"Has anyone seen Michael this morning?" Devon asked when he finally found
Bonnie in the kitchen.
 "By the looks of Kitt, I'd say he's still asleep."  Breaking from her
pancakes, she answered.
 "What do you mean?"
 "Kitt's locked down and his windows are dark."
 "I'd say he had a pretty good scare last night."
 "Umm, along with the rest of us."  Bonnie had given up on being polite and
spoke with her mouth full.
 Devon chuckled to himself, they'd all come a long way.  "Any news?"
 "Nothing, again.  The bullet didn't have a mark on it."
 "Is that possible?" His voice was as close to a squeak as Devon's ever did.
 "They found a slight dent from when it passed through the window, but no
scoring from the rifle.  Typical pattern for a homemade bullet."

*

 Michael awoke to Kitt's still dark interior.
 "Morning Michael."
 "Morning Kitt.  What time is it?"  Michael stretched, finding himself a
little sore from his roll off his bed.
 "Eight fifteen am."
 "I bet everyone's a little curious about where I am."
 "Bonnie knows, she's already been in this morning."
 "Well, we've got work to do.  Let's take another look at our friend's
hiding place."
 "I'd hardly call him a friend."
 "Funny," Michael commented as he started the engine.
 

 Stopping the car a few feet away from the area they checked last night
Michael asked Kitt to run another scan.
 "I find nothing different from last night."
 Michael frowned before climbing out of the car.  He heard Kitt's unhappy
grumble at him leaving the safety of the car, but he had to get some
answers.
 Walking a short distance he found the spot where the gunman had sat.
Looking around, he noticed the lack of foot prints.  There wasn't even a
clear impression of where the person had been standing, or sitting for that
matter.  Sighing, ran his hand over the small patch of crumpled grass, then
turned to the tire tracks. The path the vehicle had taken was clear until it
hit the driveway.  "Kitt, is there any sign of a leak, something that could
give us an idea of what kind of vehicle it was, or where it went?"  He heard
the familiar sound of Kitt using the comlink, and pointing his watch towards
the marks, he followed it from the road, to what appeared to be it's resting
point.
 "This is unusual, I can't find a trace of anything.  If it weren't for the
tyre prints, I'd swear there hadn't been anyone up here."  Kitt's CPU was
churning, there had to be something.  All vehicles left some kind of mark
behind.  He couldn't even find exhaust residue on the grass.
 "Okay, this is getting us no where. Let's see if Bonnie can up with
anything.."  Kitt popped the door as his friend reached the car.

*

 "I'm sorry Michael, but I can't get any further than that."
 Michael sighed, running his hand through his hair.  "Thanks anyway Bonnie.
I know you did everything you could."
 Bonnie half smiled, apologies from Michael were few and far between. And
she could understand the underlying stress that caused his outburst a few
minutes before.  Some one was trying *very* hard to kill him and they were
close to succeeding.  "Do you want this?"  She held up the object of their
discussion.
 "Actually, yes.  I may have another source."
 "I guess I shouldn't ask?"
 "Nope.  Tell Devon I'll be gone for a day or two following a possible lead
on this bullet."  He refused to give her any time to argue as he turned and
headed out.
 

 "Where are we going?"  Michael had been waiting for his partner's curiosity
to get the better of him
 "To see an old friend of mine."
 "How old?"  Kitt couldn't help the suspicion that rose in his voice.
 "Before your time Pal, way before your time."
 "I was afraid of that."

