Chapters 21-27 of Tessa and The Stranger in the Plane

[ Reply ] [ The Indyfan Fan Fiction Forum ]

Posted by Goodsport from adsl-216-102-199-185.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net on September 07, 1999 at 22:59:03:

: Chapter 21 [A Short Break] (written by Meg & the Fiddler)

: As Indiana Jerico hung up his cell phone, Meg walked over to where he was seated, and kneeled before him.
: "Who was it?"
: "Aragorn. He said he's at the airport with the two guys who were after him."
: "Thank Goodness he's all right. Did he say who helped him with the two goons?"
: " No, he didn't say." replied Indiana Jerico.
: Meg stared to get up as Indiana Jerico spoke again.
: "I can't believe you sent help to Aragorn."
: Meg stood up, then looked back at Jerico, her green eyes shining brightly.
: " Well I guess now you can take your eyes off of me. Unless you still don't trust me."
: Jerico just smiled at her, as she made her back to the group.
: "I'm hungry." Short Round said laying down the forum novel he was reading.
: "Well we should be on our way soon." Goodsport replied, "maybe you can eat on the plane."
: "Awww, plane food sucks!!" Short Round said, picking up the folder containing the forum novel, "I'll just wait."
: "Here take this," Meg said as she threw a candy bar to him.
: "Hopefully we won't have to wait any longer. We need to get on our way."
: She yawned, then lay back in her chair.
: "All we are doing is wasting time. People are counting on us."
: Her last sentence was barley audible, for she fell asleep silently.
: As Jerico approached the group, he took off his jacket and covered up Meg who was breathing softly.
: "Now..." he said turning to Goodsport and Short Round, "Aragorn said that it was like they knew his every move. There might be a hole in the organization, and if there is, we are going to find it. Goodsport, I'll give you my laptop, so you can do background checks for all forum members. Short Round, you keep reading those forum novels. I want you to know them better than the Indy trilogy! And I'll go check out what's going on with our plane."
: He handed his laptop to Goodsport, then looked at Short Round.
: "Shorty, get cracking. We have to figure things out, or it could already be too late!"

: - - -

: As Tessa and The Man with The Hat, climbed the front steps of the Forum Hotel Warsaw, then entered the lobby.
: "What are we doing here?" Tessa said quietly, as The Man with The Hat made room arrangements.
: "I'll tell you when we get upstairs." he replied moving away from the front desk.
: He held up a room key and turned to Tessa.
: "Room 291. It was all they had left. I hope you don't mind."
: Tessa looked at him then smiled.
: " Not at all, but if there's only one bed, you're sleeping on the floor."
: "Fine." He said back to her. " I am a gentleman, after all. C'mon lets go."
: He and Tessa walked to the elevator, Tessa wondering why they were at the Forum Hotel Warsaw.

: - - -

: As they entered their room Tessa insisted she needed to use the bathroom and went straight in.
: The Man with The Hat shrugged as he sat down on the bed. He covered his face with his hands and sighed. How am I s'pposed to carry out my mission? he thought. He thought about contacting Big Boss Nobody, or Deirdre. He was about to pick up the phone when it rang. He hesitated, then picked it up.
: "Hello?"
: "Listen up, Man with The Hat," a muffled voice said. It was electronically disguised. "They're onto you now. An elite agency wants to save Tessa. They've already got two of your friends, Indiana James and the Fiddler."
: "Who's this???" The Man with The Hat said.
: The voice laughed evilly. "Be grateful I told you this. They're your friends, right? You wouldn't want to desert James and the Fiddler, wouldn't you?"
: "Wait! I..."
: "Here's Aragorn's number," the voice said. It dictated the number, and The Man with The Hat hastily wrote it down.
: "Look, thank you but I need..."
: The line went dead.
: The Man with The Hat looked at the phone for a moment. Then, still making sure that Tessa's in the bathroom, he dialed the number the voice gave him.
: "Hello?" came the voice from the other end.
: "Listen up, you have a couple of my friends, I have one of yours. Here is what happens: we are going to trade. I give you Tessa, you give me Indiana James and the Fiddler."
: "Wait... Who..."
: Cutting Aragorn off, The Man with the Hat continued:
: "Here is how it happens: we meet about a quarter mile apart, you release Lambert and Fiddler and I release Tessa, they walk toward each other, passing in the middle, they each reach their friends about the same time. Then I have my associates back and you have yours. Is that understood?"
: "Yes... bu..."
: Interrupting again The Man with the Hat went on to arrange a time and a place--a rural area about two hours from Warsaw.

