Previously on Gargoyles...
"The first blast missed. But not the second. I bellowed in pain. I
think the Captain was hit too, but I wasn't sure because I blacked out."
-Chante
Captain Chavez: I demand to know what's going on!
Chante: It's a long story.
Then the Captain looked at me. "What are you going to do?" She asked.
I looked over the cliff. Then I looked at the four Tazis standing
there.
I sighed. "Captain, I'm sorry. There is only one thing left to do."
-From FLED
CHANTE
A cliff infront of me. Four Tazis behind me. Nowhere to go, and nowhere to escape.
Trapped.
The Captain and I was trapped. Which left me with one thing to do.
"I guess we're trapped huh?" I said to the Captain. "We might as well give up..."
"NOT!" I yelled as I grabbed the Captain and jumped off the cliff.
"AHHHH!" The Captain yelled in shock as I jumped over the cliff, pulling her with me.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" The Captain screamed again, as I looked down at the river below that was rapidly rushing towards us.
Meanwhile at the 23rd precienct...
"Noone has seen the Captain for two days." Elisa said, looking at the door to Captain Chavez office.
"Or Chante." Matt said staring at Chante's empty desk. "No phone call or anything."
"Elisa, Matt!" Frankie said walking up to them. "Have you guys seen the news lately?"
"No, why?" Elisa asked.
"This is why." Frankie walked up to the t.v. in the Squadroom. He turned it on, and Travis Marshall was on the screen.
"-Foul play might be involved in the missing of Police Officer Maria Chavez, Captain of Detectives of the 23rd precinct, and Chante Hall, Detective of the Gargoyle Task force."
The Squadroom went quiet as all the cops in the room were drawn to the t.v. "These two Police Officers went missing exactly on the same day two days ago." Travis continued. "The Quarrymen might be suspected, but the investgaters have no clues. Police are searching Central Park and the Hudson river to see if their bodies might turn--"
"No way!" A female voice shouted. "Chante is not dead!" Everyone turnt around.
"Jessie?" Elisa said. "How do you know?"
"I knew Chante for years." Jessie said. "The Quarrymen couldn't knock off Chante just like that."
Matt thought for a minute. Jessie knew Chante much longer than he did. She might of known all the people that could of been after her too.
"Jessie." Matt asked, "Do you know any one that could of had a vendetta against Chante?"
"Nope." Jessie said. "Not that I know of."
"What about our Captain?" Officer Morgan demanded. "How come the media knows more about this case than we do? And why is this case not being investagated here?"
Everyone started aruging when Morgan said that.
"Because almost everyone here likes and respects our two missing comrades, and personal involvement on cases is not allowed." Said the Chief, who just came in the room.
There was a major uproar from the Cops when that was said. A few of them yelled four letter words.
"Everyone quiet!!" The Chief ordered.
While everyone was talking among themselves, Elisa pulled Matt to the side.
"Matt, did you tell me that Chante seemed a bit depressed before she went missing?" Elisa asked.
"Yeah, why?"
Then Matt paused, and then considered what Elisa was asking him.
"Are you trying to say that Chante could of been suicidal?! Come on Elisa!" Matt protested.
"It's just a possibility." Elisa said. "I'm not assuming anything, but we don't have much to go on. We don't even know where Chante's jeep is."
Matt's brain stormed with electricity.
"Chante's jeep! That's it!" Matt snapped. "If we can find her jeep, we might be able to find out what happened to her."
"Right." Elisa said. "Our speical 'friends' can keep a look out on their patrols."
"Yeah." Matt agreed. "A mid-night blue jeep with monster truck wheels is not hard to spot."
"Come on, let's go." Elisa said. "Let's hurry up and get to the Erie building before this precinct boils over."
Then Elisa and Matt left the squadroom through a mob of angry cops, who were still upset, as the Chief finally got them to calm down.
I didn't realize how steep that cliff was until I opened my eyes and realized that I was still falling. The Captain was screaming. I was screaming.
