 
Klandestine Maneuvers

Book Two of the Adventure Chronicles

by

Jeffrey Allen Davis

Smashwords Edition

Copyrighted Material

© 2014 Jeffrey Allen Davis

This book is a work of fiction. Places, events and situations in this story are purely fictional. Any similarities to actual persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental.

All rights reserved.

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This book is available in print at most online retailers.

Edited by Karen Griffiths

Cover by Tim Johnson

Additional Proofreading by Samuel Campbell

Christian Fiction

http://jeffreyallendavis.wordpress.com

http://www.gcdpublishing.wordpress.com

Unless otherwise noted, all Bible verses are quoted from the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible.

To my beautiful daughter, Kaitlyn.

May you always find wonder in God's Creation.

"Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him."-Acts 10:34-35

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Jesus, my Blessed Savior.

Thanks to Karen Griffiths, my editor.

Thanks to Samuel Campbell for his help.

Thanks to Darryl Sloan for all of his advice.

Thanks to my mother, whose heart knows no bounds.

Thanks to my hard-working father, who has already gone Home.

Thanks to my beautiful wife, Vickie, for her support during the long hours of writing. Thanks to my daughter, KK, for the calming effects of her hugs. Thanks to my stepson, Jay, for reading–and enjoying—the original version of this book. Thanks to my stepdaughter, Bree, for reminding me that I have to laugh every once in a while.

Thanks to D. Issac, B. Goodman, E. Griffiths, T. Thompson, D. Middleton, S. Black, J. Don Davis, L. Isaac, K. Corbett, E. Hall, J. Hall, L. Ringstaff, J. King, J. Decker, D. Goodman. You've all been lifelong influences.

Klandestine Maneuvers

Prologue

Early May, 1992

The young man made his way slowly up the rain-slick steps outside of St. George Roman Catholic Church in Sera, MO. He pulled his coat closer, shivering in the rain. Taking hold of the knob, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.

This church was nothing like the churches with which he was familiar. Statues of the Virgin Mary, as well as several of the other Saints, adorned the inside of the building, with a single decoration standing out from the rest. At the back of the church, hanging on a wall behind the altar, was a sculpted crucifix. The young man's breath caught in his throat at the exquisite detail of the Savior.

Looking around the room, the young man's curious gaze settled on two doors about ten feet away. He made his way to them, opened the left door, then stepped inside.

The teen-ager felt cramped in this closet-sized room. Unlike the room outside, it was plainly decorated. There was a single, cushioned stool here, upon which he nervously seated himself, hoping that he wouldn't make a mess with the rainwater that was dripping off of him.

In the wall between the two doors was a black screen. The young man examined this curiously, noting the fact that there was a sliding door on the other side.

There came the sound of someone entering the other door. A man cleared his throat, then opened the sliding door. "How may I be of service to you, my son?"

The young man had practiced what he was going to say several times on the way here, but he realized that, in his nervousness, he had forgotten everything. "Uh . . . I am not sure what I should say here."

The man's voice was filled with compassion. "When was your last confession?" he asked calmly.

"I have never had one."

After a slight pause, the man said, "Never?"

The young man explained. "You see . . . up until today, I have never set foot inside of a Catholic Church. I was raised Baptist."

"Why didn't you go to your Baptist minister for assistance?" asked the man.

"Well," the boy muttered nervously, "I haven't attended a church regularly in a few years. My father, to my knowledge, hasn't been to a church since I was young, and my mother works and is always tired on Sundays."

"And you?"

"I guess that I've never felt comfortable in church. Does that mean that God doesn't like me?"

"Certainly not!" retorted the man. "God loves _all_ of his children. What would have made you decide to come to a confessional, if you didn't feel that He would help you?"

"I did something about six months ago that weighs heavily on my conscience. I have nightmares about it. I can't stop thinking about it and one of my friends even said that he was worried that I might be suicidal."

"Are you?"

The young man shook his head, then realized the priest couldn't see him. "Of course not."

"That's good. We teach that, if one kills oneself, then one cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven. But, this isn't the only thing that you should worry about. The consequences of your actions could be detrimental to your family and friends. And, even if you didn't succeed . . ."

"Oh, I _would_ succeed," interrupted the young man.

"How could you be so sure?" asked the priest.

The adolescent answered bitterly. "I have been trained well. I can kill any human being, including myself, with a touch."

"Ah . . .," the priest said. "I believe I know what this is about. You're Jamie Raleigh."

"I guess it was pretty obvious, huh?"

"I'm afraid so," commented the priest. "Since I know who you are, why don't we go out into the sanctuary and speak face to face? You aren't Catholic and we do have some traditions that we like to keep."

"Wow," muttered Jamie. "Tradition trumps helping me?"

"I still want to help you, but I would never suggest what I'm going to suggest in the confessional."

* * *

Jamie sat in the pew. The wood was uncomfortable. He looked down and examined a device under his seat that looked as if it was supposed to be pulled out.

"We pull those out during Mass so that the parishioners can kneel on the attached pads to pray," explained the young, blonde-haired priest, who had introduced himself as Father Jay.

"Convenient," commented Jamie without emotion.

Father Jay cleared his throat. "I suppose that what you have gone through would cause many people to have nightmares."

Jamie nodded, his heel fidgeting with the pad under his seat. "I hate to fight."

The priest chuckled. "I'm glad you don't love it."

"I killed people," stated Jamie, running his fingers through his brown bangs. "Most people can't say that."

"True," responded the cleric. "In my years, I've never had anyone confess that one. But I'm sure it happens more than we think."

Jamie's blue eyes moved up, locking onto the crucifix. "Was I justified?"

Father Jay sighed. "I believe so."

Not taking his eyes off of the carving of the Risen Savior, Jamie asked, "But does _He_ think I was justified?"

"King David was a great warrior," responded the priest. "He also committed adultery and killed his lover's husband. Yet Scripture says that he had a special favor with God."

Jamie shook his head. "I'm no King David."

"You feel guilty that you have done these things," remarked the priest, "and that's a good start."

"My friend, Jeremy, tells me that my conscience is a curse," retorted the young ninja.

"On the contrary, it's a blessing from our Father in Heaven that some of us are not heartless individuals." The priest was silent for another moment, then said, "Have you ever considered going to a church other than one of the Baptist faith . . . or Catholic?"

Jamie chuckled. It felt good, considering the pain that he had been feeling as of late. "Aren't you supposed to be trying to convert me to Roman Catholicism, or something like that?"

Father Jay laughed out loud at that. "Had we stayed in the confessional, I may have been obligated to do so." He patted Jamie on the shoulder. "But I'm trying to help you to find God in your own way."

Jamie's eyes met those of the priest. "There's more than one path to God?"

Father Jay shook his head. "No. Christ is the only path to God. But some of my own fellow clergy are starting to leave that idea behind. And I truly believe that, as a budding believer, you need to go to a church that points only to Christ Jesus, and Him crucified. You need a minister who listens only to God and not to a hierarchy of men. Sadly, you won't get that here."

Jamie closed his eyes in thought. The face of a beautiful adolescent girl with blonde hair, brown eyes, and a captivating smile entered his mind. "My girlfriend attends a Non-Denominational church," he answered the priest's question. "She tells me that she wants me to go with her as a visitor sometime."

"Perhaps this whole thing is a lesson. Perhaps He is leading you to the church where He wants you, and your conscience-as well as your loved one-are His tools for getting you there."

Jamie opened his eyes and looked at the young priest curiously. There was a sadness in Father Jay's eyes that was suddenly palpable. "If you believe these things are happening to your denomination, why don't you leave?"

Father Jay sighed. "I'm going to fight the good fight."

Chapter One

May 15, 1992

Friday, 9:30 PM

"Is it just me, or is Deck a moron?" mumbled Max Adams from his place in the back seat of Buster Goodman's minivan.

"That is rather rude," commented Yoshi from her place next to George Tanner in the middle seat. "Deck went to great trouble to put together an enjoyable game for us tonight."

"Yeah," interjected her boyfriend, "and he fed us, too."

"He says some of the dumbest things," returned Max. "What did he mean that the last fight wasn't realistic enough? We were fighting ogres, for crying out loud!"

Louis Robertson, Sera's only African-American student, who was sitting next to Max in the back seat, joined in. "I think he wanted the fight to move beyond being just numbers on a die."

"It's a dice game," returned Max. "How can it move beyond that?"

"No," responded Buster, not taking his eyes off of the road as he talked, "it's an imagination game. The dice are supposed to just be tools to help our imaginations."

George shrugged. "I don't think they can make rules where the dice could really do a swordsman justice. We've all—Deck included—had experience fighting real swordsmen."

Yoshi sighed. "Do not remind me."

"I haven't," said Louis. "But I see how that kind of experience could almost be a curse for a gamer."

Max leaned over the seat and glanced at George. "You live closer to Deck than the rest of us. Why do you drive all the way out to Jamie's just to ride back to your side of the river to game?"

George wrapped his arms tightly around Yoshi's waist. "I wouldn't have an excuse to snuggle with her for twelve miles."

Yoshi turned to look at him with a smile. "As if you need an excuse." She leaned forward and kissed him.

"Get a room, you two," groaned Louis.

"We never play a game where we see our characters train to fight," commented Max. "I'll bet that would be the best part."

Yoshi looked back at him, her smile gone. "No, it is not."

Chapter Two

Flashback

April 15, 1988

Friday, 5:00 PM

Jamie's wooden blade slammed roughly into that of the girl, sending it clattering across the concrete. Carrying his momentum into a spin, he swept her feet from under her with his right foot and brought his _bokken_ down on the shoulder of the girl, causing her to flinch in pain.

His mask of seriousness melted into concern. "Did I hit you too hard?"

"I am fine!" she snapped as she jumped to her feet and walked to where her practice weapon had come to rest in the fallen leaves that blanketed the area around the patio. She reached down and snatched it up, turning immediately to where her father sat next to his uncle.

She walked up to the two ninja and dropped the wooden sword at their feet. "I cannot do this, father!" she declared.

Kuji Funakoshi eyed his daughter in irritation. Jamie clenched his teeth and willed himself to be sitting in his bedroom at home. He knew what was going to happen next.

"You must do this, Yoshi!" Kuji was now on his feet, his eyes staring daggers at his daughter. "You will one day lead our clan! Your ability to defend yourself is of the utmost importance!"

When Jamie was with his sensei's family, they spoke English for his benefit. He sometimes felt, however, that he would benefit more if he couldn't understand their arguments.

"This is unfair!" argued the girl, her brown eyes narrowed at her father and her fists clenched tightly at her side, the knuckles whitening. "I did not ask to be either _ninja_ or _jonin_!"

"You were born with the responsibility!" returned Kuji. "There was no choice!"

Yoshi pointed at Jamie.

_Uh-oh_ , the boy thought. _Here it comes_.

" _He_ had a choice!"

Silence.

Then Yoshi's father sighed and spoke something to her in Japanese. Although Jamie didn't understand the words, he could guess what was being said. It was no secret that the majority of the Funakoshi clan didn't approve of Jamie being Tanemura's student. And Kuji would not have switched languages if what he were telling his daughter would not hurt the young westerner's feelings.

For her part, Yoshi was quiet as her father spoke. Her arms were folded across the chest of her "Jameston Camels" T-shirt and her tennis shoe-clad right foot tapped the pavement impatiently, but she didn't interrupt her father.

Finally, Kuji finished what he was saying. Yoshi closed her eyes and nodded, her black ponytail bobbing slightly over her back. She then followed her father to the sliding glass of the back door of their home, where Yoshi's mother, Mai, had been watching this exchange with concern.

The _kunoichi_ stepped aside to allow her husband and daughter entrance as Jamie's sensei, who had been seated next to Kuji, placed his hand comfortingly on the boy's shoulder.

Jamie shook his head with a sigh. "We're not getting through to her at all."

"You have no reason to feel frustrated," said Tanemura. "Getting Yoshi to train is not your responsibility."

"I'm sorry that I haven't been a better influence on her," mumbled Jamie.

"It is not your fault," returned his teacher. "Yoshika will not train until she is ready."

"Tanemura," came a woman's voice from behind the young ninja-in-training. He looked over his shoulder to find Mai standing behind him.

_Typical_ , he thought. _I can never hear her move._

"Yes, Mai?" asked Tanemura.

"Might I have a word with Jamie?"

Tanemura seemed somewhat surprised that Kuji's shy wife would wish to speak with his pupil. "Of course you may."

Tanemura bowed to Jamie, who returned the act of respect. The _jonin_ then headed toward the door to the house.

Jamie looked curiously at the kunoichi. Though in her forties, not so much as a wrinkle marred her milky smooth face. Her black hair, arranged into a bun with two chopsticks crossing through it, showed only the slightest hint of gray. She was beautiful and he couldn't picture her ever being otherwise.

"I felt it necessary to translate for you what Kuji said to Yoshi." Her accent was more noticeable than that of Yoshi.

Jamie smiled embarrassedly. "It really isn't my business."

Mai seated herself in a lawn chair, gesturing that Jamie should sit in the other. "But it is."

Jamie sat in the chair and looked at the kunoichi expectantly.

"Kuji is very fond of you."

Jamie cocked an eyebrow. Now _that_ was news. "What brought this up?"

"Kuji sometimes may seem stern, but he is a good, Christian man," explained Mai. "He does not fear the idea of your leading our clan. He merely knows that many members would be angered. He does not want to cause a rift."

Jamie nodded in understanding. It did not make things any easier.

The sound of a car stopping in front of the house caught their attention. They climbed to their feet and walked around to see Jamie and Yoshi's older friend, Maria, climbing from the driver's seat of a mid-eighties model Chevrolet _Celebrity_.

The lovely, Hispanic girl, who preferred the nickname _Star_ , looked toward the two with a friendly smile. "Hey!" she called. "Is Yoshi home?"

Jamie glanced at Mai, not sure if the Japanese argument from a few moments ago had included any mention of Yoshi being grounded.

"Yoshi is speaking with her father," replied Mai. "You may wait for her, if you wish."

"That'd be great!" returned Star cheerfully.

Mai turned and entered the front door.

Star sat in the now unoccupied lawn chair. "Haven't seen you in a couple of weeks."

Jamie nodded as he rotated his right shoulder, trying to work out the stiffness of overuse. "When I'm not studying, I'm training."

"But don't you still go to the park with the other guys?"

"We're training then." A pain shot up his shoulder and into his neck, causing a whistle of air to shoot inward through his clenched teeth.

"Are you hurt?" Maria asked, climbing to her feet.

Jamie sighed. "I guess I didn't stretch enough before Yoshi and I sparred."

Maria moved behind him and started rubbing his shoulder. "My mom does this when I'm sore from cheering."

Her hands moved deftly over the tense area, steadily loosening it. Within a few minutes, the pain was gone.

Jamie rotated his shoulder again, his grateful eyes locked on her as she seated herself again. "You rock at that."

Star giggled. "I'm thinking about being a therapist when I get older."

"I thought you wanted to be a photojournalist," responded Jamie.

She shrugged. "I'm only sixteen. I've got plenty of time to decide." She leaned toward him. "Look at my face. I also thought about being a cosmetologist."

His eyes narrowed. "A what?"

"Someone who does makeup!" She grinned. "Am I getting better at it?"

He examined her face. "I hadn't even realized you were wearing makeup."

"That's a good sign, isn't it?"

Jamie chuckled. "I don't know. I'm a guy."

They were silent for a few moments before Star said, "I got invited to Marty Lemonyon's party tomorrow night."

Jamie's eyes widened. "What?! You're not going to go, are you?"

"Of course," she replied, as if the answer were obvious.

"He's a senior!"

"He's cute." She smiled and ran her fingers through her dark hair. It was brown now, but that didn't necessarily mean that it would stay that color for long. Jamie dimly realized that he didn't really know what her natural color was.

She continued her thought. "And I think he likes me."

"He's a creep!" returned the boy.

She climbed to her feet and kissed him on the forehead. "Lighten up!"

Chapter Three

May 15, 1992

Friday, 9:42 PM

The minivan pulled into the driveway of the Robertsons, coming to a stop behind Mr. Robertson's late model Dodge Ram. Louis raised the back door and climbed out. "Thanks for the lift, guys," he said as walked up to Jamie's open window in the front passenger's seat.

"Are you goin' floating with us tomorrow?" called out Max.

"Yeah," responded Louis. "What time should I expect you?"

Jamie thought for a moment. "About eight."

The car pulled away after the members of Adventure bid their friend a cheerful farewell.

The group had completed a fantasy role-playing game earlier. Deck's role-playing games tended to make the teens talk about their childhood training, often leading to Jamie thinking about the not so pleasant aspects of that time of his life. Maria had been a kind friend who had learned at too early an age that the world isn't pretty.

"Louis is pretty cool," announced George as he wrapped his arms affectionately around Yoshi.

"Yeah," responded Jamie. "It's too bad that people like John Bowers and Freddy Jenks have to pick at him all the time." Jamie looked into the rearview mirror to see an eruption of flame in Louis's back yard. "What the . . .?!" He turned in his seat to look out the back window.

"What?" asked Buster.

"Turn around," demanded Jamie.

At his friend's urgent tone, Buster turned the wheel and the van U-turned back. After parking on the side of the street two houses down from the two-story home where Louis's family lived, the four adolescents jumped from the vehicle and approached the fire. Jamie could now make out the form of a flaming cross. His heart pounded in his chest as he and his friends darted silently behind a bush in Louis's neighbors' back yard.

From his hiding place, the young ninja could make out about twenty figures wearing white robes with matching hoods and cone hats, surrounding Louis's mother, who was standing on a chair that was under the only tree that stood in their backyard. A noose that was attached to one of the more stout branches was tied around her throat. The young ninja glanced up at a second story window of the neighbors' house to see the face of a woman looking out at the spectacle. His anger flared as she turned without emotion and walked away. "She could at least call the police," he mumbled to himself as he motioned for his friends to join him.

As Jamie looked back toward the house, he saw another of the white robed figures drag Franklin Robertson, Louis's father and Jamie's high school history teacher, out into the midst of the other robed men. Even from this distance, the young leader of Adventure could see that he was badly beaten, crimson soaking his once white shirt.

"Is that . . . gasoline?" whispered Yoshi, her nose crinkling at the pungent odor that filled the area.

"I guess they used it to light the cross," responded Buster, unconsciously playing with the one hanging from the chain around his neck.

As they watched, two more of the Klansmen pulled a kicking and screaming Louis from the house. His foot shot up, striking one of them in the side and knocking him away. Surprised, the other let go, so Louis dodged away from them. Three more of the men tackled him to the ground.

Jamie took a deep breath and called out, "Adventure, let's get'em!"

The four charged into the back yard.

Max leaped from the ground as he rushed three of the Klansmen. He extended his right foot, slamming it into the chest of the first and knocking him back into the other two. They groaned as they hit the ground with a painful THUD!

To avoid getting separated, Yoshi and George stood back to back. George was not accustomed to fighting without a weapon but, thanks to Yoshi, he had a slight amount of training in unarmed combat. Two of the Klansmen approached them from the side. He brought his right foot up and lashed out, striking it against the sides of both of their heads. One of them fell immediately to the ground as George kicked the other in the stomach, then punched him in the head.

Yoshi punched a charging Klansman in his nose. She had pulled her punch, not wanting to kill him. As he lay on the ground, unconscious, she could see his mask slowly soak with crimson.

Another Klansman approached from her left and swung his right fist at her. She caught it with ease. Still holding his wrist, she brought her right foot up and slammed it back and forth, repeatedly across his face. When she felt that he had been given enough, she dropped him on top of his other comrade.

Jamie was surrounded by three of the men. He grabbed one of them by the arm and twisted it behind his back. As the victim cried out in pain, Jamie used him as a shield to block the punch of one of his comrades. The young ninja, dropping the first Klansman, spin-kicked the attacking Klansman in the head and knocked him to the ground. The third Klansman appeared to have a change of heart as he turned and ran off into the night.

The young ninja looked around to take stock of the situation. Buster flipped one of the men who had been preparing the nooses to the ground, then began untying Louis's mother.

Two of the Klansmen were still holding Louis, but the one that had been dragging Louis's father had dropped him and retreated. Jamie, hoping that Louis would think to run, reached into the pocket of his jeans and produced a silver ball. He hurled it at the ground at Louis's feet.

There was a small explosion from the ball, then a cloud of black smoke arose from it, covering Louis and his two attackers. Jamie could hear a commotion from within the cloud as he ran forward to help his friend. By the time that he got there, the smoke had cleared, leaving a coughing Louis standing over the unconscious forms of the two Klansmen. Puzzled, Jamie started to say something, but was cut off by Yoshi's words. "They are escaping!"

Jamie whirled around to see the remaining Klansmen running from the scene. Disgusted, he called out, "Let'em go. Louis and his family are safe." His curious eyes again settled on Louis, still coughing from the young ninja's smoke bomb . . ..

Chapter Four

Friday, 11:18 PM

Jamie sat alone in his bedroom in his parents' new mobile home, reading Bram Stoker's Dracula, but finding himself too distracted as his thoughts kept wandering back to the fight in Louis's backyard. _What was that? Where did those creeps come from?_

After the fight, the police had arrived. Apparently, the neighbor had called the police, after all. Jamie had asked Louis nothing about his captors. Had Louis wanted to tell him, he would have volunteered the information.

He stared around at the walls of the room. Posters of ninja and Spider-Man covered his walls, with pictures of his friends and Shawna, his girlfriend, tacked to any empty spaces.

One picture, taken just after the defeat of the Warui ninja, caught his eye. Despite his loathing of what he'd had to do that weekend, he had cut this black and white photo from the newspaper. His friends . . . his family surrounded him in it. He had fought with them and bled with them. And he was still doing so.

Jamie's phone rang so the young ninja climbed from his chair and answered it, "Hello?"

" _Hey, babe_ ," replied the soft voice on the other end. It was Shawna. " _Are we still going floating tomorrow?_ "

"I can't," he replied. "I want to see what's happening with Louis and his parents."

" _Are you going to go to the hospital?_ "

"Buster's picking me up at eight." He absently twirled the phone chord around his index finger. "Do you want to come?"

" _I can't_ ," stated Shawna. " _That's why I was calling you_. _Amy's older sister's coming through town and wants to take us all out to breakfast. She and I weren't going to be able to make the float trip. Now, I guess our boyfriends aren't going to be able to join us, either, huh?_ "

"I'd really like to but Buster's already told Louis that we'd get him to the hospital by the time visiting hours start at nine," muttered Jamie. "Tell Amy I'm sorry. But her boyfriend does want to be a preacher and visiting people in the hospital is part of the job."

" _It's just one of the things she loves about him_ ," said Shawna. " _By the way, I had taken the liberty of inviting Alex . . . you know, when we thought we were still floating_." At a time before she met Jamie, Shawna had experienced problems with her mother and been placed into foster-care. She had become good friends with her younger foster-sister, Alexandria. Even after Shawna had gone home, she had kept in contact with her new friend. " _Maybe she can go to breakfast with us."_

"There's a thought," said Jamie. "And, maybe we can go over to Louis' house in the afternoon and help him get that burnt cross out of his back yard. Sly can haul it off in his truck."

" _Sly?_ " asked Shawna.

"Yep," replied the young ninja as he unwrapped the chord from his finger. "I know you don't like him . . .."

" _He's a terrible flirt,"_ interrupted Shawna with a chuckle.

Jamie smiled. "But girls actually _like_ for Sly to flirt with them.

* * *

After the phone call, Jamie lay on his bed, thinking about Shawna. He had just hung up the phone and, as usual, she hadn't responded to him when he had told her that he loved her. After the two of them first started seeing each other, she had been the _first_ of the two to mention that word to the other. But, as of late, she hadn't seemed too comfortable with it. Maybe he was pushing too hard.

Jamie was brought from his thoughts by the sound of movement in the living room. "Mom," he called out, "is that you?" His parents had gone out for the evening, something that they didn't do very often, since his father had emphysema.

There was no answer. Jamie climbed off of his bed and walked to the door of his bedroom. Taking hold of the knob, he slowly pulled it open, peering down the empty hallway. Walking slowly out into the hall, he made his way to the living room. His eyes darted around, hoping to catch a glimpse of what it was that made the noise. He passed through the living room, then the kitchen, then walked silently into his parents' bedroom. Noting that it was empty, he stepped into their small bathroom, but it, too, was vacant.

Suddenly, a sound made him whirl around to find . . . his father's Chihuahua, Chico, having one of his asthma attacks next to his mother's dresser. Jamie, with a sigh of relief, leaned over and patted the old dog on the head. "You nearly scared me to death."

He picked Chico up, sitting on his parents' bed and holding him until his breathing settled. Setting him back on the floor, he pet the dog on the head and admonished, "No more scaring me, okay?"

Jamie calmly walked back out into the kitchen. Stretching, he let out a loud _YAWN!_ It was then that that something slammed into him from behind . . ..

Chapter Five

Friday, 11:24 PM

Jamie stumbled forward, slamming into the counter next to the sink. He started to turn around, but his attacker was too fast and the young ninja felt his feet swept from under him.

Jamie landed on his hands and knees. He heard the disturbing sound of metal on wood behind him. He'd heard that sound too often when unsheathing a knife. Without looking, Jamie brought his right foot straight out and felt it hit. His attacker groaned in pain as the young chunin rolled to his feet.

Jamie turned swiftly to see his antagonist. The stranger standing in the kitchen was dressed in a green, camouflage military uniform. A ski mask covered his face.

The stranger wielded two long knives. He attempted a downward slash with the blade he held in his right hand, but Jamie caught his arm and flipped him to the ground. The attacker swung out with his left foot in an effort to trip the young ninja, but Jamie jumped over this clumsy attack with ease.