: - - -

: Indiana Jerico's phone rang again.
: "Hello?"
: "Jer, this is Aragorn, we just got news of Tessa, they want to trade her, in Poland, for the two guys we have locked up here. How far out are you?"
: "We just started coming in, touchdown in about five."
: "Well see if you can't hop planes and get over here as quickly as possible." Aragorn said simply, "They want to make the trade tomorrow at 4:00."
: "We'll see what we can do.... Wait you said 'we,' who do you have there with you?"
: "Indy, JUST Indy."
: "Who's he?"
: "I don't know, but he saved my life and helped me capture these two goons, he is guarding them right now."

: -----

: Chapter 22 [Calling For Help] (written by Goodsport)

: Still reeling from his headache, Indiana James Lambert had found enough picks and pins to fashion the makeshift lockpick he was using on the door's lock for the past hour. As Indiana James finally heard the 'click' sound he was waiting for, he pulled off the lock and heaved opened the heavy door.
: "Damn!" he exclaimed, as all he saw was a small room with no window, only a door on the other side of the room. Indiana James tried opening that door, but found it locked. After further observation, he discovered that there was no keyhole.
: "Oh great! Now what?"
: He rapidly surveyed the room, and to his surprise there was a desk with a phone on it. Indiana James put the receiver of the phone to his ear and, to his shock, the phone worked.
: Deciding not to phone either Deirdre or Big Boss Nobody, mainly in fear that they would eliminate him for his failure to capture Aragorn, he instead tried dialing the Fiddler on his cell phone.
: No answer.
: Desperate, he dialed the only other option he knew.

: - - -

: Brett Lambert was studying the book further in the solitude of the library. The only thing that broke his concentration was the sound of his cell phone ringing.
: "Hello?" Brett answered the phone.
: "Brett, it's me!"
: "Jimmy?" Brett was aghast, "Why are you calling me? How'd you know my number?"
: "Never mind that!" snapped Indiana James, "I need you help!"
: "Wait a minute! We're on opposite sides! What do you mean... help?"
: "C'mon, man! We're still brothers!" retorted Indiana James.
: "Hello?... Hello?" Brett asked, as the noise he heard was followed by the phone going dead.

: - - -

: "Hello, Brett?" Indiana James asked in panic, "Are you there?!?"
: The bright flash behind Indiana James caused him to drop the phone onto the floor.
: "Who... who are you?" inquired Indiana James of the robed, bearded old man standing in front of him.
: With one hand on his staff and the other adjusting his drooping, pointy hat, Gandalf took a step forward.
: "Why do you seek Valinor?" he asked of Indiana James in a soft but powerful voice, "Is it for it's greater glory... or for yours?"
: "Uhh... how'd you get in here?" asked Indiana James, wide-eyed, "Can you help me get out?"
: "Only you can help you, Indiana James Lambert!" Gandalf answered, "Seek out Aragorn. Not the one you know, but the one you don't!"
: "What does that mean?" was all Indiana James was able to ask before the white flash again engulfed the room.
: "Where'd he go?" he asked, looking around for Gandalf in vain.
: Indiana James swiveled around quickly as he heard the click of the door opening.

: -----

: Chapter 23 [Brett's Inner Conflict] (written by Brett (Yasim) Lambert)

: Brett began to worry about his brother, Indiana James, and what happened to him. Although, James had turned himself over to the evil Deirdre, he was after all still his brother. And blood relation is far more important than some silly conflict between two sides.
: But even as Brett thought this, he had this overwhelming loyalty to Jerico, Aragorn, Meg, and the others. He couldn't possibly betray them! His job, like it was from the start, was to be the computer hacker extraordinaire. Although, he was highly educated in computers, he would have preferred a field job. He yearned for the adventure, just like his favorite action/adventure hero Indiana Jones. But his even bigger idol, E.T., would disapprove of this. What was Brett to do?
: In the library, he debated much to himself on what he should do - the job, or his brother. He took one last look at the whole library and his mind was made up. The problem was that he was on the other side of Poland from Indiana James, so he decided to hop on a plane for the cross-country flight and rescue his brother from whoever had captured him.
: He ran out of the library as fast as he could to the airport. But then quickly turned back to the library and took the "Lord of the Rings" book.
: "It's gonna be one long flight! I need something to pass the time", Brett said to himself.

