably been aggravated. One of the goons had managed to land a few blows on Michael as well and he knew he would feature some nice bruises and a bit of soreness in the next few days.
Nick searched the three killers. Of course there were no papers, but all three had tattoos. The tattoo looked like a vulture or a badly misinterpreted eagle, sitting on a black orb.
"Know them?" Michael asked.
Nick's expression said it all. "Fiore," he said flatly. "I should have know." He grabbed the shirt front of the one coming around now. As the man opened his eyes he stared right into the icy depths of Nick's. "I'm letting you go," the ex-agent whispered, voice dangerously calm. "Tell Fiore that I won't tolerate this again. If I see one of you or your friends in here ever again, I'll be the last you ever see. Understood?"
The man nodded, fright worming its way into his face. He scrambled to his feet, stumbling away from Nick.
"And take your friends with you. I'm not running a hotel service."
They left in a hurry, one limping, one cradling a probably broken arm. Michael stepped out of the shadows and joined Nick, who was staring after the three goons, a frosty mask over his features.
"You think that was it?" he asked, trying to sound casual.
"I hope so, for them." With that Nick walked back up the stairs and disappeared.
Michael sighed deeply. He hated it when Nick got like this. He handled the attack as if it was an every-day normal occurrence! He shook his head and sent an inquiry to Kitt, receiving an 'all's okay'. He went upstairs as well, noting that Nick had withdrawn to his room. Michael felt much to hyper, adrenaline still surging through his body, to rest now.
//Kitt?//
//Yes, Michael?//
//Run a check on the tattoo and this Fiore, will you?//
//General interest or something special?//
//I'd just like to know who was trying to take us out// Michael answered.
Kitt came up with an answer twenty minutes later. "Roberto Fiore," he said over the com link. "He is running a local gaming arcade and is rumored to be head of a weapons smuggling ring, as well as several other shady businesses. The police couldn't pin anything on him yet. He is supposedly connected to a gang of free-lance killers."
"As we just found," Michael muttered.
"If those had been professionals, I doubt you'd still be in one piece, Michael," Kitt commented dryly.
He grimaced. "Thanks, Pal." But Kitt was right. Now, looking back, he thought that it had looked more like giving Nick a good scare – which was rather hard to do anyway – or to give an impression of sending out killers but not exactly the best.
Michael yawned. It was time to get some rest of his own. //Night, Kitt//
//Good night, Michael//
An hour later he was asleep.
* * *
_Karr?
Karr jerked out of his light dozing, slightly annoyed that he had drifted off, had surrendered to system stress and the need to recover and heal. He was only moderately safe in this environment, at least in his opinion, though Bear had told him nothing and no one would ever be able to break into the lower levels of the facility he called 'the shop'. Nevertheless, he was vulnerable and defenseless, except for some basic weapons that wouldn't stop an attacker for long, and as long as Nick was in a similarly weak position, he didn't allow his guard to drop. Now he had actually let his attention wander....
_I'm sorry to startle you, Kitt said softly and moved carefully, gently into the outer regions of his CPU.
_You didn't, Karr rumbled.
His brother smiled and his annoyance grew in leaps.
_Why are you here? Karr demanded. There were icicles growing on the four words and the arrogance radiating off him was almost like a living creature.
Kitt sighed and shook his head. Each and every time something shook Karr up, he transformed back into his old self – at least he thought he was going back. In reality he was simply pretending, slapping up shields, hoping to drive others away, even those who knew him quite well. Whether Karr liked someone or not, his voice was not an indicator of his mood. He simply tried to project a shield of ice. And it was working for most.
_Nick and Michael are sleeping. They had some uninvited guests, but that problem has been taken care off.
Karr felt worry worm its way into his thinking and almost instinctively checked the link which he had tried to shield to give Nick a bit of relief. He received a sleepy reply, which was automatic from Nick's side since he was resting. Karr smiled a bit, then wiped the smile off his features.
_Everything's okay, Kitt continued, _and I thought we might want to pass the time by going through the backlog files.....
Karr blinked, then made a sound like clearing his throat. He knew why Kitt made this offer: to keep him company. But it actually appealed to him. It was much better than staring off into cyberspace and thinking dark thoughts.
_Okay, was all he said.
Kitt smiled and called up the files.
* * *
"You have to understand my position, Nick! I was bound by a contract!"
"It wouldn't have been the first you break," Nicholas replied coldly.
"I gave my word to the man!" the man on the other side of the vid screen link protested.
Nicholas, his face hidden in the shadows and only partially visible, smiled coldly. "Since when is your word worth anything but trouble, Fiore?"
"Now you truly hurt me, my friend," the gang leader replied.
