Thunder & Lightning by Brenda Lyons The rain is pounding against the 1998 Mercedes Benz CL600 Coupe as it speeds through the rain on a winding road in the MK Mountain Range. Jake and Chance are on their way to the Enforcer training camp, to talk with the new recruits. Commander Feral made the Lieutenant Commander (Chance) speak with the new trainees, to tell them the benefits the Enforcers have. "Geeze Jake. Slow down. Your driving too fast." "Shut the hell up, Chance. I don't need your little scardy fits!!" "Well...I'm just trying to be safe, you know." "Yeah yeah yeah. But you're forgetting something." "What am I forgetting??" "You're due at the Enforcer Boot Camp for debriefing and a speech in an hour." "Oh yeah." Chance said through clenched teeth as he hit his head with his paw. "Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid..." "You're gonna have a headache if you keep doing that Chance." "Right." The rain got even harder, and visability even lower. As Jake gave the Benz more gas to hurry up, and the brightness of lightning striking the ground before them scared Jake so badly he jerked the wheel to the left and slammed into the side of the mountain, creaming the mirror and other variuos body panels. "Damn! Whatthehell happened?!" came a yell from Chance. "Dunno, but I'm not slowing down any. We're late as is." "Roger that." "Roger what, the lightning bolt??" "No. That we are late and shouldn't slow down any." "Ooooh! HEH HEH!!" "Yeaah." "Gotcha." "Stupid me........Oh weeeeeelll what in the...?!!" As Jake excalimed, a lightning bolt struck the pavement again, causing Jake to swerve to the right, slicing through the steel guardrail that protected them from the cliff. -----------_--------------_---------------_------------232-3456------------- By now, the Mercedes was overturned and they were in the forest surrounding the MegaKat Mountains. "Uhhhhhhhh....My frikin' head...ohhhhhhhhhh..." Jake said, under his breath, hurling in pain. "Yo, Chance, you okay?? Hey, bud, you okay??" "I guess..so...but my leg is in so much..Ooooo!!! ..pain!" "You'll be okay pal." "That's what they all say!" "Calm down. We need to get out of this car and try to get to the Enforcer camp." "Sure. But..." Chance managed to splurt out as he kicked the passenger door with his right foot. "...the doors are stuck." "No problemo." Jake pulled and UZI out from under the driver's seat. "WHOA! Where did you get that?! Those things are illegal!" "I know that perfectly well. I bought it in a weapons smuggle in Israel a few months back." With that, Jake aimed the tip at the driver's door window and pulled the trigger, making the glass shatter into a million pieces. "Bingo." Then he crawled out the window, leaned in to grab Chance by the shoulders, and pull him out. Now was the problem of locating where they are, and calling for help. He was going to try to put the Mercedes back on it's wheels and start it up to initalize the Phillips Navigational System. He tried to lift it upon it's side, but to no avail. ************ I was a midnight rider on a cloud of smoke I could make a she-kat hang on every stroke I was an iron kat I had a master plan But I was alone I could hear you breathing With a sigh of the wind I remember how your body started trembling Oh, what a night it's been And for the state I'm in I'm still alone And all the wonders made for the Earth And all the hearts in all creation Somehow I always end up alone Always end up alone So I play, I wait 'Cause you know that love takes time We came so far Just a beat of a lonely heart And it's mine And I don't want to be alone Well, since I got no message on your answer phone And since your busy every minute, I'll just stay at home I make believe you care I feel you everywhere But I'm still alone I'm on a wheel of fortune with a twist of fate 'Cause I know it isn't heaven, is it love or hate Am I the subject of the pain Am I the stranger in the rain I am alone And is there glory there to behold Maybe it's my imagination Another story there to be told So I play, I'll wait And I pray it's not too late You know we came so far Just the beat of a lonely heart And it's mine And I don't want to be alone And all the wonders made for the Earth And all the hearts in all creation Another story there to be told So I play, I'll wait And I pray it's not too late You know we came