Jamie dropped, knee-first, onto his opponent. As both of Jamie's knees connected with the stranger's stomach, he immediately reached out and snatched the ski mask from his opponent's face. The attacker's head, shaved clean, held eyes of malice. The man appeared to be in his early twenties.

"Who are you?" demanded the teen. "Why did you attack me?" There was no response, so Jamie pulled the man's head off of the floor, then slammed it back down. " **ANSWER ME!!!** " Still no response.

The front door opened and Jamie's parents entered. Jamie's mother let out a gasp when she saw her son and his attacker, momentarily struck speechless. "What's going _on_ here?" she was finally able to say.

The young ninja let out a long sigh. Looking at his father, he mumbled, "I guess you should call the police."

* * *

Yoshi lay on her bed, listening to a Bryan Adams tape and watching a "Beverly Hills 90210" rerun, when her phone rang. She reached over to her stereo and pushed the "STOP" button. Picking up the receiver, she placed it to her ear and said, "Hello?"

" _Did_ _I wake you?_ " asked a familiar voice from the other end of the line.

"No, brother," remarked Yoshi with a chuckle as she recognized Jamie, "I was awake. What is the matter?"

" _I was attacked in my house tonight,_ " stated Jamie.

Yoshi sat up, shocked. "Are you okay?"

" _Yeah,"_ replied Jamie.

"What happened?"

" _He got in a couple of good hits. No big deal."_

"Would I be correct to assume that you defeated him?"

" _Of course."_

"Where is he now?"

" _The sheriff came and picked him up."_

"Why did he attack you?"

" _I don't know,_ " mumbled Jamie, " _he didn't seem too happy about the idea of having to answer any of my questions._ "

Yoshi changed the subject. "Are you still having the nightmares?"

" _Yep._ "

"Did you take George's advice?"

" _His priest told me that I should take Shawna's advice and go with her to_ her _church._ "

"Perhaps you should."

" _The truth is, like I told the priest, I was raised Baptist, and I don't know if I feel comfortable going to another church."_

"Shawna will be there," mentioned the young kunoichi, "and you could always get someone _else_ to go as a visitor."

" _How about you?_ "

"Now, you know that I am quite fond of my uncle's church," replied Yoshi. "How about Dave?"

Jamie could only laugh at that suggestion.

Chapter Six

Saturday, 8:50 AM

The air conditioning in the hospital felt good after the unseasonably hot, spring weather outside.

The three young men stood in the elevator with another, unknown preteen boy with red hair and freckles and middle-aged woman with matching hair. Jamie glanced at his watch. "Still ten minutes til visiting hours."

"Better early than late," commented Buster. He looked at Louis and asked, "What room's your dad in?"

Louis cleared his throat. "314."

"Any idea how long they're going to keep him?" asked Jamie.

Louis glanced at his friend. "Those jerks cracked two ribs and his jaw. But the doctor told mom that he can do most of his recuperating at home."

"Hey!" said the preteen. "You're Jamie Raleigh!"

Jamie glanced at Buster and felt himself blush. "Uh . . . yeah."

"You kicked those ninjas' butts!"

"Well . . .," Jamie cleared his throat, " . . . it wasn't me, alone." He pointed at Buster. "My friends were there . . .."

Buster cut him off. "God was watching out for us that weekend."

The woman smiled. "God always watches out for us."

The doors to the elevator opened and Jamie stepped quickly into the hall, hoping that he didn't look rude.

"Are you the boy whose family was attacked last night?" asked the woman. Jamie turned to see the woman looking at Louis, who simply nodded.

The woman put her hand on his shoulder. "You stay strong for your parents. The men who did this to you will get what they deserve."

The boy piped in. "You guys kicked their butts, too!" He kicked at the air. "My mom's taking me to tae kwon do lessons here in the Bluff! I'm going to be just like you when I grow up!"

"Now, Timmy, leave these boys alone," admonished the woman. "I'm sure they're here to visit someone."

Jamie leaned closer to the boy. "I'm a regular guy, just like you. Don't be like me. Be yourself. It'll be even better." He reached down and tousled the boy's red hair.

The teens waved at the woman and her son as they headed toward the room housing Louis's father.

"Does that happen to you guys often?" asked Louis.

Buster fidgeted with the cross around his neck. "Not really."

The door to 314 opened and a nurse stepped into the hall.

"Ma'am?" asked Louis.

The dark-haired woman, who looked to be in her twenties, leveled caring eyes on him and said, "Yes?"

"We're a few minutes early. Can I still go in and see my dad?"

She smiled. "Of course. You're mother's already in there. She stayed the night up here. But you already know that." She stepped out of the way so the three could enter.

Mrs. Robertson looked haggard. Her hair was disheveled and her eyes had dark circles under them. Her lip was also cut and swollen. She looked at the three and forced a smile. "Louis! I didn't realize that you were going to get here with your friends so early! I must look a sight!"

Buster shook his head. "You look lovely, Mrs. Robertson."

Jamie looked at Franklin. His right eye was swollen shut. His jaw was wired shut and his face looked like one big bruise.

"How are you doing, Mr. Robertson?" Jamie almost felt ridiculous for asking.

His teacher put on a brave smile and gave him a thumbs up.

"He's going to have to eat through a straw for awhile," commented Mrs. Franklin. "But the doctors say he'll make a total recovery." She wiped a tear away. "If you all hadn't shown up when you did . . .."

Louis walked over to his mother and embraced her.

"I'll need to be sure to thank Steve and Max's mother for letting you stay there last night," Mrs. Robertson said between sobs as she held her son tight.

"Some of our friends are going to come to your house this afternoon and get the . . . cross out of your back yard and haul it off," said Buster.

Jamie nodded. "We figured we could have it gone by the time you bring Mr. Robertson home. And we can help with anything else you need."

She looked up at him, tears flowing. "Thank you. You all are so sweet."

* * *

The humid air clung to Jamie's face as he climbed from the passenger's seat of Buster's van. The charred remains of the cross still stood in the backyard. Deck Pendragon and his friend, Sly, were already in the backyard, tying a chain around the base of the cross.

Louis, Dave, Zack, Steve, Jeremy and Max were watching the two as they connected the chain to the back bumper of Sly's primer-colored, seventies-model pickup.

"Thanks for doing this, guys," said Jamie.

"I've known Louis's dad since I was born," stated Deck simply.

"I ain't got no use for pigs like the guys who did this," added Sly as he climbed into his truck and started it. Leaning out his window, he called out, "Watch out, y'all!"

As Sly yelled, "YEEHAWWWWW!!!" the truck shot across the back yard, bounced over a ditch and narrowly missed Buster's van. The cross jumped free of the ground and fell, shattering the arms into hundreds of blackened pieces.

Jamie glanced at Buster, who had noticeably paled at the danger that his van had just experienced.

Sly could be heard from his truck. "No problem, guys and gals!"

* * *

The back of Sly's truck was nearly loaded with the burnt remains of the cross. Laura and Amy had arrived and were helping Yoshi, Steve, Max and Jeremy in the house. The men who had attacked the Robertsons had trashed the downstairs.

Jamie helped Buster carry a large piece of wood toward Sly's van. "I wonder if Shawna's going to make it?" asked the ninja.

"I'm here," said Shawna from directly behind him. Surprised, he nearly dropped his end of the log, causing Buster to protest. He turned around to find her smiling mischievously. A younger girl, whom Jamie recognized as Alexandria Rhee, stood next to her. She had long blond hair, green eyes, and stood about the same height as his girlfriend.

"Surprised the all seeing ninja, did I?" Shawna chuckled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss in greeting.

"You're going to get soot all over yourself," retorted Jamie playfully. His arms still wrapped around Shawna, he looked at Alex and said, "It's good to see you, again."

"Thanks," smiled Alex, "It's nice to see you, too."

"Hey, guys!" called Max from the back door to the house. "Can somebody run me to my house to get some more of this pine cleaner?"

"Hey, you!" Alex called in greeting. "Shawna and I can take you!"

"Thanks," mumbled Max as he sighed with relief. "You promise not to beat me up in the car?"

Jamie looked questioningly at Alex, who explained, "I mopped the floor with'im in our Tae Kwon Do class the other day."

"Really?"

Max nodded. "You know how you always say that Yoshi can take you in a fair fight?" He glanced at Alex. "Alex is my Yoshi."

George grunted as he dropped a log into the back of the truck. "Less talk and more work, guys!"

Dave walked up to the truck, carrying a log on each shoulder. "We're 'bout done, dude."

George shook his head with a chuckle as Dave dumped what he was carrying. "Show off."

"Hey, dude," smiled Dave as he playfully kissed his own bicep, "if ya got it, flaunt it!"

Yoshi walked up to the group, carrying a mop. She smiled and kissed George. "You are man enough for me," she chuckled.

Since she attended the same school as Alex, Yoshi already knew Shawna's foster-sister. "You did not bring your little brother with you?"

Alex shook her head. "Dad took him fishing."

Looking at Jamie, Alex changed the subject. "You know, the belt tests are tonight in our Tae Kwon Do class. I think Elizabeth'll get upset if you miss her getting her red belt."

"I have no intention of missing my niece's test," responded Jamie.

"Didn't she try to get her brother to take the lessons with her?" asked Buster, referring to Jamie's nephew, Kevin.

Jamie nodded. "Their mom won't let him. She's afraid he'll turn into a bully."

"Not if he learns from our sensei," retorted Alex.

Jamie shrugged. "You can't reason with her."

"What about their cousin?" asked Max. "Jessica?"

Buster smiled. "She said that she doesn't want to learn anything if she can't be a ninja."

Chapter Seven

Saturday, 7:36 PM

Jamie hugged his niece tightly. "'I'm so proud of you!" he exclaimed.

Elizabeth chuckled. "I almost wish school wasn't out so I could brag to all my friends tomorrow!" She pulled away and started to tie the red belt around her waist.

Jamie looked at Max. "Need a lift home?" he asked.

"Yeah, thanks," he smiled as he cradled his black belt in his arms lovingly. "Where's your brother?"

"Our dad said Uncle Jamie'd bring us home," said Kevin.

Jamie looked at his nephew incredulously. "Did he realize that I already have five people to take home? My car's not that big."

Kevin shrugged. "He didn't care."

Jamie rolled his eyes.

Shawna looked at Alex. "You?"

Alex smiled. "No, thanks. My parents are here." She put her own black belt over her shoulder as she looked at Jamie. "So, are you coming to our church with Shawna this Sunday?"

Jamie shifted uncomfortably. "I . . . uh . . . I don't know," he mumbled. "I don't know that much about . . ..""

"He'll be there," interrupted Shawna.

Alex looked shyly at Max and said, "Congratulations."

Max smiled awkwardly and mumbled, "Same to you."

Alex looked up at him with her own awkward smile and said, "See ya for class on Friday." She turned and left.

Max gazed after her and said, "See ya," but she didn't appear to hear him through the noise of the crowd.

Jessica ran her fingers through her strawberry blonde hair and remarked, "Isn't she pretty?"

Max was still watching her. "Very," he responded.

Jamie and Shawna glanced at each other and she cocked an eyebrow.

The seven started to move toward the exit. Yoshi glanced at Jamie. "Are we going to take the kids for ice cream before we head back to Sera?"

Jamie opened the door. "Well, since Liz _did_ break the speed record in her category on her test, I guess so." As the three children cheered, he added to them, "Just as long as you don't take too long to decide what you want. We have to pick up Master Tanemura from his Bible study."

* * *

The Cavalier rounded a curve and approached the house of Tanemura Funakoshi, the _jonin_ of the Funakoshi ninja clan. Jamie had just dropped Max off at his house for the night. Shawna, having respectfully given her front seat to the aging jonin, was sitting in the back seat with Yoshi and the children. The fit was rather tight, even after Max had been taken home, but, with Kevin on Elizabeth's lap, and Jessica on Shawna's lap, they were a bit more comfortable.

"Perhaps you should have brought Buster's van," commented Tanemura. "We have too many in your car."

Jamie sighed. "I thought my brother was coming to pick up Liz and Kevin. I couldn't just leave them there."

"I understand," stated the old man. "But I doubt the police would, should you be pulled over."

Shawna was discussing the whole "school" thing with Elizabeth. "If you miss school so much, then why don't you go to summer school with Jessica?"

Elizabeth scowled. "Ain't summer school for dummies?"

Jessica's cheerful voice was the next to be heard. "No. Summer school is a means for us to better prepare ourselves for our next grade levels."

Kevin looked at Jessica and, scratching his light blonde-covered head, said, "So, it's fer nerds?'"

Jessica looked angrily at her younger cousin and said, "Hey! _I'm_ going to summer school!"

Kevin released one of his evil chuckles. "Yep, it's fer nerds!"

Jessica smacked Kevin on the shoulder, and he was about to retaliate, when Shawna caught his wrist and said, "You two quit fighting! Summer school is _not_ for nerds, it's for gifted students."

Kevin crossed his pudgy arms and said, "Sounds like nerds t' _me_."

Yoshi had rolled her window down so that she could lean her head out and avoid hearing the arguing. As the vehicle approached her home, a light caught her eye. She pulled her head back into the window and tapped her great-uncle on the shoulder. "Uncle, what is that light up ahead?"

The aging jonin squinted his eyes. "It appears to be a fire," he declared.

"Where?" asked Shawna.

"It looks like it's in Master Tanemura's front yard!" exclaimed Jamie. Glancing at his ninja master, he said, "Bear with me, sensei!" His foot slammed the pedal to the floor and the car shot up the road.

Mr. Funakoshi paled. "Are you okay, sir?" inquired Jessica from her place on Shawna's lap.

"All of the battles in which I have ever been, and I have never been so scared as I am when your uncle says 'Bear with me, sensei.'"

The automobile squealed to a stop in front of the Funakoshis' house. Jamie noticed the same white-robed figures here that he had seen in Louis's yard the night before. There were about ten of them this time.

Glancing back, the young ninja said, "Shawna, you and the kids stay here."

Elizabeth was trying to push Kevin off her lap. "Hey!" she growled, "I wanna help!"

"Don't argue," responded Jamie. "I'm not ready to put you in danger."

Jamie, Yoshi, and Tanemura exited the Cavalier and walked toward the group. The same smell of gasoline filled their nostrils as Jamie's narrowed eyes took in the familiar, burning cross that had been erected in the Funakoshis' front yard. Several white-robed men stood around the flame, four of whom headed in the direction of the newcomers.

"What are you people doing here?" demanded Tanemura. "What have we ever done to you?"

The blank, white mask of the Klansman who spoke covered any physical emotion, but it was not absent from his voice. "You _living_ has done enough to us!"

A vehicle could be heard in the distance, which seemed to catch both groups by surprise. Jamie turned to look in the direction of the sound. A motorcycle squealed to a stop behind Jamie's car. Deck Pendragon stepped off of the cycle and pulled his helmet from his head. He was wearing a leather jacket and jeans.

The four Klansmen looked around at each other at Deck's arrival. Three more of the men broke away from the group around the cross and joined their comrades in front of the Funakoshis and their friends.

"Hey, guys," called Deck as he approached. "Did Liz pass her test?"

"Really?" muttered Jamie, " _that's_ the question you ask at the moment?"

Deck looked at the Klansmen, as if seeing them for the first time. "Whoa!" was all he could say. He walked up to stand by his three friends.

Mr. Funakoshi stepped forward. "I will give you three minutes to get off of my property."

The masked man answered. "We ain't goin' nowhere. We got some ropes picked out for you and your girl . . .," he pointed at Jamie, " . . . and your traitorous friends . . .," he looked back at Tanemura, " . . . _chink_."

Tanemura leaned toward his niece for clarification. "'Chink' is racist slang for someone from China," she said.

"But, we are _Japan_ ese," whispered the old Jonin.

"Then, yer' a _Jap_ ," proclaimed the Klansman.

"Well," stated the old man, "as long as we understand one another." He brought his right foot up into the man's gut. As his opponent doubled over in pain, Tanemura slammed his elbow into the back of his head, knocking him to the ground, unconscious.

Another of the Klansman lunged toward him, but he grabbed his arm and flipped him effortlessly to the earth, after which he slammed his heel into the man's stomach.

Deck grabbed one of the men up into a bear hug as he moved to attack. Deck continued to squeeze as another Klansman hit him over the back of the head with a tree limb. This just served to anger the large man who, after releasing his hold on his now unconscious prisoner, slammed his fist into the other attacker's face. This one fell to the ground, screaming, "MY NOSE!!! YOU BROKE MY NOSE!!!"

"Yep," the big man smirked, "sure did."

Yoshi was distracted by one of the men as another one's arms wrapped around her from behind. The one who had distracted her moved toward her, but she brought both feet off of the ground and slammed them with all of her strength into his face. As he dropped to the ground in agony, she slammed her right foot into her holder's knee. He released his hold on her and fell, cradling his hurt leg with both arms. Yoshi turned around and kicked him full force across the face, sending him spiraling into darkness.

Jamie found himself surrounded by four of the Klansmen. He glanced in the direction of his car, some twenty feet away. _Please, Lord, don't let them attack Shawna and the kids._ He lashed out with one foot, knocking the first of the men into another. Suddenly, they all tackled him. Air exploded from his lungs as he hit the ground.

"UNCLE JAMIE!!!" Jessica screamed as she opened the passenger's side, back door and burst into a run toward the group of men who were all beating her uncle on the ground.

"Jessica!" yelled Shawna as she climbed out of the car and chased her boyfriend's niece.

Elizabeth ran after them. Kevin chuckled, "This is better'n a Van Damme movie!'

Jessica leaped onto the back of one of Jamie's attackers. He climbed to his feet, the eight year-old holding onto his neck and biting savagely at his right ear. He pulled her from his right shoulder and pulled his free arm back in preparation to bring the back of his hand across her face, when Shawna slammed a large rock into the back of his head, knocking him to the ground, unconscious.

Elizabeth kicked one of the Klansmen in his rear with a loud " **Yaahh!,** " then yelled, "Get off my uncle, doodledorf!"

The man growled and turned toward her. She performed a spinning sweep, knocking him to the ground. "What's'a matter? Gettin' beat up by a kid?!" she screamed. She brought her heel down across his face with a " **KIAH!!** " Climbing to her feet, she stood in a guard stance until she realized that she had knocked him senseless.

Two Klansmen were still holding Jamie. The first was pinning his arms down, while the second was pinning down one leg, and trying unsuccessfully to pin down the other. Jamie brought this foot up into this attacker's ribcage, the impact of the blow rolling him away from the young chunin. He then brought both feet up and, using them to grasp hold of the first man's head, flipped him over and headfirst to the ground.

Moving into a kneeling position, Jamie slammed his fist into the second Klansman's face in an effort to keep him from coming back to his senses. It worked.

Jamie climbed to his feet. Shawna ran to embrace him, then leaned back and wiped a streak of blood from his nose with her right hand. She smiled, then kissed him.

Mr. Funakoshi walked up to the four, followed by Deck and Yoshi. "Is everyone okay?" asked the Funakoshi jonin.

"I think so," Jamie replied. Looking down at Jessica and Elizabeth, he snapped, "You should have stayed in the car!"

"But they were gonna hurt you," Jessica said in her own defense.

Jamie leaned down and hugged his youngest niece, kissing her strawberry locks. "I would have been fine. But fighting is something I don't want for any of you." He pulled back and looked back and forth between the two girls. "If something had have happened to either of you, I couldn't live with myself."

The two girls lowered their eyes and nodded.

"We have another burning cross to have Sly remove from our lawn," said Yoshi, looking at the flame, tears stinging her eyes.

Deck stared daggers at one of the racists. "This is getting old real fast!"

Chapter Eight

Wednesday, 4:32 PM

A crowd gathered around a stage that stood on the courthouse lawn. A tall man with short, red hair and a slightly muscled frame was speaking. Max Adams watched from his place in line at the shaved ice stand. His stomach twisted into knots as the words of the man reached his ears.

"This 'intermingling of the races' has gone on long enough!" shouted the man over the microphone. "First, the racial purity of your community was tainted by this Japanese girl, whom you mistakenly refer to as a 'hero,' then a Negro family moves in, the father of which is teaching your children!"

A scowl crossed Max's face as he left his place in line and quickly crossed the street to get a better look at this man. As he did so, a man, whom he recognized as Tim Brown, the high school Speech instructor, spoke out. "Yoshi Funakoshi is just one of many heroes who were involved in freeing our students from that ninja clan back in November, Mr. Norton! They are _all_ heroes, including her!"

"You would call 'racial traitors' heroes?" inquired the man with a smirk. "Jamie Raleigh spent six years giving up his 'white-hood' to become tainted with the teachings of that 'Jap!'"

Max had now crossed the street, noticing that this speaker was Jerry Norton, a black belt in Tae Kwon Do who had visited Max's class the previous week to give a speech. Max's American instructor had asked Jerry to leave when he realized that the lecture was merely racist propaganda.

Max's fists tightened at his sides, each knuckle popping in unison. "Hey, _pig_ ," he called out as loudly as he could, "Didn't you have a Korean Tae Kwon Do teacher?"

The man turned and looked directly toward Max. Recognition dawned upon his face as he said, "Ah, young Max Adams . . . yet another member of this 'Adventure.'" He smiled as he remarked, "I trained under a _Caucasian_ instructor. My intentions are to purify the art."

"Purify it?!" exclaimed a familiar voice. Max turned to see people moving to make way for someone to approach the stage. Jamie stepped out of the crowd, followed by Jessica, Elizabeth, and Shawna. Two men moved to stop them as they walked toward the stage, but thought better of it as Jamie's stern gaze met their eyes. "By taking the martial arts away from their roots," the Funokoshi chunin continued, "you're going to destroy them! The Asians created something that they eventually shared with us so that _we_ could benefit from them, not use them against their creators."

Several adults around the stage started yelling. Max heard one say, "Get those pigs off the stage!"

Max walked up to the stage and stood beside his friends. "I'll bet you know something about the two Ku Klux Klan attacks on our friends, don't you? And I'll just bet that the creep that attacked Jamie in his house the night before last is a close, personal friend of yours, too."

The man turned the microphone away from himself and leaned down so that only the five who stood before him could hear. "We've come to _purify_ this town, something that you and your friends have forced us to do. We will not lose Sera like we lost Aurthur and the Bluff."

Shawna's rage had reached its exploding point. "PURIFY IT?!!" she exploded. "How DARE you talk about purifying _anything_?! All you people are doing is spreading fear, hatred, and chaos!"

The man smiled as he glanced down at the two children, who were eyeing him curiously. Looking back up at her, he calmly stated, "Oh, really? Well, I have discovered that one can never solve racial problems peacefully. They just won't leave until you show them who the master is." He leaned closer, directing his gaze toward Jamie, and continued, "And if you attempt to interfere with us again, ninja, you will learn the _true_ meaning of the word 'chaos.'"

Jamie's face never lost its serious expression. "Is that a threat?"

"Oh, no," replied Norton, "it is a promise."

Jamie looked at Max, who smiled at the racist and said with a chuckle, "Then give it your best shot."

* * *

Jamie sat at the table, picking at his egg roll with his chopsticks. Shawna, Yoshi, and George had gone with him on a double date to the Bluff, a large town where the teen-agers of Sera, Aurthur, and even Adventure's former town of Jameston usually went for fun. Max had been bored at home, so Jamie had invited him along. Shawna had also decided to bring Alexandria. They had decided upon Chinese food, something that they all usually enjoyed.

Shawna put her hand over Jamie's. "What's bothering you?" she asked. "You haven't even touched your food, and we usually have to drag you away from the buffet."

Jamie sighed. "Did I seem confident today when I talked to that racist?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied. "Why?"

"I would be a lot more confident _now_ if he hadn't looked at Jessica and Elizabeth before he said that thing about 'the true meaning of chaos.'"

"I am sure that you have nothing about which to worry," remarked Yoshi. "Sera has gotten a great deal of press after the Warui invasion. People like him like to draw attention to their cause in any way they can. He was all talk."

"I would think so, too," stated the young ninja, "if it hadn't been for the attack on Louis's house, or _your_ house, or _my_ house . . .."

"Well," inquired George, "what do you think we ought to do?"

" _We_ aren't going to do anything," replied Jamie. " _I_ am going to do something. Elizabeth can usually take care of herself, but Jessica can't. She has always wanted me to start training her to be a ninja, but I was afraid that I would be an inadequate teacher."

"But . . .," said Shawna, wanting to know what it was that had changed his mind.

"But I can't just let her get dragged into something because of me without preparing her."

"So you are going to take her on as a student?" asked Yoshi.

"Well," Jamie gave her his most hang-dog stare, "I was kind of hoping that you'd help. There are certain things that I can't teach her, such as _Hensujutsu_."

"'Hensu'- _what_?" asked George.

"The 'Art of Disguise,'" replied Yoshi. "It was taught mainly to female members of our clan. It is a tradition." She thought for a moment, then said, "Very well. I will help you."

Jamie smiled with a sigh of relief. "Thanks, sis."

* * *

Max and Alex had been forced to sit at a table alone tonight, since the tables only seated four. The two had decided that it wouldn't be a good idea to separate Jamie or George from their dates.

They were having an in-depth conversation.

". . . so Jamie really used to get sick every time that he'd _kill_ someone?" asked Alex in wonder.

"Yeah," replied Max. "He won't do it, anymore. He didn't even kill the Waruiyatsu leader when he had the chance. Said something about 'finding God' the night before they fought."

Alex looked at Max's untouched plate. "Why aren't you eating?" she asked.

"Are you kidding?" he replied. "Our discussion about killing has kinda' ruined my appetite."

"'Mine, too," admitted the girl.

The two were quiet for a moment, and then she spoke up again. "So, do you go to church anywhere?"

