Forever Knight / Knight Rider

Two Knights in Vegas

"Well, Mr. Smarty Pants, what do you say now?" Natalie Lambert said, standing over Nick's desk. She had that cat-that-ate-the-canary look on her face.

"About what?" He replied, looking up from the report he was working on.

"And you said they were nothing but come ons."

"What's nothing but come ons?"

"Well I won! So there."

"Won what?"

"Oh, Nick. You are so ... " She rolled her eyes.

"If you don't start making some sense soon, I'm going be forced to do something we will both regret."

"You remember that mail order catalog contest I showed you a couple of months back?"

"Oh yes. I remember. I told you it was a waste of time to enter. I tried to warn you that they were rigged and that you would have to buy hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise just to have even a chance to win. Nat. You didn't. Did you?"

"Depends on what 'DID' you're talking about. I DID NOT buy a lot of stuff. Just some makeup. And yes, I DID enter the contest. You practically dared me to, after all. I had to show you that they were on the level, didn't I? And I WON!"

"You won the million dollars?"

"No, not the grand prize."

"The car?"

"No. That's the first prize. I won the second prize. The all expense paid trip for two to Las Vegas. And YOU are going with me!"

"Yes. PLEASE." Captain Joe Stonetree came up to the desk. "Take him with you. Before you give me any lip, Knight, I was checking your record. You haven't had a vacation since you signed on."

"I've taken vacation days."

"Days. Yes. Actual vacation. No. There's no reason why you can't go with her. The Murdock case is wrapped up. By some strange miracle your paperwork is up to date. Now if you could just keep it that way all the time. There's no shortage of people to cover for you, and Schanke and his family left for Nova Scotia yesterday. GO, Detective Knight. Have a ball. That's an order."

**********

Los Angeles

"Well, Kitt. That's it. The case is closed and for the next two weeks I'm a free man." Michael Knight said, slipping behind the wheel of the black Trans Am.

"Michael. I've heard that song before." The car replied.

"Did anyone ever tell you that you're a pessimist?"

"Yes, Michael. You have. Many times."

"It's true. You are a pessimist. Seriously, though, even Devon agrees I need a vacation. For the next two weeks, it's going to be nothing but the desert sun, women and gambling. We're off to Las Vegas."

**********

Las Vegas

Kitt rolled to a stop in front of the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino. Michael got out and stretched his arms and flexed his cramped legs.

"I told you we should have stopped to rest every hundred miles or so, but no, you wanted to make it here before noon."

"Look, cut the comments. Just find a place to park yourself while I check in." Michael went to the desk as Kitt drove off. "Reservation for Knight?" He asked the clerk.

"Knight." The day clerk said, thumbing through a stack of check in cards. "Oh yes. Here we are. Room 914." He said handing Michael the key. "Enjoy your stay."

**********

Michael put his bags in the closet of room 914, took off his watch, put it in the desk while he changed clothes, and then headed for the gaming tables.

**********

It was well after sunset when Natalie and Nick pulled up to the door. Natalie had arranged for a closed van to be waiting at the airport. While there was little chance that Nick would have the need to take refuge from the sun, neither one of them wanted to take any chances. The valet parked the van while Natalie went to the desk.

"I believe you have rooms for Lambert and Knight?" She asked the night clerk.

"Ah, yes." He said, pulling two cards from the stack on the counter. "Miss Lambert, you are in room 912, and Mr. Knight, you have room 914." He handed them the keys. "As you requested, there are connecting doors and each unit has a complete kitchenette. Enjoy your stay at the Golden Nugget Hotel."

"As soon as I get settled in, it's off to the casino for me." Natalie said in the elevator.

"I didn't know you gambled." Nick replied.

"Nick. Don't you know anything about traveling? When you go to Orlando, Florida, you go to Disney World. When you go to Paris, you go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. When you go to Las Vegas, you go to the casinos. It's an unwritten law. You have to lose just enough to make you poorer but wiser. You coming with me?"

"Afraid not, Nat. You see, I ... have an unfair advantage."

"You mean your ... vampirism? How's that unfair?"

"No, that's not it, although that is a factor. You see, in one of my past identities I was a riverboat gambler. I know the games inside and out. I think I'll just catch some of the shows. After I take a bath." He said.

He laid his bags on the floor and unpacked the cooler, putting the bottles in the refrigerator. Then he went into the bathroom and turned on the shower.

In the desk, Michael's watch spoke. "Michael. There is someone ... or something in your room. I do not know what it is. Michael, can you hear me? Michael?"

Michael stood in the doorway. He had forgotten about his watch in the desk and had returned to retrieve it. That's when he heard the shower. He crouched into a karate position and slowly edged toward the bathroom. Once inside, he flung the shower curtain open and raised his arm for a karate chop to whoever was in there. As quick as he was, the man in the shower was even quicker. Before he knew it, a hand grabbed his arm and twisted it. A split second later, Nicholas Knight spun him around and grabbed Michael Knight's other hand and held them in a hammer lock behind Michael's back.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my room?" They both said almost in unison.

"Your room?" They echoed each other. "This is my room."

"Wait a minute." Nick said. "We can't be both be in the same room." Suddenly he realized he was naked and dripping wet. He let go of Michael's hands. With one hand he wrapped a towel around his waist and with the other turned off the shower. "My name is Nick Knight." He said extending a wet hand.

"I'm Michael Knight." A look of understanding came on Michael's face. "I'm M. Knight. You're N. Knight. Something tells me the reservations clerk thought we were the same person."

"Let me get dressed and we'll go down to the desk and see if we can get you another room." Nick said.

"Why me? I was here first. You'll have to move."

"That would be a bit difficult. You see, I have a companion who is in the adjoining room."

As if on cue, the connecting door opened and Natalie came through. "Nick, I heard something. Is everything all right? I heard ... Oh - Oh!" Natalie blushed deeply. She wasn't sure whether it was the sight of a stranger in the room or seeing Nick wearing only a skimpy bath towel.

"Michael, this is my companion, Doctor Natalie Lambert. Nat, this is Michael Knight. There has been some sort of a mix up. We were both given the same room."

"My pleasure, Doctor Lambert. May I call you Natalie?"

**********

"This is terrible. I don't know how such a terrible thing could happen." The hotel manager apologized for the seventh time.

"It's understandable. These things do happen." Michael said. "Just give me another room and we'll forget the whole thing."

"I'm afraid that's impossible. You see, there is a Lions Club International convention in town this week, as well as the Las Vegas Memorial stop of the P.G.A. golf tournament. Combine that with taping of the Circus Of The Stars TV special, and I'm afraid there isn't an empty room in all of Las Vegas. The only reason you two have rooms, Dr. Lambert and Mr. Knight ... Oh dear, how do I tell you apart?"

