A startling Text

TW: Death mentioned.

Spinning tires came to a screeching halt in front of the second of the mansions, Michael and Kitt had selected to search.

The former cop rushed out of the car and bound up the steps. "Kitt? Any signs of life here?"

"I'm picking up a human shaped image from within one of the first floor bedrooms, Michael. But be careful..." Kitt replied.

Wasting no time, Michael kicked in the door and bolted toward the bedroom with Kitt's guidance. When he arrived he let out a gasp and held his nose. It smelt like something had died within the room. He gagged so violently that he had to lean against the door way for a brief rest. His eyes watered to the point where it was starting to look as though the sturdy and athletic man was crying. He dragged his sleeve over his eyes and proceeded further into the room.

The man edged forward towards the bed where a figure was resting, his boots having to quickly work around a few cans of open beer and a wine bottle. The closer he got the stronger the foul stench became. Turning the figure over he realized it appeared to be a homeless drunk. He shook the man gently, "hey pal, you okay?" Michael softly questioned. When this yielded no reaction, the FLAG employee used his com-link and asked Kitt to scan the individual.

"Michael? I'm afraid he is dead and has been for a few hours now," Kitt breathed with an air of remorse.

Michael let out an exasperated sigh as he exited the room without further disrupting the man's final resting place. He was relieved that they had not found Bonnie laying in the bedroom in the drunk's place. But he was quick to remind himself that if he didn't find her soon, she could possibly share the same fate.

"Buddy, let's get to the next mansion asap. I have a really bad feeling in my gut that something is going to happen to our Bonnie," he commanded as he raced across the porch and leapt down the stairs.

"Right away, Michael," Kitt responded. His turbines beginning to roar with sonic anticipation his tires rolling against the gravel and picking up a wonderful heated friction. His gear-shifter moved from the parked position into the driving slot without the aid of a human hand. Swinging around so that his driver's side door was closer to the steps he picked Michael up and sped off.

After several moments of intense silence Kitt felt the need to encourage his partner. He gently stated, "well, Michael, at least we know where Bonnie is not being kept. There are four other mansions we have yet to investigate. Don't give up hope. Our Bonnie is strong."

"Yeah.... yeah, I know. I know buddy," Michael tiredly replied.

With a whirring of the red scanner between the headlights of the black Trans-Am, Kitt added, "the next mansion is only an hour away and with Super Pursuit Mode, we can be there within fifteen to twenty minutes."

This news brought a long awaited but faint smile to Michael's face as he clicked the SPM button on Kitt's dash. His hands clutched the pilot wheel as Kitt's turbines roared loudly like the engines on a small aircraft preparing to take off. The black trans-am's outer shell stretched out, his nose elongating and his sides extending and opening up to make use of the sonic boosters that would propel his speed to almost 300 miles per hour. Everything around them became a blur.

Michael's thoughts turned to all the things he had forgotten or neglected to tell Bonnie while she was around. His jaw squared so sharply that his lower cheeks twitched. His brows furrowed stormily over his sleep deprived pools of raging blues. Michael tried to mentally prepare himself for yet another disappointment or adversely finding his beloved mechanic in pretty bad shape. In his soul he felt he was drawing close..... but was close going to be good enough to save her?