Jack's Wage Slavery Pt. 01

"The skimmer turned right when it exited the garage. That would take it to the end of the block and a traffic light. There should be a camera on that corner of the casino which register transponder IDs as vehicles pass."

"The Empress is stealthed. No transponder." Ray explained.

"Check." Gee said.

Ray scanned through the security feeds and found the image of the skimmer passing by but as he said, no transponder code. Gee reached past him and opened up the vehicle maintenance tab. Once more the fields were empty as the car hadn't been broadcasting anything when it went past. "See! Nothing!"

"Scroll down please."

Ray looked at the bottom of the maintenance page and saw four numbers. Energy output values for the four antigrav units. These could not be stealthed as the units could not be modified without destroying them.

"You will note the four values aren't equal as the load in the vehicle isn't evenly distributed. This is the pattern you must track from every intersection sensor." Gee explained.

Ray's eyes lit up. "Holy shit! I can do this!" He bent over his terminal and hammered out a search algorithm for the pattern and linked into the city's network to run the algorithm. With a grin, he patched his screen into the large display above the bar and everyone got to see a huge map of Las Vegas and a blinking red light at each intersection the pattern was identified at. The line of dots moved away from the Gemstone Casino heading to the western edge of the city then it veered north before the last intersection leading to the highway. It went through three intersections then stopped which meant the skimmer had to have turned west once more as there were no more sensors in that direction.

"That's where we start!" the Major said. "Ray, freeze the assets and all accounts for Maury Levine and the Gemstone."

"WHAT? You can't do that!" Walter yelled.

"Indeed I can and I did. Maury Levine is a suspect in this investigation and is on the run. We are authorized to cut off access to his funds to prevent him from fleeing the jurisdiction. Let's go people."

The team moved out of the casino double time and once they reached the sidewalk they boarded a large personnel carrier. The moment the door closed they were in the air moving towards the coordinates Ray sent to the driver.

It took just ten minutes to get to the neighborhood where the skimmer disappeared. The road they determined the skimmer turned onto ended with a dirt track leading out into the desert. The empty desert.

"Now what?" the Major asked.

"Are there any flight centers or high velocity ground transport centers out there? Someplace they'd be able to move him more quickly?" Gee asked.

Ray looked at his tablet and shook his head. "Nothing that's being actively used. There are three old airstrips but the use of airplanes is prohibited... oh right."

"If they get him onto one of these 'planes' tracking his next location is going to be very difficult." Gee said looking at Bal who was staring out into the inky blackness thinking that Jack was out there in that darkness.

They shivered.

Chapter 8

The first 'airport' they checked was little more than a barn and a strip of cracked concrete. Gee and Bal urged the team to hurry back to the transport to go to the next one quickly. They just got into the air once more when Ray called out that they had a hit on the Empress skimmer in Baker, California and it was heading west.

"Set course for Baker!" Major Ash called out to the pilot.

"Major, we believe continuing our current search would be more effective use of our limited time. The Empress is now heading on a course which likely intersects with the gate in Los Angeles where we can easily detain him or you can have local authorities pick him up anywhere in between. If Mr. Levine was simply running for the other gate, why the diversion out into the desert. There was no roadblock he was avoiding. More likely he came out here for a purpose. Searching for the alternate transport site is still a viable plan."

"That plan is just guesswork while capturing Mr. Levine will give us real answers." Ash growled.

"At the cost of time we may not have." Gee pushed.

"Thank you for your 'advice'. We're going after Levine," the Major said, reminding Gee and Bal what their official position was. Gee sat back and shared a look with Bal who was equally unhappy.

Chapter 9

Jack's shivering caused his chains to rattle. This prevented him from hearing the sound of the plane until the screech of its wheels touching down some distance away. His head came up as he strained to hear anything above the jingle of the metal links. He struggled to make sense of the roar until it finally connected in his brain as the drone of an airplane propeller. He hadn't heard that sound since he was a kid. The sound got louder then suddenly cut off as the engine was shut off somewhere close by. Jack listened and shivered then finally the door opened. Moments later someone entered and Jack heard the distinct sound of two sets of boots.