"No."

"Do you believe in God?"

"I guess. I haven't really been around church all that much before." He shrugged. "Buster leads us in prayers a lot, though."

Alex smiled. "Why don't you come to _our_ church with Jamie? He's going to be coming for the first time Sunday morning."

"I don't know," mumbled Max, "I've never really been into this whole religion thing."

"Who said anything about _religion_?" asked Alex. "I'm talking about Jesus."

"Oh, well, I suppose that I can try _anything_ once."

"Great," Alex said as her gaze fixed upon his. She looked down and said, her voice quivering with nervousness "Ya know, you'd make a pretty good date."

Max's voice had the same feeling of discomfort. "And _you'd_ make a pretty good date, too."

* * *

George and Yoshi walked hand-in-hand back to his 1989 Pontiac Sunbird. "I'm glad you're going to help Jamie with Jessie's training. You're a good friend to him."

Yoshi shrugged. "He saved my life. It's hard to not like someone who has done that."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "You guys haven't been friends all along?"

She chuckled. "Not exactly."

Chapter Nine

Flashback

April 15, 1988

Friday, 7:24 PM

The pounding of Kuji's fists on his training bag sounded through the basement of the house. Yoshi quietly took each step until she could look around the corner into the family dojo. She watched as her sweat-drenched father kicked and punched the sand-filled bag, the chain that connected it to the ceiling groaning in protest with each strike.

Finally, she cleared her throat and Kuji stopped, his fist halfway to its target. He looked at her expectantly, his breathing heavy.

"Father," she began, "I am sorry that I angered you when Jamie and I were sparring. I know how important this is for you."

Kuji took a deep breath and released it. "Yoshika, I merely worry about your safety. The Waruiyatsu have been known to follow us."

She nodded. _I mustn't look him in the eye._ Concentrating on his mouth, she said, "I would like to spar with Jamie again."

Kuji's eyebrows shot up. "Really?"

She nodded, hating herself for lying. "But give me this one time without any adults. Perhaps I will be able to work harder without an audience."

Kuji pulled one of his sparring gloves off with his teeth, then replied, "It is not safe for two students to practice alone, Yoshika."

"Jamie is quite skilled," argued Yoshi. "And you saw how concerned he was when I was hurt. We will be fine."

Kuji pulled off his other glove and walked toward Yoshi. "Very well. If Jamie will agree to the session . . . and you agree to train more diligently in the future . . . I will agree to this request."

She smiled and wrapped her arms around her father's neck.

"You are going to get sweat all over you," he said with a chuckle as he hugged her back.

* * *

Jamie sat with his mother at the kitchen table, munching absent-mindedly on a fried chicken leg. He finished a bite and asked, "Did dad call today?"

His mother nodded. "He'll be home next weekend."

"Is he still having problems breathing?"

Pam nodded again. "Getting your dad to go to the doctor's like pulling teeth."

Jamie sighed. His father's breathing attacks had been getting steadily worse. Too much physical exertion caused him to have to take frequent breaks that he'd never had to take before. It seemed to be worse each time he came home.

"Buster called earlier today," said Pam. "He wanted to know what you're doing tomorrow night.

"Nothing," responded her son. "Can I call'im?"

"Not for too long. It's your night to do the dishes."

Jamie wiped his hands on a napkin. He got to his feet, but as he reached for the phone, it rang sharply. He picked it up. "Hello?"

" _Jamie?_ " It was Yoshi.

"What's up?" asked the male ninja-in-training.

" _I was wondering if you would be interested in getting together tomorrow night to practice?_ "

"Wh . . . what? Are you serious?"

" _Well, if you don't want to . . .._ "

"Of course I do," interrupted Jamie. "But why the sudden change of heart?"

" _I . . . I just feel that my father is correct_ ," was the answer.

"Okay. Do you want to meet at your house?"

"No! **"** snapped Yoshi. Her next sentence was more calm. " _I will not feel as pressured if my father is not watching_."

"Okay." That logic seemed faulty. He decided not to press the issue, however. It was simply good that she wanted to practice. "Just remember your bokken."

* * *

Jamie did a few warm-up kicks. He'd been thinking about this all day. He'd declined Buster's offer to throw a sleepover. He'd declined his mother's offer to take him with her to the Bluff. He'd concentrated on one thought: _We finally got through to her!_

There was a knock at the front door. He glanced at his Spider-Man clock. Five twenty-five. She was even a few minutes early.

He exited his bedroom and ran to the door. Opening it, he found Yoshi standing on the front porch. She was dressed in gray sweatpants and a black tank top. A black and gold Jameston Camels backpack was slung over her right shoulder.

She looked up and down the street expectantly.

"Is something wrong?" he asked her.

Yoshi shouldered her way past him. "Did you tell Uncle Tanemura that I would be here?"

"Yeah," he replied in confusion. "Why?"

She headed for the bathroom without another word. As she closed the door, the phone rang. Still bewildered, Jamie walked over to the kitchen and picked up the receiver. "Hello?"

" _Jamie?_ " It was Kuji.

"Yes, sir?"

" _Is Yoshi there?_ "

"Well . . . she's in the restroom. Do you want me to have her call you when she gets done?"

" _No. I trust_ you _._ " He said something to someone in the background using his native tongue. Then, to the baffled young man, he said, " _Thank you, Jamie. Enjoy a safe practice_." Then Kuji hung up.

Jamie seated himself on the couch. A car pulled into the driveway. Jamie could see through the picture window that it was Star's Celebrity.

His heart fell into his stomach as the pieces started to fit together.

Maria climbed from the driver's side of the car. Her dark hair flowed down her back, nearly reaching her waist. She wore a black t-shirt with their school's mascot on it and a pair of faded jeans. She wore just a hint of blush and a light pink lipstick, slightly more noticeable than what she had worn when he saw her at Yoshi's house.

Jamie climbed to his feet and padded over to the door. He opened it just as she was about to knock. She registered a slight amount of shock; her fist still extended for a few seconds before she smiled.

"Hey!" she offered. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah," muttered Jamie.

"Star!" called Yoshi from the bathroom. "I'll be right out!"

Jamie's shoulders slumped as he looked sullenly at the wooden _ninja-to_ that lay on his father's recliner, concluding that he would have no use for it tonight.

Yoshi opened the door to the bathroom and stepped out. Jeans and a modest, green and blue T-shirt had replaced her workout clothes. But when Jamie looked at her face, his heart broke. Whereas Maria's makeup looked natural on her, Yoshi's seemed out of place. The blood red lipstick seemed too dark for her complexion and she had piled on some kind of red powder on her cheekbones. "I am ready," she said with a nervous smile.

"So you're going to Marty's party, too?" Jamie's heartbeat was hammering in his chest so hard that he missed his own rhyme.

"He doesn't know?" Star asked Yoshi.

Yoshi sighed in frustration. "I could not tell him. He is a terrible liar and I had to convince my parents and Uncle Tanemura that I was really going to practice." She glanced at her uncle's pupil. "Not that he would have lied for me."

Star looked at Jamie. "I guess you could come, too," she finally said.

Jamie looked at Yoshi in time to see her roll her eyes in irritation at Maria's suggestion. She didn't want him to go. Not that he really wanted to go, anyway. "No, thank you," he mumbled.

"Great!" spoke Yoshi enthusiastically. "Let us be gone!" She looked at Jamie and offered, "Cheer up! Now you can get together with Buster."

* * *

"That was kind of harsh," Maria commented to Yoshi as she turned off of Speedway Street. "Using Jamie like that."

Yoshi looked at her older friend. "What would you have asked me to do? You wanted me to go to the party. My parents would never have allowed it, especially given my refusal to train." She shrugged nonchalantly. "It worked."

"But Jamie's a good guy," said Maria. "You should have found another way."

"A _good guy_?" returned Yoshi, a little louder than she expected. "I grow weary of him being the height to which I am to aspire!"

Maria took her eyes off the road for an instant to glance at Yoshi. "You can't blame him for working hard at something. It's not his fault that your parents want you to do something that you don't want to do."

Yoshi opened her mouth to say something, but the words wouldn't come. As much as she wanted to hate Jamie, she knew that Star was right.

Chapter Ten

May 23, 1992

Saturday, 4 PM

The following three days were long and excruciating to all involved in Jessica's training. The young, strawberry-blonde kunoichi-in-training worked hard and went home each evening exhausted. Yoshi fought the urge to laugh every time Jessie put another bruise on Jamie with a kick or punch. Jamie went to bed each night groaning from soreness.

Although exhausted by the end of each day, Jessica was always ready to bounce back the next morning. Often, Shawna, Max, and Elizabeth stopped by Jamie's house to see her train. And they were always impressed by her determination.

By Saturday afternoon, Jessica had learned to hit a bulls-eye with a four-pointed shuriken from twenty feet away. She had mastered the basic front kick, of which Jamie was painfully aware. She had tried to learn to throw a knife, but, when she had narrowly missed Linus while attempting to hit the bulls-eye that stood ten feet from Jamie's cat, Jamie and Yoshi had agreed that she should come back to this weapon later.

Shawna's navy blue Celebrity pulled into the driveway. Stepping out of the car to find Jamie, Yoshi, and Jessica cleaning up, she walked cheerfully up to them.

"'Aunt' Shawna!" exclaimed Jessica as she leaped into the young honor student's arms.

"And how's my _little kunoichi_ doing?" asked Jamie's girlfriend.

"Fine," replied Jessica. "Uncle Jamie says that I can kick harder than Bruce Lee!"

"Oh, he _does_ , does he?"

Jamie walked over and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. She gave him one of her mischievous smiles and inquired, "Harder than Bruce Lee, huh?"

"Yeah," he replied. "And I have the bruises to prove it."

"So she's doing well, huh?" she said as she set Jessica down.

Jamie nodded, watching her run to the porch and pick up a bottle of sport's drink.

Shawna smiled. "I was on my way home from Alex's and just dropped by to see if you had found anyone to come with you to our church tomorrow."

Jamie wiped his face with a towel and said, "Max said that he would go. Alexandria invited him."

Shawna grinned. "I think somebody has a crush."

"Which one of them?" asked Jamie.

She shook her head at his faked naivety.

"What time should we be there?"

"Service starts at 11:00 am." She gave him a slow, departing kiss, then climbed into her car and started it. Rolling down her window, she said, "Don't be late."

"I'll be there," mumbled Jamie. As he watched her drive away, mixed feelings of excitement and dread churned in his stomach. _Why am I so nervous about this?_

Chapter Eleven

Sunday, 10:55 AM

"You know," mumbled Max as he and Jamie walked up the sidewalk toward the First Community Church in Aurthur, "it's not too late for us to back out."

"Shawna'd kill me," replied Jamie as they reached the door. He glanced at Max, who was wearing a green, silk button-up shirt and a pair of black jeans. "Where'd you get the shirt?" he asked.

Max took hold of the knob and pushed the door open. "I borrowed it from Steve." After entering, he waited for Jamie to follow him, then closed the door. The two had told Shawna and Alex that they wouldn't be coming early enough for Sunday School, but that they would attend the worship service. Shawna had told them to wait in the main hall for the two girls. Sunday School was just ending this morning, and there were a large number of people in the hall.

Max spoke up. "Here they come."

Jamie looked up to see the two girls making their way through the crowd toward the two young men. Shawna embraced Jamie. "I was afraid that you were going to back out of coming."

"You'd have killed me," replied Jamie.

Alex hugged Max, and Jamie thought that he could see Max blush. A middle-aged man with dark hair and a gray suit stepped forward. Shawna smiled at the man and said, "Brother Thomas, this is Jamie Raleigh."

The man extended his hand and said, "I'm glad ya could join us. Shawna's told my wife and me alot about ya."

Jamie shook his hand and replied, somewhat nervously, "I wish that I could say the same."

Shawna stated, "This is our pastor, Bill Thomas."

Jamie smiled. "'Glad to meet you."

Alexandria introduced Max, then the four went into the sanctuary as the pastor continued to greet the people who were arriving. "What did you think of Brother Thomas?" asked Shawna of Jamie.

The young ninja replied, "I like his accent."

"He's from Arkansas," explained Alex.

The worship hall in this church was like the ones in the Baptist churches that he had attended. From the back to the front, there were pews on each side of the large room. The front of the room was dominated by a stage with a podium standing on it. An altar, upon which sat a large Bible and a bottle of olive oil, stood in front of the stage. A large wooden cross dominated the front wall. The four teens seated themselves in the third row. This was new to Jamie, because it seemed as if the youth at his previous churches hated sitting close to the front.

The female pianist and another middle-aged man, this one with graying hair, stood around the piano. Jamie recognized the man as Del King, a radio newscaster from the nearby town of Doniphan who had interviewed the members of Adventure after the ninja invasion. Noticing Jamie and Max, the man walked up to the four adolescents. "Hello there, Alex and Shawna!" he exclaimed cheerfully. "I see that you've brought some friends!" He shook Jamie's hand, then Max's. "I've gotta admit that I never expected to see _you_ in a Christian church, Mr. Raleigh. I had always figured you as some kind of Buddhist."

Jamie smiled. "First off, it's _Jamie_ , not 'Mr. Raleigh.' Secondly, even my Japanese ninja master is a Christian."

After a little more small talk, the man went back to stand by the piano.

Next, a middle-aged woman with brown hair walked up and said, "Hello, I'm Sister Thomas, the pastor's wife." She shook Jamie's hand, then Max's. Shawna introduced the two to 'Sister T,' as she called the woman.

She took a seat on the front pew. Next the pastor walked in and stepped onto the stage. The piano player started playing and Del led a short song with just one verse. He called it a _chorus_. After the congregation had repeated this verse about three times, Brother Thomas stepped up to the podium and said, "Y'all may be seated, if you'd like."

Jamie took his seat, followed by his three companions. The pastor gave a list of announcements, then said, "We're also glad to have Alexandria and Shawna's friends, Jamie and Max in service today. We hope that, if they don't already have a church home they'll find ours acceptable." Jamie felt himself blush as he noticed a large number of the people turn about to look at him. He looked at Max to see that his young friend was having the same reaction.

* * *

Brother Thomas was a good preacher. Jamie hadn't remembered ever being this interested in a sermon before.

"I'd memorized John 3:16 at an early age," he was saying. "But I wasn't saved until the day that God revealed to me that He 'so loved _Bill Thomas,_ that he gave His only begotten Son . . ..'"

Jamie glanced at Max to find his young friend just as engrossed in the sermon as he was. In fact, was that a tear running down his cheek?

* * *

Jamie, Shawna, Max, and Alexandria stood outside Alexandria's house, talking. "How did you like it?" asked the young honor student.

"It was not quite what I'd expected," replied Jamie.

"Is that good or bad?" asked Alex.

"Good."

"Yeah," said Max, eyes glancing skyward. "It was good."

Chapter Twelve

Flashback

April 16, 1988

Saturday, 6:15 PM

"So she just walked out?" asked Buster, as he fingered the silver cross that dangled from his neck. The young preacher was sitting on the floor with Jamie's larger, but younger cousin, Dave. A checkerboard sat on the floor between them.

Jamie was half-heartedly fighting Mike Tyson on a video game. "Yeah," he replied without emotion.

Dave moved a red checker toward Buster's side of the board. "Dude," he rumbled, "I wouldn't let it bother ya. Yer always nice to her, but she always treats you like dirt!"

"I hate to say it," commented Buster, "but I have to agree with Dave. Jesus told us to 'turn the other cheek,' but I don't think He wants us to be doormats."

Jamie didn't comment. He just stared blankly as the referee declare a TKO after the boxer had knocked him down for the third time in one round.

A knock on the front door echoed through the house. Jamie climbed to his feet and trudged into the living room, followed by the other two. The young ninja-in-training looked out the window to see Tanemura.

His heart sank.

Opening the door, Jamie looked into his teacher's face. "Hello, sensei."

The man took one look at Jamie's attire . . . jeans and a _TRANSFORMERS_ t-shirt . . . and sighed. "Where is she?" he asked calmly.

"She went to a party with Maria Gonzalez," commented Buster.

"'Got Jamie all excited about practicing with'er," added Dave, "then dropped'im like a brick."

Jamie bowed his head in shame. "I'm sorry, sensei."

Tanemura regarded his student warmly. Finally, he put a hand on Jamie's right shoulder and said, "Jamie, do you know why I chose you for a student?" He didn't wait for an answer. "Because I trust you. I had suspected that Yoshi would not train tonight. And I know that you were not involved in her plan."

"Didn't Yoshi expect someone to check out her story?" asked Buster.

"All she wanted was to get out of the house with no trouble," explained Tanemura. "She does not care if her parents discover what she did. It almost seems, by her rebelliousness, that she wants to hurt them."

Tanemura turned and walked down the porch steps. "I will walk to her parents' home and explain what has happened."

Jamie, Dave and Buster seated themselves on the top step of the porch and watched the healthy old man walk briskly down a side street that connected Jamie's street, Speedway, with Polluck, where the Funakoshi's homes stood.

"Dude," commented Dave, "I hope I'm in that good'a shape when I'm that old."

Jamie examined his cousin. Since he'd been learning military self-defense from his father, Dave had converted his childhood chubbiness into pure muscle. "I don't think you'll have a problem," returned Jamie dryly.

Dave looked at Buster. "Where's yer shadow, dude?"

Buster was looking toward the end of the street as the sound of an approaching vehicle caught his attention. "If you mean B.J., he's at my grandmother's house in Kennett." He climbed to his feet, his eyes locked on the car that was coming up the road toward them.

Jamie followed his gaze to see Star's car. The vehicle parked in the street in front of the mailbox. Jamie sighed and climbed to his feet as Yoshi leaped from the passenger's side. His eyes narrowed in worry when he noticed the panicked expression on her face as she ran around to the driver's door.

Star climbed unsteadily from the car. The three boys gasped. Maria's right eye was swollen shut. Streaks of mascara ran down her cheeks, deposited by the tears that still poured from her eyes. Blood ran from a split in her bottom lip and had already left stains on her formerly white shirt.

The boys ran forward to help.

"What . . . what happened?" Buster managed.

"We will explain all," declared the Japanese girl, "but let us get her inside first."

Dave picked up the injured girl and carried her gently into the living room. As he laid her on the couch, Buster ran into the restroom and returned with a damp washcloth, which he applied tenderly to her damaged lip.

Dave looked at Maria. "What happened?"

Maria sniffed and wiped her good eye. "Marty asked me to go to his room with him." She glanced at the other girl. "Yoshi was talking to some sophomore boys, so I didn't think it'd hurt to leave her for awhile, ya know?"

At the mention of Yoshi and the sophomore boys, Jamie felt a lump form in his throat. _Where'd_ that _come from?_

Star continued. "We kissed for awhile, but he kept trying to go farther. I kept telling him to stop, but he wouldn't." She started to cry again. "He got mad and called me a tease." She covered her face with her hands and sobbed, "Then he started hitting me!"

Jamie's eyes met Dave's intense glare as Buster carefully asked her, "Did he . . . did he _violate_ you?"

She shook her head. "Yoshi heard me scream and knocked him out before that happened."

At a glance from Jamie, Yoshi shrugged. "I _used_ to pay attention to my training." She shook her head and explained, "He was merely dazed. He was already regaining consciousness when we ran."

"I'm so sorry we came here, Jamie," cried Maria. "I don't want to cause you any trouble. I just couldn't go home like this."

Jamie gave her as reassuring a smile as he could muster. "You know you're welcome here."

Buster sighed and said, "I'm going to call my dad."

Jamie climbed to his feet and walked toward the front door.

"Where are you going?" asked Yoshi.

Jamie turned an accusing glare toward her. "You weren't concerned about me when you used me to lie to your parents. Why start now?"

A look of pain filled the Japanese girl's face. It delighted him. And he hated himself for it.

"Dude," demanded Dave hopefully, "are you goin' t' Marty's?"

"He hurt Star," declared his enraged cousin. "Now I'm going to hurt _him_!"

"All RIGHT!!!" boomed the big teen as he jumped to his feet. "Count me in!"

"Jamie!" gasped Buster. "Let my dad handle it! Getting revenge isn't going to make Star feel any better!"

Jamie looked his friend in the eyes. "Marty's dad's a union boss. He hasn't ever done anything that his parents haven't gotten him out of." He looked at Maria, her beautiful face marred by the senior's malice. "He's _not_ going to get away with this."

Jamie and his cousin walked out the front door . . ..

Chapter Thirteen

May 25, 1992

Monday, 2:27 PM

The door to the classroom was slightly ajar. Jamie, who had been sent to pick Liz and Jessie up from summer school, looked in on the class of soon-to-be fifth-grade students who had volunteered for this.

"The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, spear-headed by such men as Martin Luther King, Jr., had a strong effect on our culture," he could hear the teacher, Mrs. Halgrath, saying. "Prior to that, schools, public transportation, and even water fountains were segregated."

One girl raised her hand and the teacher acknowledged her. "You mean, black people and white people couldn't drink out of the same water fountain?"

"That's right, Denise," responded Mrs. Halgrath. "We've obviously made great strides since then. But some people, like those visiting Sera right now, will never agree with anyone who is different."

Jamie saw Elizabeth raise her hand. "My Uncle Jamie's beat some of them up twice, now."

The children cheered and Jamie was happy that the students couldn't see him blush.

The teacher raised her hands for silence. "Sometimes, when lives are at stake, we have to take up the sword, so to speak. But the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement preferred non-violent measures. What kinds of things could we do to peacefully fight the Klan?"

* * *

Elizabeth was sitting in her Uncle Jamie's car with Jamie and her cousin, Jessica. There was little talking going on. Elizabeth looked out of the passenger's side window to see two hot-air balloons on the courthouse lawn. "Uncle Jamie, why are those there?"

Jamie looked up to see the balloons. "I think that they're charging something like three dollars a ride, or something like that. Sly Williams is running the thing for the people who own them." He looked into the rear-view mirror at Jessica, who was sitting in the backseat. "You're mother's dad owns them, doesn't he?" Jessica's maternal grandfather, to whom she had given the affectionate title _Gumpy_ , was probably the wealthiest person in Sera.

"Yep," was all that she said.

Jamie pushed a tape that had been ejected from his tape player back into it. The song _99 Red Balloons_ , sung by German singer, Nena, began playing.

Elizabeth's face brightened at the song.

Jessica looked into the front seat at her cousin and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Do I _look_ like there's somethin' wrong?" replied Elizabeth. "I just got a _GREAT_ idea!"

* * *

Jamie stood impatiently in Sera's Tiny Toy Store. Elizabeth had insisted upon stopping here for balloons. No explanation was given . . . just that she needed balloons. Of course, the other child who had been in the car had loved the idea of coming here, so, between the two of them, Jamie had been pretty much defeated. He had, however, found a _Tweety_ stuffed doll for Shawna. He knew that she loved the cute, yellow bird.

Elizabeth searched frantically through the bags of balloons that hung from the shelf. "They've still gotta have'em," she said. Finally, from the very back, she produced a large plastic bag. "YYYESSS!!!" she exclaimed.

"Now, what's so special about those balloons?" inquired Jamie impatiently. His eldest niece handed the bag to him for examination. The balloons looked as if a company that had been run by hippies during the sixties had manufactured them. It wasn't just the tattered condition of the bag (although it did look old), but also the fact that the balloons had sayings ranging from "Make Love, Not War" to single words and symbols, such as "Peace." But the balloons that caught Jamie's eye were the ones that said, "Love Thy Neighbor."

Elizabeth explained her assignment to Jamie and Jessica. She then explained her idea. She thought that it would be neat to fill all 100 of these balloons with helium, then set them loose during the KKK demonstration that was to take place on the court house lawn at noon on Saturday.

Jamie's pride in his niece showed in his smile. They turned to walk to the counter, not noticing the figure that watched them from the back of the store.

* * *

Ted Hinkle had been sent by Mr. Norton to follow Jamie Raleigh and report any actions against the Klan that he might take. It was weird that the girl, and not Jamie, was the one who was going to stir up trouble for their movement.

_Ah'd betta' git back to Mista' Norton,_ he thought as he headed down a separate aisle to leave the store.

Chapter Fourteen

Monday, 3:00 PM

Dave walked quietly down the peaceful country road toward the farmhouse into which he and his parents had moved four months earlier. It had always been Dave's father's dream to live in the country, but Dave did not feel the same way. He missed walking the streets of Jameston, catching an occasional bully and beating the pulp out of him.

The house had not been in the best shape when they had moved into it. They had decided to wait until the summer to try to perform all the repairs that it needed. Today had been spent painting, but Dave had decided to take a break and go for a walk.

The late afternoon breeze felt good as it blew through the trees. _Maybe livin' out here won't be so bad, after all,_ he thought as he smell of pine played on his senses. He hummed some heavy metal tune as he walked along the path. But he stopped when voices were carried to his ears by the breeze.

"Mr. Norton said the Isaacs would be pretty hard to scare away," one was saying. "The dad's retired military."

Instinctively, he moved into the bushes to his right. He waited there for a few minutes, until five men finally walked past where he was sitting. Each wore a camouflage uniform with a matching ski mask. Particularly eye-catching were the swastikas sewn onto each shoulder.

Two of them seemed to be straggling behind. Dave quietly moved from tree to tree, keeping in step with the two in the rear. As the three who were in the lead rounded a bend, Dave leaped onto the path and slammed his fists into the backs of each of the stragglers' heads. They crumpled to the ground and he pulled the blue marker that he had found in the attic of his new house from his pocket, and set to work. "You dudes picked the wrong house to demonstrate at," he chuckled as he began to write.