"AAAHHHHHHHHHH!" We both yelled in unison.
SMAPLASSSH!
Finally we hit the water. I landed belly down, so it was like getting smacked in the face. But then I felt nothing at all.
"AHHHHH!"
I woke up screaming.
I was in a roaring, mad, swooshing current. Water rushed all around me.
I flailed my arms, but they barely moved me through the current. It was like I was swimming, but I wasn't going anywhere. The current was just washing me away.
THUMP!
I bumped against a rock.
Then I was falling...
I was falling over a waterfall.
PALOOOSH!
I was knocked deep in the water. The waterfall roared above, confusing my senses. I tried to swim, but my arms were like pins and needles. My lungs burned for air. I swam like mad for the surface. My arms were getting weaker, feeling like jelly. My head was light, and swimming with confusion.
I was now inches from the surface.
Too late. My muscles relaxed. I closed my eyes and I was gone.
I didn't feel the arms that hauled me out of the water. I didn't feel the mouth that breathed air in me.
Suddenly I woke up. And instantly I threw up.
"HARRRAAHHACK!"
I rolled my head to one side and sucked in air. I coughed, breathed, and coughed some more. My eyes watered.
When all the river water was emptied from my lungs, I looked up and saw the Captain. She was sitting just a few feet away. Her short brown hair was wet and plastered against her forehead. She was wet and shivering slightly.
"You saved my life Captain." I said to her in a hoarse, raspy voice.
"I'm just returning the favor. Are you okay?" She asked.
"Yeah." I said getting up. "Where are we?" I wondered out loud.
The Captain shooked her head. "I don't know. We were in the river for a long time. I was knocked out too. But I came to sooner than you."
I looked around. It was dark. Only a faint trail of crimson sunlight touched the top of the trees. Soon it will be pitch black.
"We have to keep moving." I said.
"We can go nowhere." The Captain said. "It will be pitch black out there. We won't be able to see where we are going."
"You can't." I said. "But I can. Because of my 'condition', I have night vision two times better than normal humans. Plus I can see some infra-red light. Which would help, if I see any light from a nearby town or something. Light gives off heat you know."
"Won't that guy Dragnok think we're dead or something?" The Captain asked. "After all, we did fall over the cliff of death."
"Maybe." I said. "But Dragnok is not stupid. He would send a search party to find our 'bodies'. They would end up here, and find our tracks. Which would mean that we're still alive, and they'll come after us."
"Great." The Captain sighed disappointed.
"Hey, don't worry." I said hopefully. "We could be just a mile from civilization."
"Or ten." The Captain added darkly. "Don't forget Detective, a forest is very large."
I sighed. So much for encouragement. "Well then I guess we better get started."
The Captain tried to stand. Halfway up, her right leg buckled and she fell back heavily.
"My ankle." She said. "I forgot all about it. I'm afraid I can't walk."
I looked down at her, wondering what to do. I saw her looking back at me in the dimming light.
"I'll just slow you down." The Captain said slowly. "Just leav-"
"Don't even think about saying it." I said, interrupting her. "What would the Detective department do without you? Who would be around to give me a phone book thick case right before my shift ends?"
She laughed. "Someone has to keep all of you in check."
"I bet they are ripping the city apart right now, looking for you." I said, as I broke a long forked branch off a fallen tree. I gave the branch to the Captain. "This would make a good crutch. wait here while I find some smaller sticks to make a splint."
Everything was getting from bad to worse. We were somewhere in a forest. It was cold. We couldn't start a fire. If we did, we just might as well call Dragnok up on the phone and ask him to come get us. I could of used the stars to lead our way back home or whatever, but it was starting to get cloudy. Clouds rolled in slowly on a stiff breeze.
"This might hurt a bit." I said. I found some sticks the right length. I took off my belt. I placed the sticks carefully around the Captain's lower leg, and down over her ankle bone. Then I rapped the belt around.