Two men walked into the light and looked at him. He looked back but he was shivering too hard to see clearly.

"It's Danner. Let him know," a cool voice said.

"Shit. He's naked. Why the fuck is he naked!" the second one said pulling a sat comm from his pocket. He pressed a button and waited. "Package confirmed," he said and hung up.

"Find him something to wear," the first one ordered and the second one walked off into the darkness.

"I- I d-don't- s-s-sup-pose your h-h-here t-t-t-to res-rescue me." Jack forced out between his chattering teeth.

The man walked closer and jabbed Jack in the chest with a rod. Jack cried out in agony as a painful shock ripped through his nerves.

"No talking. Understood?"

Jack nodded the moment he could control his muscles.

"Smart."

The other man walked back with a bundle of... something in his arms. "I found some clothes he can wear."

The man with the shock rod snorted and nodded. The clothes were dumped on the floor at Jack's feet. He looked down and saw a dusty white one piece leather jump suit with red accents and... a cape? Cheap looking rhinestones covered the chest, arms and legs which flared wide at the bottom. There was a red scarf which Jack hoped was warmer than it looked. The man also brought a pair of boots. Hopefully they'd fit as Jack could barely feel his toes.

The man who'd got the clothes pulled out a gun while the other went behind Jack and undid the locks, pulling the chain back through the chair's frame. Jack almost fell forward but caught himself. He hadn't realized how much he'd been leaning against the chains.

"Get dressed," the man behind him said.

Jack's muscles shook from being locked in place for hours then shocked. He carefully bent down and it took three attempts to get his fingers to grip the jumpsuit. He picked it up and undid the zipper down the chest. He braced himself against the chair and put one leg in then the other. He pulled it up and was grateful to discover it had a little room to spare around the waist/groin/ass area. The previous wearer must have been a little heavier. The problem began once he got his arms in the sleeves. His chest, shoulders and neck were too big to allow him to pull the zipper up further than the top of his stomach. He tied the red scarf around his neck and pulled the ends down over his chest.

He lucked out as the boots fit well enough. Maybe a little loose but better than nothing. He looked down at himself, seeing the suit glitter like little sparks firing off and felt ridiculous. He looked up just in time to see the shock rod thrusting in to jab him in the neck. Lightning flashed behind his eyes and he crumpled to the floor.

Chapter 10

Even at the personnel carrier's top speed, which they were using, it took them close to ninety minutes to catch the Empress skimmer on the outskirts of Barstow. They were two minutes out and closing.

"Mr. Sharif, can you pull up the energy output of the antigravs again?" Gee asked.

Ray looked at the Major as he'd felt the climate definitely become chilly. She frowned and nodded.

He tapped into the network and pulled up the last sensor reading.

"How does it compare to the one in Las Vegas?"

"The vehicle was moving faster through the intersection in Barstow so all readings are higher." Rey said.

"I'm interested in the ratios between the four units," Gee explained.

Ray did some calculations and froze when he saw where this was going. "The rear units are using less power than they were in Las Vegas."

"I do not believe Ambassador Danner is within the vehicle at this time." Gee suggested and earned a glare from the Major. Bal nodded to her partner.

"We're within range to take control of the vehicle, Major," the pilot called out.

"Do it," she barked.

"System breached. Communication system open, Major."

"Mr. Levine, this is Major Cha'Risa Ash of Earth's Security Council Force. We have taken control of your vehicle. We will be stopping you for questioning in the abduction of the Altarian Ambassador Jack Danner. Have your security team drop their weapons out the window when the vehicle stops. Thank you for your cooperation with this matter." She switched off and looked over at Nann. "You're up."

The woman grinned and positioned herself at the side door and locked her boots into the mounts there.

"Major! Gunfire inside the vehicle! One shot!" the pilot called out.

"SHIT! Get us down there and stop that vehicle!"

The side door retracted up into the ceiling and Nann's sniper gun came online. The barrel snapped into place and the electromagnetic coils instantly charged with a high pitched hum. The gunsight on Nann's helmet snapped down in place in front of her eyes and she grabbed the handles which directed the barrel and held the triggers.

"Bring the windows down," Ash ordered.

