Now Michael roamed the floors of the hotel hosting the Conference, somehow managing to get seen by all the necessary delegates but avoid getting sucked into trivial chit-chat with any of the pompous attendees. Kitt, whose turn on display wouldn't come around until the next night, was completely bored out of his highly advanced computer mind. The only thing keeping him from going entirely mad was the sheer amusement he got out of his driver's discomfort.

//Yeah, yeah.// Michael groused down the link. //Laugh it up, Pal. Your time will come.//

Kitt laughed, grinning unashamedly as he sensed Michael's hasty dodge to avoid the pinching fingers of one excessively friendly old matron. The elderly woman, slightly tipsy on the expensive champagne and still managing to look regal in layers of jewelry, had been trying to seduce the handsome American ever since she'd first seen him. Her technique, however, had a tendency to leave bruises in delicate places if Michael wasn't fast enough to avoid her questing hands.

//Good God, Kitt! She's worse than an octopus!// He complained, unobtrusively rubbing his aching backside.

//Buck up, Michael.// Kitt admonished unsympathetically. //It's for a good cause. Besides, she's just one old woman. You've faced worse odds than this!//

Michael scowled. //You're just saying that because no one can pinch you.//

//Hey, now!// Kitt retorted, still chuckling. //I have to deal with everyone leaving fingerprints on the MBS finish and cooing at me like a baby. I think it's only fair you have to live with a few bruises.// The problem with being leagues ahead of most computer technology was that almost no one could accept an Artificial Intelligence as a sentient thinking, feeling life form. More often than not, those introduced to him either treated him like a particularly smart machine or a naïve small child. It could be extremely frustrating, but Kitt had learned to deal with it by just ignoring them.

Leaving his partner to mingle with the high-class crowd of vultures, Kitt turned his attention to the link he shared with his brother, Karr. The older AI had raised a light block after informing Kitt that he and his driver, Nick, would be meeting Nick's lover, Alex, for a weekend getaway. While the brothers normally kept in close communication, sometimes one or the other needed temporary privacy, and a light block could provide that without being rude. Kitt usually didn't mind. If all else failed, they normally had access to the little-used broadband channel that connected the two cars. Unfortunately, the channel, unlike a neural link, did not work very well over distances and was all but useless from another continent.

Now Kitt sat staring at the block Karr had erected in confusion. When he'd last checked it earlier that night, the block had been a simple mental shield designed to keep out only the most basic thoughts. Either Kitt or Karr could have easily broken it or leaked through it with little effort. Now, however, Kitt was confounded to find not a light shield but a thick solid wall preventing any crossing over the link.

Coalescing his bright white soul into a tendril of energy, Kitt gently brushed over the block to check for weaknesses. There were none; the block was as solid as any Karr had ever built. Beginning to become alarmed, Kitt brushed over the block once more then rapped soundly against it. If Karr was listening on the other side, he hoped to get his attention and maybe get him to drop the block so he could find out why such a strong shield had been raised.

There was no response. Not that Kitt really expected one, but it would have been nice.

//Kitt? Partner, you okay?// Michael suddenly asked, sensing Kitt's confusion and growing distress.

Busy studying the barrier once more, Kitt nodded slightly to reassure his partner. //Yes. It's just… Karr has erected a block so strong I can't get anything at all from our link, and he's not responding to my knocking. I don't know what's going on, but I'm beginning to get worried.//

So was Michael. He knew as well as Kitt that the only reason Karr would block his younger brother so diligently was if something bad had happened to either he or Nick. But he didn't want to jump to conclusions -- both Nick and Karr were fully capable of taking care of themselves and had proven it on many occasions. Still, he frowned in concern.

//What should we do, Michael?// Kitt wondered worriedly.

//I don't know, Kitt.// he answered slowly, thinking through the possible implications of the block carefully //It's not like when we're at home. We can't just hit the road and ride to the rescue. We're on the other side of the world here, Kitt!//

Kitt frowned but nodded. Michael was right, of course. Yet even knowing they couldn't really do much didn't alleviate his fear. Karr was his only brother, the only other sentient AI in existence; Kitt couldn't lose him.

//All right, for now// he conceded. //But if I don't hear from him by tomorrow morning, I want to go back.//

Michael sighed at the ultimatum, but didn't really disagree. //Okay, here's a compromise. How about I call Bonnie and ask her to stop by the warehouse? Maybe Nick or Karr left a note or something.// It was weak and he didn't really believe it himself, but it was the best he could do for the moment.

