Nicole and Thomas explained to Eliza that there was no danger in her seeing what Thomas saw. He was plenty skilled enough so that she wouldn't be left behind.
But the assurances weren't necessary. Eliza was eager to go, and the new experience excited her. So she and Thomas sat in chairs, facing each other. Nicole, needed to transfer the images as a conduit, stood between them and grasped both their hands.
"Ready?" Thomas asked, and the other two nodded.
Though Nicole did not posses her son's abilities, she thought that she would have some idea of how this would happen. The first time she'd discovered her powers was when Davy had been searching for Pleter. It had been a few days after he'd regained his powers when Peter returned. She'd entered the Pad and noticed him sitting on the couch and had tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. But she'd gotten something else instead.
If Nicole had thought that searching with Davy was interesting, she was unprepared for searching with Thomas.
"Searching" was what Davy had called it. This was mostly because he usually did this when he was searching for someone missing. But Thomas didn't search for Davy, he knew where he was and they were there in an instant.
The first thing Eliza was aware of was the images around her. They were blurry, but quickly focused. She saw a warehouse. She herself wasn't there, but she was seeing it. It was an odd image, almost as if she was imagining it in her mind's eye. There were four figures in the warehouse. Three men stood around. The fourth was seated. As the image focused more, she noticed the facial features and saw that it was Davy. The other three men were talking, but Davy was tied to the chair in which he was seated. He didn't seem to be hurt.
Her first instinct was to run to him, but she felt no body with which to run. It was almost as if she was merely watching a scene, a show which she could take no part in.
She heard a voice. It was lower and quieter than the voices of the men in the corner. She recognized it as Davy's voice.
'Aren't you going to come?' he asked, and Eliza heard Thomas answer.
'I'm not sure yet where this is, ' Thomas replied. Eliza couldn't see Thomas, but she could hear him. Then Thomas' voice addressed her.
'If you want to talk, don't speak, just think the words,' he advised. Eliza would have nodded but she had no body. So she merely thought a mental affirmative.
'Davy?' she asked. She saw his head lift up and look around.
"Eliza?" he asked aloud, causing alarm from the other three. He quickly silenced himself.
'What on earth?' he asked mentally and quietly.
'Thomas let me come,' she explained feebly. 'Nicole helped,' she added, hoping he'd understand.
Davy nodded mentally so the men didn't think he was nodding at nothing.
'Are you alright?' she asked. He smiled a weak but hopeful smile.
'I'll be okay. As long as someone finds me,' he added to Thomas.
'I'm working on it,' the boy's thoughts replied. 'Come on Eliza, we've got to get to him.'
'Ok,' she replied. 'See you soon, love.'
If Eliza had been surprised by the journey there, she was even more surprised by the return. It felt as though she slid down a slide at a waterpark and there was consciousness and the real world at the other end.
"Did you find him?" she heard Mike asking as she slowly awoke.
"I don't know exactly where he is," Thomas replied. "But I think I can tell you how to get there. We haven't much time."
"Let's hurry, then," Micky replied, and they all ran out to the car (and the rescue).
"Now then, it's understood what will 'appen if you don't do as we say?" Allistair was saying to Davy. Davy nodded. "Good," he replied. "Watch." Standing directly in front of him was the bald, shorter man. He held a revolver and aimed it. It was pointing straight at Davy. Davy shuddered.
"Look behind you," the man instructed. Davy shifted as much as he could and saw that a target was placed behind him on the wall. The bull's eye was directly over his head.
"Go ahead, Charles," Allistair instructed. Charles aimed. Davy shut his eyes. Charles fired.
There was a loud bang, and Davy winced instinctively, waiting for the pain he knew would come soon. But there wasn't any pain.
"Look behind you," Charles said again, and Davy looked. The target had been hit. Now there was a dark hole in the bull's eye where the bullet had gone through. Davy gulped, and a shiver ran down his spine.
"A-all right," he agreed. "What do you want me to do?"
The third man laughed to himself.
"Alistair," he said, and Alistair pulled a rope.
The wall opposite Davy began to revolve. With a creak, it spun until the other side of the wall was facing the room. On that side of the wall was a chair, and in that chair sat a very distinguished looking gentleman. He was about six feet tall and quite heavy, with a mustache. He wore wire rimmed glasses that sat on his nose and from them peered two angry and scared brown eyes. He was dressed in a large black suit (to accomodate his obesity) and was bound and gagged in a manner similar to Davy.