* * *

The group was getting closer to Dave's house. After finishing with their two comrades, Dave had run to catch up with the three remaining men. He was enjoying the thrill of the hunt. In the past, he had always enjoyed the action of a face-to-face confrontation, but since he knew that even he would have difficulty dealing with all five of them, he had decided to use the attack and evade techniques that his father had recently taught him. So far, they were working.

Dave's house was in sight. He had to act quickly. The three men hadn't even noticed the absence of their comrades, but they could do so at any moment.

Dave could now make out a definite leader, for there was one who was walking a good six feet in front of the other two. In an attempt to avoid being seen by the occupants of the house, the leader ducked behind Dave's father's barn, while the other two dodged behind a barrel that contained some tar that Mr. Isaac was using to seal cracks in the roofs. Dave made his move.

Leaping upon one of the two, he slammed his head into the side of the barrel, knocking him unconscious. The other opened his mouth to yell, but felt the large teen's fist crammed into it. Dave picked the man up from his feet and unceremoniously dumped him head first, into the tar.

* * *

Donnie Isaac was painting a wall in his kitchen, when he heard his wife yell for him. He ran to the living room, where she pointed to a man who was standing in their front yard, carrying a baseball bat, and wearing quasi-military attire. Donnie, who had been in the Air Force for several years, snatched his rifle from the shelf and stepped outside.

Taking aim, he bellowed, "What do you want here?"

The man replied, "We want y'all race traitors t'leave here."

Donnie looked around the antagonist and inquired, "We?"

"M'friends and . . ." he stopped in mid-sentence as he looked around to see, not his companions, but Dave walking toward him, a look of amusement upon the big teen's face. The man said not another word, but charged past Dave, disappearing into the woods.

Donnie shook his head with a chuckle as he watched his son pull two of the men out from the other side of the barn. One of them was covered in tar. He smiled at his son and asked, "How many were there?"

Dave smacked his hands together as if to release the dust from them. " There were five of the racist dudes."

"Where are the other two?"

"Probably back t'the highway by now."

* * *

The man was tired, having been driving all day. He was looking forward to getting home and getting some much needed sleep.

Up ahead, he could make out two figures standing on the side of the road. As he approached, he could see them more clearly. They had both been stripped down to their underwear and had blue markings all over their bodies. The words _RACIST PIGS_ were spelled out all over their chests and foreheads, while the saying _WE ARE PIGS_ was spelled out on their backs. Even though they had their thumbs up, trying to hitch a ride, the man thought it better not to stop.

Chapter Fifteen

Tuesday, 4:23 PM

Buster wiped his hand upon his apron. He reached for the bottle of barbecue sauce, but knocked it over, spilling the contents on the picnic table. "Ugh," he muttered. "Jamie, can you watch the food while I go look for a rag to clean up this mess?"

Shawna, who sat next to Jamie with her head on his shoulder, smirked, "You are the biggest klutz that I have ever seen, Buster."

"Shut up," snapped Amy in mock defense. "Only _I_ can insult him liked that." She smiled and kissed Buster on the cheek before she walked toward Jamie's house. "I'll get you a towel. Maybe some more barbecue sauce, too?"

Buster smiled up at her. "That would be appreciated."

"That smells great," commented Jamie, giving his friend a thumbs-up.

"Yeah," interjected Shawna, "God blessed you not only with the ability to preach, but also the ability to cook."

Buster flipped a burger on the grill. "It's not bread . . . and it won't exactly feed five thousand . . . but I hope it'll do."

"Absolutely," replied Jamie and Shawna in unison.

Dave was telling the rest of the group about the little "invasion" of his land the previous afternoon. Yoshi was angry. "What do these people have against us? I am _proud_ of what I am."

"They're just idiots," stated George bluntly.

Yoshi looked toward the western part of Jamie's parent's property, where Jessica, Elizabeth, and Kevin were playing. The children were barely specks in her vision at this distance. She, like Jamie, was quite proud of Elizabeth. Elizabeth's teacher had liked her idea so much that she had decided to implement it. The students were supposed to gather at noon on the elementary playground and release all 100 of the balloons that Elizabeth had purchased, filled with helium. If the wind kept blowing in the same direction in which it had been blowing for the past week, then the balloons would float directly over the KKK demonstration.

Elizabeth was excited. "Do you think that Norton guy'll get mad?"

"I'd bet on it," piped Jessica.

Kevin was climbing on Jamie's parent's satellite dish. "I think you two're too excited about somethin' that's so boring," he mumbled as he dropped to the ground.

"But you climbing on the satellite dish is fun?" asked Jessica.

"Yep," replied her cousin.

Elizabeth looked up at the road as two large vans approached. Something didn't seem right. Her mouth went dry and her heart pounded in her ears as the two vehicles stopped less than ten feet away. She opened her mouth to call out to her uncle and his friends, but all that came out was a scream as ten men, each wearing ski masks jumped from the still running vehicles and surrounded them.

"Jamie!" exclaimed Yoshi as she jumped to her feet and bolted toward the children. She saw Elizabeth kick one of the men in the stomach, but two more grabbed her and dragged her, kicking and screaming, into the van. The rest of the men didn't seem to be having as much difficulty pulling the younger two children along.

Yoshi looked back to see the rest of Adventure following her toward the vans. Jamie leaped over the picnic table, calling the children's names. He had already passed his other friends, and was quickly catching up with her.

Looking ahead toward the children and their antagonists, Yoshi realized that they wouldn't make it across the yard in time to prevent the men from getting back to the first van. Elizabeth and Kevin had already been pushed inside, and one of the men was struggling to keep Jessica's arms and legs pinned as he approached the van. Jessica jerked a hand free and back-handed him in the face, then grasped the mask and yanked it from his face. Yoshi got a clear look at the man who was kidnapping her friend's niece, just before he pulled her into the van. Tires squealed as the two vans sped up the road.

Jamie could barely make out Jessica's fragile form through one of the windows in the front van, where all of the children had been dragged. He could hear her screaming, "UNCLE JAMIEEE!!!" Angrily, Jamie produced a four-pointed shuriken from the front pocket of his jeans. He hurled it with all his might at the rear tire of the back van, and his aim was true. The tire exploded and the van spun uncontrollably into Jamie's uncle's garage, which stood across the road and about twenty yards up.

The group ran up to the now demolished building. Six men climbed unsteadily from the wrecked van. Jamie slammed his fist into the first man's jaw. He brought the heel of his foot up against the head of the second man.

Dave grabbed two of the men and slammed their heads together, throwing their unconscious forms to the ground.

Max slammed his foot into the next man's gut, then leaped off the ground, performed a 360-degree spin, and brought his heel against the man's head. The man spun as he was knocked from his feet.

Buster grabbed the final man's arm and flipped him effortlessly to the ground.

Jamie grabbed the first man and slammed him against a nearby wall. "Where are they taking those kids?!" he demanded. When the man didn't answer, he slammed the man into the wall again and exclaimed, "ANSWER ME!!!"

Shawna gently placed her hand upon Jamie's shoulder. "He's in shock," she remarked. "He couldn't answer you if he wanted to."

The second man chuckled as he spit blood from his mouth. "I could tell you," he sputtered. "But I won't."

Yoshi reached down and placed her hand over his neck. "Then, what is to stop me from ripping your jugular vein from your throat?"

"Y'all think that yer heroes," he replied. "You won't kill me when ah'm at yer mercy." He smiled. "But ah will tell ya this. If ya don't stop the elementary demonstration Saturday . . ."

"Continue . . ." ordered Yoshi.

"Let's just say that we don't got nothin' 'ginst killin' for the greatness o' our cause."

Yoshi looked at her clan-brother. "What should we do with them?" she asked.

"You kids won't hurt us," restated the man.

"Shows what _you_ know," boomed Jeremy as he elbowed the man as hard as he could in the face.

Chapter Sixteen

Tuesday, 7:49 PM

Deck and Sly entered Shorty's, Sera's pizza restaurant. Deck really had no use for the place, or any other place where one could find a large gathering of people. He always regretted letting his womanizing friend talk him into coming with him for a night on the town. Or so he would tell people. Truthfully, Deck found Sly's enthusiasm refreshing.

At least they weren't at a bar.

The place was not as packed tonight as it was on the weekends. There were only seven patrons here, one of which was an attractive blonde who was sitting at the fountain bar. She had blue eyes, full red lips, and jeans and a blouse that flattered her figure. Sly took a seat next to her.

Deck seated himself quietly on the other side of his friend, glancing over his shoulder at the pool table near the arcade games. "Why don't we shoot some pool, so you don't get us into another one o' those stupid fights, like you did the last time we were here?"

"Hey," retorted Sly, "how was _I_ s'posed to know she was married?"

"The wedding ring on'er finger, not to mention the bodybuilder-lookin' guy sittin' next to her . . . wearing a matching ring . . . was plenty of warning fer _me_ ," replied Deck.

Randy, the short, balding owner of the restaurant stepped up to the two. "What'll it be, Sly?"

Sly thought for a moment. "Since you don't sell beer, I'll have what she's having," he said, motioning to the woman next to him.

Randy nodded. "Chocolate and Peanut Butter shake."

Sly turned to the woman. She appeared to be a couple of years older than he was. _Good,_ he thought, _I like'em experienced_. He cleared his throat and asked, "Do you like home-bred Southern boys?"

She looked at him in astonishment. "Wh . . . What?"

"I'm as Southern as they get." He winked at her.

The woman scowled. "Does your mommy know you're flirting with older women?"

Sly raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I can't be much younger than you. How old are you?"

"Just full of rudeness, aren't you?" She took a drink of her shake, the slurping sound in the Styrofoam cup indicating that it was empty. "Let's just say that I'm too old for you." She looked over her shoulder at a group of men who were sitting at a table. "I'm heading out to the RV, Jerry," she called out.

One of the men, who stood out as the only man in the restaurant in a suit, raised his hand dismissively as she climbed to her feet. Sly looked after her longingly as she stopped at the door and looked back at him and shook her head. Then she stepped out.

Sly grinned and looked at Deck. "She wants me."

Deck just rolled his eyes in disgust. "You're gonna get yerself slapped."

"I've worn a few handprints on my face over the years," returned Sly as he headed for the door. "Sometimes, it's SO worth it!"

As his friend followed the woman, Deck picked up Sly's untouched milkshake and took a drink. Out of boredom, he began to look around at the various patrons. He knew some of them from the school.

Then, the sound of Jamie's name floated to his ears from a table where four of the seven patrons were sitting, some ten feet away. He listened closely.

"Ah don't think it wuz a good idea t'take the three kids," one of them was saying. He was wearing a red ball cap and drinking a soda.

"Those kids're bein' raised by race traitors and gittin' their minds poisoned,'"stated another. He was wearing a _Redneck_ cap and scratching himself under the armpit with a set of keys.

Still another spoke up. He was wearing greasy coveralls and chewing a mouth-full of tobacco, making it difficult to understand him. "Mmmmrrhpphh."

The first one looked at him. "What the Sam-Hill'd ya just try an' say?"

The second responded, "I think he said we did'em a favor kidnappin'em."

The third nodded his head in agreement, then spat on the floor.

The fourth man, the only clean-cut one, spoke in a genteel southern accent. "We won't harm the children, but it is for the greater cause that we do this. Three lives are insignificant in the greater scheme of things."

The first one turned back around and nodded in agreement. "Yep, it's s'actly like ya say, Mr. Norris."

"That's _Norton_ , you uneducated baboon," retorted the clean man. "Don't link me to that Chinaman-loving actor!"

The other two laughed at the first, who simply sulked as he took a large drink of his root beer.

It was then that Deck remembered a rumor that had been going around town about Jessica, Elizabeth, and Kevin having been kidnapped. He hadn't talked to Jamie yet to find out if it was true, but apparently he had just found some of the kidnappers. He climbed from the barstool and started walking toward the table. He wondered if his friend was enjoying himself out in that RV, not knowing that Deck was in here about to pick a fight with some men who had kidnapped three children.

* * *

The woman was unlocking the side door to the RV as Sly approached. "Nice ride," he said.

"Perhaps I wasn't blunt enough for you" commented the woman in her Southern Belle accent. "Get lost, junior!"

Sly cocked an eyebrow. "I saw the way you looked at me when you were walking out of the pizza joint."

She flashed a perfect, white smile. "I was scowling at you. I do enjoy the company of a handsome man. You are quite handsome." Then the smile left. "But you're barely old enough to shave."

"I'm eighteen," returned Sly.

"Really," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "And I suppose the bearded man in there is your twin."

Sly rolled his eyes. "Whatever." Then a bumper sticker on the back of the RV caught his attention. It read, _The White Man: An Endangered Species_.

Seeing him looking at the sticker, she said, "Do you want me to read it to you before you go back inside and get your bottle?"

"I can read it just fine, lady," he said. "It just shocks me that a pretty thing like you would have something like that on her vehicle."

"My brother, Jerry, owns the RV," returned the girl. "But I'm in agreement with him one hundred percent."

Sly's eyes widened. _Uh-oh,_ he thought, _she's that KKK leader's sister._

It was then that he heard the breaking of glass from the bar.

* * *

The man swung a pool cue at Deck, who ducked. The cue struck a glass sugar dispenser on the bar and sent it flying across the room, shattering it into a thousand pieces as it hit the wall. Deck slammed his fist into the man's face, then grabbed him by the head and threw him to the ground. Looking at another man, who was approaching him warily, he grunted, "It's _yer_ funeral." He grabbed the man, picked him up over his head, then tossed him effortlessly into the third man. He then looked at the well-dressed gentleman and proclaimed, "Yer next!"

The man walked calmly toward him and said, "Yes, I suppose that I _am_."

The sound of Sly's voice filled the room. "Deck, DON'T!!!"

Deck was just about to respond when the man leaped off of the floor, slamming his right foot across the big man's face. Deck was knocked to one knee. The man brought the same foot upward, striking it across Deck's chin as he did so. A sickening, coppery taste filled his mouth as Deck bit his own tongue. The other man's foot slammed back down on top of his head. The big man was knocked unconscious.

Sly and Brenda ran forward. "What happened?" she asked Jerry as Sly knelt down next to his comatose friend.

"The man attacked us," Mr. Norton stated plainly.

"What'd ya do ta set'im off?" raged Sly. "Deck don't attack _no_ body, unless they do somethin' ta _him_!"

The sound of sirens alerted Sly to the presence of the sheriff outside. A moment later, he was walking in the door. "What in the world happened here?"

Mr. Norton looked up and said, "I'd like to press charges against this man for attacking my companions and me."

The sheriff looked awestruck. "Deck attacked you without being provoked?"

The three men, who had climbed to their feet by now, all nodded their agreement. The sheriff placed a set of handcuffs on Deck's wrists. "What're ya doin'?" insisted Sly. "He's lyin'! Deck don't _attack_ nobody!"

"I'm inclined to agree," commented the sheriff. "But I'll have to take you all in until I we get this straightened out. I'll read Deck his rights when he wakes up." He looked at Jerry. "As for you, Mr. Norton," the sheriff began with a smile, "you're under arrest. You have the right to remain silent . . .."

Jerry looked calmly at his sister, ignoring the reading of his rights. "Brenda, would you follow us to the courthouse so we can make bail?"

Deputy Goodman glanced at Sly. "You might want to call somebody for Deck."

* * *

Tanemura Funakoshi was performing a sword kata with his ninja-to. A camcorder sat on a desk ten feet away, because he always filmed himself so that he could look for errors and ways to improve what he was doing.

Tanemura was having trouble concentrating. Yoshi, always mixing her ninjutsu with the quirks of adolescence, was practicing on her kicking bag (which was located in the very next room) while listening to some rock song.

The phone rang. Funakoshi could hear the music stop . . . much to his relief . . . as Yoshi ran to answer it. "Hello?" she said. There was a pause, then she exclaimed, "What?!" After another pause, Yoshi said, "Thank you for calling," then she could be heard placing the receiver back onto the perch.

The Japanese panel door slid open to reveal the beautiful young kunoichi, her face now contorted with anger.

"What is the matter?" asked Tanemura in their native tongue.

"That was Sly," she replied with annoyance.

"What did he want?"

"He told me that Deck has been thrown into jail for attacking some of the men who kidnapped Jessica, Elizabeth, and Kevin."

Tanemura sheathed his sword, then asked, "Why did he not call Jamie?"

"He did," she responded. "But Jamie didn't have the five-hundred dollars that was necessary to bail him out."

"I see," remarked the old jonin with a chuckle. "Let me get my checkbook. Call Jamie to ask him to accompany us to the courthouse."

Yoshi rolled her eyes and turned back toward the kitchen. "Why did he have to fight with them? Why did he not just call the police?"

Tanemura shrugged as he turned off the camcorder. " He's not the only male friend that you have who has made decisions without the benefit of thought, if I remember correctly . . .."

Chapter Seventeen

Flashback

April 16, 1988

Saturday, 6:45 PM

Tanemura pulled up behind the Celebrity just as Jamie's mother opened the trunk of her own car. He climbed from his vehicle and rushed to her side. "Allow me to help you with those," commented the old ninja, as he took a bag of groceries from the trunk.

"Thank you, Mr. Funakoshi," smiled Pam. She grabbed the other bag of groceries. Nodding toward the Celebrity, she asked, "Whose car is that?"

Tanemura sighed. "It is Maria Gonzalez's automobile."

Pam closed the trunk. "I didn't know she had a license."

"She _is_ sixteen," replied the jonin.

As they climbed the steps toward the front door, Tanemura noticed only one bicycle standing in the yard. "Dave and Buster must have gone home."

Pam looked at the bike. "Then why is _Buster's_ the one that's still here?"

An approaching vehicle caught their attention. As they watched, a Jameston Police car pulled into the driveway behind Pam's car. Buster's father climbed from the vehicle. He took his hat off and nodded toward Pam and Tanemura. "Mrs. Raleigh. Mr. Funakoshi."

"Hi Sheriff," said Pam. "What's up?"

The chief's eyes widened. "You don't know?"

Tanemura felt a sickening feeling in his stomach. Turning around, he grasped the doorknob, turned it and shoved the door open. Stepping inside, that sickening feeling tripled when he saw Maria lying on the couch, an icepack over her right eye and her bottom lip split.

"What happened?!" demanded Pam.

Tanemura's stern gaze fell upon Yoshi. "Explain!"

"We went to Marty Lemonyon's party," stated the Japanese girl. Her eyes were lowered in shame.

"I thought you were supposed to be practicing with Jamie," commented Pam.

"It was a ruse so that I could get out of my house tonight," explained Yoshi. She risked a glance at Jamie's mother. "Jamie was not involved. I had to lie to him, as well, since I knew that he would never have lied for us."

"Marty . . . _hurt_ Star," said Buster.

"Did he _rape_ you, Maria?" asked the sheriff.

"No," answered the girl with a sniffle. "He tried, but Yoshi stopped'im."

"Where's Jamie?" inquired Pam, her voice shaking in nervousness.

Tanemura noted Buster's eyes lock with those of Yoshi. He placed his hand on her shoulder and commanded, "Answer her."

"Dave went with him to Marty's house," muttered Yoshi.

Pam dropped her sack of groceries. " _WHAT?!_ "

Tanemura sighed in frustration. Turning to his student's speechless mother, he stated, "I will go and bring him home."

"You can ride with me," declared Buster's dad.

"Don't let anybody hurt Jamie," begged Pam.

"Pray, Mrs. Raleigh," suggested the old jonin. "God will have His hand upon your son. And, from what I have seen of Jamie's progress in his training, I would have more fear for young Mr. Lemonyon."

Chapter Eighteen

May 26, 1992

Tuesday, 10:00 PM

"I appreciate ya bailin' me out, Tanemura," said Deck gratefully, as he, Yoshi, Jamie, and the old Funakoshi jonin walked down the steps of the courthouse. "I owe ya one."

"That money was for the painting of the northern wall of my house," remarked Funakoshi. "Just be sure that you are present for your trial on Friday so that I can get it back."

"Who is your defender?" asked Yoshi.

"I guess they're gonna assign me some public defender, or somethin' like that," replied the big man. He glanced at Jamie, who was even less talkative than usual. "'Penny fer yer thoughts.'"

Jamie angrily kicked a rock across the courthouse lawn. "My nieces and nephew get kidnapped, and the sheriff is 'doing all he can,' but you beat up some of the kidnappers and you get thrown into jail!"

"The sheriff arrested the other men, as well," stated Yoshi. "And he was trying to question them about the children, but Norton and his men made bail, as well."

Jamie jumped onto one of the picnic tables that were sitting by the stage where Norton had been giving his propaganda speech. Looking up at the sky, he felt a twinge of hope. He closed his eyes and wondered, _What am I supposed to do?_

"You okay?" asked Deck.

Jamie opened his eyes and looked at his friends and teacher. "No," he mumbled as he jumped off of the table and walked toward his car. "I won't be okay until I know that Elizabeth, Jessica and Kevin are okay."

* * *

Max stapled the flyer to the telephone pole. He looked up at it, noting Jessica, Kevin and Elizabeth's smiling faces. His eyes misted over as he prayed, _Please let them be okay._

"This isn't how I want to spend my summer," groaned Jeremy. "I'm bored."

"Really?" snapped Leslie. "We're doing this for Jamie and his family!"

Jeremy shrugged. "We gave up the float trip because of Louis's dad and now this? Let Jamie's family and the cops deal with this on their own."

Steve whirled on Jeremy and snapped, "How would you feel if it were your little brother who was kidnapped?"

Jeremy's grin nearly took in his ears. "Cheerful."

"You're no better than they are," commented Max as he stapled another flyer to another pole.

"I didn't kidnap them," returned Jeremy.

"Where's your compassion?" demanded Leslie. "Even the basketball team is passing out flyers."

Again, Jeremy shrugged. "'Charity begins at home.'"

Max shook his head. _Is that true?_ he asked God. _Or are you protecting them?_

* * *

" _Richard Smith_ ," answered the lady on the other end of the line, " _Attorney at Law."_

"Yes," stated the young ninja, "this is Jamie Raleigh, Richard's nephew. I need to talk to him. It's very important."

" _He's in a meeting with a client right now,"_ replied the secretary, " _but I'll see if he'll take your call."_

There was a click, then a pause. Finally, after another click, she said, " _He'll talk to you, now."_

After another click and pause, a man's voice answered. " _Hello, Jamie? What's the problem?"_

"Hi, Uncle Rick. My nieces and nephew have been kidnapped because some of my friends and I got involved in some skirmishes with the Ku Klux Klan." He cleared his throat. "Another friend of mine, Deck Pendragon, found some of the men responsible and beat all but one of them up. They pressed charges against him, but he couldn't prove that they were the ones who took Elizabeth, Jessica, and Kevin."

" _What can I do?"_

"Well, he needs a good lawyer."

" _No problem,"_ Richard said with a chuckle. " _You know how much I like tangling with the Klan._ _When's he scheduled to appear in court?"_

"The day after tomorrow," answered Jamie.

" _Then I'll be there tomorrow morning."_

"Thanks Uncle Rick."

" _Don't you worry about it, Jamie. We'll do our best for your friend."_

After a few more words and a goodbye, Jamie hung the phone back on the receiver. He was proud of his uncle. Rick made his living as a lawsuit attorney in St. Louis. Jamie did not trust either of the two public defenders that operated in this county, but he would trust his aunt's husband with his life.

* * *

Max kicked the bag repeatedly. He couldn't remember ever having been as angry as he was at this moment. _How could Jeremy be so cold about what was happening to the kids?_

He leaped off of the ground, spinning a full 360 degrees and slamming the heel of his right foot into the bag. The strap snapped under the stress and the bag fell to the floor with a THUD!

The teen started to swear in anger, but stopped himself. He leaned over the bag and examined the strap. In the sparse light of the basement, it was difficult to see where it had broken. "I just fixed this," he mumbled.

He glanced at the stairs. "I don't feel like dragging this all the way up." Resolving to get another bulb to replace the burned-out twin of the one that was barely lighting the small basement, he turned to climb the stairs. The basement was barely the size of one of the rooms of the house. He had decided to turn it into a personal _dojang . . ._ the Korean word for _school_ . . . after the Waruiyatsu invasion. The only entrance to this basement was through a door that was on the outside of the house.

After flicking off the light-switch, he climbed the stairs to the door. Taking hold of the knob, he pushed the door open and was suddenly struck in the chest with a baseball bat. He was knocked off balance and rolled back down the stairs, hitting the concrete floor hard.

His teeth clenched through the pain, Max opened his eyes to see three men descending the stairs. He couldn't make out any details in the darkness, but he knew that they were approaching quickly. Ignoring the pain, he rolled into the shadows of the basement.

Hiding behind a box of Steve's old _Red Sonja_ comic books, Max could hear the men arrive at the bottom of the stairs. One of them flicked the switch and swore at the sparse amount of light that came from the bulb.

He could hear one of the men approaching him. Swinging out with his left foot, he tripped the antagonist, knocking him to the floor. Max slammed his elbow into the back of the man's neck, knocking him senseless.

This alerted the other two men to Max's location. Jumping to his feet, the junior high student rolled himself into a ball and somersaulted into the next man's legs. This one barreled face first into the concrete floor. Still in a crouching position, Max brought his foot straight out and back, slamming it into the final man's stomach. Air exploded from the man's mouth as he doubled over in agony.

Max climbed to his feet to notice that the first man had regained his senses and was standing about three feet away. The second man was also back on his feet. The third, although in pain, was standing as straight as he possibly could. All three were surrounding the youth, rage-filled eyes focused on him.

Max chuckled nervously. "How about a down and dirty game of thumb wrestling?" The men stepped closer as he noticed that he was standing directly under the hanging light. With a loud "KIAH!!!" he leaped off of the floor and brought his right foot into the bulb, shattering it and plunging the room back into darkness. The youth ducked to the floor and rolled toward the stairs as he could hear the three men attacking each other in an attempt to catch him. In the confusion, he darted up the stairs and out the door, slamming it shut behind him.