*

 Eight hours later, they pulled into the base.  "I'm looking for Dan
Bracken."  He asked the guard.
 After confirming Michael's Foundation ID, he directed him to the house
where he'd find who he was looking for.  It was dark and the base was quiet.
Michael's mind drifted back to his special operations days, when he had
lived on a base similar to this.
 "I'll be right back," he assured Kitt after parking.
 "Long?" The familiar voice from behind him brought a smile to his face.
 "Hey Bracken, long time no see."  He confirmed himself before turning to
face his once good friend.
 "Hey man, what happened to you?"
 "I decided I didn't like it and got a new one."  Dan's smile made the crack
worth while.  "Care for a drive?"
 "Where to?" came the unsure answer.  "You need something?"
 "I would appreciate it if you could take a look at something for me?  This
won't take long."
 "Is it clear?"
 "Perfectly.  By the way, the name's Knight now."  As soon as Michael
mentioned his name, his friend took a closer look at the car, eyes wide in
expectation.
 "Michael Knight??  You??  By any chance is this The Knight Industries Two
Thousand?"
 "The one and only.  Had a feeling you'd know about us."
 "Who in spec ops doesn't.  I'd love one of these.  How'd you end up in this
gig?"
 "Got shot in the face."  Was the blunt answer as both men entered the car.
 "I will assume that whatever brought you to me is to be kept under wraps?"
 Michael nodded, steering the car away from the base to a find a quiet spot
where they could talk.  Kitt sensing what is partner was looking for, popped
a map up on the screen with a location marked with the eta of 10 minutes
under neath.  Without thinking Michael thanked his partner, receiving a
startled look from his passenger. "He's an AI.  I figured you had all the
info on us."
 "Are you kidding?  Finding *anything* on that project is damn near
impossible.  But I know when to keep my mouth shut."
 "I figured."  Michael stopped the car in the area that Kitt had specified.
"Take a look at this for me," Michael placed the bullet in the other man's
hand.
 "Homemade.  Where'd you get this?"
 "In the hole above my bed."
 Dan looked shocked. "They missed?"
 "Triple paned windows, one of the few Foundation security measures."
 "And just enough to save your life."
 "Any specifics you could tell me would be greatly appreciated.  This people
have been harassing me for days now."
 "Pains in the asses aren't they?"  Michael's eyebrows rose as he chuckled.
"Okay, it's definitely a special ops guy.  Right out of the book."  Dan
turned the bullet over in his hands, inspecting it from every angle.
Looking up in surprise as the light above him turned on by its self.
Shaking his head, he continued, "I'd need to do a chemical analysis before I
can tell you anything more."
 "That's easy."  Kitt opened the tray for Michael to place the bullet into.
A few minutes later, he handed Dan the print out.
 "Impressive."
 "Thank you." Kitt's tone was cold, smiling slightly to himself as  the
blond man jumped in his seat.
 "From this, I can tell you that it's European."
 "Oh great."
 "What does that mean Michael?"
 "It means that there is little to no chance that we can ID this guy."
Turning to Dan, he posed the hopeful question, "or has intel in that area
increased substantially in that department?"
 "Sorry man,  I hate to say it but, no, if anything it's worse."
 "Figures."
 "Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but..."
 "I get the hint.  Drop you back to the same place?"
 "Outside the base would be better.  I want to keep this quiet as well.  The
less the men see the fewer questions."
 "Right.  If you need the favor returned,"  Michael handed him a card.
"Here's were to reach me."
 "Will do."  Dan took one more look at Michael before stepping out of the
car.  The two men nodded at each other before Michael turned the car around
and started for home.
 

 "Where do you know him from Michael?"
 "My special operations days."  This was not a topic he wanted to get into
with Kitt.
 "Which means you killed people."  Kitt's disdain was very clear.
 "Kitt, I'm not proud of some of the things that I've done in my life.  But
that was a war and I believe that we saved a great many more lives by our
actions."  Michael sighed, hearing no response from his partner, he
continued.  "It's part of why I took Wilton up on his offer.  This was a
chance to make up for those sins. I was good at what I did and it's made us
an unbeatable team."  Still no acknowledgement.  "Kitt please understand.  I
didn't enjoy it, not in any way.  Those days still haunt me.  I did what I
was trained to do.  They tried to train all humanity out of us.  A target
was whatever was holding a weapon at you, and you killed it.  No questions,
no remorse."
 "I'm glad they failed in your case." Kitt's tone was very subdued, almost
apologetic.  "But I still don't fully understand."
 "Neither do I."
 
 

 For six hours the pair remained quiet.  Kitt felt he had a great deal to
take in.  He had never figured on Michael having been involved in such
actions before.  It just didn't seem like the man he had grown to love.  He
began to realize just how much of Michael's life he didn't know about.
Taking a quick look at his partner, he noticed the strained look on his
face.  He shouldn't have been so hard on him.  He wasn't the same person.
He'd proven that time and time again.  No matter what the opportunity,
Michael had *always* chosen to preserve life.
 "Michael."
 "Yeah Kitt?"  Michael was expecting the worst. Kitt hadn't said a word to
him for too long.
 "I'm sorry for treating you as I did.  I think this situation has me 'a
little on edge' as you'd say."
 Having been terribly worried about the outcome of their earlier
conversation, Michael was more than willing to accept Kitt's apology.  "I
have no idea why you're apologizing to me, but I'll take it.  Whatever it
takes to have you talking to me again."
 "I just realized that you are not that person anymore.  In fact I find it
difficult to associate that person with your personality now."
 Michael smiled, "I think that's 'cause I left that person far behind when I
met you.  You showed me a whole new way of looking at things.  A better way
to deal with enemies.  Your humanity has taught me to recognize my own."
 "I'm not sure what to say?"
 "You don't have to say anything right now.  I think I'm going to make a pit
stop though."
 "After fifteen hours I should think so. There is a truck stop forty five
minutes north of here."
 