Kitt agreed and left Michael to finish out his night's duty. Over the next few hours, Kitt idly dozed as he watched the walled-off link to his only brother, silently wishing it would dissolve into nothingness under his ardent gaze.

Night had fallen and the Larabee Ranch was quiet. Alex slept fitfully in the spare bedroom that was normally Vin's, the rest of the Seven sleeping throughout the sprawling ranch house wherever they were most comfortable. Vin had tried to convince them to go home after he'd gotten Alex settled, but his teammates had refused to leave him to face this alone.

Smiling at their show of solidarity, Tanner padded softly out onto the front porch. Only once he was safely outside did he puts his boots on, then he wove through the various parked vehicles to get to the one that sat apart from the rest.

"Karr," he whispered, in case the AI was actually getting the rest he needed. Not that Vin really expected him to. Even if Nick were here, the distrustful AI would never deliberately power down in unfamiliar surroundings. He would never leave himself that vulnerable.

Karr, proving that he was awake and aware, silently opened his door in invitation.

Vin gladly accepted the offered seat, plopping down into the warm interior. It was cold outside even in the summer at this elevation, and Vin had forgotten to put on his jacket.

"You hear anythin' from Nick?" he asked. That was one thing they hadn't been able to discuss earlier. The neural link that bound man and machine was a secret to all but a few. Tanner respected that. As much as he may trust his teammates, it wasn't his secret to tell. He wouldn't ask Karr to reveal the truth unless there was no other choice.

"No," the AI finally responded, voice tightly controlled.

Perhaps a little too controlled, but Vin chose not to comment on it.

"We cannot depend on the link for information, Mr. Tanner." Karr continued. "I am maintaining a block on Nick's orders, and I will continue to uphold it until I know for certain he is safe."

Vin nodded. "Reckon that's pretty smart. What about this other team of FLAG's? They gonna be any help?"

Karr frowned, glancing from the block shielding him from Nick to the one he'd erected blocking his other link to Kitt. Briefly, he debated dropping it and telling his brother what had happened, but he quickly dismissed the thought. Nick didn't want Michael going after him, and his brother and his driver were overseas anyway. Kitt and Knight were too far away to be of any immediate assistance, and Karr didn't want to worry his brother needlessly. The younger AI had had some harrowing experiences in the last few years, and though he'd recovered from the torture wrought on his soul by Jennifer Knight's tests, other moments of darkness had since left their mark on his light presence. Karr wanted to protect his brother as he hadn't been able to protect his partner. He would tell him after everything was over, one way or another.

Tanner was still waiting patiently for a response. He'd managed to worm himself into a comfortable spot across the custom seats and was fighting to stay awake. Unexpectedly, Karr felt grateful for his presence. The Hunter would never be his partner, but the two shared a dark past that had shaped them into surprisingly similar men.

Locking down, securing the Stealth for the night, Karr quietly answered the Texan's question then encouraged him to fall asleep. With the obstinate sniper snoring imperceptibly in his cabin, Karr finally allowed himself to rest and dropped into standby mode.

Morning came early to the foothills outside of Denver. Nestled at their base, the Larabee Ranch sprawled for nearly a mile in either direction. Smack dab in the center, butted up against one low hill for shelter from the high winds that blew through these rolling valleys, a whitewashed one-story house spread across the plain. Positioned kitty-corner to the extensive home and backing to a large grassy field, a big red barn sheltered the seven horses owned by the men of the ATF's leading team.

Vin came awake with the first rays of sunlight, his internal clock waking him even though Karr had all the windows darkened to keep out the light. Tanner smiled and, greeting the AI good morning, stepped out of the low Stealth to stretch his cramped spine.

Chris was just emerging from the ranch house, coming to perform his daily chores and feed the horses. He smiled at Vin, glancing curiously at the dark Stealth, then waited for the Texan to join him at the entrance to the stables. As was becoming their tradition whenever Vin stayed at the ranch, Tanner went to feed the horses and turn them out for their morning run as Chris set to the other chores. Working side by side, each was comfortable in the companionable silence.

"Need a favor, Cowboy." Vin said softly, not turning to look at Chris as he stroked Peso's silky muzzle. He automatically watched to make sure the ornery beast didn't bite his fingers.