"Not too tight Dectective." The Captain warned. "That my ankle is going to swell."
"Yeah I know." I said. "But I have to tighten it a little. That ankle needs to be immobilized. On the count of three, okay? When I get to three, I'll yank it. One..."
I yanked the belt.
"AYeeeAHHHHH! Hey! What happened to three?"
"You would of tensed up on three." I said smuggly. "I wanted to catch you while you were relaxed."
"Very clever." The Captain said, shaking off the pain. "Now that I think about it, you are smarter than you seem to be."
"Well, when you are as old as I am, you learn alot of things." I said.
I stood up again and stuck out my hand. The Captain took it.
I helped her to her feet. She winced in pain as she placed weight on the bad ankle. I leaned over and gave her the crutch, and she stuck it under one arm.
"Where are we going? Which way is civilization?" The Captain asked.
"I don't know. But I do know which way north is, like that's going to really help us. But it doesn't matter. Right now we need to get as far away from this spot as we can." I said.
I started walking, slowly, waiting to see how well the Captain could keep up. She couldn't. Not very well. She almost got entangled in a bush at one point.
"Sorry." I said walking next to her. "I forgot you can't see well in the dark." I put my arm around her to help guild her in the dark.
"I wish I had your eyes." The Captain said. "I never realized how dark it is without city lights. It's like the dark is covering you like a blanket. I might as well walk with my eyes closed."
We walked on through the dark gloom of the forest. I think was walked for about two hours. And the Captain was limping more heavily. Through the dark I saw her face wince with every step.
"Maybe we should rest a while." I said.
"No, I'm okay." The captain lied.
"No." I said. "You have been on that ankle long enough. If you keep walking on it, you won't be able to walk by morning."
"You're right I suspose." The Captain sighed, sitting down.
"You got and get some rest." I said. "Go to sleep even. We have a long way to go in the morning."
"What about you?" The Captain asked with concern.
"I'm keeping watch." I said. "To make sure noone, animal or Tazi, come after us. I can protect us better than you can. No offense intended."
The Captain was silent. She knew I was right about that.
"Do you think we'll get out of here?" She asked me.
I started thinking. If I was by myself, I would of been miles away by now, and would of found my way back home. But I was with the Captain on a sprained or broken ankle. If a troop of Tazis come bounding in here, there is no way I could protect the Captain and myself at the same time. And if the Captain get's killed it would be my fault.
Just like when Matt almost got killed.
"I don't know." I said to the Captain. "I just don't know."
I turned away and looked out into the darkness. Watching. I felt helpless, weak, and defenseless, facing a night full of terrors.
"This is like looking for a needle in a hay stack!" Brooklyn said as he was gliding with Broadway on patrol. "How hard can it be to find a mid-night blue jeep!"
Brooklyn looked, straining to look down at the cars in the streets of manhattan below.
"Stop complaining!" Broadway said. "We are doing this for Matt, so he can find Chante."
"I know, I know, I'm sorry!" Brooklyn said. "I'm just frustrated, that's all."
"Maybe we are looking at this the wrong way." Broadway said. "If I was Chante's jeep, where would I be?"
"I don't know." Brooklyn answered. "I'll be home I guess."
"That's it!" Broadway exclaimed. "We should search around the area of Chante's apartment building. Maybe we can find the jeep there."
"Allrighty." Brooklyn said. "Lead the way."
Broadway flew uptown with Brooklyn towards Chante's apartment building.
"Look!" Broadway said looking down at a 7-eleven.
"Only you would notice a 7-eleven." Brooklyn said.
"No!" Broadway said shaking his head. He pointed. "Look!"
Brooklyn looked down and saw a guy in all black, with what seemed to be a screw driver, trying to break open the door of a dark jeep.
Brooklyn sighed smugly. "Criminals never learn. Let's get him."
Brooklyn and Broadway swooped down lower. As they got closer, they saw that the jeep they thought was black, was infact mid-night blue.
With big wheels.