After replacing his mother's padlock, trapping the men, he rubbed his sore ribs. "'Pain is but an illusion . . .'" he quoted his sensei. As a sharp agony shot through him, he stumbled toward the front door, adding, "An illusion that hurts ALOT!" He then collapsed on his front porch as blackness overtook him.

* * *

Shawna and Alexandria had been driving through town in an effort to find Jamie. His mother had told them that he had gone to the courthouse to speak with the sheriff. He had already left when they had arrived, so Shawna had decided to show Alex where Max lived. They had not expected to find the youth crumpled on his front porch, unconscious.

"Max!" yelled Alex, as she leaped from the passenger's side of the car and ran to him. Dropping to her knees, she felt his neck for a pulse.

"Is he . . .?" began Shawna, who was running up from the car.

"He's alive," responded Alex, her voice filled with relief.

Shawna knocked on the door. There was no response.

"If anybody was home, do you think they would have left him here?" asked Alex. She gently flipped him over to find dark patches forming over his ribs.

"I'm not used to things like this," returned Shawna.

Alex looked up at her and said, "Your boyfriend's a ninja and you were kidnapped by a ninja clan last fall!"

"But they really didn't hurt any of the hostages!"

Alex sighed. "I'm sorry, Shawna. I'm just worried."

Shawna placed her hand on her foster-sister's shoulder. "You like him a lot, don't you?"

Alex nodded.

Shawna turned and opened the door and, with Alex's help, pulled the comatose youth inside and onto the couch.

Now, hearing voices coming from the door to the basement, the young honor student told her younger foster-sister, "Why don't you call an ambulance while I check that out?"

Alex nodded her approval, so Shawna walked outside and up to the door. She could hear three different voices pleading for their freedom. Knowing that Max must have locked them in there for a reason, she stated, in her best Spanish, " _No habla_." Then, she turned and went back into the house.

She found Alex sitting on the couch, cradling Max's head on her lap. She was holding a zipped storage bag with ice inside to his chest. Looking up at Shawna, she stated, "The ambulance is on its way. His ribs are bruised pretty badly, but I don't think they're broken."

Shawna sighed. They looked so cute together. She only wished that Max were conscious, so that he could enjoy it.

Chapter Nineteen

Wednesday, 8:45 PM

Jamie, Yoshi, George, and Buster approached the nurse's station. Buster was the first to speak. "We're looking for Max Adams."

The nurse didn't even look up, having her nose buried in a tabloid. "He's a minor. Are you relatives?"

Yoshi replied, "You could say that I am his sister."

The nurse, still reading her magazine, stated, "Room 315." They immediately ran toward the elevator.

* * *

Max was still unconscious. Alex sat in a chair next to the bed, holding his hand and looking quite distraught. Looking up to see Shawna placing the phone back onto the receiver, she asked, "Any luck?"

"No," replied Shawna, "I don't know where his mother went, but she's not home yet."

Alex sighed in frustration. "Blast it all! I wish I could've been there to help him! If they let those creeps out of jail, I'll hunt them down and personally cream EVERY ONE OF THEM!!!"

Shawna had never seen her friend so angry. "Calm down. He's gonna be okay."

The door suddenly opened and Jamie, Yoshi, George, and Buster walked in. "How is he?" asked Jamie as he hugged Shawna.

"He's still out," responded Alex. "They don't know why. He's not seriously hurt, he just has some bruises."

Jamie walked over to the bed. The youth's ribs were bandaged, but he seemed to be sleeping quite peacefully.

"Were the men still locked in the basement when you left?" asked Buster.

Shawna shook her head. "Your dad and two other deputies picked them up just before the ambulance got there."

"How long can they hold them?" asked Yoshi.

Alex shook her head. "Twenty-four hours if he doesn't wake up and tell the police what happened."

George walked around to stand on the opposite side of the bed from Alex. "These guys are starting to tick me off."

Jamie's fists clenched at his sides and the popping of each knuckle could be heard. "They already passed that point with me."

A groan escaped Max's lips.

Alex jumped to her feet and leaned over him. "Max? Can you hear me?"

He slowly opened his eyes. When he focused on Alex, the corners of his mouth slowly turned upward. "Hey," he whispered simply.

She smiled at him. "Hey."

* * *

Jamie, Yoshi, and George, sat on a picnic table in the front yard of Tanemura Funakoshi, awaiting the arrival of Jamie's uncle. Because he had paid the bail, Tanemura had insisted that Deck stay with the Funakoshis until after the trial the next day.

"What kind of car will your uncle be drivin'?" asked George.

Jamie had been lost in thought. George's question brought him back to the present. "I think he said that he'd be in a brown Taurus," was the young ninja's response to his friend's question.

Jamie climbed down from the table and walked toward a brown 1992 Ford Taurus that was pulling into the driveway.

Yoshi climbed off of the table and ran with George to catch up.

The driver's door on the car opened and a man stepped out of the car. The man was wearing a tan suit and brown tie. He was of average height and build. But what caught George's eye was the fact that he was an African-American.

Jamie walked up to the man and extended his hand. "Hello, Uncle Richard," he said as the man shook his hand in greeting.

"Hello, Jamie," replied the man. "How'd you do in school this year?"

"'A-minus' average," replied the young ninja. Seeing his two friends walk up, he added, "You remember Yoshi." Yoshi smiled and bowed. Then, gesturing toward her boyfriend, he said, "And this is one of my best friends, George." George, still dumbfounded, shook the man's hand.

Noticing George's confusion, Richard explained, "I'm Jamie's uncle by marriage. My wife is his father's sister." The confusion melted away as George nodded.

* * *

"So, Mr. Smith," conversed Tanemura as he poured Jamie's uncle, then the rest of his visitors, some tea, "what are the chances that you can get Deck acquitted?"

"Slim to non-existent," stated Richard bluntly. "But I doubt that he will serve any more jail time, or anything. He may get a fine of, at the very most, fifteen-hundred dollars."

Deck had picked up his teacup and was sipping. When he heard this, he choked and dropped the cup into George's lap. "Fifteen-hundred?!"

George eyed his larger friend angrily. "You know, Deck," he stated with mock calmness, "that tea is kinda' hot."

"Sorry," offered Deck as Tanemura handed George a white towel.

"That is a vastly over-exaggerated amount," added Richard. "Hopefully."

"Is there any way at all that he can be acquitted?" asked Yoshi.

"Well, there's two ways, actually," he replied. "You can prove that the men were responsible for kidnapping Jamie's niece, although this won't guarantee to get him off the hook."

"And the _other_ way?" inquired Steve.

"None of the men that he hurt show up to testify."

Chapter Twenty

Thursday, 4:23 PM

Elizabeth sat quietly on her ratty bunk. She looked around the room, seeing that Jessica had cried herself to sleep on her bed again. Kevin sat in a corner, his arms wrapped around his legs, and his head resting on his knees.

Elizabeth climbed to her feet and walked to one of the walls. They were in some kind of shed, which had been hastily built, judging by its appearance. There were gaping cracks in the walls, at least large enough to see through. Since the children's capture, Elizabeth had often found herself watching the Klansmen during what she had dubbed their "hate ceremonies." These were times when they all gathered into a large group, and their leader, Mr. Norton, would put on a suit that was similar to those worn by the rest of the racists, although his had a red trim. The men would then stand around and discuss ways of getting Louis, Yoshi and their families out of the area. Then they would chant "White power!" over and over.

Elizabeth smelled herself. They hadn't been permitted to shower. She smelled bad. But Kevin's feet were the worst. The odor assaulted her nostrils and lungs violently and, at times, it was all she could do to keep from gagging.

Elizabeth could tell that they were near the river. The sound of the water rushing by filled her ears constantly. Every so often, a motorboat would go by, prompting the children to start screaming for help. Unfortunately, no one could ever hear them.

Elizabeth had been frightened when they had first arrived. But, noticing that Jessica and Kevin were constantly in tears, and realizing that she was the oldest, she felt compelled to show enough bravery for all three of them.

The girl heard footsteps approaching from outside. Knowing that the captors rarely visited them at this time of the afternoon, Elizabeth's eyes narrowed in worry. She looked at Kevin. "Wake Jessica up." At his nod, she added, "I have an idea."

* * *

Ted didn't know why Mr. Norton wanted to see the brats. But he didn't care. He respected his leader. The man was educated; he knew how to run those "undesirables" out of Sera.

As he stepped up to open the door, he remembered the younger girl. She had seen his face. He didn't like the idea, but he realized that she would be silenced after Saturday. Taking hold of the padlock, he shoved the key in, then turned it. The lock opened and he pulled it from the door. Wrapping his hand around the handle, he pulled the door open and stepped inside.

The room was dark. It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust. When they did so, he could only see the two girls, standing across the room and smiling at him. "Where's yer little brother?" he asked.

The older of the two girls said nothing, but immediately broke into a run toward him. He opened his mouth to scream just as she leaped from the ground and extended her right foot, slamming it into his chest. He was knocked backward and tripped over the boy, who had crouched behind him. Ted hit the ground hard. The two girls ran over him and the three charged out of the door.

_Uh-oh,_ he thought to himself, _Ah'm in trouble, now._

* * *

"What are we going to do _now_ , Liz?" asked Jessica, her voice shaking with fright. The three children had taken refuge behind a stack of barrels that was some thirty feet from the shed in which they had been imprisoned. They had already seen the man stumble to his feet and run for help.

Jessica fought to control the terror in her voice. "Those Klan-guys are everywhere, and we don't even know where we are!"

"I do," stated Elizabeth. "We're about a mile from the spring. Mom, Dad, Kevin, and I always come by this spot when we go floating."

"Do you know how to get back to town?" asked Jessica.

"If we can get to those boats," began Elizabeth, gesturing toward three canoes that were tied at the shore, "we can float to the spring and get help there."

Kevin crossed his arms in disgust. "I don't like all this hidin'!" he exclaimed much too loudly for the girls' comfort. "Uncle Jamie and Dave'd fight!"

"Quiet!" whispered Jessica, but it was too late. Five wandering guards had already heard Elizabeth's little brother. Their cries of alarm could be heard throughout the encampment.

"Quick!" ordered Elizabeth. "Run for the woods!"

The three children burst from their hiding place and charged for the woods. Elizabeth, being the one with the longest legs, had almost reached the cover of the trees, when she heard her brother yelling, "Lemme go, ya jerk!" She turned around to see that the five guards had already grabbed the other two. She charged back into the fray, kicking and punching at the guards. Unfortunately, there were too many of them, and soon they had her pinned helplessly to the ground.

The men parted to reveal an attractive young woman with flowing blonde hair. Standing next to her was Jerry Norton. He smiled and said, "Well, it would appear that a fighting spirit runs in your family, child. But, I have to wonder if you are old enough to understand the implications of what is happening here. Are you aware that we are trying to make this a better world for you and your children?"

Kevin snapped, "Are you aware that yer breath smells like a dog's butt?"

"Meager insults?" inquired Norton. "I had hoped for so much more from the nephew of Jamie Raleigh."

"Oh, yeah?" bellowed the boy. "I'll show you insults, you lousy . . .." One of the men struck him in the back of the head with the butt of his rifle, knocking him unconscious.

"You JERK!!!" screamed Elizabeth, before she felt the blunt pain in the back of her own head that sent her to join her brother.

* * *

Jamie sat on his screened front porch, praying about the events of the past few days. Jessica, Elizabeth, and Kevin's kidnapping played itself over and over in his mind.

Linus walked through a hole in the screen door and began rubbing himself against the side of the young ninja's leg. Jamie scratched the gray and white feline absently behind the ear. "Oh, the simplicities of being a pet," muttered Jamie as he climbed to his feet.

He heard the crunching sound of tires as a car drove slowly up the road. Shawna's vehicle pulled into the driveway. Stepping from the car, Shawna walked to the front porch, followed by Laura, Amy, and Alexandria.

"What's up?" inquired Jamie as he opened the door for the girls to enter.

"We're going to the skating rink," replied Amy cheerfully. "The owners are donating food to the people who are helping with the search for your nieces and nephew. We're going to pick it up."

Jamie shook his head. "I'm supposed to wait here for a call from my uncle."

"We were going to head to the Bluff later to see Max," mumbled Alex. "They won't let anybody in to see'im right now because he got mad at the doctor and refused to let him do some kind of exam."

Jamie smiled. "I knew that something had to be up, since you aren't there with him."

Alex smiled as her cheeks turned red.

The young ninja sighed. "I just can't concentrate on anything else while those monsters have Jessica, Liz and Kevin. Maybe Dave, Buster and I'll go in town and help with the search parties. They're due here any minute."

Amy placed her hand comfortingly on his shoulder. "Keep praying. God's watching over them. And the kids' kidnapping hasn't exactly served to make the people of Sera like Norton and his men."

Alex nodded. "I heard they pelted some of the men with rocks when they were speaking in town earlier. If only they could prove the Klan took the kids."

Noticing an uncharacteristically distracted look on Shawna's face, he asked, "What's wrong?"

She looked at him, her face emotionless. "Nothing. You won't be going with us, then?"

"I'll see if Buster and Dave want to go with you to see Max later," he responded. He hugged her, noting painfully that she didn't seem too interested in returning the embrace.

The three girls stepped off of the front porch and climbed into the car.

Jamie sighed. Linus rubbed against his ankle and meowed for attention. He bent over and picked up the cat, cradling him and scratching him behind the ear as he purred contentedly.

"Oh, the simplicities of being a pet," he repeated.

* * *

The skating rink wasn't very active tonight. There were no other customers. The girls stepped up to the food counter to find a smiling woman waiting for them. "Are you girls here for the food for the search parties in Sera?" she asked.

"Yes," said Shawna. "We all really appreciate this."

A door, presumably leading into the kitchen, opened behind the counter and a man stepped out carrying seven steaming pizza boxes. "We just wish we could help more," he said as he set them on the counter. "I've got six more in the back."

"I have to use the restroom," said Alex. "Where is it?"

"It's over there," answered the woman, gesturing to the far side of the room, next to the exit. The girl turned and walked to the door that said _LADIES_ and entered.

"So," inquired Amy of Shawna as the man turned and headed back into the kitchen, "what's the matter between you and Jamie?"

"What makes you think that there's a problem between Jamie and me?" returned Shawna.

"You were really cold at his house," replied her cousin.

"Look," snapped Shawna, "that's between him and me! So, butt out!"

"Fine _,_ " mumbled Amy. "Who woke up on the wrong side of the bed this year?"

Shawna turned angrily away from her cousin as the front door opened and several hooded men charged in.

* * *

Alexandria finished washing her hands, then pulled some brown paper towels from the dispenser. As she dried her hands, she remembered the warmth of Max holding her hand the whole time she and their friends had visited him after he had regained consciousness. She couldn't wait to get the pizzas back to Sera so they could get back to the hospital and see him again. She looked at herself in the mirror to find herself blushing.

Shaking her head with a grin, she turned and opened the bathroom door.

Her heart dropped into her stomach at what she saw. Several masked men surrounded her friends and the two employees in front of the counter on the opposite side of the room. The male employee lay on the floor, a line of crimson running down the side of his face.

She started to move in their direction when Shawna caught her eye and, almost imperceptibly, shook her head.

Alex nodded toward the door and Shawna gently nodded.

_I don't want to leave them,_ she prayed. _What do I do?_

Glancing out the door, she saw the gas station across the street. Noting that the men hadn't seemed to notice her, she gently opened the front door and ran for it.

* * *

One of the men smiled as he saw the girl flee the rink.

"Should we go after her?" asked another one of the men.

"Of course not, you idiot," snapped the first. "What good is bait, if the animal that you are trying to catch doesn't know about it?"

Chapter Twenty-One

Thursday, 8:32 PM

Jamie placed the receiver back on its base. "Uncle Richard wants us to get Sly into the courtroom tomorrow to testify," explained the young ninja.

"What?" inquired Buster. "But you know how much Sly hates courtrooms!"

"Hey, dude," said Dave, "I don't think that we'll have too much trouble getting him in there to testify fer Deck."

The phone rang again. Jamie answered it. "Hello?"

The voice on the other end was frantic. _"Jamie, it's Alex!"_

Jamie's brow furrowed. "What's wrong?"

" _Some masked men are at the skating rink. They've got Shawna, Laura, and Amy!"_

"How did you get away?"

" _I'd been in the bathroom when it started. I just went for the door as soon as I saw what was happening."_

"Where are you now?"

" _I'm at that gas station across from the rink."_

"What's goin' . . ." started Buster, but Jamie put his hand up to silence him.

"Okay," instructed Jamie, "here's what I want you to do. I want you to go into the girl's bathroom, lock the door, and wait there. Dave, Buster, and I are leaving right now. Don't let anyone but one of us in. Got it?"

" _Yes."_

"We'll be there soon." Jamie hung up the phone.

After the young ninja had explained the situation to his cousin and friend, he snatched his car keys and the three of them ran out the door.

"You know it's got to be a trap," stated Buster as the three hurried toward Jamie's car. "They're not so dumb as to just let Alex _go_."

"Hey, dude," respoded Dave. "Why're ya talkin' like that's a bad thing?"

* * *

Jamie walked up the aisle toward the ladies' room at the back of the station. Dave and Buster were each standing at a place in the station where they could see their leader, as well as the rest of the patrons. Their job was to make sure that there weren't any men waiting in ambush here.

Jamie knocked on the door. "Who is it?" was the response.

"It's Jamie."

The door opened and Alex rushed out and threw her arms around the young ninja. "Thank goodness!" she exclaimed, trembling. "Do you have any idea how many people I've had to tell 'just a minute' to?"

"We're going to go to the skating rink," explained Jamie. "When we get there, I want you to stay in the car."

"No way," snapped Alex. "I'm going in, too."

"It might get a little hairy in there," warned Jamie.

"Well, I've got my hairbrush right here," she returned, holding up her fist and audibly popping each knuckle.

Jamie looked at Buster, who had just walked up. His friend shrugged. "It's your call."

Jamie cocked an eyebrow. "You're no help."

"It's not like we have any way of forcing her to listen, anyway."

Alex smiled. "He's got a point."

Dave walked up. "The clerk's gonna call the cops."

"Why should we go in at all?" asked Buster.

Jamie walked to the door to the station and looked across the street at the rink. Sitting in the front parking lot was an all too familiar van. "Buster?"

"I see it," responded his friend from just over his shoulder. "It's the van the kids were taken in."

Jamie stepped out of the store, followed by the other three. "Let's do this."

Deciding to leave Jamie's car in the gas station's parking lot, the four teens jogged across the street. The CLOSED sign hung in the rink door. Stopping in front of the door, Buster reached up and grasped the handle and pulled.

The door opened.

The four adolescents entered the building. There was nobody at the food counter, so they pushed open the door to the skating area and stepped inside.

The sound of loud rock music accosted their ears, accompanied by the sound of about twenty skaters on the floor. The bleeps and buzzes of various video games also echoed through the room. The clacking of pool balls rang out every few seconds from a game in progress.

All of the so-called _customers_ were wearing hooded jackets and ski masks.

Jamie looked across the room to see Shawna, Laura, and Amy sitting at a booth, shooting them warning glances.

"Are they trying to tell us something?" inquired Buster.

"Like the fact that we're probably walking into a trap?" added Alex.

"Aw, well," bellowed Dave, "I've never been much fer warning's, anyway!"

As the four crossed the room, Jamie leaned toward Dave and warned, "Four more of them are at the booth behind Shawna."

Dave smiled in anticipation. "I see'em."

Buster looked around. "The employees are tied up by the jukebox."

"They'd hurt the guy," said Alex. "The girl looks okay, though."

As they came to stand beside the three girls' booth, Shawna glared angrily at Jamie. "Jamie Raleigh, why do you always have to be the hero? Someday, you're going to get yourself killed!"

"You should listen to her, Raleigh," spoke a familiar voice from the next booth. One of the masked men turned around as his two companions climbed to their feet, leaving the speaker and another seated.

"I had really hoped that I wouldn't have to see your ugly face again, Norton," proclaimed Jamie, his voice dripping with contempt.

"Now, Jamie," stated Norton. "Who says I'm he? You can't _see_ my face. Most importantly, neither can the security cameras."

"The police'll be here any minute," declared Alex.

"Oh, you mean the small police force of this little town?" asked a masked woman. "All we had to do was slash the tires on five police cars."

"And start a fire at the Veteran's building," added Norton. "They're rather busy at the moment."

At this, all of the skaters on the floor, without exception, started rolling toward them.

Jamie turned back to the brother and sister. "You're making a big mistake."

"We shall see," mumbled Norton, forcing a bored yawn.

Dave looked at the biggest of the original four goons, who stood a head taller than the large teen. "Well," he grumbled, "are we gonna stand here all night, or are we gonna FIGHT?!" Rearing back, he slammed his fist into the man's face with all of his might, knocking him backward and into a video game.

"Well," exclaimed Buster as he leaped over the booth and into the midst of the other skaters, kicking one of them as he landed, "I guess you just answered your own question!"

Dave grabbed one of the goons and wrapped his arm around his head, falling backward and slamming it into the floor. He punched another man in the knee. As this man dropped in pain, Dave leaped to his feet and grabbed another attacker by the arm, swung him around a few times, then released him, sending him flying into three more men.

Alex had never used her tae kwon do in a real fight before. The idea excited her. She performed a 360-degree spin, bringing the heel of her foot across the face of an attacker. Seeing another charging toward her, she jumped at a nearby wall and pushed off of it with her right foot, giving herself enough height to bring the same foot across his face, even though he was a good foot taller than she was.

Another antagonist grabbed her from behind, but she smacked her right heel into his kneecap. As he groaned, he released her and dropped to the floor. She leaped onto the pool table and jumped off, kicking another man in the chest before she landed . . ..

Jamie flipped an attacker to the floor.

Another man, this one wearing a hunter's cap and an orange hunting jacket, approached him warily. "Don't tell me that you're a member of the Klan," commented the young ninja.

"Nope," replied the man.

"Are you being paid for this?"

"Yep."

Jamie chuckled, despite himself. "How much?"

The man laughed. "Take home tonight's a hundred."

The man took a clumsy swing at the young ninja, who caught his wrist easily. After kicking the man in the gut, he flipped him to the ground. As the man groaned in pain, Jamie suggested, "I'd ask for a raise. That won't even be enough for your hospital bill."

Buster and Dave stood back to back. A man charged each of them. Dave stepped forward, grabbing his attacker by the arm and swinging around. Buster did the same with his attacker and the two antagonists were slammed into each other.

Dave punched one of the men in the gut. Air exploded from the man's lungs as he doubled over in agony. Dave placed the attacker's head between his knees falling into a sitting position. The man was knocked unconscious.

Buster warily approached a man who was easily six and a half feet tall. Alex moved in from the other side. As if having the same thought, both slammed their right feet into the opposite sides of the man's torso. He stumbled around for a moment, then fell to the floor.

"We didn't kill him, did we?" asked Alexandria, her voice shuddering.

"No," replied Buster. "But when he wakes up, he's going to be in a lot of pain."

Jamie whipped his left foot across his final attacker's face. As the man dropped to the ground, Jamie turned to look for the Nortons.

Jerry began clapping. "Bravo! You truly are the great fighters that I had heard about."

Jamie's eyes met those of the man. Jerry waved and charged with the masked woman out the emergency exit. Jamie lunged for the door and caught it as it was just about to close.

The alleyway behind the building was empty. He could hear police sirens approaching but Norton had gotten away. Tears of regret and rage burning his eyes, Jamie bellowed, "If you harm one hair on any of those three children's' heads, you'll find out first hand just how good a fighter I can be, DO YOU HEAR ME?!"

* * *

Elizabeth lay awake in the shed, tears of fear rolling down her cheeks. The two younger kids had already cried themselves to sleep, so Elizabeth used this time to let out all of the fear and sadness that had built up since their kidnapping.

Then, a thought comforted her. Climbing off of her cot, she kneeled and clasped her hands together on the mattress. Closing her eyes, she began, "God, I know I don't pray very often, but Aunt Shawna told me that You'd always hear my prayer, and now seems like a pretty good time to talk to You.

"Uncle Jamie told me that You watch over little children. Well, I'm not 'little' anymore, but I'm still a kid. Kevin and Jessica are still little, so please watch over them. Please watch over me, too. I know that You're good, so I know that You'll do this. Amen."

Climbing back onto the cot, Elizabeth smiled. Somehow, she knew that everything was going to be okay.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Friday, 8:30 AM

Yoshi's finely muscled legs carried her down Main Street, which ran directly through the middle of Sera. She had driven with Tanemura, Deck and Jamie's uncle to the courthouse this morning to learn what time the court hearing was going to be. They had arrived much earlier than the judge, so she had decided to go for a jog so that the warm Missouri air could clear her head.

She was now approaching Northtown Grocery. She had been jogging for about five minutes. Since she was in considerable physical condition, she hadn't yet broken a sweat. The outfit that she wore was made up of a tight-fitting pair of black jogging shorts, and a matching tank top.

Finding herself suddenly thirsty, Yoshi turned into the parking lot of the grocery store, passing three men who were talking to each other, and ran to the soda machines. Reaching into her shoe, she produced two quarters and slid them into the money slot. She then pushed a button for a citrus soda.

As she pulled the can from the machine, she glanced curiously about the nearly empty parking lot. Only the three men were there. One was wearing a cap with a gasoline company logo and a bright orange windbreaker. Another wore a baseball team cap and a black T-shirt. One could tell that the head beneath his cap was shaved bald.

The third man was standing with his back to the young kunoichi. He was wearing a blue denim jacket, a pair of cowboy boots, and a deer-skinning knife on his belt. She had yet to see his face.