Chris stopped what he was doing, twisting his head to look at the reticent Texan curiously.

Shrugging, Vin explained. "Can't use a car in the mountains, even one like the Stealth. Gotta go on foot, or on horseback. Reckon I'd take Peso, make better time than I could on my own and he knows these hills almost as well as I do. But I's gonna need ta borrow your truck to get 'im out to a spot we can start off from."

"Sure. I'll get the trailer hooked up. When are you planning on heading out?"

"As soon as possible prob'ly be best. Don't know how long it's gonna take to get Nick back, and I don't want to leave him where he is any longer than necessary. Ain't no one deserves that." Vin's eyes darkened momentarily, then cleared as he continued outlining his plans. "But I gotta head into town first. Got some things I need to get. My rifle, some clothes, any other gear I might be needin'." He grinned ruefully. "Wasn't exactly fixin' on a rescue mission in the mountains when I agreed to come out here, Larabee."

The blonde smiled back, but quickly grew serious again.

"You gonna be okay, Vin?" he asked worriedly.

As the team's sharpshooter, Tanner was often separated from the others during a bust; and while not as vulnerable as Standish, he was less protected than the others with no one to watch his back. Vin was normally the one watching their backs, but that didn't mean the other members of the team didn't worry about him being up on his own in the rafters or wherever he'd chosen to perch. Now he was talking about going out into something dangerous without even the illusion of support. Chris didn't like it, but he knew there was nothing he could say to make the stubborn Texan change his mind.

"Yeah. If y'all take care of Alex for me, reckon I kin handle what I gotta do. Ain't the first time I fought alone, Chris. I remember how ta do it. But this ain't the same." He grinned at Larabee's confusion, knowing the confident man before him had never really known what it was like to be alone and grateful for it even as he envied it. Even when he'd lost his wife and child, Larabee hadn't been alone. Buck had stuck by him, refusing to abandon his friend no matter how awful the man in black behaved. Tanner had always appreciated Buck's steadfast loyalty to his friends. He didn't want to know what his life would have been like if he'd lost Chris before he'd ever met him.

"How is it not the same? We aren't gonna be there to watch your back, pard."

"No," Vin agreed mildly, "but you's gonna be here when I get back. Reckon that means a hell of a lot to me."

Pleased, Chris reached out at the same time as Vin. Rather than shake hands as others might, their forearms slapped together in a tight clasp of brotherhood between warriors. They smiled at each other, nodded, then turned to head in for breakfast.

With Alex safely occupied while Nathan fussed over her wound, Vin talked Karr into taking him to get the supplies he'd need. The AI was restless, worried about his partner but trying not to show it too obviously, but Tanner sensed Karr needed the chance to move. He was proven correct when the moment they hit the open road, the AI revved his powerful engine and the Stealth accelerated to a dizzying velocity. Vin had a moment of panic as he watched the speedometer rise, but relaxed as he realized Karr got a measure of relief out of the speed.

Sitting back in the driver's seat, content to let Karr exercise his control over the Stealth, Vin watched the passing scenery zip by as he formed a mental list of all he would need. His sniper's rifle, of course. It was a weapon he knew well, one he preferred to use whenever he could. He knew every inch of it, could anticipate its degree of function in any situation, and never felt as comfortable as he did with it in his hands. He had had it longer than he cared to remember. But, it was a part of him he was loath to give up.

Only it wasn't all he would need. He didn't know exactly what to expect, but a hard fight with Nash's men was almost guaranteed. He'd need more weapons than just his rifle. He'd also need some wilderness survival gear; especially if he expected to drag an injured MacKenzie back through the mountains to a pick-up point.

Speaking of which, he's need something to notify Karr to pick them up that could be easily carried and concealed. His cell phone would be useless in the dead zones of the mountains, and the cloud cover would obstruct a satellite phone's signal. Traditional electronic communications equipment would be likewise restricted. The distances and difficulty of the terrain he'd have to cross would render them ineffective. No, he'd need something more versatile and robust. Something guaranteed to work and remain undetected. He couldn't take the chance of anyone else monitoring an insecure channel. But technology had never been his strong suit. He was at a loss about possible alternatives.

Luckily, he was currently sitting in one of the most advanced technological developments ever made, so he knew just who to ask.

"Eh, Karr? You know of anything I can use to contact you once I got Nick?"