"I'm Michael. He's Nick."

" ... Mr. Nick Knight, is that you two are contest winners, and your reservations were made months ago by the contest people. As for you, Mr. Michael Knight, we thought you were Mr. Nick Knight. The hotel will be more than happy to refund your money."

"I don't want my money back. I want a room." Michael said angrily.

"Why don't you take Nick's room?" Natalie suggested. "There's a fold out couch in my room. He can sleep there."

"There's a couch in the other room too." Michael said. "We could share."

"I'd rather he was with me. He has a ... severe medical condition. It's not life threatening, but he does need special care. That way I could be there to treat him if he needs it."

"If you're sure ... "

"Nat's right. Here." Nick said, handing Michael the extra key. "I insist."

"Okay. But only if you let me buy the two of you dinner."

"You got a deal." Natalie said.

"As long as he doesn't order Italian." Nick whispered to Nat as they headed for the dining room.

"Load up on the protein shakes."

Nick made a face. "One shake and one bottle."

"One extra large shake and half a bottle."

"Done."

**********

"Well, that was a very delightful meal." Michael said as they exited the dining room. "I'm sorry they didn't have anything on the menu you could eat, Nick."

"That's all right. I'm used to it. I've got some special protein shakes in the room. They provide all nutrition I need." He made a face. "I'll have one of them later. I was very interested in your work with the Foundation for Law And Government. Maybe you could fill me in on more of it later."

"Why not now? My partner and I have been with F.L.A.G. for quite a while now. Would you like to meet him? He's in the garage."

"The garage?"

"You'll understand when you meet Kitt."

"While you two are talking guy and police stuff, I think I'll move your things into my ... our ... room." Natalie headed toward the elevators.

**********

"Well, Nick, this is Kitt. What do you think?" Michael said, patting the car on the hood.

"She's a real beauty. She makes my Caddie look like a bucket of bolts." Nick answered, walking slowly around Kitt.

"SHE? Michael, will you please tell him I am a he, not a she!" Kitt said indignantly.

"You aren't hearing things. The car really does talk." Michael said. "Kitt stands for Knight Industries Two Thousand. He's a prototype."

"Oh. Excuse me Kitt. I didn't know. I won't make the same mistake again." Nick said. "Anyone can tell you are a gentleman."

"There's no need to be condescending." Kitt answered. "Aren't you going to introduce me, Michael? It seems now your friend knows all about me, but I don't even know who he is."

"Sorry, pal. Kitt, this is Detective Nicholas Knight. He is with the Toronto Canada police."

"I take it you were the one I detected in Michael's room?"

"It's a long story, Kitt. It seems that the desk thought we were ... "

Just then, Nick's vampire senses went wild. "DOWN!" He shouted as he pushed Michael to the cement. At the same instant, rapid gunfire reverberated through the enclosed garage. Nick stiffened three times as bullets ripped into him. He was not the victim, though. Scarcely ten feet in front of them, a man danced the dance of death as volley after volley of bullets struck him. As quickly as it had begun, it was over. The body lay on the floor and a car squealed out the exit. Nick ran to the victim. Even without any exam, it was obvious that he was dead. Nick counted at least a dozen bleeding holes in the man's torso, and three more in his head.

"I'll call an ambulance." Michael called.

"No need." Nick said, feeling for the man's carotid artery. There was no pulse. With all the blood, he was barely able to control the vampire. "Call the coroner instead. He's dead." Nick became aware of a burning pain in his right side. He turned away from Michael and Kitt and put his hand over the area. When he looked down, his hand was bloody. "Damn." He whispered. "One of the bullets did not go clean through. It's still in there." He doubled his arms over his chest and headed for the elevator.

Are you all right, Nicholas?" Kitt inquired.

"I'm fine, Kitt." Nick lied. He put his hand over his mouth and broke into a run. "Excuse me, Michael. I've got to use the bathroom."

**********

Natalie heard the knocking and opened the door. Nick stood there, a look of anguish etched on his face. He said nothing, merely pulled his bloody hand from his side.

"Oh my God!" Natalie said as she slipped her hand around his waist and led him to the bed. "What happened?" She said as she removed his shirt.

"A drive by shooting. I'll explain later." Nick said. "I was hit three times. Two passed through. This one must have been a ricochet. Get it out."

Natalie was already unpacking her medical kit. She laid several instruments on the nightstand and wiped them with a gauze soaked in alcohol. While this was not really necessary in Nick's case, it was force of habit. She pulled on a pair of latex gloves and picked up a slender probe. "This is going to hurt." She said as she carefully inserted it into the wound.

Nick winced and drew a sharp breath as the instrument went in. "What makes you think it doesn't hurt now?" He said between clenched teeth.

The probe touched the bullet and she inserted a long narrow forceps along its length. She grasped the bullet and removed it.

"It looks like a .9 mm." She said, dropping it into a water glass. "From the rifling, I'd say from a rapid fire automatic. Probably an Uzi or something similar. It apparently did hit something before it hit you. See the flattening. From the depth and angle of the wound, I'd say the bullet was lodged in your liver. There is probably considerable internal bleeding, but if I know you, your body will reabsorb the blood soon. This is one time you should be glad you're a vampire. If you had been mortal, you would be dead."

"Natalie! Could we save the forensic observations for later?" Nick pointed to the probe still sticking out of his abdomen.

"Sorry about that. Force of habit." Carefully, she extracted it. She could feel the tissues pulling together behind the probe. As it passed through the abdominal muscle, Nick jerked and gave several quick grunts.

"Pain?" She asked.

"It tickles." He said, grunting again.

At last the probe was out. Natalie watched in fascination as a scab quickly formed over the wound. Just as quickly, it fell off, leaving nothing but an angry red scar. She checked the rest of his abdomen. There were two more scars, although they were considerably lighter than the third. She knew from past experience that these would quickly disappear and by this time tomorrow, there would be nothing to indicate that Nick had ever been wounded.

"Ticklish?" She said, a mischievous smile spreading across her face.

"Natalie, forget you ever heard that."

"Your whammy can't work that on me, Mr. Nicholas B. Knight. In case you've forgotten, I can't be hypnotized." She emphasized the last sentence by repeatedly poking him in the stomach with her index finger.

Nick doubled over in laughter. "Natalie! Don't!"

"And why not?" She emphasized these words in the same manner.

"Because then I'll have to do THIS!" He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her on the bed, at the same time gently squeezing her sides. She erupted in squeals of laughter as she continued poking his stomach.

