Interior, Jet Rover, over desert.
It is late afternoon, the Road Rovers are on their way back to mission control. Sierra is flying while Dylan sits in the copilot's seat. DJ is seated behind Dylan, still reading his book. Dylan is monitoring radio transmissions. He is only half interested in what he's hearing, commercial air traffic. His attention is suddenly grabbed by a message from an airliner about 80 miles to their north.

Airline Pilot (official, over radio)
"This is North American flight 547 heavy to traffic control. We're picking up bits of radio transmissions from an unknown source, possibly intended to be a closed channel."

Air traffic controller (official, over radio)
"North American 547, I have no other flight plans for your airspace at this time, can you pinpoint the transmissions?"

Pilot:
"Negative control, very garbled, can't make heads or tails of it."

Dylan looks to Sierra who had heard the message as well.

Dylan:
"You feel like playing detective?"

Sierra shrugs.
"Sure."

Dylan: (official, into headset)
"Jet Rover to Mission Control, do you copy?"

Exile: (over radio)
"I've gotcha comrades, what's upski?"

Dylan: (into headset)
"We're taking a slight detour to check out some unauthorized radio signals."

Exile: (over radio)
"Okey dokey Dylan, thanks for call, be careful."

Dylan: (into headset)
"Roger."

Exile: (Confused, over radio)
"Who is Roger?"

Sierra changes course. DJ feels the plane turn and looks up from his book.

DJ (teasing)
"What's this? Sierra decide she needs to stop at the store for some hair rinse?"

Sierra reaches back and slaps DJ across the knee.
"Be careful mister..."

DJ shrugs and smiles.
"Sorry."

Exterior, desert landscape.
Three military style helicopters hover over a dry lake bed. They are dark green in color and similar in overall appearance to those used by Captain Storm in "Storm from the Pacific"

Interior, attack chopper cockpit.
This is a typical military chopper layout. A crew of two, one seated behind the other. They are wearing dark green flight suits and helmets with headsets built in. The pilot watches a blip on his radar screen move closer and closer.

Pilot (into headset)
"Now"

Interior, Jet Rover cockpit.
As it was before. Suddenly a high pitched beeping pierces the cockpit.

Sierra (startled)
"What the...?!"

DJ (yells)
"That's a radar lock!!"

Before Sierra or Dylan can say or do anything DJ twists himself in his seat, sticks his left leg forward between the two front seats, and kicks the throttles full ahead. The engines scream and the Jet Rover accelerates at a maddening pace.

Exterior...
The Jet Rover leaps ahead and a missile slices through the air right where the plane had been.

Interior...
Dylan (excited)
"Three bogies, six o'clock low!"

Sierra throws a switch on the radio, turning it to the Road Rovers emergency channel
"MAYDAY, MAYDAY we're under attack, three aggressors, heavily armed, we need support now!"

Exterior...
A second shot is launched, the Jet Rover goes nose-up and banks sharply to the right, but this time the missile stays on their tail. The plane goes into a tight, fast loop, turning back on the attackers. This maneuver shakes the deadly projectile off their backs. Inside, Dylan powers up the lasers and takes control from Sierra. Holding the fire button, Dylan sprays the choppers with laser fire. The outside two bank off and escape undamaged, but the middle one takes a series of direct hits and plunges to the ground in flames. The other two now converge from different angles, both fire at once. Dylan shakes the missile launched by one, but flies right into the chain gun fire from the other. The high caliber shells rip into the right wing.

Dylan (frantic)
"I've lost aileron control!"

DJ unstrapps himself
"Sierra switch places with me, hurry!"

The two quickly switch seats, DJ straps himself into the co-pilot's seat and releases a latch which holds the throttle levers together as one.

DJ:
"Get on the pedals with me Dyl, we're not dead yet."

Dylan places his feet firmly on the rudder pedals, DJ leans over the center console and takes one throttle in each hand. The radar lock warning sounds again, DJ fixes his eyes on the screen.