The answer of who owned that jeep was now slightly obvious.
"That's Chante's jeep!" Broadway cried out.
"And that guy is trying to break into Chante's jeep." Brooklyn pointed out.
"Let's teach him that breaking and entering is against the law." Broadway said diving down.
The guy, who was trying to break into chante's jeep, he heard a blood curdling roar. He looked up and saw a flash of green, and blazing white eyes diving down on him.
"What the Hell??!!!" The man shouted, as Broadway landed infront of him.
"That jeep doesn't belong to you." Broadway said putting his hands on his hips. "Don't you know that stealing is wrong?"
The man took his screw driver, and charged at Broadway with it, like it was really going to help him. Broadway snatched the screwdriver with one clawed hand, and elbowed the guy in the head with the other.
The guy fell, knocked out.
"Guess he learnt his lesson." Broadway said, crossing his arms. "Don't mess with us, or you'll just end up being screwed."
Brooklyn landed and winced at Broadway's bad pun. "Oooh, good one Broadway." He said.
Broadway paid no mind to Brooklyn's comment.
Brooklyn inspected Chante's jeep. "Cool wheels. I wonder if she'll let me drive."
"Forget about it." Broadway said. "She won't even let Matt drive." Broadway then pressed on his transmitter.
"Hello, Elisa? We found Chante's jeep. And we managed to catch a creep while doing it too."
Dragnok was in his office staring at the troop of the four Tazis that were after Chante and Captain Chavez.
And he didn't look too happy.
"What do you mean she got away???!!!!!" Dragnok exploded.
"Ashi ditu ashi Dah reeah." One of the Tazis said.
"So she rather jump off a cliff than to surrender eh?" Dragnok said. "Typical Sarfnaric honor. Did you find the body?"
The four Tazis just stared.
"You fools!!!!" Dragnok raged. "Don't you know I'll need proof of her death?!! Go back out there, and don't come back without that body!!"
The four Tazis charged out that office as fast as they could.
"Escape. Day three." I said in a narrative voice. "Captain how's that ankle doing?" I asked. I knew she wasn't asleep.
"Better I think." She said finally. "But it's still messed up though."
"Well that's good that it's doing better" I said getting up. "Because we have to get going again."
"You're right." The Captain said. "It's daylight so-"
Sudden movement. Sound of leaves being stepped on.
"What was that?!" The Captain gasped.
I turned around. Pumped. Ready to fight.
Instead of a group of Tazis a black bear raised above the bushes.
"A bear!" The Captain exclaimed.
The bear roared.
I thought about tackling the bear. But then I thought, this bear is not a Tazi, but an innocent creature. But bears seldomly attack humans. Then I looked behind the bear. A cub. A mother bear would fight to the death for her cub.
"GRRRRRRRRRROAR!!" The bear roared again.
I could run but that will mean leaving the Captain.
While I was standing there thinking, the bear charged.
BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!
The bear fell right at my feet. I looked back. I saw the Captain, holding her gun, which was still smoking.
"Captain,-" I started to say.
"It had to be done, Detective." She said. "Our lives were in danger."
I looked at the body of the dead bear. "But-" I started to say. But I knew the Captain was right. Then I saw the cub walk up to it's dead mother. The cub was too young to live out on it's own. And I knew that we couldn't take it with us. I turned around, and walked away.
"Let's go." I said sternly, not looking back.
"I'm sorr-"
"Let's just go, okay?!" I said walking on, not wanting to look at the Captain at that moment.
We walked on through the forest all morning.
"I'm starving." The Captain said.
"Yeah, me too." I said. "I'm so hungry that I can smell hotdogs and hamburgers." Wait a mintue. I was smelling hotdogs and hamburgers. But it was very faint. The Captain didn't smell a thing. Did I forget to mention that I also have a good sense of smell?
I sniffed the air. Nope. I wasn't dreaming.
"Stay here." I said to the captain. "I think we're saved!"
"What do you mean?!" She asked.