Suddenly he sat up. "NATALIE! STOP!" His voice was low and ragged. He turned to face her. His eyes were flecked with yellow and his fangs had started to elongate.

"Oh ..."

"Don't worry. It's nothing but a reflex action, but if we had continued, I don't know if I could have controlled it. I'd better get back downstairs. I told Michael I was only going to the bathroom. I led him to believe I had to throw up."

While he emptied one of the bottles, Natalie went to the closet and handed him a clean shirt. "You had better change. You'd have a hard time explaining that." She pointed the blood stained shirt he had been wearing.

**********

When Nick exited the elevator, the police had already arrived. Word of the shooting had spread quickly, and a large throng of hotel patrons was gathered around the scene.

"Sorry, Michael, I have been a cop for a number of years, and I've seen lots of blood and gore. It's rare, though that I am in on the actual murder. I'm afraid I ... I lost it." He lied. "I went to the room and changed shirts. When I finished in the mens room, the one I was wearing wasn't too ... presentable."

"Understandable, pal. It happens to the best of us."

A portly policeman came over to them. "My name is Detective Sergeant Robert Roper. Which one of you is Knight?"

"I am." They both answered.

"I'm Nick Knight."

"I'm Michael Knight."

"Brothers? Cousins?" Roper asked.

"No relationship. Just an incredible coincidence." Michael explained.

"A long story." Nick added. "Tell me, Sergeant Roper, Any idea who the victim is and what the motive could be?"

"Wait a minute. I'm the one who is asking the questions."

Nick carefully reached into his back pocket and pulled out his badge case and opened it. "Sorry. I'm Detective Nicholas Knight of the Toronto Metro Police. Homicide Division. I guess habits are hard to break."

Michael had pulled a card out of his jacket and handed it to Sergeant Roper. "I'm a special investigator with the Foundation for Law And Government. If we can be of any help, we will be glad to cooperate."

Another policeman came over. This one had a Captain's badge hanging from the pocket of his shirt. "I'm Captain John Veraldi. This is a Las Vegas police matter. You, Detective Knight, are way out of your jurisdiction. In fact, you are out of your province and even out of your country. In this matter, you are nothing but a private citizen. The only help you can give is to give your statements to Sergeant Roper here and butt out. Need I remind you, too, Mr. Michael Knight, that you are not to get involved either. You are only a private investigator for a private firm and you, too have no authority here. If I catch either one of you nosing around where you don't belong, I'll have you both arrested for hampering a police investigation. Do I make myself clear?" With that, he turned on his heel and strode away.

**********

"Nice guys, these Vegas cops." Michael said as the last of the police contingent pulled out of the garage. "From the way they treated us, you'd think we were the criminals instead of trying to be cooperative witnesses."

"Michael. I think I have something you should see." Kitt interjected. "As usual, I was in surveillance mode when this whole thing took place. When the shooting started, I trained my cameras on the area. I have captured the entire incident. Perhaps you could transfer it to tape and give it to Captain Veraldi."

Michael and Nick seated themselves in the front seat. "Play what you have."

Kitt ran the footage. It clearly showed the entire shooting scene.

"Put it to tape." Michael said, taking a blank compact video tape from the glove compartment and inserting it in the appropriate slot on Kitt's console.

"Then you are going to give it to the Captain?" Kitt asked.

"Absolutely not!" Michael said, taking the tape out. "Everyone heard the good Captain telling us to stay out of the investigation. I'm going to call Devon and have him bring the semi. We can use the onboard computers to analyze the tape. Maybe we can find something to help us discover who the killers are." He handed the tape to Nick. "You with me?"

Nick stuck the tape in his pocket. "Let's go, partner. Time's wasting."

"Kitt, place a call to Devon and ... " Michael said.

"I already have." The car said. "He will be here with the semi at approximately 10:30 tomorrow morning."

"I guess that lets me out." Nick said, handing the tape back to Michael. "I can't go outdoors in the daylight. You see, I have a severe allergy to sunlight. I can't be in it for more than a few seconds at most. I'll wait at the hotel until you come back."

"No problem, pal. Kitt's windows are self-darkening. He can make them so dark not even one ray of sun gets in. We can get in from the garage and we'll pull up into the semi, so you don't have to go outside at any time. I want you to meet Devon Miles. He's a great guy. You'll like him."

**********

Berlin 1967

Nicholas Thomas ushered the tiny band of refugees into the house on Leipzigerstrasse. They went in one by one, waiting until the searchlights passed between persons. They had only a one-minute window between sweeps, so it had to be carried out with military precision.. As soon as searchlight passed, Nick would open the door. The refugee had to dash across the street and into the house so that the door could be closed and Nick and the others hidden before the searchlight came around again.

The underground had spent nearly every day for the past three years digging under the wall. It was not an easy task. The East German government had buried deep mines and concrete barriers randomly in the area leading up to the wall itself. In addition, they had sonar sensors every twenty feet. The diggers had to work carefully and in complete silence. They dug down at least thirty feet to be certain they were under any mines. There were days when they would progress only a few feet. They were ecstatic when they uncovered a section of long forgotten and abandoned rain tunnel. Although it was weak and cramped, it meant that they had that much less digging to do Finally, they had broken through into West Berlin. Into freedom.

The refugees had made their way from various points in East Germany, traveling mostly by night. They had faced the most horrendous challenges to arrive. In their thirst for freedom they had given up everything, family, friends, homes, jobs, everything, some had even given up their lives.

They were to meet their contact here. This would be the person who would take them on the final leg of their journey. Nick was told only that the person was English and would be identified with the code 214. In this business, it was better not to know names. Nick's identification number was 389.

They huddled in the darkness. Because they were so close to the wall, the patrols kept the house under constant surveillance. Since the place was supposedly abandoned, any unusual circumstances would be immediately investigated.

**********

Las Vegas

"Nick! We came here for a vacation!" Natalie screamed at him. "Do as Captain Veraldi says. Leave this case to them. It's not like you and Michael are involved!"

Nick only held up the water glass with the bullet still in it. He shook it. The bullet rattled in the bottom.

"You win." Natalie said in a soft voice. "Only one request, Don't make me add any more to that."

He kissed her softly on the forehead and held her tight. "I hadn't planned on this one. But it did happen. Captain Veraldi is so adamant that Michael and I stay out of this. You and I both know that any policeman worth his badge would welcome any assistance, especially from fellow professionals, if only as a matter of courtesy. There is something very wrong here and Michael and I have to get to the bottom of it."

"Promise me you'll be careful"

"I promise."