Michael, sitting out of the range of the video screen camera that transmitted Nick's picture, watched the match. Roberto Fiore was a slender man in his mid-fifties, but he had a greasy, unwashed look to himself, his graying hair combed back with lots of hair gel and golden rings and a necklace glittering in the light of his office. Michael didn't like him one little bit and not just because he had sent out his goons to take Nick out.
"I'm going to hurt you for real if you insist on keeping this contract."
"Whoa, Nico, old pal!" Fiore held up his hands. "As far as I am concerned, the contract ran out last night. Kerrington is dead and I did my best to fulfill what he hired me to do. I failed." A sleazy grin flitted over his features. "Even though I hate to admit failure."
There was no reply from Nick and he stared coldly at the screen. "Just remember that," he finally said and switched off.
Leaning back, Nick allowed his control to waver and he closed his eyes, exhaustion washing over him. Michael kept back, wishing his friend would listen to the alarms of his own body and get some rest. But he didn't. Between Michael's arrival and now, barely a day had passed and Nick had not given himself enough rest.
//Michael?//
//Yes, Pal?//
//Bonnie is on her way. She will be here in an hour//
//Thanks//
"Nick...?"
Nicholas rose slowly, straightening as much as he could with his broken ribs, and walked downstairs. "I'll be at the shop," was all he said.
Michael felt like strangling him, but he kept himself in check. Stubborn, stubborn, stubborn! he ranted silently and Kitt sent a mild wave of agreement. He smiled.
//Tell Karr to kick Nick into sleeping for more than a few hours, Pal. He needs it badly//
Kitt smiled and did what he had been asked. Michael just settled down and waited for Bonnie to arrive. He briefly pondered calling Alexandra Christopher, but then discarded that idea. It would be sneaky and he didn't want to force Nick into something he didn't want to do. He would just have to settle back and watch.
* * *
Karr had been silent throughout the whole repair, his replies coming only to questions Bear or Casey posed. Ed had been his usual chatty self, but Karr had ignored him, also as usual. Repairs on his body were proceeding and he would be back to normal by tomorrow, though he would have to spend a day in the dry room to let the MBS seal. He knew of the attack on Nick and though he had been worried, Karr had also had the ultimate confidence in his driver. He could handle this.
Nicholas arrived at the shop early in the afternoon, nodding a greeting at Bear, getting a short run-down on repairs from Casey.
"Man, you look like something the cat dragged in," Bear rumbled and gave Nick a disapproving look.
Casey ran a visual check on him as well and shook her head. "Mac, get some sleep. Bear's right and his words were meant as a compliment."
"Why don't you just go back to work?" Nick suggested and walked over to the Stealth.
Casey rolled her eyes and sighed while Bear just shrugged.
"Hi, partner," Nick greeted the AI as he climbed into the nearly completely repaired Stealth. He closed his eyes as he finally relaxed for the first time in days.
"You shouldn't be here," Karr said levelly.
Nick's lips lifted into a barely perceptible smile, his eyes still closed. "I'm just paying you a visit."
"You should be paying the hospital a visit," was the cold reply.
"And here I thought you'd be happy to see me." There was a smile in his voice.
Karr rumbled darkly. "Your condition is reflecting back on me," he growled. "I feel bad enough as it is myself."
Nick's smile widened a bit. "Oh, you are in a sunny mood again, partner, I can see that." In a way the usual banter helped to clear his head, give him a better perception of things. Karr's devastating condition had weighed heavily on Nick, even if he hadn't openly confessed to it. The link echoed Karr's misery and subconscious fear, and Nick had picked it up.
"My mood is better than your physical condition, Nicholas. You should rest."
"Michael got Kitt to call ahead, right? I know your medical scanners aren't working yet."
"I don't need the Knight Two Thousand to see that you aren't well," Karr replied icily. "I have eyes and there is always the link."
Nick laughed softly, wincing as it jarred his ribs. "Ouch," he made, grimacing.
"Why aren't you lying down at home?" Karr wanted to know.
"Because I'd have Michael and Bonnie trying to play nursemaids. I appreciate their concern, I know they mean well, but I wouldn't be able to take it."
"Afraid you might accidentally snap their necks?" his partner teased maliciously.
Nick grinned. "Nah. I worked on that and gotten much better."
"Now you'd simply shoot them."
He laughed again despite the pain it caused.
"You need sleep, Nick," Karr now said matter-of-factly.
Nicholas sighed softly. "I know," he whispered, rubbing his eyes.
"And I could use some company waiting for the finish to dry," Karr said casually, the ice melting slowly out of his voice.
Nick touched the sensor, drawing physically closer to his partner. "Thanks for the offer," he said silently.
Karr couldn't reply, stuck on his emotional responses again, so he simply sent a wave of support through their connection. The AI darkened the windows and the seat tilted back into a comfortable sleeping position.