: -----

: Chapter 24 [More Clues] (written by the Fiddler)

: "So, now that we are all safe and sound you get to tell me why you impersonated Goodsport." Tessa pointed out.
: "Here is the deal, lets go to bed, get a good nights sleep and I'll tell you in the mornin', a'right?"
: "Okay, fine." Tessa agreed skeptically.

: - - -

: As Indiana Lambert stood, poised, waiting for somebody to enter the room he wondered - is this it? Does the end come now? Was that vision a sign of his coming death?
: Suddenly Fiddler entered the room, and James sighed in relief. "Oh, it's only you. Glad you came for me."
: Then he saw that Fiddler's hands were still tied.
: "What the..." Lambert blurted, startled.
: "It's all right, we are just going for a little drive," Indy remarked as he followed his prisoner into the room, "but first we are going to have a little pat down to make sure you aren't hiding anything in your clothing."
: "Would it help if we just told you we don't?" Fiddler asked sarcastically.
: "No, first of all because I locked Lambert in that other room and now he is in here." Indy replied flatly, acting as though Fiddler's comment had been just plain stupid and not sarcastic.
: Backing Fiddler against the wall Indy proceeded to tie Indiana Lambert's hands and then search him. All the while the Fiddler stood, passively, leaning against the wall.
: When Indy finished he pushed James against the wall next to Fiddler. Instantly as Lambert hit the wall he felt something press against his hand. Realizing it was something the Fiddler was trying to hand him Lambert quickly tried to grab hold of it, but fumbled his attempt and dropped the item as Fiddler was pulled away from the wall to be searched.
: Indy heard the folded piece of paper hit the stone floor...
: "What's this?" He asked, pushing both prisoners away from the paper and then bending over to pick it up.
: Neither man replied.
: Unfolding the piece of paper he found the following:

:

:
: - - -

: Searching the forum as the plane left Reykjavik, Indiana Jerico saw another message posted by Tessa's husband. It was titled: "Something from Tessa." It said how they had just heard from her and that she was in a hotel in Warsaw and doing fine. It also mentioned a neat map Tessa had found and told her husband about on the phone.
: Clicking on the link that was given, a scan of an old map of Poland slowly downloaded.
: 'WE JUST RECEIVED A CALL FROM TESSA. SHE IS FINE AND STAYING AT A HOTEL IN WARSAW.'
: SHE TOLD ME ABOUT THIS MAP SHE SHOWED ME ON THE INTERNET A FEW WEEKS AGO. SHE SAID TO POST IT FOR YOU GUYS BECAUSE SHE THOUT IT MIGHT BE USEFUL.'
: 'CLICK THE LINK BELOW.'

: 'A map of Poland'

: "Hey Meg, look at this," he said, distracting her from her studies of the forum novels, "it's a map that Tessa told her husband about."
:
: -----

: Chapter 25 [They Meet in The City] (written by Indiana Jerico)

: Brett immediately went out of the Walbrzych Public Library in southern-western Poland and turned his collar up against the cold. He walked a few blocks for a few minutes, trying to clear up his thoughts.
: His brother is in trouble. And that can only mean two things: One, he's been captured by Aragorn and the others, or two: He's in trouble with his Big Boss. Brett fervently prayed that it was the former. At least Aragorn and the others know compassion for prisoners.
: He dialed Aragorn's number.
: "Aragorn," Aragorn answered.
: "Aragorn," Brett said. "It's Brett. Listen...I...well..."
: "What?" Aragorn asked. "You sound worried, Brett."
: "I am," Brett said. "Listen, is my brother there with you?"
: "Right now?" Aragorn asked.
: "Yeah, right now!" Brett said.
: "Right now, I'm on my way to the airport for the second time, Brett," Aragorn said, "Jerico and the others'll be arriving in about a few minutes, and I'm meeting them there."
: "You're on your way for the second time today???" Brett asked.
: "Okay, it went like this," Aragorn said. "After I dropped you off at the library, two goons tried to kill me, but someone saved me. A man from Meg's group."
: "Meg?" Brett asked. "Oh, yeah. The new recruit. Go on."
: "So we went to the airport with the prisoners tied at the back. By the way, the man's name was Indy. We waited in the airport for a few minutes. Then, Indy decided that it'd be good if we kept our prisoners somewhere else instead of the back of the car, so we drove into a hideout and locked them there. Indy's guarding them as we speak."
: "Aragorn, it's about the prisoners," Brett said. "Did one have reddish-brown hair, and tall? And did he have a fedora?"
: "Yeah, why?"
: Brett remained silent for a while. "He's my brother."
: "He's your WHAT???" Aragorn asked.
: "My brother," Brett said, "Indiana James."
: "Your brother's a member of the enemy???" Aragorn asked again.
: "Yeah, well, I'll explain later," Brett said, "Where's the hideout you were holding them?"
: Aragorn gave him the directions.
: "Okay, I'll be there and keep Indy company. Brett out."