They could see the large vehicle coming to a stop just ahead on the road. The moment the windows dropped two of the mercs inside leaned out and opened up on them.

Nann tapped her triggers twice and the heads of the shooters disappeared in a red mist.

"Mr. Sharif! You must get the navigation records from the vehicle as quickly as you can!" Gee exclaimed.

"They are attempting to lock us out. That's not going to happen." Ray said, his hands flying over his controls.

Bal looked at Gee. "I believe the soldiers may have killed Mr. Levine."

Nann chambered a special round and fired it into the open window of the luxury vehicle. The payload went off and the car filled with a caustic gas. Extremely uncomfortable when breathed and especially reactive on tattooed skin. Two more mercs burst from the vehicle firing on the carrier. Nann hit one in the spine taking his legs out from under him and punched a hole in the other one's chest. The crippled merc ate his gun rather than be captured.

The round that went through the window also had a sensor pack which reported no one alive in the back. No one with Altarian genetic material. Maury Levine was dead. The driver in the front was dead sitting next to the last remaining merc who was trying to do something nasty to the vehicle's computer.

"Fuck you pal!" Ray barked and set off the emergency restraint system around the man. He was hit from three sides by cushions at maximum pressure. Unfortunately this broke his neck so they lost their last chance to question one of the mercs.

"Why the fuck did they do that?" Ash barked.

"They are mercenaries. Perhaps they were paid by Mr. Levine or a third party to ensure they were not taken alive." Bal suggested.

Then they were on the ground and the back door opened. Leo and Maxim rushed out and dashed to the vehicle but they confirmed that Jack was not inside.

"Did you get the locations they traveled to?" Gee asked Ray.

The man looked at the Major and she gritted her teeth. "They stopped at the second airport on our list," he confirmed.

"We must go there now." Gee said.

"We have to wait for local law enforcement to arrive and take control of the scene. They are on their way. Ten minutes out." Gee sat back and shared a worried look with Bal.

Due to the ill prepared nature of the local police who arrived it took another fifteen minutes to get additional units on scene to guard the crime scene until the state police could come. Only then were they able to get underway to head for the airport.

Major Ash sat across from Gee and felt her cheeks burning. "I want to apologize for not listening before."

"We understand your decision." Gee said.

"I'm grateful for that understanding. You were right and I wasn't. You could be telling me 'I told you so'," she said contritely.

"That would not be helpful behavior. We cannot afford to waste energy on such trivial matters. Nothing matters but finding Jack- Ambassador Danner," Gee slipped once more.

Ash smiled and Nann leaned forward. "What kind of man is Jack Danner that he inspires such fierce devotion?" the redhead said with a grin.

Gee looked at the woman with nervousness but nodded. "Jack is a good man. He strives to do his best in all things though he is not always successful. He cares deeply for his family and friends and does not hesitate to act in protecting them even at risk to himself. He is also silly and playful and often exasperating."

Bal frowned and nodded but they saw a fondness in her as well. Ash and Nann shared glances.

"Then let's find him," the Major said.

Chapter 11

Jack's next recollection was a loud droning which was murdering his thumping brain. He cracked open his eyes and saw... almost nothing. The interior of the plane he was in, shackled once more to a chair, was pitch black except for the dimmed lights from the controls in the cockpit. The two men were up in the first two seats flying the plane. Or rather the one on the left was flying and the other one didn't look so good. His left arm was wrapped in bandages which were soaked through with blood. The pilot was wearing some kind of goggles. Night vision? Jack looked out the window and saw the tree tops racing by seemingly just under the plane. His stomach threatened to climb up into his throat and he must have made a sound as the injured man peered back at him with a look of pure hatred.

"YOU! Shut the fuck up!" he grunted.

"Dave. Conserve your strength."

So injured guy was named Dave. Jack took stock of his situation. He was shackled to a chair in a small vintage, propeller driven airplane, flying ridiculously low... to avoid detection maybe? He still had on the glittery suit and one of his captors had a very bad injury on his arm. Potentially a mortal wound. How it happened he had no idea as it must have happened while he'd been unconscious.

He glanced out the window again and looked up this time. He found some familiar constellations and determined they were heading west. He was going to go out on a limb and say they were headed towards Los Angeles. As good a guess as any he supposed.