In response, a hidden compartment in Karr's vaguely futuristic dash snapped open. Inside it, Vin found a tiny speaker designed to fit out of sight inside the ear canal. It was similar to something he'd used in the Rangers, so he was already familiar with its basic use. Beside the miniature earpiece however, almost unnoticed by the sharp-eyed Texan, was a flat transparent square about a centimeter in width and length. Tanner had no idea what it was.

Holding the square gingerly between his fingers, Vin quirked an eyebrow at the AI.

"Peel the backing off and place it over your throat. There is a tiny microprocessor imbedded in the material. It will record the vibrations of your vocal cords as you speak and transmit them to me. I can translate the vibrational data into words." Karr explained. "However, you must enunciate carefully. I cannot translate your particular 'flavor' of English."

Tanner, hardly offended, merely laughed. He was perfectly capable of speaking clearly when he concentrated, but otherwise his Texas drawl emerged and blurred his speech. He never noticed until someone looked at him strangely. But then, as far as he was concerned, it was the rest of the world that had an accent.

"Great," he said, "now the only thing I need is a way to find Nick. Got a lot a territory to cover in them mountains. Be nice to be able to narrow it down some."

Karr thought a moment, then suddenly realized. "The implant."

"Huh?"

"The neural implant is still emitting pulses. You should be able to track those." Of course, they would have to modify a transistor to detect the implant's signals. That was a simple enough procedure, but who would do it? Certainly not the technically-inept Vin Tanner.

Said technically-inept sharpshooter was confused. "If ya got a block between you and Nick, how'd ya know the implant is still working?"

"Because I haven't killed anyone yet." Karr answered, only half-kidding. "If the link were cut completely, both parties would soon fall into separation sickness. As I am not suffering the symptoms of a separation, the link must still be active."

"Oh."

Karr rolled his eyes. The Hunter may be a lethal assassin and a skilled federal agent, but he was even worse than Knight when it came to understanding computer technology.

Less than fifteen minutes later they were pulling up before a dilapidated four story brick monstrosity built sometime in the last century, and looking so ancient and misused the slightest shove against one wall might push the whole thing over. Karr ran a quick scan of the building and felt a strong measure of relief. If this building was any indication, Tanner might just be successful in his mission.

The Stealth stopped, nose inches from a set of huge bay doors that appeared to have rusted together. The AI watched as his passenger got out and approached a small section of the wall covered in the most graffiti. He was only mildly surprised when with the flick of a hidden switch the section peeled back to reveal a nine digit security panel.

With the complex code punched in, the bay doors began to roll open on silent gears that belied their corroded appearance. Karr followed slowly as Tanner walked inside, the doors closing behind them just as silently as they'd opened. The inside of the warehouse looked to be just as run down as the outside, but Karr knew better. There was only a quiet moment of recognition as the Texan went to another control panel and entered another digital code, then stepped back to meet Karr in the center of the huge empty ground floor as the false walls on all sides rose up out of view. Shelves of gleaming pristine metal now surrounded the room, weapons of every make and description in an impressive display. A bank of computers, slightly out-of-date but by no means obsolete, lay quiescent in one corner. The monitor screens were dark, but Karr could sense the activity running through the coaxial lines as the mainframe performed whatever operation it had been programmed for -- most likely upholding the extensive security precautions.

Karr relaxed unconsciously; it almost felt like home.

"I see you and my driver are more alike than I had previously been aware of, Mr. Tanner. This warehouse looks very similar to one he would use."

"No kiddin'," Tanner smiled, spreading his arms in indication, "that's because it was Nick who built this fer me."

"Excuse me?"

Vin laughed at the stuttered sound of shock underlying the AI's toneless voice. Wasn't often a man got to one-up a computer. A grin slanted his lips as he looked around at the well-camouflaged high-tech base of operations the dilapidated warehouse contained.

"Hell, Karr, I got a lot a skills, but electronics and stuff ain't one of 'em. MacKenzie helped me put all this together, installed his patented 'cammo' security network," he added with a smirk, "and set it all to run automatically so's I don't gotta do nothin' but remember a few passwords."

"But those computers aren't more than a few months old, when could he have possibly done this?" And why didn't I know about it? Karr thought, but didn't say.