DJ (yelling)
"Hard left!"

Dylan shoves the left pedal to the floor while DJ backs off on the left throttle and gooses the right. The Jet Rover turns tightly to the left, but without the ability to bank the stress on the airframe is tremendous. The creaking of metal can be heard as they literally use the engine thrust to lever the plane around.

Dylan (worried)
"Deej, we're gonna loose a wing if we do that again."

DJ is still focussed on the radar screen. The missile is still back there. Putting full power to the engines DJ puts the plane into a steep dive, pulling out of it at the last second. The perusing weapon impacts the ground and explodes. No sooner do they level their flight when they are met with another missile and more chain gun shells, DJ shakes his head.

DJ (worried)
"We're never gonna get away from these suckers, I'll try to set her down, you and Sierra get ready to run as soon as we touch down."

Sierra (stern)
"Don't try to be a hero DJ."

DJ (blunt)
"I'll be right behind ya, I can run real fast when I'm scared enough, and I have a feeling I will be."

The Jet Rover hits the ground hard and skids sideways for nearly a hundred yards before coming to rest. The three Rovers leap out the door and sprint in different directions. One of the choppers follows DJ while the other swings a wide circle around Dylan and Sierra. A man in a green uniform jumps from the low flying aircraft onto DJ's back, knocking him to the ground. DJ manages to roll out from under him and get to his feet. The uniformed attacker draws a gun, but before he can bring it to bare DJ kicks it from his hand and it flies off to the left. Thinking back to his defense training with Colleen, DJ then proceeds to try to disable his attacker before reinforcements can arrive.

DJ (yelling)
"Model T!"

He socks the soldier in the gut with his left fist.

DJ:
"Fairlane!"

He places a sharp right cross to the man's face.

"Courier!"

Left.

"Falcon!"

Right.

"Mustang!"

Left.

"Escort!"

Right.

"Contour!"

Left.

"Taurus!"

Right.

"F-150!!!"

DJ finishes the job with a hard kick to the man's stomach. Beaten and bruised, the soldier collapses to the dirt. DJ rolls him over on his back, grabs his shirt and pulls him up so they are eye to eye.

DJ (threatening)
"Have you had enough or shall we move on to the Chrysler products?"

Dylan has been attacked in the same fashion, and like DJ he's managed to disarm and incapacitate his attacker.

Dylan (disgusted)
"Not so tough without your rockets are you?"

The soldier on the ground just groans with pain. A look of realization crosses Dylan's face.

Dylan (voice over, worried)
"Oh no, where's Sierra?"

His fears disappear when he sees her marching a similarly uniformed individual toward him at gunpoint, the soldier is trying to rub sand from his eyes. This guy must have been the pilot, those attack choppers only seated two.

Dylan (relieved)
"Hey, nice goin Sierra."

Sierra smiles.
"DJ always says the scariest sight in the world is a girl on the wrong end of a gun, this fellow seems to agree with him."

Her smile broadens when she sees DJ approaching from behind Dylan. He too is marching a man at gunpoint.

DJ (to his prisoner)
"Ok, stop here."

DJ smiles
"I see we've all got souvenirs."

DJ grabs the soldier's shoulders, and turns him for Sierra and Dylan to see.
"Tell me honestly, how do you think this one would look stuffed and mounted in the corner of my room?"

Sierra cocks her head to the side and regards DJ's captive.
"Naw, tacky, he's too ugly."

DJ:
"Yeah, I guess you're right, besides I'd be hard pressed to find a taxidermist who'd take on a project like that ."

DJ turns his attention to the soldier, who is nursing a bloody nose.
"Well, you ready to tell us why you boys tried to blast us out of the sky just now?"

The soldier's response is a defiant stare.
"I'll tell you nothing except that if we wanted you dead you'd be dead by now."

DJ shrugs and releases his hold on the man.

DJ:
"That was fun, now what?"