"Wake me in case of trouble," MacKenzie muttered as he lay back.
Karr just watched. He wouldn't wake his partner, except for a major catastrophe. Nick was asleep a few minutes later, safe inside the Stealth, no sounds from outside transmitting into the interior.
* * *
A week had passed since Michael had come home and found Nick upstairs with a gun and a lot of misery. He and Bonnie had spent their weekend in San Francisco, despite his offer to stay. MacKenzie had insisted that he'd use his off time and spend it with Bonnie. They had not much private life anyway when Michael was on a case. Michael had then asked Nick if he wanted to come along, but it had been another negative.
"This is your weekend, Michael. Yours and Bonnie's. Take it, use it. I'll behave," he added with a smile.
And Michael had driven off, instructing Kitt to inform him the moment something was wrong, the moment he picked something up from Karr that disturbed him. Nothing had happened, though Kitt had spent some time with his older brother, talking, listening or merely being present. Returning from their vacation, Bonnie and Michael found Nick and Karr gone. This time there was a message.
"A bar?" Michael shook his head. That really didn't fit his picture of Nicholas MacKenzie.
Bonnie dropped her bag at the stairs. "Nick's only human as well. Maybe he wanted to relax."
"Nick MacKenzie's definition of relaxation is working for hours in front of his laptop or breaking into some high security building," Michael joked.
She smiled slightly. "Yes, but he still is only human, despite what he wants to make us see, what he wants to be."
"You think I should drop by and see him?"
She shrugged. "Maybe."
Michael turned to Kitt. "Anything from Karr?"
"Nothing special. He is better than a week ago and he has erected all his shields again. I can't pick up any negative emotions right now and he seems to be pleased. Karr has been very balanced of lately. Do you want me to ask him?"
"No, Kitt. We'll drive by the bar and have a look. If he wants to be alone, I'll respect that."
"And I think he left the message for a purpose, maybe unconsciously, but in a way he wants to meet you," Bonnie told him seriously. "He knew we'd be back and he wouldn't have had to leave such a detailed message."
Michael nodded. "Okay." He gave her a kiss, then turned to Kitt. "Let's go, Pal."
* * *
Karr sent out a non-verbal greeting as Kitt rolled almost noiselessly into the parking spot next to him. Kitt's inquiry as to how he felt was met by a dismissive rumble. Michael got out and walked toward the door of the rather non-descript looking bar. It was an old brick building with a fire door above which hung a neon sign that was currently switched off. 'Angelfire', it said. Posters of live performances at the Angelfire were pasted onto the walls. Michael experimentally tugged at the door and found it open. He stepped inside.
The bar had more of a club. There was a dance floor, mirrors, colorful lights and a long bar at the other side of the room with more mirrors, bottles and glasses. Around the dance floor were tables and chairs, a few booths and a couch group. It all looked like a mix between neon-techno and a good old-fashioned bar. Currently there was no one here, except for what might be the barkeeper, who was taking stock of his liquors, and someone sweeping the dance floor. A third person, a woman, was testing the stereo system.
"Excuse me?" Michael called.
The man turned and looked at him, a quizzical expression on his face that soon turned rather neutral. "You must be Michael Knight," he said before Michael had any chance to continue.
"Uhm, I am. How did you know?"
The man smiled. "Nick expected you to drop by. He's over there." He jerked a thumb toward the back room and Michael simply nodded, surprised.
The back room was silent, partially in the dark since most of the lights had been switched off, and it looked like a private office. There were file cabinets to one side, a desk overloaded with paper, packages, and assorted other stuff, three chairs, and a coffee machine on a small fridge. A make-shift shelf was overflowing with files and assorted memorabilia, among them framed pictures. It all looked very normal, very mundane, very real; not at all like a place you'd normally find a man like Nicholas MacKenzie. Nick was sitting in the chair behind the desk, something in his hands, gazing at it with a slightly lost expression. As Michael entered he looked up and to Michael's surprise he didn't even try to hide the emotional display.
"Nick?" Michael asked. Nicholas looked much better than a week ago, but he was not yet fully healed. At least he had mostly stayed home or out of business. Kitt and Karr had conspired to make that particular miracle happen. Then Michael discovered the boxes on the floor next to the desk, all filled with papers and assorted other stuff.
"Thanks for coming."
"What are you doing here?"
"Cleaning out the place. Cam's stuff.... She has family over in Oregon. I think they'd want..." He stopped, inhaling, trying to get his old composure back. "When we were still back at.... the job she asked me if I'd take over the Duty." At Michael's inquisitive gaze Nick explained, "It means to collect her personal things and return it to her family."