The man with the windbreaker looked at her and mumbled something with the word _chink_ in it. Yoshi's eyes narrowed threateningly as she stepped away from the soda machine and toward the men.

Suddenly, the third man turned to stare her in the face. She recognized him! It was the man who had carried Jessica to the van, the man whom she had unmasked! "YOU!!!" she exclaimed as she broke into a run toward him.

The man turned and burst into a run as well, leaving his two companions confused. "Hey, Ted!" called the one with the ball cap, "Where're ya goin'?"

"Don't say m'name, ya idiot!" exclaimed the man. "Just keep'er away fr'm me!"

As Yoshi started to run past the men, the one with the gas company cap grabbed her wrist. "Where ya think yer goin, chink?"

"UNHAND ME, CRETIN!!!" snapped the young ninja as she spun around in a 360 degree circle, pulling her wrist from his grasp, and bringing the fist of her other hand up against the side of his head, her strike augmented by the can of soda that she still held.

The other man reached out to grab her, but was halted by a kick to the stomach. As he doubled over in agony, she brought her right foot upward, slamming it into his face, then downward against the back of his head.

Next, she brought the top of her right foot across the first man's face, knocking him to the ground. "If that kidnapper escapes," exploded Yoshi, "there will be no place on this planet where the two of you will be able to hide from me!" She turned and ran after the third man.

* * *

Ted looked back. _Guess the guy's musta' held her long enough fer_ _me t'get away,_ he thought with satisfaction. He was running past the barbershop and he saw three fellow Klansmen walking out the door. Muscles rippled under shirts of the men. From memory, Ted thought that the men probably had just as much muscle in their skulls.

"Hey, guys!" called Ted. "There's a chink chasin' after me. Can youins help me out?"

"No problem," they stated in unison.

* * *

Yoshi ran around a corner to see the man, _Ted,_ as his friends had called him, talking to three burly men by the barbershop. She plunged forward.

When he saw her coming, he broke into a run again. She chased after him, only to find her way blocked by the three men.

The first, a man with shoulder-length blonde hair and a flannel shirt, crossed his arms. "Well, look at what we got _here_ ," he said. "We got us a little chink girl."

The second man, who was wearing an earring in each ear and a pair of cut-off jeans, smiled and said, "Yeah. Quite the _looker_ , though."

The third man said, "Too bad her genes're so polluted."

Yoshi eyes narrowed dangerously at the three men. "You are letting one of the men who kidnapped Jamie Raleigh's nieces and nephew get away!" she exclaimed with exasperation.

"Tell it to the doctors in the hospital," said the first man, who swung his fist at the young kunoichi.

She caught his fist with surprising strength. "Why?" she asked casually as she slammed her right fist into the right side of his chest, forcing the air from his lungs. " _You're_ going to see them much sooner than _I_." The man crumpled to the ground, holding his chest and gasping for air.

The second man had maneuvered behind her and now wrapped his arms around her. In rage, she shoved her head backward, slamming it into his nose. He screamed in pain and dropped her.

A loud clicking sound sounded from the door to the barber shop. Yoshi looked in that direction to find Mike Simms, the eldest barber, leveling a pump shotgun at the third man. "Make a move, punk!"

The racist's eyes widened in terror. "Hey, it's cool!"

"Thank you, Mr. Simms!" called Yoshi as she turned to resume the chase. She caught a glimpse of Ted running around to the other side of the courthouse. She decided to head to the opposite side for an interception.

* * *

Looking back and seeing no trace of the girl, Ted stopped running, leaning against a chain-link fence on the southern side of the courthouse. "Lost'er," he gasped.

Suddenly, he felt something slam into him and knock him to the ground.

* * *

Yoshi ran through the gate on the western side of the courthouse and moved quickly, but silently, toward the southern side of the building. There, she could see Ted running along the chain-link fence. Noticing that he was approaching an open gate in the fence, she willed her feet to run faster.

He was looking back as he passed the gate and didn't see her until she slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. It was an easy enough task for her to roll to her feet. Looming over him as he was trying to stand, she was surprised as he slammed his fist into her gut. As the kunoichi doubled over in pain, Ted crawled to his feet and bolted away again.

But Yoshi had been hit harder than this before. She recovered quickly. Glancing at the can of soda that she still held, she launched it at the man, smiling with satisfaction when it found its mark on the back of his head.

The force of the blow knocked him to the ground as the can exploded in an eruption of foam and, before he could get back to his feet, Yoshi was upon him. She felt a sharp pain in her left shoulder. Looking down, she saw that he had cut her with the deer-skinning knife. Blood trickled down her upper arm. As he had only slashed, rather than stabbed, the cut wasn't deep and the pain was already fading to a dull stinging.

Ted shot straight out with the weapon, attempting to stab her in the gut. But she was prepared for him. Catching the wrist of the hand that held the knife, she held it with both hands as she kicked him in the stomach. He roared in pain, but didn't drop the knife.

Twisting his arm sharply, she yelled, "Drop it!" He glared at her through pain-filled eyes, so she twisted harder. He screeched and dropped the blade. It clattered as it hit the sidewalk.

She pulled him roughly to his feet. "I am going to take you into the courthouse and to the sheriff. I have no rope or handcuffs to keep you from trying to escape, so the only thing that I can think of is to kick your knee just right and shatter it. Do I have to do this?"

Ted shook his head, his eyes tearing up in pain.

"Good."

Yoshi walked with him in front of her, his right arm twisted behind his back. When they arrived at the front door of the courthouse, which was on the east side of the two-story, brick building, she instructed him to open the door.

As they entered, the sheriff was talking with one of the dispatchers and saw them. Running over to them, he demanded, "What is this?"

"This," the young kunoichi responded, gesturing toward the pitiful Klansman, "is one of the pieces of worm-ridden filth that kidnapped Jamie Raleigh's nieces and nephew. As he was pulling Jessica into the van, she pulled his mask from his head, giving me a clear look at his face. And I have very good eyesight."

Deck, Tanemura, and Jamie's Uncle Richard were coming down the stairs that led up to the courtroom. Yoshi saw them and yelled, "Uncle!"

"Hey!" exclaimed Deck. "That's one'o those guys from the bar that I beat up!" He looked at the sheriff and said, "See, I told you they were kidnappers!"

"Well," inquired the sheriff of Ted, "what do you have to say in your defense?"

"Git this chink off me and gimme m'phone call!" ordered the racist.

"That word . . . _chink_ . . . is a dirty word," remarked Yoshi as she twisted his arm a little harder, causing him to wince in pain. "Perhaps you should not have dropped out of kindergarten."

"Okay, young lady," said the sheriff. "I'll take him now." Looking at Deck, he said, "I'm sorry, but you'll still have to stand trial. But if this man really turns out to be a kidnapper . . . and we can prove that the others were, too . . . then we might be able to get you off."

At this point, the Honorable Ryan Hicks entered the building through the same doors through which Yoshi and her prisoner had entered just moments before. Mr. Smith extended his hand to the judge and said, "I'm Richard Smith. I'll be defending Mr. Pendragon."

The man shook Jamie's uncle's hand. "I've known your client for quite some time, Mr. Smith," stated Hicks. "I found it very hard to believe that he would just pick a fight. Still, I have to hear both sides of the argument and be fair."

"Of course," replied Smith. "I was wondering if you could tell me when Mr. Pendragon should be ready to appear today?"

The judge opened his briefcase and produced a large black book. Opening it, he slowly moved his finger down the first page, his eyes going over every name. Finally, he said, "One o'clock. He'll be the first after lunch."

"I have to wait here that long?" inquired Deck.

"I suppose that you could just come back then," replied Hicks.

"Come," instructed Tanemura. "We will go and get Jamie and come back. I will treat everyone to lunch."

"Good," mumbled Deck as he rubbed his stomach, "I could eat a horse."

Yoshi poked the big man in the belly playfully and said, "You look as if you already have."

* * *

Jamie found that he couldn't eat his corn dog. The worry of thinking about what the three children were going through made his appetite non-existent. He was sitting with Deck, Tanemura, and Richard at a table outside of the Jolly Freeze, a walk-up restaurant that stood within view of the courthouse. Yoshi had gone to the restroom to put a clean bandage on the cut on her shoulder.

"You gonna eat that?" asked Deck to Jamie.

"No," replied the young ninja as he handed the corndog to his friend, who immediately smothered it with ketchup and mustard, then proceeded to devour it. Looking at his sensei, Jamie asked, "Master, do you think they're alright?"

Tanemura shrugged. "Knowing your nieces and nephew," he said, "I think that I would be more worried about the Klansmen."

Jamie smiled. His thoughts strayed to his other problem . . . that of Shawna. She had been so angry with him for coming to her rescue the night before that she had refused to say a word to him after they had left the skating rink. He had tried phoning her at home, but she refused to take any of his calls.

Suddenly, a van drove by, and a man called out, "Hey _chinks_! Are ya ready ta leave yet?"

Jamie looked up at the van. It was the kidnappers' vehicle! He leaped from his seat and ran across the parking lot. At this, the van squealed its tires and sped away.

Jamie yelled out in exasperation. Deck ran up and inquired, "What?'

"That's the van!" snapped the young ninja.

"What van?"

"The one they took the kids in!"

Looking up the road toward the direction in which the vehicle had left, Deck noticed it turn down a back street that led to the boat dock on the river. Hopping onto his motorcycle he ordered to Jamie, "Get on!"

"What?!" demanded Jamie. "You want me to ride on a motorcycle with you? Just how stupid do you think I am?"

"Ya wanna catch'em, or not?"

Jamie groaned as he climbed on the bike. "I am going to regret this."

Tanemura called out, "What about your hearing?"

"Yeah," added Jamie's uncle, "it starts in thirty minutes!"

"Meet us there!" yelled Deck. The bike sped away.

At this, Yoshi walked up to the two men, who were left with the remnants of the five people's lunches. "Where are they going?" she inquired.

"They are going to chase down the van in which the children were taken," replied Tanemura.

Yoshi looked hurt. "Great. Go to the restroom for five minutes, and you miss everything."

Her uncle sighed. "You know that Jamie is quite capable of being impulsive."

Chapter Twenty-Three

Flashback

April 16, 1988

Saturday, 7:02 PM

Jamie leaped from his bicycle, letting it fall to the ground with a clatter. Dave followed suit, a grin plastered on his face. The two marched up to the front door.

Jamie looked at his cousin, who promptly tied his shoulder-length, brown hair into a ponytail. Once that was completed, he gave his older cousin a thumbs-up. "Let's do it, dude!"

The hard rock music that poured from the two-story house was loud enough for the two young teens to have been able to make out the words from the road. Jamie doubted that anyone would be able to hear the doorbell, but he tried it, anyway.

To his surprise, the door opened.

Jamie didn't recognize the older boy who looked down at him with glazed eyes. _Probably from a different school_ , he thought. "I need to see Marty," he declared.

The older boy focused on Jamie. "Get lost, kid," he slurred as he started to close the door.

Dave blocked the doorjamb with his foot. "Aw, dude! I'm afraid we insist!"

The high school boy seemed to see Jamie's cousin for the first time. Though not yet thirteen years of age, the muscle-bound youth stood easily as tall as the intoxicated adolescent who barred their entrance to the house.

"Uh . . . lemme see if I can find'im." The teen turned and walked away from the still open door.

Jamie glanced at Dave, who shrugged and pushed the door completely out of their way. As they stepped inside, they were assaulted by the odors of beer and cigarette smoke that intermingled with pizza.

The two made their way up a short hallway. They passed the living room on the right, where they could see various adolescents standing and sitting, laughing and being boisterous. Moving past this, they passed three closed doors . . . one on the right and two on the left . . . before coming to the kitchen.

An island, made up of a range-top and two-sided sink, stood in the center of the room. Counters lined two of the walls in an _L_ shape. The wall that connected to the right of where Jamie and Dave entered held the back door. On one of the counters stood two barrels, each marked with the insignia of a popular beer manufacturer.

On the other side of the island stood Marty Lemonyon, his arm around an attractive, dark-haired girl. As his gaze settled on Jamie and Dave, he snickered. "What're you brats doin' here?"

"We came about Maria Gonzales," declared Jamie.

Marty's smirk left. He rubbed his free hand over the top of his blonde crew-cut as he looked at the girl and said, "Baby, why don't you go send Tony and Frank in here?"

Jamie and Dave politely parted to let the girl pass.

Marty picked up his cup of beer and took a drink, then set it back onto the island. "So, Maria retreats to'er little baby friends when she gets a little boo-boo?"

"A _boo-boo_?" grumbled Dave. "You pulverized her!" He aimed his index finger at Marty. "But that ain't nothin' compared ta what we're gonna do ta you!"

Marty snickered as Jamie felt and smelled the rancid breath of people behind his cousin and himself.

"Get these two brats outta my house," commanded Marty.

Jamie felt a hand grasp each of his shoulders. "Let's go, kids," he heard. Jamie glanced at his cousin to see that a tall, skinny boy with short, blonde hair had his hands on Dave's shoulders.

Jamie took a deep breath to calm himself. "Take your hands off of us," he ordered the two high school boys calmly. Glancing over his shoulder at the bronze-skinned boy who was standing there, he continued, "This is the only warning I'm giving you."

He noted Marty's two goons smirk at each other as the pressure on his shoulders increased. He moved his eyes to meet those of his cousin as the two younger boys shot their right feet back, knocking the older boys from their feet. The two junior high students spun around and finished their individual oppressors . . . Jamie with a kick to the face and Dave with a fist to the chin.

As they turned to regard the party's host, Jamie watched Marty's cockiness melt away. The color had drained from his face and he now backed away from the island as the two younger boys made their way to either side of it.

"Keep away from me!" he warned, his hand snatching a butcher knife from the sink. He threw it at Jamie, but paled even more when the boy caught it by the handle in mid-flight, setting it calmly on the counter.

"JAMIE!" The authoritarian voice pulled him from his focus. Tanemura had arrived.

Jamie's shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry, sensei."

The old ninja sighed. "God commands that we not seek vengeance, Jamie. I am happy that I arrived in time."

Sheriff Goodman passed Dave, who was mouthing " _you're lucky_ ," as he walked toward Marty.

"I'm glad you're here," whined the senior. "Those two kids busted in here and . . .."

"Save it, Lemonyon," interrupted the chief. "I've got you for underage drinking, assault and attempted rape."

"What?!" snapped Marty. "The beer I'll cop to, but you can't prove . . .."

"We've got a witness," stated Goodman as he handcuffed the teen.

"I've got a house-full of witnesses who'll back me," grunted Lemonyon, as the Sheriff shoved him toward the back door.

Tanemura chuckled. "Are you referring to those who fled when we arrived, so that they could avoid being caught here?"

"Okay, Marty," began the Sheriff, "you have the right to remain silent . . .."

Chapter Twenty-Four

May 29, 1992

Friday, 12:45 PM

The van had driven past the final turn to the boat dock and continued down the wavy road. A trail of dust floated in the air, making it easy to follow. Even over the roaring of the motorcycle's engine, Jamie could hear his heart pounding in his ear. _This is it,_ he hoped. _Please let us find the kids._

The bike skidded to a stop. Jamie leaped off and looked up the road at the old, abandoned Smith shipping warehouse that had been shut down two years earlier when a police raid had discovered that the owners were storing marijuana. The van was parked outside.

Jamie walked up the road, followed by Deck, who guided his motorcycle on foot. In the silence of the day, every crunch of gravel seemed incredibly loud, making Jamie cringe with each step. As the two approached the front of the warehouse, Jamie was heartened to see no guards. _It's nice to see that their arrogance is beneficial to_ us, he thought as he peered in through a large window next to the front door. He could see five men inside, three of whom he didn't recognize. The other two had been in the front of the van when it stopped in front of the Jolly Freeze. Also inside, carrying on a conversation with the men, was a woman whose voice Jamie recognized from the skating rink.

Jamie was suddenly aware of Deck attempting to start his bike. Whirling around, he whispered harshly, "Stop it! Are you trying to give us away?"

"No," returned the large man, "I'm tryin' to make an entrance that's only befittin' a descendant of King Arthur."

"Ugh," mumbled Jamie as he rubbed his eyes with his right hand. "Don't let them know that we're here until we've checked to see if the kids are here, first."

"Hey," whispered Deck, "that's not a bad idea!"

* * *

"You idiots! _"_ barked Brenda. "You know what my brother said about picking at those kids in public! And you also know what he said about taking that van out anymore! The police have its description as being used in a kidnapping!" She sighed in exasperation. The Klansmen from her home state of Virginia weren't as unintelligent as these morons. She wished that she hadn't volunteered to join her brother when he was offered the role of leader of the Southern Missouri chapter.

"We didn't see no cops . . ." started one of the two men in his defense, but was silenced when she smacked him across the face, bringing blood to the corner of his mouth.

"The point is that you could have," explained Brenda slowly. "Besides, what if those brats had followed you?"

"We were out of there before they could react," stated the other man.

Brenda's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You had better hope so."

* * *

Jamie quietly walked around the perimeter of the building, searching for another entrance. He and Deck had split up, each taking different sides of the building and agreeing to meet in the back if no other entrance could be found.

Looking up, Jamie saw an open window about fifteen feet above his head. There was a tree standing next to it. Jamie sighed, realizing that he was going to have to ignore his fear of heights in order to get into the building unseen.

Jamie charged at the tree and leaped upward, grasping the lowest branch, which was only about five feet above him. Hauling himself upward, he forced himself not to look down. Jumping from this branch, he clasped another branch . . .

After a few more moments, he had climbed into the window. Panting, Jamie looked down into the room. A drop of over ten feet awaited him. _It couldn't have led to a second floor room, could it?_ he thought as he closed his eyes and dropped to the concrete floor without a sound.

Jamie put his hand on the wall to steady himself as his heartbeat settled. Opening his eyes, he looked around to find that he was in an office. It was all but bare, having only a desk and a couple of crates. Jamie walked over to the desk, which was covered with all sorts of papers. Most of them were orders for camping supplies. Walking over to one of the crates, he produced a _tanto_ (Japanese fighting dagger) from its sheath on his ankle. Sliding it between the lid and the crate, he used it as a crowbar and separated the two.

Peering inside, Jamie was startled to see about a dozen fully automatic rifles. The door suddenly opened behind him and Jamie whirled around, silently cursing himself for letting his guard down. Brenda and three of the men entered.

Noticing the young ninja dropping the lid of the crate that he was just holding and assuming a defensive stance, the sister of the leader of the Ku Klux Klan smiled and said to the men, "So you weren't followed, huh?"

* * *

"Where are they?" inquired Richard. "The judge should be here any minute!" Tanemura, Richard and Yoshi had returned to the courthouse, hoping that Jamie and Deck would meet them there, as they had said that they would.

"It must be important for them to be tardy for this," stated Tanemura.

"Well," remarked Yoshi, "if they don't get here soon, you will have lost the money that you paid for Deck's bail."

"Oh, dear," said Tanemura. "That was the money that I was going to use to paint the house."

"Well," muttered Richard, "I guess that you won't get it done now."

Tanemura flashed an almost malicious smile. "Oh yes I will. Even if I have to take the money out of Deck's hide."

* * *

Jamie kicked the last of the three men across the face, knocking him to the ground. He looked around for Brenda, but found no trace of her. He ran out the door that she had come in, which led to the front room, to find the other two Klansmen with whom he had seen her speaking earlier, one standing on each side of the door, waiting to surprise him. They both wielded baseball bats and swung for his head. Jamie quickly ducked, causing the men to hit each other instead.

As they fell to the ground, Jamie could hear Brenda's voice in front of him. Looking up, he saw her standing five feet away, eyeing the men with a smile. "It's so hard to find good help these days."

Jamie said, "I'd say the majority of racists are uneducated individuals." He calmly started to walk around her, but she moved to block his path.

"Oh?" inquired Brenda.

"Racism is an act of ignorance . . . or, in these guys' cases, stupidity."

"Let's see if I'm so unintelligent," said Brenda as she leaped off of the floor, slamming the top of her foot across Jamie's face. Jamie was caught off guard and knocked to the ground.

Jamie looked up at the woman, astonished. _She always kind of struck me as a ditz,_ thought the young ninja as he leaped to his feet.

Brenda tried to spin-kick Jamie, but he ducked. She threw out several more punches and kicks, all blocked or dodged, while she yelled, "Fight me back, ninja! C'mon, _Jap lover_!" She connected with a kick to the stomach, sending Jamie backwards and into a wall. He slid to the floor, but rolled out of the way in time to avoid having her slam her right heel into his skull.

The front door opened and several more men entered. Jamie leaped to his feet, ready now to fight back. One of the men charged him, but ran into the young ninja's extended left foot. _I can't keep this up forever,_ he realized fearfully, knowing all too well that the men would eventually gain the common sense to attack him all at once.

"All of you get him, you idiots!" ordered Brenda. They all started to charge him, when the sound of a motorcycle outside made them halt. The glass in the large window shattered as Deck's bike jumped through it.

Landing on the floor next to Jamie, Deck ordered, "Get on!"

Jamie didn't think twice. Hopping onto the seat behind his large friend, the young ninja asked, "What took you so long?"

"Couldn't get the motor started," replied Deck as he punched one of the men who had charged too close to the loud bike.

A gunshot rang out. Jamie could feel the air of the bullet whiz by his head. His eyes shot toward Brenda to see her taking aim again. Reaching into his front jeans pocket, Jamie jerked a throwing star out and hurled it at her. It cut the ring finger on the hand that was holding the firearm, causing her to yelp and drop it. As it hit the floor, it went off, blasting one of her men in the foot. He bellowed in agony and fell to the floor.

In the chaos, Deck turned the bike toward the front door, which the men had yet to close, and headed through it.

"Did ya find the kids?" asked Deck.

"No," replied Jamie. "But I did find an arsenal."

"Huh?"

"It looks like they're planning to take their racist war to a new level."

* * *

"Thank ya fer bailin' me out, Mister Norton," said Ted as he and the KKK leader walked down the long path toward the Klan's encampment.

"I need to ask you something, Ted," stated Norton as he motioned for Ted to stop.

"What's that, Mister Norton?"

"If it boiled down to it, would you go to prison for our cause?" Norton had placed both hands in the pockets of his meticulous business slacks.

"Whaddaya mean? Ah ain't goin' ta prison, am I?"

"It's a possibility, although highly unlikely."

"But I wasn't the only one who took those brats."

"But it may be your destiny to take the fall for your brothers."

"But ah can't," babbled Ted. "I got a family!"

Jerry pulled his right hand from his pocket. It held a pistol. "You have become a liability to the cause. You can now be recognized, and I don't think that we can really trust you."

"You can trust me, Mister Norton!" cried Ted frantically. "Ah'd never tell on ya."

"Rest assured that you won't," said Norton.

Ted screamed and turned to run. A shot rang out from Norton's gun. The bullet buried itself in the running man's leg. Falling to the ground, he turned to Jerry, cowering. "Please don't kill me, Mister Norton! Ah'll do anythin' ya ask. Just please don't kill me!"

"I despise whiners," muttered Norton as he leveled the gun at Ted and pulled the trigger . . ..

* * *

Jamie and Deck burst through the doors to the courtroom to find Tanemura, Yoshi, and Richard leaving. Noticing a cut on Jamie's left cheekbone, Yoshi asked, "What happened?"

"Brenda Norton's alot more like her brother than we thought," said her fellow chunin.

"Why're ya leavin'?" inquired Deck.

"Do you want the bad news or good news first?" asked Richard.

"Uh . . ." thought Deck aloud, " . . .the good."

"Since no one showed up to testify against you, the judge dropped the case," explained Jamie's uncle.

"And the bad news?" asked Jamie.

"Since Deck didn't show back up for court, they're not refunding Mr. Funakoshi's money."

"Gee, I'm sorry, Tanemura," offered Deck. "I didn't mean for you to lose your money."

"Oh, that is okay, Deck," smiled the aging jonin. "You will have a chance to . . . as you Americans put it . . . work it off in trade."

* * *

"Glad yer feelin' better, dude!" exclaimed Dave as he grabbed Max's hand and shook it heartily.

"I won't be well for long if you pull my arm out of its socket, Dave," stated Max. He had been released from the hospital a little while earlier, and Shawna and Alex had gone to get him. Dave, Laura, George, Amy, and Buster had been waiting in his front yard to greet him.

"How's your chest feeling?" asked Amy.

"Pain's mostly gone," he said. Looking up the road, Max could see Yoshi and Jamie walking toward the group. When they had arrived, Max looked at Jamie's face and asked, "What happened to you?"

"Don't ask," mumbled the young ninja.

"How'd the trial go?" asked George as he embraced Yoshi.

"He was acquitted," she replied as she returned the embrace.

Jamie walked up to Shawna. "Hi," he said shyly.

"You got into another fight, didn't you?" she demanded.

"It was the guys who took my nieces and nephew," explained Jamie.

"I don't care!" snapped Shawna. "You could have let the police handle it. I'm getting tired of you always putting yourself into danger!" She turned and stormed away.

Jamie stared after her in shock. He didn't quite know how to respond to this.

Alex walked up and put her hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry," she offered. "She'll get over it."

"I hope so," replied the young ninja.

"Why's Deck not with you?" asked Buster of Yoshi.

Yoshi reluctantly pulled away from George and explained, "He had to go home and start painting my uncle's house."

Chapter Twenty-Five

Friday, 3:30 PM

"So," inquired Sly of the attractive young woman who sat next to him on the dock, "do you come here often?"

"You're gonna have to come up with better pick-up lines than that," giggled Angie.