Dylan casts a glance in the direction of the severely damaged Jet Rover.
"I suppose we should go back to the plane and see if the radio's still any good."

Sierra looks to the sky and shades her eyes from the sun.
"I sent a distress signal when they first attacked, the others should be along any minute."

Dylan
"Well, just the same we should get to some communications equipment. Some first aid for these guys is probably in order too, as if they really deserve it."

DJ:
"Well whatever we're gonna do, let's do it."

DJ points his confiscated gun in the direction of the three soldiers who are sitting together on the ground.
"Come on boys, on your feet."

When they arrive back at the Jet Rover Sierra sets about doctoring the injuries they'd inflicted on their attackers. DJ stands by with a gun at the ready, just in case. Dylan meanwhile is in the cockpit trying to make the radio work well enough to transmit a message. He tries repeatedly to send a distress call but the radio is not receiving any power. It doesn't take him long to see why, the power switch is in the off position. In the confusion Sierra had accidentally shut the radio off instead of turning to the emergency channel. Dylan turns the switch back on and tries again, still nothing. Something must have been damaged in the crash. He exits the plane and returns to DJ and Sierra. Sierra looks up in time to see Dylan whisper something in DJ's ear.

DJ (whispering)
"Ouch."

DJ hands Dylan the gun and boards the plane himself, leaving Dylan watching their guests. Sierra can sense tension coming from the boys.

Sierra (serious)
"Ok, what's wrong in there?"

Dylan:
"Just a little technical difficulty."

Sierra:
"Exactly what kind of difficulty?"

Dylan steps up beside her and whispers the answer in her ear, not wanting to disclose their problems to the soldiers. Sierra looks as though she's becoming sick to her stomach.

Dylan (soft, comforting)
"It's ok, it wasn't your fault. We were being shot at, the plane was moving in pretty unnatural ways, anybody could have made that mistake."

Inside the Jet Rover, DJ is removing access panels in the floor to get to the backup power cells. He opens a panel near the pilot's seat and smoke rises.

DJ (astonished)
"Oh man, how'd that happen?"

He reaches in and pulls out a fist full of wires. The rubber coating has been melted off and they are charred black.

Sierra is just finishing with the first aid kit when DJ emerges from the plane.

Sierra:
"Well?"

DJ holds up a small bundle of burned wires.
"This is a bad thing."

He tosses the mess over his shoulder and points a threatening finger at one of the soldiers. (Angry) "I ought to slug you. These repairs aren't going to fall under the factory warranty. This thing has already been shot down and put back together once, I'm gonna have a heck of a time trying to explain this to the insurance guys."

Sierra:
"Now what?"

Dylan points to one of the soldiers.
"This joker had to have landed his chopper before he went after you, let's go to where he set down and use the radio there."

The others agree and they begin to walk through the desert scrub towards the attack chopper. They don't get far before the sound of helicopter rotor blades reaches their ears.

Dylan:
"Oh man, not again!"

The chopper that had gone after DJ had never landed, they hadn't gotten its' pilot. As the aircraft comes into view they see two rope ladders dangling from it and hanging onto the ladders are two more uniformed soldiers. The crew from the chopper they'd shot down. DJ raises the a gun and aims for one of the men on the ladders, but before he can fire, the helicopter pilot fires a single shot from the chain gun. The small, explosive tipped shell strikes the ground only a couple feet in front of DJ. The explosion is small but sends up a storm of dirt and rocks which pelt him. He falls backwards to the ground. Before the others can react the pilot speaks through a loud speaker.

Helicopter pilot. (Threatening, over loud speaker)
"Drop the guns and put your hands in the air or the next one will rearrange your friend's insides.

There isn't much of a choice, DJ is laying stunned on the ground with that chain gun centered right on him. Dylan and Sierra toss the guns aside and raise their hands. The captors become the captives as the three soldiers on the ground retrieve their weapons. The helicopter lands and three more armed men join their comrades. The pilot of this chopper has bars on his sleeve, distinguishing him as an officer. They all concentrate on Dylan and Sierra, thinking that DJ must surely have been knocked out by the blast at his feet. Thus nobody notices when he curls his right leg up to his body, fidgets with his boot, then stretches back out again. The officer who'd been flying the chopper steps forward with an evil smile on his face.