A short time later the radio crackled. The pilot looked over at Dave but he was breathing shallowly and looked unconscious. He flipped on his mic. "Inbound," was all he said.

Jack looked out the window and could see a wide glow on the horizon but everything below was blackness. He held his breath as the pilot made adjustments to slow them and take them even lower. Jack began to see spots in front of his eyes when the wheels screeched as they landed. He gasped in a breath and tried to settle his nerves. The plane taxied for a long time then stopped. The interior lights went off and Jack couldn't see anything.

"Dave, we're here."

Silence.

"Dave?"

Headlights from a car outside suddenly lit up the inside of the plane. Dave was dead. His bandage was saturated with his blood. The pilot was staring at Jack with murder in his eyes. He picked up the shock stick and jammed it against Jack's chest.

Once more lightning shot through Jack's body. Then he heard a sharp crack sound and the pilot dropped to the floor, his blood and brains splashing against the opposite window.

Jack's consciousness began to slip away once again as a face outside his window peered in at him. Something familiar... then nothing.

Chapter 12

It took twenty more minutes before the personnel carrier reached the remote airfield.

They landed and fanned out as they approached the building. Bal discovered a large drum behind the building which still had some residual heat from an intense fire within it. Something was burned in the drum recently. They moved to the front door and saw it was open. Gee noted the marks in the dust indicating a number of feet recently moving through the door. She slipped inside with Bal following closely. Leo and Maxim were at their heels but gave the all clear shortly after confirming the building was empty.

The Major entered with Ray and found Gee and Bal staring at a chair bolted to the middle of the floor in the otherwise empty garage. A pile of chains lay on the floor behind the chair. Bal knelt to scan the chains.

"Traces of Jack's cells on the chains. He was here."

"The barrel." Gee asked and the hair on Leo's and Max's necks stood on end from her tone.

"Not enough residue inside to be a body and the temperatures required to turn his bones to ash would have slagged the barrel as well." Bal explained. Gee sighed with relief as did the two soldiers.

They spread out and Leo called out when he found something. Gee and Bal were immediately at his side. He looked a little uncomfortable being the focus of their attention so he just pointed to his finding.

"The dust is thick along this bench except for here. The stack of clothing has been disturbed. There is also boot shaped gaps in the dust.

"They burned his clothes and dressed him in something from here." Gee guessed. She picked up the next garment on the pile and unfolded it.

There was a snort from the doorway. Gee and Bal turned to look at the Major.

"They dressed him as Elvis?" she grinned.

"That they dressed him at all is a good sign," Bal indicated and the Major's grin dimmed as she nodded.

"Major! I have blood!" Nann called out over their comms. Bal took a quick image of the suit Gee was holding up and they all rushed outside to join the sniper.

"I followed the tracks from the door and some led to a spot where the Empress was parked. The other tracks led to the paved surface leading to the runway. Then I saw this." Nann explained as she pointed to the ground.

The dirt was disturbed quite a bit and there were splashes of blood in the sand. Bal knelt beside the area and ran her scanner over it.

"A struggle?" the Major asked. "Did Jack fight back?"

"Not sure. Look here. There are two deep divots in the ground and one seems to have blood on it. The divots are likely from Jack's horns when he fell on his back here. The fact that there's blood on the hole likely means his horn had blood on it-"

"Which wasn't his." Bal remarked. "None of the blood is his. There's some flesh in the hole as well which also isn't his. From the foot prints and Jack's impression in the sand I think he was being carried by two men and one dropped him, Jack's horn injuring the man in the process."

"How sharp are his horns?" the Major asked.

"It's just the points you must avoid but they're sharper than your sharpest blade. Does your blade sharpen itself constantly?" Gee asked and the team's eyes widened.

Gee returned to examining the patterns and footprints in the sand. "The injured man was led onto the pavement. Then Jack was dragged to the pavement as well." She looked out at the dark strip of concrete. "What kind of air craft could carry three passengers, travel without being detected, and what kind of range would it have? What abandoned airports are within that range?" She looked over at Ray whose fingers were flying over his terminal.