He had known this girl for the past two years. He had always found her attractive but, oddly enough, the two of them hadn't decided to hang until just this morning. Sly had found her with her younger brother, Bill, at Shorty's Pizza, just before lunch. Her brother had walked home, while Angie and Sly had decided to walk through town. They had even witnessed Yoshi's fight with the three men in front of the barbershop, but Sly hadn't bothered to interfere because he had accurately figured that Yoshi could take care of herself.

After Deck's non-existent court hearing, Sly and Angie had decided to come down to a private place near the boat docks where he often took girls when they wanted to be alone. The place was the older dock, which was never used anymore. Long branches from the surrounding trees hid it from prying eyes, so the dock was completely cut off from view from even the river.

The two sat with their feet dangling in the water. They had been here for only about five minutes, but it seemed like an eternity to Sly, who wanted things to move more quickly.

Suddenly, Angie screamed and pulled her feet up onto the dock. "What's wrong?" inquired Sly.

"Somethin' just touched my foot!" she snapped frantically.

"It was probably just a stick, or somethin,'" stated Sly as he slowly looked over the side of the dock. He was proven wrong. Instead of finding a stick, he found the unmoving body of the man whom Yoshi had caught earlier.

* * *

The group of young people sat around Max's living room.

Jamie was sitting on the couch, next to the TV. Shawna was sitting in a recliner next to the door. Jamie kept looking at her, hoping to see some sign that she had forgiven him. Unfortunately, the only thing that he ever saw was her _Don't you DARE talk to me!_ face. Finally, she climbed out of the seat, saying, "I'm leaving. Do you need a ride, Alex?"

"I'll take her home," said Jamie, "if she wants to stay."

"I do want to stay," stated Alex. "If that's okay with Max."

"No," proclaimed Max sarcastically, "you have to leave." His face softened. "You do realize I'm kidding, right?"

"I guess I'm stayin'," chuckled Alex.

"Fine." Shawna turned and stepped out the front door.

Jamie climbed from his place on the couch and looked out the window, torn between letting her fume alone or following her. He finally decided to leave her alone and not push her.

Slumping back onto the couch, the young ninja sighed in exasperation.

Noting Jamie's concern, Yoshi decided that it was time to bring up something that would take his mind off of Shawna. "Tomorrow morning is the day of the anti-racism demonstration from the elementary playground. We still haven't found the children, and we all remember what was told to us would happen to them if the demonstration went on as scheduled."

Jamie's eyes narrowed in much deeper worry.

* * *

"Why do I feel like this, Lord?" Shawna cried. "Why do I feel so withdrawn from Jamie?" She took one hand from the steering wheel long enough to wipe the tears from her eyes. "It's not like he doesn't have enough to worry about, since those monsters have Liz, Jessie and Kevin."

The honor student had a sudden urge to pull off the road. She stopped in the parking lot of Sera Grocery and put her car in PARK.

She closed her eyes . . ..

* * *

_She was in an encampment. The sound of flowing water filled her ears, telling her of the proximity to the river. Men walked all around her, some wearing army clothes decorated with racist symbols, others wearing civilian clothes decorated similarly. None seemed to be seeing her. Some even walked_ through _her. Two flags, floating like warning markers in the breeze, caught her eye. One was decorated with three_ K _s, the other_ _with a Swastika_. _The sun shown brightly overhead, showing the time as being a little while after noon._

The sound of children crying drifted to her ears. She followed the sound to a makeshift shed. Peering through one of many cracks, she could make out the form of Elizabeth, Jessica and Kevin. They were cuddled together, and the younger two were weeping. Liz was trying to calm them by telling them that their Uncle Jamie wouldn't let anything happen to them.

The sound of vehicles coming up an old dirt road toward the encampment caught her attention. She turned to see two vans pull to a stop. Several men, all dressed in the robes of the Ku Klux Klan, climbed from the vehicles.

Suddenly, the thought hit her to just look up. She did, and saw many balloons floating over the encampment. There were two hot-air balloons among them . . .

* * *

Shawna snapped back to the present. _What was that?_ she wondered as she put her hand over her chest to feel her racing heart.

She took deep breaths to calm herself. Finally, she reached for the ignition, fully intending to head back to Max's house. _I can't go back there_ , she realized, stopping herself from turning the car back on. _I can't face Jamie again right now_.

She climbed from her car and sighed as she headed for the grocery store's outside pay phone . . ..

* * *

"Hello?" answered Max. The rest of the teen-agers watched curiously as he continued the conversation. "They are? But how do you know?" The person on the other end said something else to him. "Okay, whatever. Yeah, I'll tell them. See ya." Max replaced the receiver.

"Who was it?" asked Alexandria.

"Shawna," replied Max, his eyes filled with confusion. "She said that Elizabeth, Jessica, and Kevin are in an encampment on the river." He took a seat in the floor next to Alex.

"So, what do we do? What part of the river are they on?" asked George.

"She didn't know," responded Max.

Jamie, who had been deep in thought, leaned forward. "I have a plan."

He began his explanation. "You remember those balloons that Sly's giving rides in?" Everyone agreed that they did. "Well, Jessica's grandfather owns them."

George cocked an eyebrow. "Your dad?"

Max rolled his eyes. "Her other grandfather."

Jamie continued. "He's doing everything he can to help find the kids. He and his wife have been the ones who've organized the search parties. He might let us use the balloons tomorrow. I'll have to try to find my brothers and their wives and let them know what we're planning. They're out with the search parties, too."

"Just what _are_ we planning?" demanded Max.

"Let's just say that the "Flight of the Hundred Balloons" is going to have a hundred and _two_ balloons . . ."

* * *

Yoshi had been a bit skeptical about Jamie's plan. Nearly two-thirds of their group was out of town for various reasons. . . not good, considering the fact that they didn't know how many racists that they would be facing.

However, something had to be done. There was no way that they could stop the demonstration, so they had to strike at the Klan before they had a chance to retaliate and kill the children.

Alex had begged to be involved, so the present members of Adventure had declared her membership soon after Jamie had explained his plan. Louis had arrived to give Max a video game cartridge that he had borrowed and told them that he would be there, as well. Yoshi had been against his coming, as he had no fighting experience that she knew of. But Jamie had surprised her by approving his inclusion.

Alex had invited Yoshi to stay at her house tonight. This would give her a ride to the Sera elementary playground, as well. When Yoshi and Alex had arrived at Yoshi's house to get clothes, as well as her ninja suit and weapons (which she was going to lock in the trunk of her uncle's car while parked at Alex's house), Tanemura was nowhere to be seen. Deck, who was just about to call it a day, had told her that he had gone for a walk some two hours earlier.

* * *

Later that evening, Max walked down the sidewalk toward the school. He had been nominated to tell Elizabeth's teacher about the inclusion of the hot-air balloons in the demonstration tomorrow. He looked over at the horizon to have the orange color of the sunset fill his eyes.

As Max walked by a bus in the school parking lot, a foot stuck itself out from behind the vehicle in an effort to trip him. Max saw the foot in time to stop and kick it in the ankle, hard. Freddy Jenks, John Bowers' goon friend, groaned in pain and hopped out on one foot, grasping his sore ankle and cursing. Max smiled as he performed a spinning sweep and knocked Freddy's other leg out from under him. The bully hit the ground with a painful THUD.

"Not bad," mumbled a familiar voice from behind the bus. John Bowers stepped out and looked at his fallen friend with disgust in his eyes. He crossed his arms and said, "Of course, I'm not quite as easy to take."

Max rolled his eyes in disgust. "Why would I want to take you?"

John's lips parted into a devilish grin. "I'm gonna beat the dog meat outta Dave for stealin' my girl. But I'm gonna really twist the knife by hurtin' his friends first. Starting with you. Then I'm gonna kick the snot out of that new girlfriend of yours."

Chapter Twenty-Six

Friday, 6:00 PM

"What did you just say?!" demanded Max.

John grinned. "I said I'm gonna take that _Alex_ -girl, too. The one you've been seen around town with so much lately."

Max didn't say another word. In an instant, the top of his left foot smacked John across the face, beginning a full body spin that ended with Max's right heel hitting the basketball player in the same place. John was knocked backward, but stayed upon his feet. _Uh-oh,_ thought Max, _I think that I bit off more than I can chew this time._ Max was at least able to note with some satisfaction that a thin trickle of blood was beginning to run from the corner of the athlete's mouth.

John glared down at Max, who was nearly a foot and a half shorter than him. "Did you just kick me?" he asked slowly.

"No," declared the younger boy, "your face attacked my foot." Max slammed the heel of his right foot down across Freddy's face as the bully was starting to climb to his feet.

"I wonder if Alexandria will hit harder than you," chuckled John, just before he felt the heel of Max's right foot slam across his face again. "Now, stop that!"

_Okay,_ thought Max, _Dave scared this guy. But Dave's alot bigger than me, too._ Drumming up his courage, Max said in a steady voice, "When I'm finished with you, you'll wish you'd never picked this fight."

Blood was now running quite steadily from John's lip. "I think that, when I get done with you, I'm gonna hunt down Alexandria and make her beg for mercy!"

Once again, Max slammed the top of his left foot across the basketball star's face, following suit with the heel of his right foot. Max knew that he couldn't match John power for power, but if he could keep hitting the bully, and not be hit back, then he might be able to win this fight. The trouble was that Max knew that the athletic John was fairly fast himself, if he ever started fighting. The young martial artist hoped beyond hope that the bully was already hurting. "I've beaten ninja who have trained for years to perfect their art. But you actually think that _you_ can take me?"

John's glare was now fierce. "When I get my hands on you, you'll wish that I _was_ one of those ninjas. They'd go easier on you." John swung his left fist at Max, who ducked it and dropped to the ground, sweeping John's feet from under him. The junior high student leaped back to his feet as the jock hit the ground with a painful THUD.

"My grandma's faster than that," chuckled Max.

"I'll show you fast," declared John as he head-butted Max in the stomach, knocking him backward and into the waiting arms of Freddy, who had gotten back to his feet.

"Can ya take _both_ of us, twerp?" asked Freddy with a smirk.

"He doesn't have to," interrupted a familiar voice from behind John. They all looked to see Louis standing a few feet away, eyeing them angrily.

* * *

Jamie sat on his front porch, praying softly. The young ninja opened his eyes as he heard a vehicle pulling into his driveway. "That's funny," he thought aloud. "Mom and Dad shouldn't be back for another couple of hours." His parents had gone to buy groceries, and it usually took them quite some time to agree on what they wanted.

It was Shawna's car. She climbed from her vehicle and walked to the porch. "Hi." She nervously avoided his gaze.

"Hi," he returned. "Do you want to come in?"

"No, this won't take long," replied Shawna. "Look, I've been giving things alot of thought lately, and I have some things going on in my life that I need to get straightened out. I'm still having problems getting along with my mother, just to name on _e_. I have too many problems to deal with you always getting into danger."

"It didn't bother you during the Warui invasion."

"I know," mumbled Shawna. "But I want something else now."

"Like what?" Jamie folded his arms to keep from fidgeting.

"I don't know. I just know that I don't want a boyfriend who is always getting himself into trouble."

Jamie tried hard to swallow, but found that he couldn't find enough saliva to do so. "What are you saying?" he asked, his voice cracking from the dryness.

"I don't think that we should see each other anymore," stated Shawna with forced calmness, which helped the young ninja to know that she had practiced saying this before. "I still love you, but I have to find myself first. Maybe later, we can get back together."

"I guess I've been expecting this," returned Jamie.

Shawna's voice cracked as she said, "We can still be friends . . .."

Jamie sighed and shrugged.

Shawna didn't say another word as she turned and walked back to her car.

* * *

Freddy and John exchanged confused glances. They had never seen Louis stand up to them before. Freddy looked to his friend and asked, "Well?"

"The shrimp's mine," dictated John. "You can have the new kid."

Freddy threw Max aside and charged at Louis. Louis stepped to the side and slammed the heel of his foot into the seat of Freddy's pants, sending him uncontrollably into the side of a garbage dumpster.

Regaining his senses, Freddy looked at Louis and said, "It looks like you can fight, after all."

"In St. Charles," began Louis, "I learned that, when people find out you can fight, you tend to have to do it alot." He grimaced. "I hate fighting."

"I love it," returned Freddy as he moved warily toward the smaller boy and began circling him. "I don't know any'o that karate-stuff, but if I get my hands on ya, I'm gonna smash yer face into the concrete!"

He started to move toward Louis, who slammed his right foot into the bully's gut and said, "Well, then, I guess that I'll have to not let you get your hands on me, _huh_?"

Freddy started to swing his fist at Louis, but had barely moved before the heel of Louis's right foot had connected to his face. Louis then leaped from the ground and slammed both feet into Freddy's chest, sending him backward into the dumpster. The bully slid to the ground, unconscious.

John swung his right fist at Max, who ducked it easily and retaliated with a right straight punch to the basketball player's chin. "C'mon, you're gettin' too slow," chuckled Max, who was actually starting to enjoy himself.

John tried to grab Max with both of his arms, but Max backed out of the way, then performed a jump-front kick, slamming the ball of his right foot into the athlete's chin. John still didn't fall down. _Gee whiz,_ thought Max, _he's got the stamina of a brick wall._

He glanced over to see how Louis was doing, half-expecting to see his friend a bleeding stump by now. To his surprise, Louis had just kicked Freddy into the side of the dumpster. Max was so shocked by this that he didn't react in time to keep John from slamming into him and knocking him to the ground. As he slid, rocks bit painfully into his back and rear.

John stood five feet from the junior high student, his eyes ablaze with rage. "You probably don't kick any harder than that girl! After I'm done with you, maybe I'll pay her a little visit!" He ran toward Max, who had already leaped to his feet. Max angrily grasped the collar of John's shirt and fell backward, shoving both of his feet into the basketball star's gut and pushing him over the junior high student. John landed painfully on his back. Max somersaulted backward, flipping easily on top of the bully. He then began to angrily pummel John with his fists, screaming, "YOU WILL NEVER TOUCH HER, DO YOU HEAR ME?!"

The pummeling ended when Louis put his hand on Max's shoulder and stated calmly, "It's over." The young man looked down at John to find him unconscious, blood running from his mouth and nose. Both eyes were beginning to swell.

Max climbed unsteadily to his feet with his friend's help. Looking down at Sera's basketball team's captain, he whispered, "Oh, man! I hope I didn't kill'im."

Louis shook his head. "I doubt it. But he's going to probably _wish_ that he were dead."

* * *

"You what?" asked Yoshi, shocked by what she and Alex had just been told.

"I broke up with him," mumbled Shawna. She had come to talk to Alex, surprised to find Yoshi staying the night. They had gone outside to talk, sitting on the hood of Tanemura's car, which Yoshi had driven to Alex's house.

"Why?" asked Alex.

"I just can't deal with his heroics right now," replied Shawna. "He's come to my rescue one time too many. If he were to get hurt doing that, I'd never forgive myself."

"I don't know him very well," stated Alex, "but I don't think that he'll stop defending you just because you've broken up with him. I know that you saying 'We can't see each other anymore,' isn't going to just immediately make him fall out of love with you."

"You never loved him," snapped Yoshi, "did you?!" Her outburst shocked the other two girls.

"How dare you accuse me of that!" raged Shawna defensively. "I love him more than anything in this world!"

"Then don't let him go," said Yoshi, her voice suddenly taking on a sad note, her eyes filling with the tears of painful memories suppressed. "He loves you, and if you are blessed with that, and you feel the same way, then you shouldn't deny it."

"You sound like you've had experience with this sort of thing before," proclaimed Alex.

"My disrespect nearly destroyed one of the very things that define Jamie," Yoshi mumbled tearfully.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Flashback

April 16, 1988

Saturday, 7:56 PM

Tanemura pulled his car into his driveway. He had told Jamie's mother that her son and nephew would be along shortly, as they had needed to bring their bicycles home from Freddy's house. Then he had ordered Yoshi into his car and they had left.

Yoshi had remained silent, her eyes lowered in shame, throughout the two-minute drive. She felt miserable at having brought Jamie into her conflict with her parents.

"You will come inside and wash your face," declared the aging jonin in their native tongue. "I will not have you go home looking so disgraceful."

"Yes, Uncle," mumbled the girl.

She followed him inside and headed straight to the restroom, where Tanemura could hear her turn on the water.

He opened the refrigerator door and grabbed a can of vegetable juice, turning to walk into the living room when he heard the water shut off.

He watched as she came out of the bathroom. The makeup was gone. Her straight, dark bangs were damp and disheveled. "With your permission," she stated, "I will leave, Uncle."

"Be seated, Yoshika."

She regarded the old ninja curiously, but seated herself on his couch without argument.

Tanemura sighed. "When your father told me that the three of you would be moving here from St. Louis, I was pleased. I like most of Jamie's friends. They are devoted to one another, and that is very good. But, while your father had hoped that my student would positively influence your training, I had hoped that you would positively influence Jamie.

At a questioning look from the girl, he explained, "I wanted him to befriend someone who is facing the same trials that he is facing."

The old man seated himself on the couch next to the girl. He shook his head sadly. "But things have . . . as the Americans say . . . _backfired_. Jamie's greatest blessing is his sense of trust." He put a finger under Yoshi's chin and gently moved her head up so that she was looking him in the eye. "He is trustworthy and he is trusting. He has always been fond and trusting of you."

Tanemura dropped his hands into his lap. "After tonight's betrayal, I fear that the latter attribute may be dead." He looked at the girl to judge her reaction to what he had just said.

Yoshi trembled, tears filling her eyes. "I . . . I didn't mean to . . .." As the tears overflowed, she jumped to her feet and ran to the front door. Yanking it open, she plunged outside.

Tanemura climbed to his feet and walked to the still open door. By the light of the street lamps, he could see her run past her parents' home and turn down the short side street that connected Polluck and Speedway.

The jonin smiled as he stepped calmly to his phone, picked up the receiver and dialed Kuji's number.

" _Hello?_ "

"Kuji?"

" _Uncle! Is Yoshi safe?_ "

"Yes, nephew. Although, she will still be a little later getting home. You see, I played a bit with her conscience . . .."

* * *

Pam answered the door to find Yoshi standing on the front porch, tears streaming down her angst-ridden face. "Mrs. Raleigh?"

"Yoshi! What's wrong?"

"Could I please see Jamie?"

"Oh, I don't think so," responded Jamie's mother. "He's grounded."

"Please," the girl pleaded. "It will not take long."

Pam sighed. "Okay, but just for a minute." She stepped aside and Yoshi ran past her.

* * *

Jamie placed his checkerboard on the top shelf in his closet. He was grounded. It was the first time that he had ever been grounded. He supposed that he had deserved it, though.

He heard a knock at the front door and wondered briefly who it might be. As he picked up one of his _NES_ controllers and started to wind the chord around it, he heard footsteps run through the living room and stop at his bedroom door. Then there was another knock. Setting the controller on top of his television, he took hold of the knob and opened the door.

Yoshi plunged into his room, wrapping her arms around him, her face buried in his shirt. "I am so sorry!" she sobbed.

Jamie looked up to see his mother looking into the room quizzically. He widened his eyes and shrugged in answer to Pam's curiosity. Mrs. Raleigh just smiled and walked into the living room.

"Yoshi," said Jamie, "you should be home. You're going to get into more trouble."

She looked up at him, her eyes tear-filled and raw. "I am sorry that I hurt you," she gasped. "That was never my intention. You've always been so respectful of me and I have been horrible to you!"

He noted that her gaze held only sincerity. Tears began to form in his own eyes as he hugged her back. "You're forgiven."

For several minutes, they held each other, their tears fading to sniffles . . . then, finally, to peaceful quiet.

Then Yoshi whispered, "Never change who you are, Jamie Raleigh."

Chapter Twenty-Eight

May 29, 1992

Friday, 6:47 PM

"So you felt bad for treating him like dirt," reasoned Shawna. "You have a conscience."

"It was more than that," responded Yoshi. "At that moment, I looked back at all of the kindness that he had shown me in the face of my verbal abuse. I fell deeply in love with him."

Shawna and Alex gasped in unison.

"I knew it!" exploded Shawna. "The way you were cuddled with Jamie in the army tent after the ninja invasion, I knew you liked him!"

The kunoichi glared at her. "Do not cheapen this to the level of a high school crush!"

Alex looked at the female ninja compassionately. "Did you ever tell him how you felt?"

Yoshi 's eyes lowered, remembering a time that seemed so long ago. "A short time before my parents died, Jamie and I were watching a movie at Uncle Tanemura's house. Uncle had left the room to make popcorn and I kissed Jamie."

The kunoichi sighed and continued. "When it was over, he seemed nervous and, without a word, got up and left.

"I didn't see him for a week after that. I finally had to go to his house to speak with him. He told me that he knew that my clan would never approve of a relationship between their future jonin and a westerner, even if he was my uncle's student. He said that he felt that it would be better if we were simply friends. I was heartbroken, but I didn't want to ruin our friendship, so I told him that I had decided that I didn't look at him in a romantic way, either and that what we had done was a mistake. He seemed happy about this, so we just went back to the way that we were before."

"And you were forced to be friends with someone you loved," stated Alex.

"Yes," returned the kunoichi. "As time went by, I think that I grew to resent him but I still loved him enough to not hate him."

"Do you still love him?" asked Shawna.

"Yes." She shook her head sadly. "And I love George. He has made the situation with Jamie much easier."

"And why are you all of the sudden bleeding your heart out like this?" inquired Shawna impatiently.

"Don't you see?" pleaded Yoshi. "He had the potential to make me a very happy person, but he couldn't. But he has the same potential for you. He loves you just as much as you love him. You weren't cursed with being his future jonin."

Shawna took her eyes from the kunoichi and lowered them to the ground. "I just can't deal with him right now."

Yoshi's face contorted angrily. "Then, if you are going to continue to cause my brother pain, you are no friend of mine." The young ninja climbed off of the hood of the car and walked back toward the house.

* * *

Max and Louis had delivered Jamie's message to Elizabeth's teacher and were now on their way back to Max's house. They hadn't said a word to one another since they had left the school. Finally, Max broke the silence. "So, where'd you learn to fight like that?"

"I used to like boxing when I was a kid," replied Louis. "One day when I was twelve, a friend told me about a boxing class that he had heard about from another friend. He told me where it was, and I begged my dad to enroll me in classes. He was the one who actually talked to the teacher before enrolling me. Come to find out, it was a _western kickboxing_ class, but my father thought that I knew that, so he went ahead and paid my tuition. I didn't want to take the classes once I found out what they were, but he made me go a couple of times and I was hooked. I studied for five years, my last class being a week before we moved down here."

"Wow," mumbled Max. "Maybe you should join Adventure. You can certainly defend yourself."

"Why?" returned Louis.

"Well, we all get together sometimes and practice against each other. We get to learn how to defend ourselves against various other styles. I've fought ninja, obviously, and nunchaku-wielders, bo wielders, special forces trainees, . . . the works. It'd be neat to train with a western kickboxer."

"I'll think about it," replied Louis.

* * *

The sun was about half an hour from reaching its peak in the sky. Jamie surveyed the students who were preparing the balloons for the demonstration. A net was stretched across the tennis court, tied down with four stakes at the corners. The balloons were being filled with helium, tied shut, then placed under the net.

The two hot-air balloons had been altered in appearance. On one, they had painted three _K_ s with a circle and a slash over them. On the other, they had put a Nazi symbol with the same circle and slash. These two balloons were ready for take-off whenever the smaller balloons were.

The day was hot and humid. Sweat poured down Jamie's face, but he just wiped his hand across it and continued his observations. He looked over at the big balloons. Dave, Buster, George, Louis, Max, Alex, Sly, and Deck were there, waiting patiently for the upcoming attack on the encampment. Yoshi had been helping with the smaller balloons.

The kunoichi approached her fellow chunin. "Everything is ready," she stated. "But will the Klan not see the two hot-air balloons?"

Jamie nodded, his face never losing its serious expression. "I'm hoping that the anti-racism stuff that we painted on them will just make them think they're part of the demonstration." Motioning for his comrades to get into the big balloons, he and Yoshi began to walk toward them. Dave, Sly, Max, Alex, and Louis climbed into the anti-triple-K balloon. Deck, George, and Buster climbed into the other balloon. Jamie licked his finger and held it aloft, testing the breeze. "Good," he nodded, noting that it was blowing in the direction of the courthouse, and the river.

"Are you sure you can fly this thing?" Jamie heard George ask Deck nervously.

As Jamie glanced at them, Deck grinned. "I learned when I was in Scotland from my cousin. Just like ridin' a bicycle. I'm the one who taught Sly.

A Chevrolet Celebrity screeched to a halt in front of the playground. As Yoshi climbed into the anti-Nazi balloon, Jamie noticed Shawna, Laura, and Amy get out of the car. The latter two just waved at the group, but Shawna came running up to the young ninja.

Jamie regarded her emotionlessly. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Don't do this," mumbled Shawna. "Tell the police where you think that the kids are. You're going to get yourselves killed!"

"And what am I supposed to tell the police as the reason for my knowledge of their location?" snapped the young ninja. " _Well, sir, I think that my ex-girlfriend had a premonition. She does that sometimes_."

"How do you even know that I'm right?"

"Look," stated Jamie calmly, "my niece's and nephew, who love you more than the world, are going to die within the next hour if we don't do something. Now, you've made it quite clear that you can't accept me fighting. I didn't ask for any of this, it just happened. I understand that I couldn't have won either way. If the Waruiyatsu hadn't attacked our school, we would have never gotten together, but when we did get together, we broke up because you couldn't handle me doing what I did in the school that got us together in the first plac _e._ Now, if you can't give me your blessing, then just get out of my way!" He leaped into the balloon with Yoshi, George, Deck, and Buster.

As Deck and Sly piloted their respective balloons and directed them to start their ascent, the elementary students cut the ropes that were holding the net to the stakes, releasing the helium filled balloons to follow their larger cousins.