Officer (taunting)
"You puppies have had quite a day, it's time for you to go back to your kennels for a rest."

The soldiers proceed to bind Dylan and Sierra with handcuffs. The officer raises a walkie-talkie to his mouth.

Officer:
"Transport 1, this is Lt. Becker. The dogs are leashed, come on in."

One of the soldiers walks to where the supposedly unconscious DJ is laying. He rolls DJ over onto his stomach so he can secure his hands, but the Road Rover has other ideas. With a sweeping kick DJ knocks the man's legs out from under him. He then rolls across the ground, grabs the soldier's gun and jerks himself upright. Becker aims his gun at Sierra.

Lt. Becker (threatening) "Drop it Rover."

DJ (defiant)
"No, you drop it scum bag."

DJ aims and fires. His shot is perfectly placed, hitting Becker's gun and knocking it from his grip. One of the other men holds his own gun to Dylan's head.

Soldier:
"The Lieutenant said drop your gun, dog."

DJ growls menacingly but with no choice, he tosses the gun away and allows his hands to be secured behind his back.

Interior Road Rover Mission Control, operations center.
This is the nerve center of RRMC, a large room with computer stations lining three of the walls. These stations control and monitor everything from internal security, to long range communications, to the Road Rover satellite system, and just about everything else. On the fourth wall is a huge view screen with several smaller screens around it. In the center of the room is the tactical planning station, a large table with a map of the world and several screens which can be set to display detailed maps of any region on Earth. Jutting from one wall is a balcony where the Master can stand and direct operations is crisis situations.

Hunter is seated at computer familiarizing himself with the new software. He is startled by Colleen's voice behind him.

Colleen:
"Where are Dylan and the others? Surely they ought to be back by now."

Hunter looks at the clock.
"I dunno, but you're right, they should be back by now."

Exile is sitting at another terminal near Hunter. He hears Colleen and Hunter and comes forward with the answer.

Exile:
"Dylan reported strange radio signals over the desert in Arizona, they went to play Sherlock Holmes. But come to think of it, they never called back."

Exile gets up and walks to the communications board. He keys in the frequency he'd last spoken with them on.
"Mission Control to Jet Rover, do you read?"

No response.

Exile:
"Mission Control to Jet Rover, can you read?"

Silence.

Exile (concerned)
"Mission Control to Jet Rover, Sierra, Dylan, DJ, do you hearski?"

Nothing. Something was definitely wrong. Hunter joins Exile and links up the satellite connection.

Hunter (positive)
"They're out there somewhere, probably digging holes."

After keying in the tracking command Hunter waits for the satellite to pick up the signals from their collar tags and relay their position back to him. He doesn't have to wait long. There they are in northern Arizona, in the same area they'd gone to check out those strange radio signals, but why were they still there? And why hadn't they called in?

Hunter:
"Let's wait a minute and see what happens."

Interior transport helicopter, sky over somewhere
The three young Road Rovers sit handcuffed in their seats. In an effort to eliminate any tracking devices their captors have confiscated their collars and watches. DJ is fidgeting in his seat, he turns himself so his back somewhat faces Dylan.

DJ:
"Hey Dylan, look at my hands and tell me what you see. It hurts like heck."

Dylan turns to look at DJ. The brown fur of DJ's left wrist is stained a dark red.

Dylan:
"Your wrists are bleeding."

DJ:
"Dang it, these things are on so tight they're gonna cut my hands clean off before much longer."

Dylan (dry)
"Well quit moving. Mine are that way too. There's no use fighting it so just sit still."

Dylan then turns his attention to Sierra.
"How about you? You ok?"

Sierra tries to peer over her shoulder at her hands.
"I'm ok but my fingers are numb. These things are cutting off my circulation."