**********

The Trans Am pulled up behind the moving black semi. The only markings on truck or the trailer were a large chess knight and the letters F.L.A.G. As they approached, the tailgate lowered until it was even with the roadway. With practiced precision, Michael maneuvered Kitt onto the van. The tailgate closed, and to all outward appearances, it was just another tractor trailer on the highway.

Nick looked around open mouthed at the interior. Crammed into the van was every conceivable piece of electronic equipment. There also was what appeared to be a complete auto repair shop.

"Nick, I'd like you to meet Bonnie Barstow, She is the wizard behind Kitt."

Bonnie, a young brown haired beauty, looked more like she belonged on the cover of a fashion magazine than under the hood of a car.

"You might say she's my doctor." Kitt interjected.

"Any doctor of Kitt's is a friend of mine." Nick said as he took her hand. On impulse, he brought it to his lips, all the time keeping an eye on Michael to see whether there was any reaction. There wasn't.

"And, finally, the last of the group, This is Devon Miles."

**********

Berlin

There was a knocking on the floorboard. 2 ... 1 ... 4. to an uninitiated ear, it could have been air in the pipes or perhaps something loose banging the floor. It was the contact. Nick replied. 3 ... 8 ... 9. Quickly a portion of the floor lifted up. He hadn't even suspected. The opening had been so cleverly disguised it appeared to be part of the floor. A faint narrow beam of light shone from the opening.

"Down here. Quickly. We haven't much time." The voice whispered.

One by one, Nick helped the refugees into the shaft and waited until they were all in the tunnel and then climbed in himself. He then lowered the floor. Once again, the house was, for all purposes, abandoned.

They traveled in silence, at times on their bellies, along the damp and musty tunnel. Several times they had to slide through water up to their chins. The only light was from the small flashlight carried by 214. It seemed that they had gone miles, when in fact they only had to travel some three hundred feet. They stopped every few feet to be sure that nothing was amiss. After what had to have been an hour, they made a turn and the tunnel opened up. It was only a small room, perhaps no more that 7 feet high and about 8 by 10, but after the cramped space they had just traversed, it seemed like a cavern.

214 went to a wall on the far side of the room and again knocked on one of the blocks. 2 ... 1 ... 4. Nick also entered his code. 3 ... 8 ... 9. From the other side came the return code 8 ...4 ...1. After what seemed like an eternity, a portion of the wall swung open. As soon as the refugees were through, the wall was swung shut. Unless you knew where to look, the wall was solid.

The contact on this side put his finger to his lips signaling silence, and led the group to a staircase. When they had reached the top, he opened the door and led them into a room. There was a roaring fireplace, a table set with plenty of food and a clothesline hung with dry, clean clothes of various sizes.

"Welcome to West Berlin." 214 said with a decidedly British accent. He was about 5'10, with curly brown hair, gray eyes and an athletic build. From outward appearances, he looked like he could have been a brother or maybe a cousin of Nick's. Of course, there was no possible genetic relationship between them.

The next few days were a flurry of activities, getting the refugees registered with the West German government, and arranging asylum for them. They were then turned over to the Red Cross to be resettled.

After the last of them had been processed, 214 turned to Nick. "Aren't you going with them?"

"No. I'm heading back across the border. There are thousands more just like these waiting to come here. If I can possibly help them to freedom, I've got to do it."

214 shook his hand firmly. "Good luck, 389. Be careful. Perhaps, when this is all over and the wall comes down, we may meet again. Somewhere. Sometime."

"Perhaps we shall." Nick turned and walked back toward the house by the wall.

**********

Las Vegas

Devon came out of a door toward the front of the trailer which Nick supposed was some sort of an office. He had grayed slightly, there were a few more wrinkles, but there was no doubt. Devon Miles was 214. "I'm glad to meet you. Michael has told me so much about F.L.A.G." Nick said grasping his hand firmly.

"I am pleased to meet you, too." Devon said, his eyes riveted on Nick's face. "Excuse me for staring, But I would swear I know you."

"Have you ever been to Toronto?"

"Not lately. Have you ever been to Berlin?"

"Not lately. I hardly knew my father, though. He died when I was quite young. Everyone who did know him, says I am the spitting image of him. He was in Berlin during the cold war. Perhaps you might have met him."

"Yes. That must be it. Well, let's go into the office and see what we can learn from the tape." Devon opened the door to the office.

From the van, it looked tiny and cramped, but once inside, Nick was surprised at how roomy it was. There was even space for a desk and several chairs. < They must do it with mirrors. > He thought.

"Bonnie." Kitt said after Michael, Nick and Devon had gone. "Will you do me a favor and run a diagnostic on my biosensors?"

"Why?" Bonnie asked. "I ran a full routine diagnostic on all your systems after the last case. Everything checked out."

"I know, but yesterday, I ran a routine scan on Detective Knight and my readouts were, to say the least, eccentric."

"In what way?"

"His body temperature was 68. His blood pressure was 25 over 11. It took me 4 minutes to get a heartbeat, and then there was only one. The same was true for his pulse. Something is definitely wrong."

Bonnie opened his hood and clipped wires to various points on the engine. She turned on several monitors and adjusted the screens. After a few minutes, she turned them off and removed the wires. "Everything is within normal parameters, Kitt. As a test, run a scan on me."

He did. "Bonnie. Your readouts are very, very normal."

"Do another one on Nick."

"The readouts are different from the first."

"Good."

"Not really. His temperature is now 74. His blood pressure has dropped to 11 over 6, and I cannot detect either a heartbeat or pulse."

"Maybe there's a glitch in your program. Let me pull it and run a line audit on it. I've been wanting to make some updates to it anyway, and this will let me kill two birds with one stone." She hooked several wires to terminals under Kitt's hood and typed a number of commands into a keyboard. After a few minutes, she removed the wires and closed the hood. "There. All done."

The trio came out of the office. "We got a lot off the tape. There was an excellent shot of the victim's face, but the man or men in the car were only blurred images." Michael said.

"I've already sent it to the FBI for comparison." Devon added.

"There was also a superb view of the license plate." Michael said.

"That went to the Nevada Bureau of Motor Vehicles" Devon said.

"I have a twenty that says it was either stolen or rented under a phony name." Nick added.

"Why don't you return to the hotel?" Devon suggested. "I'll get in touch with you when we have some information."

"One thing before you go." Bonnie said. "I've pulled Kitt's biosensor program. There seems to be some bad data. It will take a few days to track it down and fix it. During that time, Kitt will not be able to monitor you, and if you are in trouble, he will have no way of knowing unless you tell him."