Vin nodded distractedly, already busy perusing the shelves for his armaments of choice. "We set it up after I pulled yer asses outta the fire in that incident with Nash the first time. The Stealth was being rebuilt for ya, Nick was healin', and the boy got bored. So while his crew worked on you, Nick worked on this place for me."

"That was six years ago!" Karr interjected, remembering the 'incident' with Nash all too well. The attack had been swift and thorough; the Stealth destroyed and human and CPU incapacitated. At the time, neither he nor Nick had even known who'd taken them captive. It wouldn't be until much later that Karr learned the identity of his enemy, not until that fateful day in San Diego over three years later. Nash had tried to destroy Nick again, but thanks to the timely intervention of Kitt and Knight had been unsuccessful. Karr hadn't begrudged his partner's silence in not telling him about Nash sooner. Through the neural link between them, he'd instinctively known just how painful any memories associated with the General were.

He had his own dark secrets, too.

"Yeah," Tanner was saying, oblivious to the AI's thoughts, "he arranged for one a his guys to come by twice a year to upgrade the security system, keep everything running proper-like. All I gotta do is maintain my guns and shit. And hell, that I kin do in ma sleep."

Turning back to face the Stealth, his arms loaded with a variety of weapons while still more resided in the unassuming leather bag over his shoulder, Vin smiled as he held up his finds.

"So, whaddya think?"

Karr ran his scanners over the Texan, noting the seven knives sheathed about his person; the grenades, semtex, claymores and other explosives secreted to the backpack; and the array of automatics and sub-machine guns held in his arms. Hell, the man even had a short sword hanging down the middle of his back. He looked like he was preparing to overrun a small nation, not rescue one lone man from a base in the mountains. Karr said as much.

"What? You think the sword is too much?" Vin teased.

"I think with that many weapons, you're going to make so much noise when you move you're not going to get within a mile of Nash without everyone knowing you're coming. If you want to play Rambo, why not just skip the small arms fire and jump straight to the ABM?"

Vin nodded thoughtfully, turning his head to look at the large antiballistic missile under discussion. Sitting up against one wall, it was almost as long as he was tall and just under a foot in diameter. "Nah," he considered, "it's a bit too big to tie ta Peso's saddle."

"And what you're planning to bring isn't?"

"Nope," Vin smirked and proceeded to drop most of the weapons until all he held were three of the smallest but most powerful handguns. The two Glocks were added to the leather bag, along with several cartridges of extra ammunition, while the silenced Luger was tucked away into the holster strapped to his thigh. The knives, explosives, and even the sword stayed.

Karr heaved a sigh into his CPU. Humans, he thought, picked the strangest times to show a sense of humor.

Eyes shining in anticipation, Vin walked over to one section of the far wall that appeared empty. Karr watched curiously, his scanners unable to penetrate the protective shielding, as the Hunter tapped a rhythm onto the center plate. Within seconds, the lead-lined titanium door swung open to reveal a hidden safe. Within it rested Vin Tanner's most prized possession.

Artfully arranged against a blue velvet backdrop, the hand-crafted personalized sniper's rifle with matching duopod and scope lay like a sleeping serpent. Vin reached out and gently ran his fingertips alone the sleek lines of the one-of-a-kind weapon, tracing the snakeskin-like camouflage pattern painted onto the unique surface. The rifle, created to suit his lethal needs, had been fashioned out of an extremely rare but very durable non-metal alloy. Not only was the material invisible to metal detectors, but it was lighter than any standard gun matter as well. The rifle's unique construction also ensured anonymity because it had been designed specifically not to score its bullets with the identifiable firing patterns typical of most guns. With it, not only was the Hunter an untraceable predator, but the light strength of the weapon meant his legendary accuracy was heightened to the extreme upper limits of his ability.

With it, he truly was the best sharpshooter on Earth.

Reverently, Vin picked up his rifle as if it were a delicate feather, even though he knew it was probably tougher than he was. Automatically, he went through the procedure of checking it thoroughly. He broke it down into pieces, cleaned its already spotless accoutrements, then reassembled the lethal hardware in minutes. He lined it up against his shoulder, smiling happily at the feel of the precious weapon as it settled naturally into position. It felt perfect.

Without turning around, without even taking his eyes off the rifle in his arms, Vin tossed his next words over his shoulder to the waiting Stealth.

"You mind sitting put for a few, Karr? I wanna make sure my sight is zeroed."

"How long will you be?"