A young soldier sitting in front of Sierra stands and steps back to her. Pulling his key ring from his belt, he loosens her cuffs a few clicks, not enough for her to get her hands free, but enough to relieve the pressure. He does the same for DJ and Dylan. As the soldier moves back to his seat DJ nods to him.

DJ:
"Thanks buddy."

Soldier (commanding)
"Stay quiet or I'll have you muzzled."

DJ (sighs)
"Fair enough."

Interior Road Rover Mission Control, operations center.
All the Rovers except Colleen are here. The collar signals had not moved and Hunter is now convinced there is trouble. Colleen enters the room.

Colleen:
"The Master agrees with you Huntie, he wants us to investigate."

Hunter:
"Suit up Rovers, we've got to fly."

Interior Sonic Rover, cockpit, over the Arizona desert
Everybody is now clad in Road Rover uniforms. Hunter is flying with Colleen in the copilot's seat. Colleen has the sensors tuned in to the collar frequency and it isn't long before it homes in on their position. Hunter swings the plane in a wide circle and there in the desert scrub they see the wreckage of the Jet Rover.

Hunter:
"Ouch, I dunno what happened but I bet DJ's not happy."

Hunter sets the Sonic Rover down and the Rovers disembark and walk towards the downed plane.

Hunter (teasing)
"Somebody call a tow?!"

No response, nobody is around.

Hunter:
"Ok Rovers, fan out and let's find ‘em, the sun's going down."

Colleen:
"Roger."

Hunter (naive)
"Don't call me Roger."

Colleen sets off to the north, Blitz sets himself a course parallel to Colleen's, (big surprise.) Shag goes to the east and Hunter walks to the south while Exile inspects the Jet Rover. They haven't gone far when they hear Exile's alarmed voice.

Exile:
"Bolshoi! Somebody has been using our comrades for practice of target shooting!"

Everybody runs back to the Jet Rover and Exile shows them the holes in the right wing. Well that explained the crash, but where were Dylan, Sierra, and DJ? Hunter glances at the ground, deep in thought. It is then that he notices footprints, lots of them. He smells something too, human scent, somebody besides the three young Road Rovers had been here.

Colleen (from the other side of the plane)
"Huntie, Exile, have a look at this!"

Hunter and Exile walk around to where the collie is standing. There under a small bush are three collars and three Road Rovers wrist watches. Colleen holds up one of the collars, two tags dangle and reflect the waning sunlight.

Colleen (concerned)
"Something's definatley amiss, that lad would never willingly leave this."

Hunter:
"Ok Rovers, everybody pick a set of footprints and follow it, we're going to find them if it takes all night."

Hunter drops to his hands and knees and sniffs at the dirt, the others follow suit and once again they head out in different directions.

Interior, transport helicopter.
The three Rovers sit in silence as they'd been ordered. It is obvious that the whole thing is seriously grating on DJ's nerves. Having his movement restricted is not something that agrees with him. Sierra slouches in her seat and tries to sleep but the noise and turbulence of the helicopter make that impossible. Like DJ, Dylan is trying to control his anger. The young soldier who'd adjusted their restraints earlier now stands again and steps back with a container of water. He gives each Rover a drink. DJ again nods in thanks but this time says nothing. The young man looks troubled, but what could possibly be bothering him? Having three Road Rovers captive should be quite an ego booster.

Exterior, Arizona desert.
The sun has gone down, the Road Rovers regroup back at the Jet Rover. In the dark they'd lost the footprints but not the smell, each reports dog scent and human scent along all the trails of prints, obviously their three friends had encountered somebody. Off in the distance a coyote howls. Hearing this, Shag whimpers. Hunter shakes his head.

Hunter:
"No Shag, you didn't leave the water running."

Exile walks in from the darkness, he has five flashlights from the Sonic Rover. He distributes the lights and they prepare to split up again.

Colleen:
"Has anyone checked the flight data recorder?"