    "I'm just gonna grab a bite and a bathroom break."  Michael commented
before climbing out of the car.
    "Be careful."
    "What could happen in a busy restaurant in the  middle of no-where?"
    "Famous last words," came the dry reply as Michael reached for the
building door. He paused, looking back at the car briefly before entering.
 He could understand Kitt's concern. This trip hadn't exactly been for the
fun of it.  Michael sighed, he wasn't really hungry,
but Kitt would get after him if he didn't eat.
    Twenty minutes later, Michael was walking back out to Kitt.  The morning
was starting to break and he was tired.  Kitt had notified him earlier that
he had moved a few rows back to make room for a menagerie of elderly
couples.  Michael chuckled to himself as he saw them enter.  Then it dawned
on him that this was a good sign, Kitt saw them coming, his scanners were
fully online.
    Maybe that's why he didn't double check, or maybe the small amount of
sleep in the past forty eight hours, but neither of the partners noticed the
black car barreling around the corner until it was just about on top of
Michael.
    Kitt was one full row of cars away when Michael heard the revving
engine.  He jumped, rolling into a parked car catching a glimpse of tire too
close to his face.  Quickly regaining his footing, Michael bolted for Kitt,
who had gunned the engine and closed as much distance as possible.
    The unknown car had swung around and was racing for them again.  There
was no time to get inside of Kitt.
    Kitt watched, half in horror as his tired friend landed on his hood,
holding on tightly as the other car slammed into Kitt's front fender.
    The assailant tried to back away for another shot, but the engine
stalled and refused to turn over.  Michael, figuring it was safe, began to
slide off Kitt's hood.  Unable to see in the blacked out windows, Michael
was mad enough to tear the guy out of the car and beat answers out of him.
    "Mich..."  Kitt's warning came too late.  The car exploded, sending
Michael back across Kitt. "Michael?"  Kitt's voice was panicky as he
scanned his partner.
    "I'm okay, slightly singed around the edges, but okay.  Any life signs?"
    "None."
    "Didn't think so.  Did you get a plate number?"
    "There weren't any."
    "Why am I not surprised.  They seem to have thought of everything."
    "Michael, please get in."  Kitt popped the door as Michael turned
towards him.
    "Are you picking up something?"
    "I'm not sure.  The authorities are on their way, but I'd rather be safe
than sorry."
    "Are you alright Kitt?  Any damage from the impact?"
    "Not even a scratch.  Just worried about you."
    "Another night talking to the police."  Michael settled comfortably
inside Kitt.
    "Exactly, you need to rest."
    "Did you inform Devon?"
    "Yes, Michael.  These attacks are becoming far to commonplace."
    "Tell me about it."  Michael dozed fitfully until Kitt informed him that
the police were approaching.  Michael waited until the last possible moment
before hauling his now exhausted body out of the car.

*

    "Michael, are you alright?" Devon asked as Michael entered is office
later that afternoon.
    "Yeah, did you manage to get the police report?"  Michael perched
himself on the edge of his bosses desk.  His favorite spot, possibly because
it annoyed Devon so much.
    "It just arrived."
    "And?"
    Devon sighed, Michael's fuse was getting shorter.  "And it looks very
professional."
    "I think I'm afraid to ask."
    "The report states they found plastic explosives, most likely in the
steering wheel..."
    "Attached to a detonation device in the horn, effectively destroying the
body of the driver and most of the car."  Michael finished for his boss.
"I've heard of it before, but I'm not a world leader, these are terrorist
tactics."
    Devon watched as Michael began pacing the office.  "I may have some good
news." That stopped the pacing.  "The reason Kitt didn't see the vehicle. It
was coated in a radar absorbing paint."
    "Great.  Stealth cars.  Well Kitt'll be glad to know he not
malfunctioning."

part five