"What kind of bad data?" Michael asked.

"Kitt took a scan of Nick yesterday. His readings were... in a word ...unusual. According to them, he is either a zombie, a vampire, a space alien or he's dead." Bonnie said.

"I can assure you I am not an alien or a zombie. Do I look like I'm dead?" Nick asked

"You forgot vampire."

"So I did." Nick said with a slight twinkle in his eye. He and Michael slid into the Trans Am and drove out of the trailer.

**********

Natalie was startled by the cell phone ringing. It couldn't happen at a worse time. She had been feeding dollar tokens into this particular one-armed bandit all evening without so much as a single payoff. It was long overdue. She stepped back to answer the phone. As she did, an elderly lady stepped up and pushed a token into the slot and pulled the handle. Lights flashed. Bells went off. She had hit the Big Jackpot. The sign above the machine flashed '$52,874.00 JACKPOT WINNER!'. Tokens flowed out onto the floor. Balloons and confetti dropped from a slot in the ceiling. Flashbulbs popped as the casino manager presented the lady with an oversized check.

Natalie vowed to kill whoever was on the other end of the line.

"Hi, Nat. It's me, Nick." He sounded worried. "Michael and I are at the semi. Devon is sending the van driver in Kitt for you. I'll explain when you get here. Oh, don't forget my ... ah ... medicine."

The last she had seen Nick and Michael was right after sunset when they decided to go to the police station to check on the status of the shooting.

**********

"Okay, Nick." Natalie said as the driver led her to the roadside rest where the group had made camp for the night. "What is this all about. You just cost me fifty thousand dollars. It better be good"

"Well, let's put it this way ... " Nick started

"We're on the lam." Michael finished.

"Why doesn't that surprise me." Natalie said. "Let's hear it from the beginning."

**********

The officer escorted Nick and Michael into Captain Veraldi's office. It was like every other precinct captain's office. Just a partitioned off area in the squad room. There was a desk, several filing cabinets and a coat rack.

"What do you two want?" Veraldi demanded. "I thought I told you to stay clear of this investigation."

"We only came by to check on the status of the case." Michael said. "We are, after all, eye witnesses."

"Well, the case is closed. The shooter came forward. It seems the victim, one Harold Monroe Jukiewicz, of Ironton Pa., was fooling around with the wife of the suspect, Raymond Henry Falter. They are both here with the Lions Club convention. Falter followed Jukiewicz from his hotel room into the garage and shot him. We have a confession. Signed. Sealed. Delivered. So you two don't have to be concerned any more. Why don't you boys just go back to the gaming tables and have some fun."

**********

"I'm afraid at that point I lost it." Michael said. "I called Veraldi a few unflattering names."

"A few names?" Nick exclaimed. "You let loose a diatribe that was dazzling in brilliance and blinding in intensity. You turned the air at least sixteen shades of blue."

"At least I wasn't the one who told him that he wouldn't make a half decent abscess on a good cop's ass"

"You didn't!" Nat asked, barely containing a giggle.

Nick smiled and nodded smugly.

**********

The officer slammed the cell door shut.

"You want the top bunk or the bottom?" Michael said, patting the bed.

"Not funny. Now what do we do?" Nick said.

"We get out of here. You can bet your boodie there is no record of our being arrested and as far as Captain Veraldi is concerned, we will rot in here until well after hell freezes over." Michael stood on tiptoes to look out the narrow barred window in the cell. They had lucked out. The jail was on the ground floor. He brought his watch to his mouth. The guards had taken their belts when they locked them up, but they had left the watch. He could only guess they must have figured the watch was too small for him to hang himself with. "Kitt." He whispered into the dial. "Can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, Michael." Kitt answered

"Nick and I are in jail and we need you to get us out."

"Oh, Michael, not again. Oh very well. Since my biosensor program is offline, I'll need some way to locate you."

"Home in on my shirt." Michael said as he took off his shirt and tied it around one of the bars in the window.

At the same time, Nick called the guard in the hall to the cell. He looked the man squarely in the face and focused on the man's heartbeat. He placed his hand on the man's shoulder. "We are not here." He said in a low steady tone, matching his words to the heartbeat. "We were never here."

Just then, there was a loud crash as Kitt broke through the outer wall. It took all the effort Nick could muster to remain focused. "And you have no idea how that hole got in the wall. Now, sleep."

The guard slumped to the floor. His breathing was deep and regular. His eyes were closed and there was the definite sound of snoring.

"How'd you do that?" Michael asked.

"I'll explain later. I suggest we leave quickly before the rest of the police department comes down here."

**********

"And that's basically what happened." Michael concluded. "We called Devon and had him meet us on the road."

"Did you remember what I asked you to bring?" Nick said to Natalie.

She held up a small plastic cooler. "Right here. Is there someplace I can administer his ... medicine?' She glanced at his rear end knowingly. "Ah ... Privately?"

"You can use the office in the van." Devon said. "It's insulated so nobody can hear him scream." He said with a knowing wink.

"I promise I won't hurt him ..." Natalie said, returning Devon's wink. "Much."

**********

"Nat, we have a problem." Nick said as he and Natalie entered the office. "Kitt took a scan on me the other day and his readings were, of course, way off. So far, they've attributed it to a computer glitch, but Bonnie is examining the program right now, and soon she's going to find out that nothing is wrong with it. You know she's going to tell everyone. Then they are going to ask some questions that I would rather not answer. If I know Michael, he's not going to be satisfied until he gets to the truth. I can't tell him that, not without putting everyone, including us, in great danger."

"Can you whammy them?"

"Possibly Bonnie, but I remember Devon from Berlin. One time the KGB worked him over for two weeks, and got nowhere. He's a resister. Michael probably is one, too. And I know I can't hypnotize Kitt."

"Then I guess we're going to have to play this by ear" She handed him a bottle of blood.

"What's this for? You usually give me the shake first." He said, taking a long drink.

"I know, but this time I want you to have the taste of the shake in your mouth until the next feeding. It's your punishment for making me lose all that money from the slot machine."

"Did anyone ever tell you are mean, cruel, hard hearted, and a sadist?"

"Yes. You do every time I make you drink a protein shake."

**********

Devon and Michael were waiting for them as they exited the van. "I've received replies from the inquiries I sent out. Our victim was not named Harold Monroe Jukiewicz, but was in reality Estefan Mario Mangiotti, a minor 'official', if you will, in the local Organization. Apparently he was skimming from his bosses.