Thought he'd never seen him before, Davy could tell from his appearance he was someone important. He was obviously scared, and Davy could sense worry and anger as well. But no clues as to who he was.
"Who-?" he began, but he was cut off again when Charles wrapped the smelly cloth around his face again, silencing him.
"There now," the third man said. "We'll 'ave none of your blabbing."
"Shall I allow 'im to talk, boss?" Alistair asked, and the boss nodded.
Alistair took the gag off of the other man and held a gun to his head.
"Now then," the boss said to him. "If you'll be so kind as to introduce yourself to our guest." He gestured toward Davy.
"No need for that," the man replied with a nod toward the gun barrel. "My name is Muhammed Barishaka, and I am the prime minister of Albania."
The boss went on. "For the past few years, Albania has been stockpiling their nuclear weapons. We want those weapons."
"And you will never get them," Barishaka said. "YOu need the secret arming codes. I have them, and I will not divulge them to the likes of you."
"Ah, but that's where you're wrong," the boss replied, chuckling to himself. "Because we've recently acquired a secret weapon." He gestured to Davy, chuckling, and Barishaka joined him.
"Him?" he laughed. "What can he do?"
Davy sighed through the gag as the men told Barishaka of their plan. ALl these evil types were the same. If he could just hold out a bit longer until the others got there....
"Turn here," Thomas commanded abruptly. "We have to hurry, we're almost out of time."
Eliza turned to him, alarmed. "Why?" she asked. "Is he alright?"
Thomas shook his head. "Um, Uncle Mike?" he asked. "You might want to slow down a bit."
"Why?" Mike asked, thinking they were about to pass the place. As if on cue, a siren began to wail, and blue and red lights began to flash.
"Aw man," Mike moaned as the police car drove up.
"I told ya you gotta watch your speed," Micky scolded.
"You never told me that," Mike replied.
"I didn't?" Micky asked. "Oh. Well, I should have." Mike rolled his eyes.
"I don't believe it," Berishaka was saying. "I don't believe that that little guy can do what you say he will."
"Believe it," the boss replied. "That little guy wil get in your head and make you reveal all of your secrets."
Barishaka, still not believing, just rolled his eyes as Alistair removed Davy's gag and replaced Barishaka's.
"Ready?" the boss asked. Davy looked at him.
'I need to stall,' he thought to himself."I-I need to be alone with 'im, please. F-for a few minutes?"
"No."
"Why?"
"No."
"Why?"
"I said so," he replied.
"Why?"
"I'm not leaving you and him alone. Now get to work. Unless you'd like to be single all your life..?" he asked.
Davy gulped. "Ok. Ok." He shut his eyes and went to work. But not on what he was supposed to.
"Sorry, it's not my fault. We're hurrying," Thomas said.
"What'd you say, Thomas?" Peter asked, looking at him, confused.
"Just answering Davy," Thomas explained.
"Is he okay?" Eliza asked. Thomas nodded.
"We're running out of time, though," he replied.
It had taken Mike awhile to talk the policeman out of giving him a ticket. The guy didn't believe his story about hurrying to save his friend and the world. He considered bringing Mike downtown to check out his sanity. Eventually, however, Mike accepted the ticket, though with much grumbling. He complained that if all went well, he would make Davy pay for half of it. Eventually, they were on their way again.
Davy sighed. At least they were on their way, but not fast enough. He focused on Barishaka, knowing they would get impatient with him if he didn't. While he did this, his hands worked behind him in an attempt to loosen the ropes.
He didn't know Berishaka, but that didn't make his job any more difficult. Or take any longer. Once he was in his head, he was mesmerized. Navigating his way through Barishaka's head, he located the secret arming codes with ease.
Without being fully aware of what he was doing, he began to recite them. As he did, Charles began to enter them into a nearby computer terminal.
"Good, good," the boss said, pleased, as Davy recited all but one of the codes. "Only one more."
Davy snapped out of his trance, finally realizing what he was doing.
"No, no," he mumbled to himself. His head began to hurt. He tried to bring his hands to his head, forgetting they were tied behind him. His head ached from coming out of his trance so quickly.