"Ah." Michael let his gaze wander over the pictures, discovering that most featured a woman in her late thirties maybe, blonde hair, dark eyes, laughing. He guessed it was Cameron O'Connor. He briefly wondered about Nick's family, if he had any, if this Duty would have fallen to Cameron. "Uhm, need help?"
In a way he was slightly unaccustomed to Nick getting emotionally involved in something so openly. It was plainly visible how much Cameron's death had hit him and there was nothing any of them could do. It was a pain Nick had to deal with alone.
"I'm done, I think," Nick answered after a while. "Just the pictures...." he trailed off and rose, walking over to the shelves. He slowly took down the last few personal things and placed them in the box.
Michael helped him seal the boxes and they walked out into the bar. The bar tender poured them both a glass of something and Michael was about to decline when he smelled at it and found it wasn't alcohol after all. He sipped at the juicy liquid and watched Nick who stared off into space. The cleaning guy continued sweeping up on the dance floor.
//Karr// Kitt whispered in his mind. //He is mirroring Nick's feelings and has no idea why. But it's not as bad as before//
//Oh// Of course Karr didn't know why. The link between the two was strong and it was currently open.
Kitt had once told him that ever since Karr had brought Kitt back from his self-destructive drive, had allowed himself to come closer to the younger AI, Nick and Karr had completed their very strong bond and had accepted the other presence completely. It meant staying open, supporting each other, talking even if it was hard to do so because of interfering emotions. Kitt and Michael had found it a lot easier to do it because there hadn't been anything standing between them when the neuro implant had activated. They had already been partners, had been trusted friends, best friends. Nick and Karr had started out with Karr trying to kill Nick, then despising the 'weak human' bonded to him, and finally accepting. Now they were so close that nothing would ever separate them and Kitt had told Michael that they owed this to them. And in a way they owed it to Jennifer Knight as well, perverse as it sounded. Her attempts to kill Kitt had proven to be the final seal in a partnership between man and AI and a relationship between two AIs that would otherwise maybe never have happened in one lifetime.
"What do you want to do now?" Michael asked after a while.
"I'll keep my promise to a friend," Nick answered, not meeting his eyes. "After that.... life goes on."
Michael nodded. "You should get away a bit, relax..." he started.
Nick turned his head and smiled rather coldly. "Getting away and relaxing means going to a city and break into the next best target, Michael. You know that. We have cases lined up and you are already running late for one, I suppose."
"It can wait."
"No, it can't. Karr and I will be on the road in a day for the drop-off, then we'll join you if you need back-up. Normal life is this life." He emptied the glass and rubbed his eyes, trying not to touch the still visible bruising. The cut had healed, but the blue and violet coloration had now blossomed into more colorful variations. Nick looked like he had had a boxing match.
Michael nodded. He understood. His life with FLAG and Kitt was normal for him while someone else would call it outrageous, dangerous, surreal.... maybe even worse things. But he had lived it for so long now, had shared so many lives, had saved, helped, assisted... he didn't want to miss it ever again. He had had influence on strangers' lives, had given them hope and more, it was the most fulfilling existence he could ever think of. And he had Kitt. He would never have dreamed of calling an artificial intelligence his pal, his partner, a buddy or a trusted friend, but Kitt was all to him and more. He was a part of him.
Kitt sent a gentle wave through the link, a soft hug, and Michael returned it.
"Normal life," Michael echoed, smiling. "Yeah....right."
Nicholas mirrored the smiled. "I'll see you, Michael. Thanks for dropping by."
With that Nick took the box and left the 'Angelfire'. Michael followed after a minute, just coming in time to see Karr turn the next corner. He leaned against Kitt, staring off into space.
"They'll be okay," Kitt said, sounding convinced.
"I'm not doubting it, but I wish he'd open up more, let us help in more ways than one."
"Some time ago Nicholas wouldn't even have let you come this far, Michael," Kitt reminded him. "In his unique way he asked for help and you gave it as far as he would accept. He is a complicated man, and so are you." There was a smile in his voice. "Remember how long it took you to trust me, to accept me.....
Michael smiled as well. "Score."
Kitt seemed to shrug. "It helps to know the other side of the partnership," he replied.
Michael laughed softly. They had gotten to know each incredible well even before they had been given the neuro implant connection, but after the link had opened, there were no more questions. Michael knew Kitt and Kitt knew Michael; a perfect partnership, a complete trust. "Yes, I guess it does." He got into the Trans Am. "We should get back to the warehouse. We have some time till we need to leave for San Diego. Bonnie mentioned some kind of update."
They drove off, Michael thinking about the last few days. Yes, Nick had let them help but there had been a limit. In time, the limit would drop, would move, and Michael was patient enough. Now he had a new case to prepare for.