Also, our Captain Veraldi is not so squeaky clean either. Three years ago, he was supposedly under investigation by the Nevada Gaming Commission for alleged payoffs from the Organization. The proceedings were suddenly dropped with no explanation two months after they were started. According to my sources, there is no record of what was turned up, if anything. There have been several other allegations of wrongdoing, but nothing came of them, either.

By the way, Nicholas, you were right. The car was reported stolen four days ago in Reno. The actual owner has no ties whatsoever with the Organization."

"Where do we go from here?" Michael asked. "The State Police.?"

"I doubt that would do any good." Devon answered. "We don't have any real evidence. True, there are glaring discrepancies in the evidence as presented by Veraldi and what's on Kitt's tape, but Veraldi can get around that easily. If he's got connections powerful enough to squash a State Gaming Commission inquiry, it should be child's play to cover this up."

"Maybe we can't bring him down, but I'm sure the people he's associated with can." Nick suggested.

"You have a plan?" Devon asked.

"Depends" Nick looked at Kitt. "How good are you at hacking?"

"I'll have you know I can hack with the best of them." The car said proudly.

"That's what I hoped you'd say. Here's what I have in mind."

**********

"Nick, I'm scared." Nat said after the others had gone back to the trailer. "We came here for a vacation, not to go fleeing all over the Nevada desert." He was sitting on one of the picnic benches in the roadside shelter. Nat sat beside him.

"I know." Nick said as he gently put his arm around her. "I must admit I'm a little uneasy myself. First, Michael and I witness a gangland style murder. Then we are arrested and treated like we were the criminals. Now we have the Las Vegas police after us, and undoubtedly whoever killed the victim is looking for us too." He stroked her hair and gently put his head next to hers. He could hear her blood calling to him. Her blood ... He could almost smell the fear in her blood. He wanted to calm that fear. He wanted ... Gently he pulled back. "I'm sorry, Nat. I don't want you involved. I'll talk to Devon about getting airline reservations for you back to Toronto in the morning. I'm sure he can."

"No way. This is my vacation. You are my ... my friend. Whether you like it or not, I'm in it for the duration. Who knows, I may have to dig more bullets out of you and that would be a little hard to do from Toronto." She nestled her head into his chest and, feeling very secure, fell asleep in his arms.

**********

Kitt stopped outside Veraldi's house. It was more like a mansion. Unless he had inherited a fortune from some rich relative, it was definitely too expensive for a police captain's paycheck. Michael picked up the box on the console.

Nick put his hand on top of Michael's. "I should be the one to do this. I can be in and out before anyone even knows I'm there." As soon as he was out of sight of the car, Nick took off. As he had said, he moved with such speed that no one in the house noticed him. He waited a few minutes before going back to Kitt, to cover himself.

"Done." He said as he slid into the seat. "Now we wait."

It wasn't long before the red light on the box beside Kitt's console lit up, indicating the telephone was in use. Kitt monitored the call. "No luck." He told Nick and Michael. "It's a call from Mrs. Veraldi's sister, wanting to know when they were coming over to play bridge. Apparently it will be next Wednesday."

"Keep monitoring, Kitt." Michael said "We're bound to get lucky one of these times."

They listened until it was evident everyone had gone to bed. Veraldi's daughter had called two boyfriends, swearing to each that he was the one and only. They called out for pizza and three telephone soliciting firms called them.

The next night was no better. They were just about to call it quits when Kitt alerted them. "This call is going through a modem." He said. "Another false alarm. It's one of those online chat services. Oh, Michael ... It is definitely not a family chat room ... Some of the things that are being typed in could melt down my relays."

"Ok, Kitt. Better break the connection before we have to have Bonnie give you a complete electric overhaul." Michael said, turning off the monitor.

"We might have to wait forever until he contacts his superiors." Devon said with a sigh.

"Unless we give him a reason to contact them." Michael suggested. "If one of us were to act as bait. Draw them into a confrontation. That might be worth reporting."

"And that one will be me." Natalie said.

"NO!" Both Nick and Michael said together.

"Why not? I have to go back to the hotel soon anyway. I'm running out of your ... medicine. I'm sure they are watching the hotel like a hawk for any of us to show up. I could lead them a merry chase in the van."

"No!" Nick said again. "It's way too dangerous."

"Look, I'm not going to waste my hard won vacation sitting here in the Nevada desert worrying about you two. Besides, if you and Michael follow me in Kitt, you'd be there to protect me in case of trouble."

"She's got a point. Besides, if they spot Kitt, we could lead the chase away from her, and she could return to the trailer unnoticed." Michael argued.

"You have a point. I agree. But only if I take Kitt. Michael, I'd like you to ride in the back of the van with Natalie. It would be so much safer."

Michael was about to protest, but thought it over. "Okay, pal, you got a deal."

**********

The sun had barely set when they implemented their plan. Nick was following Nat and Michael in Kitt. They had gotten the necessary supplies at the hotel and as expected, they were followed by a dark blue Corvette when they left. Now, all Nick had to do was get the Corvette to follow him. That was no problem. As soon as they were on open highway, Nick had Kitt tap the Corvette to 'get their attention'. Immediately, Nick turned off onto a side road. The Corvette abandoned the van and followed Kitt.

"Kitt." Nick said." Is there a routine that you and Michael use in a situation like this?"

"Evasive Pattern Delta." Kitt replied.

"Good. Use it now, but we don't want to lose them, just run them ragged."

"Nicholas. That is not the purpose of Delta. The purpose is to escape a pursuer."

"I know. Just do as I say ... Please."

"Very well." Kitt sighed. "Since you asked so politely."

They circled and cut for the better part of an hour over the Nevada desert, always making sure that the chase car could eventually find them without too much trouble. Nat and Michael should be back at the campsite by now. It was time to end this part of the game.

"Okay." Nick said. "It's time to end this little charade. Lose these jerks."

"With pleasure, Nicholas." Kitt replied. He spun around suddenly and headed at a ninety degree angle to their previous course. The other car attempted to make the same maneuver, but their arc was much wider than Kitt's. Nick watched in the rear view mirror as a dune buggy roared out of a small canyon directly into the path of the Corvette.

The Corvette tried to swerve, but it was traveling far too fast and the centrifugal force was far too great. The two collided with a gut wrenching sound. The Corvette, although damaged, managed to turn, and speed off toward Las Vegas. The buggy was not so lucky. It was little more than a twisted pile of mangled metal.

Kitt screeched to a halt. Nick was out of the car even before Kitt had come to a full stop. He raced to the buggy. The driver, a young man, was obviously dead. Then he saw the passenger. She could not have been more than seven or eight years old. There was only the faintest of heartbeats. Quickly Nick examined her. She needed immediate medical attention if she was to survive. There was no time to wait for a rescue squad. He carefully removed her from the restraints and cradling her in his arms, took to the sky.