: - - -

: "Tessa's fine, and she's in Warsaw!" Meg smiled, looking at Indiana Jerico. "That's great! Maybe then, she'll be able to explain what's been happening so far!"
: Indiana Jerico, however, was silent, looking intently at the posted message.
: "What's the matter?" Meg asked, noticing his expression.
: "Just one thing," Jerico said, "see here." He pointed on a part of the message.
: Meg read the line. " 'SHE SAID TO POST IT FOR YOU GUYS BECAUSE SHE THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE USEFUL.' So?"
: Indiana Jerico looked at her. "How did she know we're after her? RememberÖ she doesn't know everything that's happened so far. How did she know we're gonna need this help?"
: Meg suddenly realized what his point was. "You're right."
: Goodsport and Short Round, who's been chatting with a couple of cute girls, came to them. They noticed their faces. "What's up?"
: "Tessa's fine, and she's in Warsaw," Jerico said.
: "That's great!" Goodsport smiled. "That's great! Maybe then, she'll be able to explain what's been happening so far!"
: "Not so good," Jerico said, "Aragorn just called a few minutes ago."
: Meg looked at him, surprised by this news.
: "Someone called, and said he has Tessa," Indiana Jerico said, "he wants to trade her for the two prisoners that Aragorn and Indy have."
: "Indy? Who's Indy?" Short Round asked.
: "A member of my group," Meg replied. "The one who helped Aragorn."
: "Oh," Goodsport and Short Round replied.
: "You didn't TELL me that a while ago!" Meg said angrily to Indiana Jerico. "You still don't trust me!"
: Indiana Jerico shrugged. He turned to Goodsport and Short Round and told them about the Forum Message posted supposedly by Tessa's husband.
: "So what does it all mean?" Goodsport asked.
: "Only two things," Jerico breathed, "either someone's playing on both sides, which is highly unlikely, or..."
: "Or?" Short Round asked.
: "Or, there's a third group involved," Jerico finished. "Lying in wait, and feeding information to both sides."
: The others looked at each other thoughtfully. Soon, the speaker blared.
: "THIS IS YOUR CAPTAIN SPEAKING. IN A FEW MINUTES, WE WILL BE ARRIVING IN WARSAW. PLEASE TAKE YOUR SEATS AND PUT ON YOUR SEATBELTS. THANK YOU."
: "We'll finish this up," Jerico said, "Aragorn's waiting for us at the airport."