"I smell food. And where there's food, there's people!" I said breaking out into a run.
Mintues later...
"Why did I let you pick our vacation?" Margo said to her husband. "I said, let's go to the Bahamas, but nooooo, we had to go to Bear Mountain National Park! To become 'one with nature'!"
"Give it a rest, Margo." Brandon said to his wife. He wondered how could he of put up with her this long. He decided to take a walk before he say a few choiced words.
"AHHHH!" Brandon yelped, as Chante's head suddenly popped out of the bushes infront of him. Chante took out her badge.
"Chante Hall, second class, NYPD."
"I paid those parking tickets allready, I swear!" Brandon said, jumping back with his hands up in the air.
"No, I not going to arrest you." Chante said. "I need you're help."
A few mintues later, the Captain and I were at Brandon and Margo's campsite, feeding our faces.
"The thing that keeps bothering me is, how you two end up in upstate New York?" Margo asked.
"It's a long story." I said inbetween bites of hamburger. "Do you have a cell phone?"
"Yeah sure." Brandon said handling me his phone.
I started dailing. The phone rang. After two rings, the phone was answered.
"Hello?" A voice replyied.
"Hey Matt!" I said. "Did you guys miss me?"
A quick pause and then, "Chante? Chante what the hell happened to you??!! You had me- I mean, us worried sick about you!" Matt yelled, explaining his feelings to me.
"Oooh, Matt Bluestone cares!" I said with sarcastism.
"Look, just tell me where you are." Matt said in a annoyed, silky voice.
"I'm upstate in Bear Mountain National Park. Also, the Captain is with me."
"What?!" Matt exclaimed. "What??!!"
"Look, it's kind of a long story, okay?" I said. "The Captain's ankle is bandaged up, and sprained, but she'll be okay."
I had to lie. I asked the Captain to keep the truth just between us. She didn't mind. Who would of believed her if she did tell?
I stuck to the truth as much as I could. I told them about getting kiddnapped. I didn't say who or why. I told them about falling in the river. I just left out the part about Dragnok. And I told them we survived for two days losted in the forest by eatting berries.
I was on the news. And in the newspaper. The headline was, "Captain and Detective survives ordeal by eatting berries." Like the berries were the big deal.
I was interviewed a lot. And I was annoyed a lot. For a couple of days Matt was grinding my nerves, calling my apartment every 45 mintues to make sure I was okay. Like he could really protect me. He even had Broadway secretly follow me everytime I left my apartment. Elisa called it "Bluestone worry syndrome". Good grief. I wondered how she could ever put up with him.
After a while things went back to normal. If that is, if you can call my life "normal". The Captain was back on duty, as usual, but with a rapped up ankle, limping on a crutch. The doctor told her to stay off that ankle for at least 2 weeks. But do Captain's ever listen?
The phone rang. I answered it.
"For the last time Mr. Burnett, I don't want a security system!" I hung up the phone. I knew that had to be Matt's doing.
I turned on the t.v. I knew that Dragnok had to know by now that I was still alive.
I also knew that he was not happy.
But I also knew that he wouldn't be trying to plan any kiddnapping schemes anytime soon. They were too risky and would blow his cover. I was feeling quite smug until I heard the news.
"-I'm live at the Museum of Natural History where one of the world's largest diamonds is being displayed this week." The Anchor women moved to the side, showing a large, fist sized light blue diamond in a thick bullet proof box. Two guards were standing next to the box.
When I saw that diamond, a chill went up my spine.
You see, that's no ordinary diamond if my fears are correct. Blue diamonds of that size are very rare on earth. On other planets, they are fairly common. They are used in processors in computers. I was worried because our computers are like four centuries behind in computer technogly, compared to some of these other planets. And if whoever owned that diamond knew what they had, they could rewrite all the computers in the world. Luckly, only two people in the world knew that.
Me.
And Dragnok.
And suddenly I wasn't feeling smugged anymore.
To be continued...