"Nicholas. Where are you. You are not on my sensors. Nicholas? ... Nicholas?" Kitt called. He felt lost without his biosensor array.

**********

" ... And that is when I called you for help." Kitt said to Bonnie. "I drove around the accident scene for over an hour, and there was no trace of him. I could have sworn I saw Nicholas fly, but we both know that is impossible. I think my entire system is going haywire. Would you check it out?"

"Kitt." Bonnie said. "If I remove your entire system, you would be non-functional. You'd be the same as every other Trans Am. Besides, it would take over a week to check out every component."

"Please, Bonnie?"

"All right." She sighed. "But it will take me a little time to get set up." She went into the office.

"Nicholas!" Kitt said, a definite note of joy in his voice as Nick entered the van. "Thank goodness you're back. Did you walk here from the scene of the accident? I tried to locate you, but I couldn't. I am having Bonnie pull my database. There is something definitely wrong with me. I saw you move faster than a human being can. And then I thought I saw you fly off."

"Nothing is wrong with your system."

"Something must be wrong. First the biosensor and now my visual sensors ... "

" ... Are perfect. I can do what you saw me do because I am a vampire."

"Nicholas, do not joke at a time like this. Vampires do not exist. They are mythological creatures perpetuated in folklore particularly in the Rumanian-Transylvanian areas of Eastern Europe. They ..."

"Search your database for something that looks like this." Nick interrupted. He closed his eyes and when he opened them, they were yellow. He opened his mouth to reveal his fangs.

"Nicholas, you are frightening me. And I do not have a subroutine for fear." On his console, data flashed by at an astonishing speed. "You are correct. What you have showed me and the readouts from the biosensors, and your ... idiosyncrasies, shall we call them, do seem to be compatible with the traditional definition of a vampire."

"Have you mentioned your suspicions to anyone else?"

"Yes. I told Devon and Michael about the scan. And of course, Bonnie. Will that be a problem?"

"I can hypnotize Bonnie into believing there was a temporary glitch in the program. Devon, however is a resistor and Michael ... "

"Also cannot be hypnotized." Michael came through the door. He was carrying a large crucifix in front of him.

Nick threw his hands in front of him and turned away. "Michael! Put that down! I won't hurt you or anyone else! I'm one of the good guys, remember?"

Michael lowered the cross.

"How long have you been listening?"

"From the beginning. Tell me, exactly where were you all this time?"

"There was a passenger in the wreckage. A child. She was very critically injured. There was no way she would have survived unless I flew her to the hospital. So I did."

"And no one saw you?"

"Except Kitt. You don't live 796 years without learning some tricks."

"You are 796 years old?" Kitt said in amazement. "Tell me, Nicholas. Do you sleep in a coffin? Do you drink blood? Do you kill your victims? Can you turn into a bat? Is Doctor Lambert a vampire, too? Do you reflect in a mirror?"

"In answer to your questions. No, I do not sleep in a coffin. I sleep in a bed just the same as everyone else. A king sized waterbed. Yes, I drink blood, but it's animal blood. I haven't drunk human blood except in emergencies, in over a hundred years, and I haven't killed for food or pleasure in that long, either. I cannot turn into a bat or any other creature, but as you saw, I can fly. Natalie ... I mean ... Dr. Lambert is very mortal. And yes, I do have a reflection, I cast a shadow, and I can be photographed. Want to see my drivers license? Picture's terrible. There's one more thing, no one. Repeat. NO ONE can know what I have just told you. You and everyone else would be in extreme danger."

"Agreed." Michael said. Kitt hesitated a few seconds and then he agreed, too.

The light on Kitt's console blinked, indicating that the Veraldi phone was being used. Bonnie, Devon and Natalie joined them. "It's a modem ... It's not the chat room ." Kitt kept a running commentary of the events. " ... It's a private number ... He's hooking into another computer ... He's sending data ... it's encrypted ... He's finished ... He hung up"

"Do you have a trace on the number?"

"Yes. It is to the Governor's mansion."

"Governor's Mansion?" They all exclaimed.

"We're playing with the big boys here." Natalie said.

"Can you decode the data?" Devon asked Kitt.

"Dev-o-n!" Kitt answered with an exasperated sigh. "Of course I can decode it. I am working on it now. It may take some time, though."

At last the message was decoded. "We, or more precisely, Natalie, Nicholas, and Michael are mentioned prominently." Kitt summarized. "Apparently Veraldi wants permission to eliminate them ... permanently. There are also a number of other persons mentioned, as well as a list of figures, many of them in the million dollar range. I am compiling a printout of the message now. It should be ready in a few minutes."

Michael let out a low whistle as he read the printout. "This goes much deeper than a bad cop on the take. Many of these names are prominent in the state government. A few are even national figures." He pointed to one name. "This one's in Congress. Also, according to this, our victim, Estefan Mangiotti, isn't a minor local official, he's second in command to Vincent Gepelli, who heads the East Coast branch of the Organization."

"So where do we go from here? FBI? Attorney General? CIA?" Michael asked.

"I think the FBI would be a good place to start. I know someone there, an Agent Stack. We worked together on several projects. I'll call him and set up a meeting." Devon said.

"Can we trust him?" Nick asked.

"He's uncorruptible."

**********

"So, tell me Nicholas, What do you think of that list of numbers?" Devon asked Nick. The others had retired for the night and the two of them were sitting outside the van. "I find it interesting that there are three hundred and eighty nine numbers in it, don't you?"

Nick stiffened, involuntarily, almost imperceptibly, at that statement. He hoped Devon wouldn't notice, but, if this conversation was going in the direction Nick thought it would, then Devon most definitely would notice.

"No. I didn't notice." Nick answered.

"Perhaps I was wrong. Perhaps there were only two hundred fourteen numbers."

There was no question. Devon knew.

"Maybe if you used a calculator made in Berlin, it would be more accurate." Nick replied. "You know, don't you?"

Devon shook his head yes. "I suspected you were 389 almost immediately. I have a photographic memory. That's what made me such a valuable operative. 389's lower teeth were slightly crooked." He pulled Nick's lower lip away from his mouth. "Just like that. Since no two person's dental structures are exactly alike, it had to be you. The stumbling point was the fact that you haven't aged a day since then. What's your secret?"

There was no point in trying to hide it. The others knew, he might as well know, too. "I'm a vampire." He watched Devon's face closely. There was only a slight reaction.