: - - -

: The plane touched ground and pretty soon, the door opened and passengers filed out. Goodsport and Short Round took their luggage from above. Short Round steadied his cap. Meg tried to get hers down, with a little difficulty. Indiana Jerico reached up and helped her. He smiled, but Meg didn't reply, still mad about him not trusting her. As they went down, Jerico put on his Predator Series 99 Ray-Ban sunglasses and breathed in the fresh Poland air.
: They started walking towards the airport building. They then got out their luggage (which wasn't much considering they left in a hurry) and went outside the airport. They walked to the parking lot.
: "So, where's our transportation out?" Short Round asked.
: "There," Indiana Jerico answered, nodding his head. They looked to where he pointed out.
: Leaning casually on a red BMW was a young man wearing all gray. He had brown hair. His eyes were hidden by the sunglasses, which was the same as that of Jerico's. He was grinning.
: "Thought you'd never show up," the young man said.
: "Yeah, right," Indiana Jerico said. He turned to the others. "Guys, this is..."
: "Aragorn," Meg smiled, extending her hand.
: "The same as my name?" Aragorn kidded.
: Meg laughed. "Sorry. I'm Meg."
: "Ah, so you're Meg," Aragorn smiled. "'T'is a pleasure to meet someone so fair." He took Meg's hand and kissed it. Meg blushed.
: "Yeah, well," Jerico said, taking away Meg's hand. "This is Goodsport and Short Round."
: "Goodsport I know, but Short Round?" Aragorn asked.
: "We'll explain later." Jerico said. "So, before all else, you got our gear?"
: "Right here," Aragorn said. He took out a briefcase. He was about to open it when Meg spoke up.
: "Two customized .45 Colt pistol with extra-long clips, colored black and an Eagle engraved on the handle on one, and a Scorpion on the other," Meg said, "and one customized Magnum .357, colored white, with a sword engraved on its handle."
: Indiana Jerico and Aragorn looked at her in surprise. Aragorn whistled. He opened the briefcase and sure enough, there were the guns Meg just mentioned.
: "I told you I read about your files," Meg grinned.
: "Wow," Aragorn said, looking at Jerico, "she's got a brain as well in that pretty head of hers."
: "Top of the class, remember?" Jerico said. Then he leaned to Aragorn. "Don't ever think of flirting with her."
: Aragorn grinned.
: Goodsport and Short Round looked at the guns.
: "Wow," Goodsport said, "are you guys expecting trouble?"
: "Are you kidding?" Aragorn said. "We were born with it!"
: "So what're we gonna do next?" Short Round said.

: -----

: Chapter 26 [Escape From Captivity] (written by Indiana James Lambert)

: "What is this?!?" Indy yelled again at his captives as he held the map.
: "It's the directions to the bathroom," Indiana James said sarcastically.
: Indy grabbed James' arm. "No more games. Tell me!"
: "Ahh, to hell with this!" James said as he threw himself into Indy. Indy flew backwards, his skull meeting the cold hard wall.
: "Good job," the Fiddler muttered as he untied the loosened ropes on both his and James' hands. He then picked up the map.
: "Ahh, you can keep that map of yours. I think it's best if we go our separate ways," James said as he dragged Indy's limp body into the cell.
: "Go ahead! Besides you slowed me down," the Fiddler snorted.
: "Really?" James questioned as he used Indy's own keys to lock him up.
: "Yes, but let's still try to find our way out of this jail before splitting."
: "Agreed, let's go," James said eagerly.
: The two men walked into the corridor, stepping lightly and cautiously. They came to a part where the hallway split in two ways. On both ends there were exits. The two men shook hands and went in opposite directions. James took a left. Fiddler went right.
: James opened the doorway and saw a green grassy field with a dirt road nearby. A few leafy trees dotted the landscape.
: "Ahh, Poland," James muttered to himself. Then he heard a car's engine. It was coming closer. James slowly backed away, but the convertible screeched to a halt just a few feet away from him.
: Indiana Jerico, Meg, Aragorn, Short Round and Goodsport stepped out of the car, each with guns trained on James.
: "Aragorn! Buddy! Great to see you!" James said excitedly.
: "Don't try to talk your way out of this one, pal! We used to be friends, but that was before you turned to Deirdre!" Aragorn said.
: "But Aragorn, I was going to quit this business! It would be just like old times!" James pleaded.
: "It's too late. See you in hell, butterball!" Aragorn sneered as he raised his weapon.
: "Butterball? I'm not fat!" James said, while examining his stomach.
: Aragorn opened fire on James, hitting him in the neck and stomach. He fell into a gentle sleep and met grass.
: "You killed him!" Meg yelled.
: "Relax, my lovely asisstant. It was a tranqualizer gun. He'll be fine. I wouldn't do that to an old buddy!" Aragorn explained.

: -----

: Chapter 27 [All That Glitters] (written by Goodsport)

: Aragorn lifted Indiana James by the shoulders as Short Round lifted him by his feet. They tossed him into the back of Aragorn's car and tied his hands and feet.
: "What was that about him being a butterball?" asked Short Round.
: "Inside joke," grinned Aragorn.
: Shorty rolled his eyes. "You mind telling me about it?"
: Maintaining his grin, Aragorn answered, "Yup!"