Hunter looks embarrassed and smacks himself in the forehead.

Hunter:
"We goofed Exile, let's get that recorder and see what we can find out."

Interior, transport helicopter, secret base, somewhere in the mountains of western Montana
The chopper has landed and soldiers are beginning to disembark.

Soldier (commanding)
"Ok you three. Up."

Sierra, Dylan, and DJ stand and two armed soldiers escort them off the aircraft and across the landing area. They are inside a large hangar similar to the one back at RRMC. Off to one side is about a dozen helicopters of various sizes. On the other side of the hangar is a lineup of jeeps, humvees, and three axle transport trucks (like the ones seen in "Hunter's heros.") Uniformed men busy themselves with some of the vehicles. The passing of the three cano-sapiens raises everyone's attention. Dylan flinches as if he actually feels the dozens of eyes on him as he and his friends are led away. They are directed through an open set of double doors, Dylan happens to glance to his left and sees the letters "GEN" on the door. He quickly looks to the other side. "PAR" is painted on that door in large red letters. DJ and Sierra meet his eyes with theirs, signaling that they had seen the same thing. GEN-PAR Industries, a fictitious corporation used as a cover for General Parvo's operation.

The Rovers are led down a series of hall ways to a detention area. DJ seems to be favoring his right leg. One of the soldiers unlocks their handcuffs and directs them to enter a holding cell. They comply, resisting now would probably just get them all killed. The cell door slides shut behind them. They look around, the cell is small and spartan. Two bunk beds stand against opposite walls, a crude bathroom facility is concealed behind a curtain at the rear of the cell. DJ takes a seat on one of the bunks.

DJ:
"Ah heck this aint so bad, it reminds me of some of the roadside motels Keith and I've stayed at."

Exterior, Arizona Desert, night.
The Road Rovers minus Colleen are standing near the Wreckage of the Jet Rover, gathered around Exile who is holding a small red metal box, the Jet Rovers flight recorder. Exile sets it to play forward from two minutes before it stopped recording.

Dylan's recorded voice: (loud engine noise in the back ground)
"Three bogies six ‘o clock low!!"

Sierra's recorded voice:
"MAYDAY MAYDAY, were under attack, three aggressors, heavily armed! We need support now!..."

The Road Rovers all go silent with shock as they listen to the Jet Rover's flight recorder. Colleen joins the group. Hunter turns to her.

Hunter:
"Anything?"

Colleen:
"I found a patch of disturbed ground where it looks like a large helicopter set down. Everybody's prints and scent are there, they left in that chopper."

Hunter (dejected)
"Well crew, we can't do anymore good tonight, we'd best head home and get a full scale search underway first thing in the morning."

Everybody boards the Sonic Rover. Hunter gets the plane airborne and turns into the wind to gain altitude. Exile casts an absent minded glance out the window and spots something.

Exile:
"Comrade Hunter, is helichopper on the ground. It's kaputski."

Hunter (sighs)
"Let's have a look, what've we got to loose?"

Interior, Parvo's base, detention area.
Sierra is now just as anxious as the boys had been earlier. For the fourth time she pulls back her glove to look at her watch, only to see that it is gone. DJ is dozing on one of the bunks and Dylan isn't looking too awake either.

Sierra:
"Dylan, question."

Dylan raises his head.
"Yeah?"

Sierra:
"How did we manage to get ourselves into this mess?"

Dylan:
"Stuff just happens, Murphy's law."

Sierra pulls her gloves off and lets them drop to the floor, then stretches out on one of the bunks.

Sierra (annoyed)
"If I ever see this Murphy guy I'm going to kill him."

DJ sits up and cracks a small smile.
"I wouldn't worry too much, it's Parvo we're up against. The guy used to be a cat, how hard can it be?"

Dylan heists himself up to the bunk over DJ.

Dylan:
"Well, whatever they plan to do it looks like they're going to do it later, lets just try and get some rest so we can be ready for it."

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