"I thought so. I did some investigating. While you were out leading Veraldi's men a merry chase, I took a tiny sample of your 'medicine' and analyzed it. It's blood. Combine that with your other symptoms, your vital signs that were supposed to be a 'glitch', your pale skin color, plus the fact that you cannot go out in the sun, and the only logical conclusion I could come to was that you are, indeed, a vampire. Don't look so surprised, Nicholas. I have dealt with vampires before, although we were usually on opposite sides of the fight. They tried to hypnotize me into forgetting, but I cannot be hypnotized. I pretended to go along with them. I figured it would be much safer that way."

"Then you know the dangers involved."

Devon nodded. "I will keep your secret."

**********

"Devon." Kitt radioed. "They are tailing us, just as we planned. You can now make your move."

They had agreed that Michael and Nick would decoy the mobsters while Devon took the tape and the printouts to the meeting with Agent Stack. Natalie and Bonnie, over the vehement objections of both of them, would stay in the security of the van and coordinate things.

A few minutes later the chase was joined by a third car. Nick recognized it from the house, and Kitt confirmed that it was John Veraldi's car. Apparently he had received the permission he sought.

They led the two cars on a sophisticated game of cat and mouse through the desert for over an hour. Devon should be at the meeting place by now. It was time to quit the game. Unfortunately, the occupants of the other cars came to the same conclusion at about the same time. The Corvette pulled alongside Kitt and a volley of gunfire raked the Trans Am's side.

"Do not worry, Nicholas. My body is made of an ultra dense Kevlar-Titanuim alloy. It is impenetrable. Those bullets will do no appreciable damage."

"Pursuit mode time." Michael said, pressing a switch on the dash. Immediately, Kitt shot forward. Nick was pushed into the back of the seat with several G-forces. He watched as the speedometer climbed. 100 ... 150 ... 200 ... 250 ... and at 275 miles per hour, Michael cut the switch off.

The car slowed to normal speed.

"Could we go back and get my stomach?" Nick asked, his pale skin taking on a slightly green hue.

"I thought you said you could fly?" Michael said.

"I can, but I've never done it in an automobile before."

"Michael." Kitt interrupted. "I did not think it possible, but the Corvette is gaining on us."

"Let it catch us." Nick said. "But not too easily. I have an idea how we can eliminate Captain Veraldi and close this can of worms without jeopardizing the investigation that Devon and Agent Stack will be conducting."

Again, Kitt led the Corvette and the other car through the desert. Kitt finally turned into an opening between two hills.

"Kitt! This is a box canyon."

"I know. Your plan will work much better if they are in a confined space than if we are in open desert." When he was sure the chase cars were following him, he screeched to a halt, facing the entrance to the canyon. The Corvette again opened fire. "All you have to do is play dead until they get out of their car." Kitt instructed them.

They did as Kitt suggested. When the gunmen came on either side of the Trans Am, Kitt suddenly opened his doors, knocking the thugs to the ground. Michael and Nick immediately jumped out and began to battle with the two.

John Veraldi pulled up and sprayed the area with gunfire as he got out of his car. Michael yelled and spun around as one of the bullets struck him. Immediately, Nick dropped his adversary and rushed to take out Veraldi. His eyes were yellow and his fangs were long. Before he could reach him, however, he felt two bullets hit him in the back and exit through his abdomen. With vampiric speed, he dropped to the ground as the gunmen continued to fire.

Several bullets struck Veraldi. Instinctively, Veraldi's fingers tightened around the trigger of his Uzi. Both of his henchmen stopped in their tracks, their fingers frozen on their triggers, as a rain of lead filled the canyon. When it was over, Veraldi and the gunmen were all dead.

Nick rushed to Michael. His wound was not serious. The bullet appeared to be lodged in the flesh of his right shoulder.

"I've hurt myself worse than this while shaving." Michael joked through clenched teeth as Nick helped him into Kitt.

"In that case." Nick joked back. "May I suggest that you try a different brand of razor."

**********

"Maybe I should change my specialty from pathology to surgery." Natalie said as she finished bandaging Michael's shoulder. "Usually, my patients are dead when I dig the bullets out of them." She looked at Nick. "Present company excluded." She went to her medical bag and after putting her instruments away, took out a baggie with the bullet the had removed from Nick several days earlier. "Just as I thought, these are most likely from the same gun. While I can't compare the riflings without a microscope, as you can see, the firing mark is off center on both of them."

"But that would mean that Veraldi killed Mangiotti." Nick said, mild surprise in his voice.

"Probably because Mangiotti was getting ready to eliminate him." Devon said. "While you two were out enjoying the evening desert, I had Bonnie do some hacking using Kitt's programs. It seems the figures he was reporting to his contacts don't necessarily match the figures in his computer's database. In short he's the one who has been skimming. The Mafia doesn't approve of that kind of activities from its associates. Mangiotti was probably sent in undercover to investigate. He apparently discovered what he was doing, and Veraldi killed him to keep him quiet. If you two hadn't been in the garage at the wrong time, the murder would have been chalked up to just another drive-by shooting. Only problem is, according to Agent Stack, none of this information can be used just yet. Not without seriously jeopardizing an ongoing investigation of The Organization."

"That means as far as anyone is concerned, Captain John Veraldi died in the line of duty while battling two mobsters. He'll probably get a commendation for heroism. Posthumously, of course." Michael said dejectedly.

**********

Nick put the last of the bags in the back of the van.

"Are you sure I can't talk you into joining F.L.A.G.?" Devon said. "You would make a helluva good agent."

"Sorry. As exciting as this has been, my place is in Toronto."

And there she is ... " Michael exclaimed pointing at Natalie as she came to the van. " ... Doctor Moneybags herself! How does it feel to win $2500 at blackjack?"

"At least it wasn't a total loss. Nick still owes me $50,374.00. Not counting my bill for medical services rendered. Maybe I should give you a bill, too."

"If you want to, go right ahead." Devon said. "We will gladly pay it."

"I'm only joking. But I really did have a good time. After all, it's not every pathologist that is escorted around Las Vegas by three such handsome men."

"A-hem." Kitt interrupted.

"Okay, make that four handsome men."

**********

Toronto

"Well, if it isn't the last of the big spenders back from the gambling casinos." Schanke said as Nick came through the precinct door. "You get two weeks in Vegas with all those beautiful showgirls and I get a week in Nova Scotia with my mother-in-law. Two weeks. No murders. No dodging bullets. No paperwork. Nothing but gambling and debauchery. And with the luscious Doctor Lambert to boot. You must be living right."

"If only you knew."

"C'mon, Nick. You can tell me. I'm your partner. What was it really like?"

**********

The End

5 to 2 says it isn't.