: - - -

: Meg, Indiana Jerico and Goodsport shuffled carefully through the corridor of the hideout, guns drawn. The open door at the end of the hallway gave the trio a sinking feeling.
: "Oh, that's just wonderful!" exclaimed Indiana Jerico in disgust, as he rushed to the open far door, "The other one got away!"
: "I hear moaning from the other room," Meg reported to the others as she and Goodsport rushed over there.
: By the time Indiana Jerico joined them, they had already helped Indy to his feet.
: "You're bleeding!" observed Meg aloud, as she applied some pressure to the back of Indy's head with a few tissues she found off the desk in the room, "We're taking you to the hospital!"
: "No, the medical system in this country stinks!" roared Indy, "Besides, I'm fine. Let's not waste time. We have to find those two bastards!"
: "Well, we got James," Jerico updated his colleague, "but we never even saw who the other one was!"
: "That's bad news!" replied Indy, "The one that got away is the one I'm worried about more. He seemed almostÖ inhuman!"

: - - -

: After devouring his airline peanuts, Brett closed the shade over the window beside him, leaned back in his seat, opened the book and started reading.
: "I've read this before," though Brett to himself with glee, "but I always learn something new each time I read it!"
: He sped through the first ten pages of the book, so familiar with the book that he knew every upcoming word by heart. By page eleven, however, he stopped in his tracks.
: "What?!?" he thought in confusion, "I've never read this part before."
: Brett continued reading the words that he knew J.R.R. Tolkien himself did not include. So engulfed was Brett in reading this new text that he didn't notice the glow the book's cover was producing at that moment.

: - - -

: "Are you feeling all right?" Short Round asked the suddenly sweating Aragorn.
: "IÖ uhhÖ I'm fine!" lied Aragorn, bracing his arm against the door of his car for balance.
: The flash of light that hit Aragorn's eyes confirmed to him that all was not right.

: - - -

: Aragorn lifted himself off the ground expecting to see his car. It wasn't there. And neither was Short Round.
: He noticed the dark, cloudy sky that contrasted the blue sky of just a few seconds ago. Thunder struck in the distance, as Aragorn stood up on the grassy plain, realizing without knowing why that at that moment he had to run.
: "Where is everyone?" Aragorn thought, then a memory long forgotten reappeared in his mind, "Oh no, the Dark Lord is back!"
: "Yes, Aragorn!" answered the new voice in his head, "You've been away too long!"

: - - -

"Excuse me sir," the stewardess asked.
"Huh?" Brett lifted his head, his complete concentration on the book broken.
The stewardess displayed two meals on her tray. "For you dinnerÖ would you like the chicken or the steak?"

: - - -

: Aragorn's feet began moving faster and faster, as he saw that behind him the black rivers of substanceless darkness were gaining on him.
: Right as Aragorn turned his head forward, he missed avoiding the large crevasse he fell into.

: - - -

: "Wake up, man!" Aragorn heard Short Round frantically scream, as the latter was squirting water from a water bottle in Aragorn's face.
: "Cut it out!" Aragorn exclaimed, shoving the water bottle away.
: Meg, Indiana Jerico, Indy and Goodsport were looking down at their woken comrade.
: "Are you okay, Aragorn?" asked Meg, "What happened?"
: "This is more serious than we thought, guys!" Aragorn answered, visibly shaken, "We have to find Gandalf! We have to find Valinor!"
: "I've heard that name before!" recalled Goodsport, "On the plane, by that old guy in the washroom right before he disappeared!"
: "What exactly did you see just now?" Indiana Jerico inquired of Aragorn.
: Aragorn thought long and hard. "IÖ I can't remember!"

: - - -

: She's sleeping. Now's my chance!
: The Man with The Hat stood up off the floor, silently grabbed his rope and gag, and began to tiptoe toward a completely asleep Tessa.
: What neither of them noticed was the suddenly intense glowing of the ring on Tessa's right hand, hidden under the blanket.

: -----


Follow Ups:



Post a Followup:

Name:    
E-Mail:  
Subject: 
Comments:

Optional:

Link URL:   
Link Title: 
Image URL:  


[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ The Indyfan Fan Fiction Forum ]