"No," he moaned loudly. "I won't do it."
"You have to," the boss replied. He grabbed Davy's chin, holding his head upright. "Remember Eliza? Tell me the last code."
"No. I wont," Davy moaned.
The boss held Davy's chin stiff and looked into his eyes. "She'll die," he threatened.
Davy shut his eyes. "The last code is," he began. Charles poised at the terminal.
"If it doesn't work, she'll die," the boss warned Davy. Davy recited the last code, and Charles typed it in.
"It's the correct code," Charles reported.
Davy had finally removed the ropes from his wrists and began to untie the rest of himself. The other three were interested in something at the terminal and didn't notice Davy. He untied himself and sneaked across the room to Barishaka.
"Shh," he whispered to the obese dignitary."Don't make a sound."
Barishaka nodded mutely as Davy untied him.
Just then the door burst open, and Mike, Peter, Micky, and Eliza burst in.
"Don't worry Davy, we'll--" Mike began heroically. He stopped, seeing Davy had untied himself. Eliza rushed to Davy where he knelt, untying Barishaka.
"Don't worry about me, stop them," he said, distractedly as he finished untying the man.
"Stop right there," the boss interrupted suddenly. Charles was aiming his revolver at them. "It's too late you know," he explained triumphantly.
"At this moment, six nuclear missiles are aimed, armed, and pointed at this country. They will shoot off in precisely one minute." He pushed a button on the terminal and a countdown appeared. Eliza grabbed Davy tightly, and wrapped her arms around him.
"You can't do this," Davy told them.
The boss raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Why not?" he asked.
"It's wrong, first of all," Peter explained. "Second of all, you'll kill millions of people, including yourselves."
He chuckled to himself and grinned. "I know. The ultimate sacrifice in the name of patriotism." He looked Davy in the eyes. "Something you knownothing about." Davy stared back, holding the boss in a trancelike state.
The others watched as neither of them moved and the boss was completely mesmerized.
Just then, the door swung open again and Nicole and Thomas entered. They'd been waiting in the car for the others, but had gotten worried and decided to come in and see what was going on.
Charles was distracted just long enough for Micky to take the gun from his hand and point it back at him.
"Stop them," he commanded, thrusting the gun in his direction.
"I can't," Charles said. Micky shoved the gun at him again.
"Do it or eat lead," he commanded in his best gangster voice. With the timer down to only five seconds, Charles turned to the timer and began to type quickly. The countdown shut off. The others sighed in relief. Peter and Nicole hugged in relief.
"You saved the day," Peter said, hugging Thomas, who just smiled knowingly.
Suddenly, Davy fell back, clutching his head, and moaning. The boss had somehow managed to escape his grip. Then he reached into his pocket and produced a revolver, which he pointed at Davy.
"Now you shall die," he said, triumphantly.
"No!" Eliza yelled. She ran to Davy, between him and the gun pointed at his head.
The gun went off.
Davy looked up. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. The bullet slammed into Eliza's chest, shoving her back into him.
Davy wanted to yell, but he couldn't make a sound. He just felt tears as they already started to spil from his eyes. The way the blood was spilling from Eliza's wound.
Peter and Mike managed to get the gun away from the boss. Outside, sirens began to wail.
Peter looked at Nicole. "Did you call the police?" he asked. She shook her head.
"I did," Thomas explained.
"You did?" Thomas nodded. The police came shortly afterwards, taking the others away and Eliza to the hospital.
Mike, Peter, and Micky headed down the hall way of the hospital. Up ahead, they saw a short, solemn figure sitting in the hall. They looked at each other for a moment, hesitating, and then walked up to him.
"So..um?" Mike asked.
"She's dead," Davy said, before any of them could say anything. The other three exchanged glances again. Peter opened his mouth to say something, but realized he didn't know what to say, so he shut it.
"The bullet hit very close to her heart," Davy continued with out looking up. "It was only a matter of time."
"Gee, Davy, I'm sorry," Micky said. Davy didn't respond. He stood up and left the room.
The other three looked at each other. "Do you think he'll be okay?" Micky asked.
"I think he'll be okay," Peter replied. "He just needs some time. "
"I sure hope so," Mike said.