so far Just the beat of a lonely heart And it's mine And I don't want to be alone Gone, but not out of sight I'm caught in the rain and there's no one home Face the heat of the night The one that you love's got a heart that's made of stone Shine and search for the light And sooner or later you'll be cruising on your ocean And clean out of sight I'm caught in the rain and there's no one home "Alone"- by the BeeGees ******************* "Come on Chance. I know it's gonna hurt, but we need to get the car back on it's wheels, and we can possibly get out of this predicament." "Oh alright. I'll try." "Great. Now, lets try to lift it onto its side, then we can push it over." "Oooooooo! Don't mind me." After an hour of attempting this, they managed to get the Mercedes on its wheels again. Chance got into the rear seat, and Jake got back into the driver's seat, started the car up, and used the navigational system. "Damnit. The piece of crap isn't working. Of all the low down things!" "Yeah. Just like how things happen in the Enforcers. Gee, how wierd." "Lets see if it's drivable." Jake slipped the gear selector into Drive, and the wheels started to turn. "HORRAY!!" an excited duo shouted. "...back on the road again...." Chance hummed. Driving between trees, they spotted a road, and immediatly Jake spun the car onto it and let the gas pedal go to the floor as they rushed on the road towards the Enforcer camp. ----------------------------------------1-800-98-JENNY---------------------- Finally, 3 hours late, Jake and Chance show up at the Enforcer camp. "FURLONG!!!! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! I want a good explination for this." "Sir, we had *car trouble*. We were driving through the mountains because the I-234 bridge was washed out. When we were descending the mountain, lightning struck the road no less that 6 feet in frot of my car, and I jerked the wheel to the right, slicing through the guardrail, and ending up somewhere in MegaKat Forest. I drove until I found a road, the other half of I-234, and headed this way." "A likely story. I want to see you first thing tomorrow morning." "But Commander, tomorrow is Saturday." "I don't give a damn." "WELL I DO, SIR!" growled a steamed and fried Chance "Oh really?" As Feral said that, Chance did a karate kick into Feral's stomach, making him wince in pain as he fell to the floor. "And you can't derank me. I have the papers to prove it. And I can still be promoted." With a salute, Jake and Chance were on their way back to Milano Kamer Ave. ---------------------------------------------1-900-WEATHER------------------ "Chance, do you want a cigar?" "Sure." They spoke when walking into Jake's huge walk-in humidor. "What'll it be?" Scanning over the hundreds of boxes, Chance said, "León Jimenes, Number 1 Natural." "Okay." Jake picked up the box from the shelf, and walked over to the smoking section of the humidor, plucking a Promethus Silver Lighter from the counter as he walked. Chance followed suit, sitting in a big leather chair, and accepting the pre-cut cigar Jake' handed him. "Light?" "Thanks." Chance replied. A few puffs each and the cigars were lit. "Is this a fresh box?? I can taste a better grade of tobacco than the Punch cigars." "Yeah. This box of 25 cost nearly two-hundred clams," Jake said between taps on the ashtray. "The more expensive the better." "You're right. And how are the kittens doing, may I ask?" "Great, and they are still looking so innocent too. And yours?" "Ditto. And I need to get a new car, thanks to the lightning bolt," murmured Chance. "What kind are you going to get?" "I was thinking a Bentley Turbo RT, a Jaguar XJR, or a Mercedes S600." "Go with the Jag. A Bentley is gonna get keyed sooner or later." They puffed away at the whole box of cigars, wasting time talking into the wee hours of the night. -----_--------_---------_---------_-------_--------_--------_------_-----_---- "Whoa. It's already...what? 2 AM?" Jake asked wearily. "..That's what my watch reads." replied Chance. "And where in the earth did all those cigars vanish to?" "I guess we smoked 'em all...oops.." "That's fine, just so mind boggling." "And speaking of mind, I gotta get home. I'll be extra-quite. Bye." "Bye pal." _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ That's the end to this. Send your praise to :(jaguarxj220@usa.net) Jag