"Not long. Got my own private shooting range downstairs in the basement. I try to get out at least once a week to practice, so ma baby's likely in perfect condition. I'll just be an hour or so," he added, disappearing down the stairs without waiting for an answer.

Karr watched him go, then decided he might as well run a few self-diagnostics as long as he was waiting in such a secure environment.

By the time they returned to the Ranch, the morning was almost over. As he pulled up in Karr, Vin saw that his friends had not been idle while he was gone. Chris had hooked his two-horse trailer to his huge black Dodge Ram, and Peso stood tethered beside it. JD came running up to him as he stepped out of the low-riding Stealth.

"Here, Vin!" the youth called, brandishing a small black device in his hands. "I got it modified to just the specifications you wanted, wasn't any trouble at all." Handing the gadget to his friend, Team Seven's technical expert smiled expectantly.

Not having a clue what the kid was talking about, Tanner stood holding the foreign object like it would explode in his face if he weren't careful. Suspicious, he turned and looked at the vehicle at his side.

"I forwarded the modification guidelines to Mr. Dunne while you were assembling your gear." Karr supplied innocently. It had not been difficult to discover whom to ask to complete the alterations on the transistor to detect the signals of Nick's implant. A quick check of the biographies of Tanner's teammates had revealed only the youngest agent possessed the required skills. In fact, Karr was marginally impressed by the youth's abilities. In a different field, they would make him a valuable informant for his driver. The only surprise had been that Dunne actually had the necessary equipment with him. Why he carried the obscure EMI amplifier, Karr couldn't have cared less.

"Uh… okay, that's good I guess." Vin bluffed, still lost. "But, uh, how does it work, JD?"

Taking back the device, Dunne expertly manipulated a few of the simple controls. A blinking arrow-shaped cursor appeared on the inlaid screen. Pointing, JD explained as he demonstrated each function. "The FET, field-effect transistor, works like a wireless Geiger-counter for electromagnetic radiation. It detects the faint electromagnetic impulses of electronic equipment, then the transistor amplifies the impulse. Per the specifications, I've added a satellite-driven feedback link to extend its range and a GPS hook up to correlate its position. Oh, and I was also able to adjust the frequency of the transistor so that it will only detect the minute EM pulses of a microchip using the code you gave me."

Having understood only about a tenth of JD's technical explanation, Vin nevertheless grasped the fact that the device could locate Nick by his implant, then all he would have to do was follow the arrow. Sounded simple enough.

Pocketing the FET and heeding JD's warning about its limited range of only a few miles despite the technical expert's best fiddling, Vin loaded his gear and contrary horse before turning to say goodbye to his friends. Alex crossed to him, the wound in her side not hampering her as she wrapped her arms around his neck and dropped a kiss of gratitude on his cheek. The natural scientist smiled at his blush as she stepped back, then went over to sit out of the way with Karr as Tanner's teammates came up for their turn.

One by one, each of them shook hands, slapped, or punched the sharpshooter on the arm. Each gave last minute advice, warned him to watch his back, then sternly admonished him to come back safe. Vin grinned at their mothering, but promised to behave when they threatened to handcuff him to his bed if he wound up in the hospital.

Lastly, Vin stood eye-to-eye with his boss and best friend. Neither he nor Chris said anything, standing there for a long moment, then all at once their arms snapped together in tight clasp of forearms. A small smile gracing his lips, the Texan nodded at nothing in particular, climbed in the truck, and drove off.

At an altitude of almost 60, 000 feet above the great blue expanse of the Atlantic Ocean, Michael sat with a nervous Kitt in the cargo hold of the Foundation's private plane. They'd arranged to fly home as soon as Bonnie had reported no sign of either Nick's or Karr's presence anywhere in Los Angeles, and Karr had still not responded to Kitt's frequent probes on the link. The sun had not even risen over the European horizon before the pair were loaded and in the air.

//Only another hour, Kitt, and we'll be in back in the States.// Michael reassured.

Not the least bit appeased, Kitt glowered at his human driver. //Yes, but then we've got to fly across the country for at least another six hours.// he added irritably.

Sighing, all Michael could do was wrap his warm amber presence around his partner's twitchy white light as he sent a wave of comfort across the link. Kitt's fear of flying made him apprehensive at the best of times, but with his brother out of contact and in who knew what danger, the young AI was all but beside himself with anxiety.

It was gonna be a long trip home.

On To Part 5