A startling Text

In the meantime, Michael begins stating everything he has figured out about the case, about the mansions, and about anything and everything else of relevance that he could think of. He didn't bother filtering the excess information. 

Kitt patiently listened drawing up a logical outline with all the facts stuck into it. Then he stuck it up on his dashboard screens so that Michael could view it as well.

"Michael? What if we can not find her because Garthe is strategically moving her to places that we wouldn't bother to check?" Kitt prompted after a long period of silence had transpired.

The curly-haired agent sat up straight, the hairs on the back of his neck practically began to stand on end and his sky blue-eyes widened considerably. "Repeat what you just said, I think you might be on to something," Michael requested. His fingers clutched the pilot-styled steering-wheel tightly as he waited for Kitt to answer.

"What part do you wish to hear again, Michael?" Kitt innocently prompted. 

"The whole thing...." Michael answered.

" I said.... what if we can not find her because Garthe is strategically moving her to places we wouldn't bother to check. Why? I don't see how stating the obvious can be of any help to us now," Kitt remarked. 

Michael's head cocked to the side and he shouted, "that's it!" He turned the pilot's wheel sharply causing Kitt to swing about so sharply that his tires squealed.

"I think we're on to something!!! What if we can't find her because someone is alerting Garthe to our movements? Karr must be tracking us. I think he is the only one with that capability. If that is that case, then we can't find her because they keep moving her to places we've already checked and would be unlikely to search again! It is a despicably brilliant plan. I should have thought of this sooner. Suspects would try to pull this gag frequently when I was a cop." His lips pursed into a thoughtful frown as he considered how much time had passed between Bonnie's abduction until that very moment. He tried to push aside the thoughts of Garthe murdering his beloved wife and the child she carried.

Kitt's scanner rushed from side to side as he considered Michael's somewhat absurd theory. But after a few minutes, the sharp witted ai answered, "you know something? I think you might be right. The question is.... what mansion do we re-search?" 

Michael's brow quirked slightly as Kitt's inquiry sank in. An annoyed huff escaped his lips and he grumbled, "how about the one with the vaulted basement?  If I were taking uncooperative hostages the vault would be the perfect place to keep them locked away." He was trying to get inside Garthe's mindset in order to outmaneuver the dangerous felon.  

"Michael, you don't think" Kitt started to prompt.

"Uhhh Kitt, don't say it. I don't want to think about it," he interjected having a feeling he knew what the car's next question would be. His muscles tensed and his eyes trained unwaveringly upon the road that stretched out in front of them like a red carpet. 

Kitt sped forward hoping that his ability to travel faster than other cars would buy them the time they needed to recover Bonnie before anything more happened to her.

Time seemed to drag on as the two made their second approach of the home. Night was casting slow shadows upon the land. The closer they got to the mansion, the more restless Michael became. He couldn't sit still.  His fingers thundered across the Kitt's pilot wheel in a fit of almost fearful anticipation. 

"Michael? I can't help but wonder, if something happens to Bonnie.... what will become of me?" The smooth Trans-Am questioned.  As far as he knew, Bonnie was the only mechanic with advanced enough knowledge to fix and maintain him.

Michael's face became rigid and his color paled slightly, the stress of the past few days was clearly wearing on his own young features. "Nothing is going to happen to Bonnie. I promise. I won't let her... or the baby..." he paused choking over his own emotions as he whispered the word "die."  Then inhaling sharply he added, "and I promise I won't let anything happen to you either. So don't you worry your pretty little CPU chips and microprocessors."

Kitt forced his tires to keep spinning against the sandy roads as the sun sank further and further beneath the horizon. A still far off mansion appeared like a dot silhouetted against the slightly cloudy but otherwise beautifully painted Nevada skies. Michael glanced upwards and uttered a silent but heartfelt prayer, please don't let Garthe have killed my Bonnie and our baby. Please. I can't lose her like I lost Stevie.

Hot wheels came to a screeching halt, kicking up a mighty cloud of Nevada sands and throwing it into the gentle evening breeze. Unlike the other mansions this one seemed to be occupied for the lights were  all on and music was loudly playing from its inner sanctums. Michael slowly slipped out of Kitt's protective cabin, he removed his gun from an expertly hidden holster and he took the time to load it.

Kitt took notice of this action and he called, "Michael?"

"Yes, Kitt?" The Flag agent breathed, between teeth, which were clenched so tightly that his mighty jaw muscles twitched.

"Are you anticipating trouble? Would you like me to contact the local authorities?" Kitt offered inquisitively. After all, his main programing was structured around the preservation of his partner's life. 

Michael's jaw momentarily relaxed as he let out a puff of air. He confessed, "yes Kitt, I am expecting trouble. No, I would not like you to contact the local authorities. If Bonnie is alive and being held here..... then I do not want the police to come blazing in with lights and sirens spooking Garthe and forcing his violent hand. Do you understand?" He questioned, hating the sound of his own miserable logic. He had seen enough hostage situations to know the moment the kidnapper became aware that he or she was about to go away for a long time, that was the very same moment  their captives are slaughtered or disposed of. If it hadn't happened already. As quietly and as casually as he could he made his way up the mansion's front stairs. While he wasn't sure what he'd find behind the newly replaced doors, he was fairly certain he would not like it.

He bravely knocked on the door before pressing his back against the siding of the house on the blind-side of the entrance. He did this so that he could remain concealed from the immediate view. The former cop hoped that this would earn him the upper hand in the situation.

Heavy footsteps approached and the breath hitched in Michael's throat. Who was going to be on the other side of that door? Garthe? A child? Elizabeth? Bonnie? A soldier? He mentally prepared himself for anything and everything. 

((to be further edited))