Shawna looked up toward this marvelous sight. Tears running down her cheeks, she whispered, "I don't want to be in your way."

* * *

Tanemura kneeled weakly at his kitchen table. He had fixed himself some steamed vegetables and green tea. The pleasant aromas intermingled within his nostrils, but his appetite just wasn't there.

Rising to his feet, the old jonin made his way slowly to the bedroom. He was having difficulty putting one foot in front of the other. He couldn't feel his feet.

He thought of the night, six months back, when he and Dave Isaac's father had hiked to Sera from Highway 21, near Doniphan. They had done this to avoid a missing bridge while journeying to save Jamie, Dave and their friends. Donnie Isaac had been in awe of the old jonin's physical condition. Dave's dad had been hard-pressed to keep up with Jamie and Yoshi's teacher. And the two of them had made short work of a Waruiyatsu scouting party.

Now, the old man was gasping for air after having walked the short distance from his kitchen to his bedroom. _Just a little rest_ , he told himself. _I just need a little rest_.

He looked weakly around the room, his eyes settling on the wooden cross that hung on the wall. He smiled. It was a reminder that his Savior was ever present. He whispered a silent prayer of praise as he drifted off.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Saturday, Noon

A sudden wave of intense sorrow hit Jamie like a fist. He leaned against Buster, fighting the urge to cry. Glancing at Yoshi, he noticed that his clan-sister was having the same feeling.

"What's wrong?" asked Buster as he gently braced his friend, helping him to stand.

"I . . . I don't know," muttered Jamie, as tears of sorrow flowed from his eyes. _I don't have time for this nonsense_ , he thought as he wiped the wetness from his cheeks. Looking at Yoshi, he saw her eyes overflowing. She moved toward him and embraced him. He returned the embrace and let himself go, joining her in this strange, causeless sorrow.

* * *

The demonstration was not going well. People who had been unsure of their allegiances during his previous speeches, were now cursing the Klan.

It hadn't taken long for one of the young people from Sera High to demand the location of the missing children.

"Now, I understand your concern. It must really seem like a strange coincidence that . . .." Norton was cut off as he ducked a head of rotten lettuce that had come from the crowd.

And then it was raining fruit and vegetables.

Norton, dodging the crowd's ammo as he moved toward the side of the stage, looked upward, swearing as he noticed the balloons floating over the courthouse. "They went through with it!"

Then a tomato splattered right in his face. Growling, he jumped down from the stage and motioned for the rest of the men who were with him to come forward. "This town's a lost cause. We're going to head back to the river and pack up." Another tomato splattered on his back. "Why do people always bring rotten vegetables to demonstrations?!"

The men ran to the two vans that had brought them to town. As Jerry climbed in, the driver asked, "Where to?"

"The encampment," replied Jerry angrily. "I have three little kittens to kill."

* * *

Shawna, Laura, and Amy waited in Shawna's car in the parking lot of the grocery store that was across the road from the courthouse. Shawna started the engine as they noticed the vans pull out and drive down an old road toward the river.

Shawna followed them patiently, and at a safe distance.

"Why are we doing this?" inquired Amy.

"If we can find the road to the encampment, we can come and get the police to follow us back," replied Shawna. "If they can hold out until we get the sheriff there, we might be able to keep them from getting hurt."

After about ten minutes, Laura said, "There aren't any more ways to go. This leads straight down to the river where the army encampment was during the ninja invasion."

"You knew how to get there by car?!" snapped Shawna. "Why didn't you say so?"

"You didn't ask."

Shawna stopped the car and pulled off of the road, to make a "U" turn. Then she sped back to town.

* * *

"Look!" ordered Alex. "Those two vans are leaving!"

"Musta' seen us," stated Sly. "Whattaya think we should do, now?"

"Follow'em, dude!" snapped Dave. "All this plannin' has its place, but I just wanna fight!"

Sly pulled the cord, and caught the wind, following over the two vans. It was then that he noticed that the vans seemed to have another follower on the road below. "Who's that?" he inquired of Louis.

Louis looked down and examined the car. "I don't know," he replied.

"It's Shawna!" exclaimed Max frantically. "Great! Jamie's already stressed out enough as it is without her gettin' in the middle of it!"

* * *

"Isn't that Shawna?" inquired Deck as he motioned toward a single car that seemed to be following the two vans below.

Jamie and Yoshi, who by now had managed to stop their strange fit of weeping, both peered over the side of the basket. "It is her!" said the kunoichi.

Jamie rubbed his eyes in irritation. "I do not believe this," he mumbled.

The vans, then the car, disappeared as the road was covered from their view by some trees.

A few minutes later, the car pulled out of the trees, going in the opposite direction. "Good," mumbled Jamie. "Maybe she came to her senses."

* * *

The two vans came to a stop. Leaping from the van, Norton ran toward the stage where he gave his pep talks. One of the Nazis ran up to him. "Bring me those children!" demanded the leader. "Those brats didn't stop the demonstration, so let's see how they feel when the three kids show up doing the dead man's float down the river!" The man nodded in compliance, then turned and left.

Norton climbed the stairs to the stage to find his sister supervising three men in erecting a banner with a painted picture of Adolf Hitler on it from the wall behind the platform. "What happened?" inquired Brenda.

"Don't ask," replied Jerry as he picked pieces of tomato out of his hair.

"Mr. Norton!" called one of the men who had just come back from the demonstration with him.

"What?" yelled Jerry.

"The balloons!" the man yelled back, pointing to the sky. The balloons were now flying over the encampment. Two hot-air balloons accompanied them and Norton watched as a black-clad figure jumped from one of them into a tall tree near the stage.

Brenda and Jerry's gazes followed the same balloon as it moved to hover over the stage. Another black-clad figure leaped from one of the balloons, producing swords as it fell. The two blades were shoved into her expensive tapestry to use the slicing effect to slow the person's descent. "NO!!!" screamed Brenda in anguish as she watched the face of Hitler get sliced apart.

Jerry and his sister could now make out the figure who had just landed on the stage. It was dressed head to toe in black, wearing a mask that covered all parts of the head except the eyes. The black boots had two toes. _The girl uses two swords_ , realized Norton as Yoshi re-sheathed her blades.

* * *

Jamie dropped, branch-by-branch, to the ground. _Show-off,_ thought Jamie with a chuckle as he watched Yoshi leap from the balloon. He admired her. He would NEVER have done that.

* * *

"Hey," thundered Dave as he spotted a man running to a makeshift building some twenty feet below, "that guy's unlockin' that shed! Whatever's in there must be important! Lower the balloon, dude!"

Sly directed the balloon to descend, but Dave wasn't satisfied with its speed. "Aw, the heck with it! I'll use the racist dude t'cushion my fall!" He leaped from the balloon and landed on the man with a THUD. Noticing that the man had been knocked unconscious by the impact, Dave sighed in mock sadness. "I'z hopin' you'd put up a good fight." He looked around. "Oh, well, there's plenty more where you came from."

The big teen climbed to his feet as he heard a familiar voice calling to him from inside shed. "Dave!"

"Liz?" he said, looking through one of the various cracks in the wall.

"Yeah, it's us, Dave," replied Jamie's eldest niece from inside. "Can you get us out?"

"Actually," replied their uncle's cousin, "it'd probably be safer for ya if ya stay in there 'till we've taken care o' those racists. I'll stick around to keep ya guarded, though."

Sly and Deck landed the balloons next to one another on several of the tents in the clearing of the campground, causing them to collapse. Louis, Buster, George, Alex, Max, and Deck climbed out.

"You think anybody was in these tents?" asked Max.

"Surely not," returned Alex. They were all at the demonstration in town."

"What about the ones that were on the stage helping with that banner?" asked George.

Alex shrugged. "They weren't in the tents, either."

Sly started to follow the others, but Deck stopped him. "Stay and watch the balloons."

"You think that somebody's actually going to steal them?" inquired Sly.

"No," returned the big man, "I just don't want to have to be constantly keepin' you out of trouble."

"Who, me?"

Deck glared at him. "Yes, you."

Sly smiled defensively. "Hey, why don't I stay here and watch the balloons?"

"Good idea," mumbled Alex.

Jamie ran into the clearing that housed the stage and kicked one of the Klansmen who was running toward him, knocking him backward into two of his comrades. Jamie looked up to the stage to make sure that Yoshi was faring well. He was pleased to see that Brenda and his clan-sister were the only two left there, but he wondered where Norton and the other men had gone.

"You have no idea how much that tapestry cost me," proclaimed Brenda angrily as she assumed a defensive stance.

"$19.99 at Pigs'R'Us?" conversed Yoshi as she assumed a similar stance.

"You're full of jokes, aren't you, _Jap_?"

"I have a million of them."

"I faired pretty well against your American friend," stated Brenda calmly. "I wonder if you'll give me more of a challenge."

"I intend to be a great challenge to you," replied the kunoichi cheerfully.

Brenda performed a spin kick, which Yoshi easily ducked.

Dave was thoroughly enjoying himself. _At least they're dedicated to what they're fightin' for. Even if it is_ _a stupid cause, dedicated people always fight harder._ Dave grabbed one man as he ran up and gave him a good shove, using his own momentum to slam him into the side of one of the vans. He slumped to the ground, unconscious. _Well, most of'em do._

The heat of the battle left Dave unaware that he was fighting his way away from the door to the shed.

* * *

"Look for an officer!" instructed Shawna. "They shouldn't be hard to find, seeing as how there's a demonstration going on in town that has the potential of causing a riot."

"What demonstration?" asked Laura. "The stage is empty.

Shawna pulled up to a parked police car to find two deputies standing with their trunk open.

"Excuse me," said the young honor student, "but my friends are in trouble and they need you."

"Where are your friends," asked one officer as the other deputy closed the trunk just after Shawna caught a glimpse of a bunch of tomatoes in it.

"We can lead you to where Jamie Raleigh's nieces and nephew are being held," stated Laura.

The deputies looked at one another. "They're the friends you're talking about?" asked the one who had closed the trunk as his partner climbed into the driver's seat. He climbed into the passenger's seat.

Shawna sped down the road toward the river, with the police right behind . . ..

Chapter Thirty

Saturday, 12:32 PM

Jamie kicked a charging Klansman in the gut with enough force to lift the man from his feet. The man doubled over in agony as Jamie jumped into the air and brought his elbow down into the back of his head.

The men dropped to the ground, senseless, as one of the skinheads approached Jamie warily. He wielded a wooden baseball bat and seemed uneasy about approaching the trained ninja. Jamie pulled his ninja-to from its sheath and assumed a defensive stance.

The man swung the bat at the Jamie, who ducked it easily, punching the man in the stomach with his left hand. The man jumped backward, his face showing traces of agony and anger. Jamie just continued to eye the man cautiously.

The man stepped toward the young ninja, who immediately started striking the club with his sword, cutting large chunks from it each time, until he had whittled it down to a stump in the man's hand. He looked incredulously at the piece of wood just before Jamie spin-kicked him across the face, knocking him to the ground.

Another Klansman charged at Jamie, who stepped to the side and jumped off the ground, extending his right leg outward and catching the man in the face as he ran by. The man flipped off of his feet and landed on his back with a painful THUD.

Max and Alex stood back to back, their stances, as well as their green sweatpants and T-shirts, matching each other. The tension in both youths was palpable. Their opponents had kidnapped three children to achieve their goals. They would have nothing against killing either of the two martial artists.

One man approached from Max's side, rearing back to punch the adolescent. He hadn't gotten a chance to swing before Max's own fist smashed into his nose. The man's blood covered Max's knuckles. "Ugh," he mumbled as the opponent hit the ground, "now I know why I prefer kicks over punches."

"Less talking and more fighting _,_ " snapped Alex as she smacked her right heel against a charging Klansman's face. Spinning around, she jumped off the ground and slammed the top of her left foot against another man's face. "I'm passing you up in the body count."

"We can't have that," replied Max, "now can we?" He brought his right foot up into a Klansman's gut. As the man doubled over in pain, he brought the same foot upward, striking the man in the face as he did so. The heel slammed back down on top of the man's head, knocking him to the ground. "How's that for a flashy attack?"

"Not as good as this," replied the girl as she kicked another assailant in the chest. As he doubled over, she moved to his side, jumped from the ground, and scissored his head between her two legs. Falling to the ground, she brought his face down into the dirt.

"Show-off," mumbled Max playfully as he prepared for the next wave of attackers.

George slammed the shaft of his staff into one of his attackers' face. The man was knocked backward. George spun, smacking his bo staff into the side of the man's head and knocking him to his knees. The ball of his right foot slammed into the man's chin. He could hear his opponent's teeth clatter together as he was knocked unconscious.

"Boy," muttered George. "The dentists are gonna love me."

Another man crashed into him from behind, jarring his weapon from his grasp. Turning around, George angrily performed a cartwheel, kicking the man in the face with each foot as he did so, and knocking him to the ground.

The man started to climb to his feet. George glared at him and thundered, "STAY DOWN!!!" The man dropped.

Louis had already been knocked from his feet a couple of times. His red sweat pants were torn and shredded. The two men who had caused this damage had suffered terribly before he had allowed them to slip into unconsciousness.

He was now fighting one of the men who had gone to the demonstration. "C'mon, son," chided the man. "Ya took out two of muh best friends. Les' see if you can take me!" He swung his left fist at Louis, who moved to the side, catching the man's arm.

"I'm not your son," mumbled the lad as he kneed the man in the stomach. Air exploded from the man's lungs as he doubled over in agony. He slammed his knee into the man's stomach again. Then again, each strike enacting his frustration for all that these men had put his family through.

Then, a thought hit the youngster. He dropped the man, his own anger subsiding. "I'm not like you. I care about people, no matter what differences we seem to have."

Turning to walk away, Louis called over his shoulder. "And me beating the stuffing out of you isn't going to change you, is it?"

Deck peered into a tent through its flap to find the restroom. Three men were here, using it. They were rushing to finish so that they could help their comrades with the fight.

The big man ran quietly around the tent, pulling its spikes out of the ground as he did so. The tent started to collapse, and the men inside panicked and ran out. Deck pulled his gun from its holster on his belt and said, "Hey, fella's, I'd like for you all ta meet a friend of mine. This here's Dragon-Fire, and she's got a hair trigger. Now, don't _move_."

The men raised their hands in surrender.

Dave dropped into a pile driver, knocking his next opponent unconscious. Looking toward the makeshift shed where he had found the children, he noticed that his fighting had taken him a good twenty feet from the shed. And Jerry Norton was trying to unlock the door. Dave swore at himself and bolted in the direction of the door.

Norton stood at the door to the building where the children were being held. A voice called out from inside. "Is that you, Dave?" It was the oldest girl.

"No child," replied Norton, as he pulled the key from his pants pocket. "I'm afraid not!" He smiled cruelly as he heard them gasp.

Suddenly, he heard a voice from behind him. "I don't think so!" Something hit him full force, knocking him to the ground. He rolled over and leaped to his feet to find Jamie Raleigh's muscle-bound cousin, eyeing him angrily. "I'm gonna tear you limb from limb, dude," warned the teen between clenched teeth.

"No, Dave," said another, familiar voice from behind Jerry. "This one's mine." Jerry turned to see Jamie Raleigh, eyes aflame. "I warned you, Norton. I warned you of what would happen if you ever tried to hurt any of the people I love again."

"Yes," chuckled Norton. "I believe that you said that you would show me just how good a fighter you are."

"It was a lesson that you shouldn't have been in such a hurry to learn," stated Jamie calmly.

Dave's voice could be heard as the larger teen walked away, "Get'im, dude!"

Norton punched at the young ninja, who caught his wrist, following with a punch of his own to the racist's chin.

Yoshi's foot shot into Brenda's stomach, knocking her back into the wall with the now shredded picture of Hitler.

Brenda kicked Yoshi across the face, knocking her to one knee. Taking advantage of the temporary opening, Brenda tried to stomp on Yoshi, but the kunoichi caught her foot with both hands and pushed backward, knocking her off balance.

Rolling into a back flip, Brenda kept herself from landing on her back. "Good," remarked Yoshi as she rolled into a ball and slammed herself full force into the woman's shins, spilling her to the floor, "but not good enough."

Brenda and Yoshi both leaped to their feet at the same time. Yoshi punched Brenda in the face, shattering the cartilage in her nose.

Brenda screamed out in rage. "Do you have any idea how much that nose cost me?!" She kicked at Yoshi, who caught her leg.

"Five dollars" replied Yoshi as Brenda pulled deftly from her grasp. "But I wouldn't have gone with the flamingo beak. A pig snout would have suited you much better."

"Enough jokes, _Jap_!" Brenda grabbed Yoshi by the flap of her vest and flipped her onto her back near the edge of the stage. The woman screamed in rage as she lunged at the prone kunoichi.

Yoshi acted without thought. As Brenda lunged toward her, Yoshi coiled her legs and her feet smashed into Brenda's abdomen. Carried by her own momentum, Brenda flipped end over head and off of the other side of the stage. Yoshi heard a clanging sound and looked below to find that Brenda had fallen, headfirst, into a trash barrel and was now stuck. Her screams could be heard ringing from within.

One of the Klansmen bolted to the van and opened the door to find Sly, sitting on one of the three crates that were inside, and aiming one of the Klan's own Uzi's at him. "Was _this_ what you were lookin' for?" smiled the younger man as the other man held up his hands in defeat.

Norton spin-kicked Jamie, whose back slammed against the wall of the shed. Norton kicked at his head, but the young ninja dodged out of the way. Dropping to the ground, Jamie kicked Jerry's other leg out from under him.

As the Norton landed on his back, Jamie flipped to his feet, landing on Norton's stomach with both feet (causing a groan of pain as the air was stomped from Jerry's body), flipping forward onto his hands, then springing over and back onto his feet.

Jamie licked the corner of his mouth and detected the coppery taste of blood.

Norton sprang to his feet, eyeing the young ninja with rage. "I'm going to feed you to the fish, traitor!"

"I don't think that they'd like me," replied Jamie. "Not enough meat."

Norton swung his foot outward wildly, catching Jamie on the shoulder that had been wounded by the Waruiyatsu jonin during the ninja invasion. Jamie cried out as a sharp pain shot down his arm.

Norton's right fist shot at Jamie, who was barely able to catch his wrist. Knowing that he couldn't hold out much longer, the young ninja decided to end the fight immediately. He slammed his foot into Jerry's knee with all his might, gritting his teeth as he felt a crack. The racist fell to the ground, crying out in agony. Jamie then slammed the same foot across Norton's face, knocking him senseless.

Holding his shoulder tenderly, he stepped up to the door of the shed. Jamie realized that he didn't have a key. "The heck with it," he mumbled as he kicked the door from its hinges, causing three cries of fear to ring out of the room.

He entered the room, his eyes adjusting to the dim light within. He could see three figures huddled together between two cots on the other side of the room, sobbing. Pulling his mask weakly from his face, he said, "It's me. It's Uncle Jamie."

The three figures stopped sobbing and looked at him. Then, they all three ran to him and wrapped their arms around him, their fears replaced by tears of joy. "It's okay," whispered Jamie comfortingly as he wrapped his arms gently around the three of them. "No one's ever going to hurt you again."

Yoshi stepped into the shed. "How are they?" she inquired.

"Yoshi!" exclaimed Jessica as she pulled away from Jamie and leaped into the kunoichi's arms. "They told me that all Japanese people were bad, but I told them that _you_ weren't!"

"Thank you, child," said Yoshi tenderly as she returned the girl's embrace.

Dave, Deck, Louis, Buster, Alex, and Max were complimenting each other. "Yer not a bad fighter, dude," said Dave to Louis.

"Thanks," replied the young kickboxer. "You're pretty good yourself."

Deck looked at Max. "You and Alex make a pretty good team."

"Yep," said Max shyly.

"Yep?" mocked Alex. "That's all you can say? Yep? If we're gonna be a team, you're going to have to learn to express yourself better."

"How's this for expressing myself?" asked Max as he took her hand in his . . . the hand shaking and his face blushing.

Alex cleared her throat. "That's a pretty good start," she smiled. Then, she kissed him gently on the cheek.

"Awwwwww," voiced Dave, causing Alex's blush to match that of Max's.

Jamie and Yoshi accompanied the three children out of the shed. They passed Norton, who was now conscious again. " _Race-traitor_ ," mumbled the racist angrily.

Jessica stopped and turned to look at the man coldly. She slammed her foot across his face, sending him back into unconsciousness.

"Nice kick," proclaimed Jamie.

"Thanks," smiled his niece. "I learned from the best."

The five of them were startled to hear sirens. Jamie looked up to see Shawna's car squeal to a stop in the encampment, followed by a police car.

The three girls within Shawna's vehicle opened their doors and stepped onto the rocky ground. The police followed suit.

The officers looked around, astonished to see men in bloodied, white robes lying everywhere, unconscious and bound. The three children ran up to them, giving them a detailed description of what had happened to them and who their captors had been.

While the deputies were calling for help to carry the kidnappers back to the courthouse, Shawna looked down at the three children and asked, "How are you?"

"Fine," answered Elizabeth.

"Where's your uncle?" she inquired.

"He and Yoshi went down by the water," stated Jessica. "He said that he didn't think that it was a good idea to talk to you because you had broken up with him and it hurts." The young girl thought for a moment, her own face showing traces of pain. "Are you still my aunt?"

"Well," explained Shawna tenderly, "I was never _really_ your aunt."

"Oh," mumbled Jessica sadly as she and her two cousins turned and walked over to stand with Dave and the others.

Jamie looked into the water, watching a leaf floating gently by on the current.

Yoshi's voice broke the silence. "She's coming," mumbled the young kunoichi disgustedly.

Jamie turned to see Shawna walking toward them. His face didn't lose its serious expression as she arrived.

She just looked at him. He looked at her. Finally, he felt something touch his abdomen, so he looked down to find her hand extended, as if for a handshake. "Can we be friends?" she asked.

Jamie cleared his throat. "My nieces and nephew are safe." He gently took her hand and shook it. "For the moment, all is good in the world." He sighed. "If me putting myself in harm's way makes you uncomfortable, then you're probably right to break up with me. I'll always be in harm's way. As long as people hurt my loved ones, I'm always going to be in the middle of it. But, don't expect the end of our dating relationship to remove you from the status of loved one." He and Yoshi walked quietly away.

* * *

Jamie's car pulled into the driveway of the home of Tanemura and Yoshi Funakoshi. Jamie had asked George to drive, as his shoulder hurt from the fight. The young ninja had sat in the back seat, surrounded by his nieces and nephew, and enjoying their presence.

As the three teens and three children climbed from the Cavalier, Yoshi patted her clan-brother on his right cheek. "Are you alright?" she asked.

Jamie smiled weakly. "I'll be fine."

The group made their way to the front door. Yoshi turned the knob and pushed the door open, then the others followed her inside.

An unnamable fear suddenly grasped Jamie's heart. A plate of untouched food sat on the kitchen table.

Noticing his friend's fear, George asked, "What's wrong?"

"Master Tanemura is compulsively neat," whispered Jamie, his throat dry.

"I have never seen him leave food out like this," commented Yoshi.

Jamie moved quickly to his sensei's bedroom. The door was closed, indicating that he was inside. The young ninja tapped on the wood frame. "Sensei?" he called. "Master Tanemura?"

Yoshi joined him. "Uncle?" She fearfully met Jamie's gaze.

The young male ninja took a shuddering breath and opened the door. Tanemura lay upon his bed, a look of serene peace upon his pale face. Tears overflowed from their eyes as they noted that his chest wasn't moving to pull in life-sustaining air. A sob escaped Yoshi's throat as she and Jamie wrapped their arms around each other, weeping.

Tanemura Funakoshi, jonin of the Funakoshi ninja clan . . . Sensei . . . Beloved uncle . . . and Brother in Christ . . . had gone to be with the Lord.

Epilogue

Tuesday, 3:37 PM

The members of Adventure, Louis, Deck, and Sly followed Jamie and Yoshi into the home of the late leader of the Funakoshi ninja clan. Each of them showed traces of tears from the funeral that they had just attended.

Jamie's parents had invited Yoshi to come and stay with them until she was legally old enough to take care of herself. She had accepted their invitation. Now, more than ever, she _was_ Jamie's sister.

The group had come to move Yoshi's things to Jamie's house. Sly had volunteered to use his truck to carry the larger things, such as her dresser and television.

Shawna, Laura, and Amy didn't come with them, although they had been at the funeral. Jamie and Shawna hadn't said two words to each other the whole time, and Shawna had told Alex that it was probably best that she stay away for awhile in order to give Jamie time to mourn. She also didn't think that Yoshi would be happy about her presence.

Jamie looked around the kitchen. Everything was just as it had been left. The plate of food was still there, causing an acrid smell of rot to fill the room. He watched as Yoshi blankly picked up the plate and emptied its contents into the trash. She turned toward the sink, but the plate fell from her hand and shattered when it hit the white and blue tiled floor.

The kunoichi hung her head, tears flowing from her already sore eyes. George rushed to her side and wrapped his arms around her. "Our enemies have taken my whole family!" she sobbed.

"The doctor said it was natural causes," commented Sly.

"NO!" shouted Yoshi. "Uncle Tanemura was in better physical condition than most twenty year-olds!"

Nobody could argue with that. Truthfully, Jamie had also been shocked to hear the results of the autopsy.

_Poison?_ he wondered. As a ninja, even he knew how to make poisons that couldn't be traced. The members of the Funakoshi never used these poisons, but their rivals did.

But Jamie couldn't think about that now. He was just too emotionally exhausted.

As they loaded Yoshi's things into the back of Sly's truck. Deck looked at the unfinished paint job on the front of the house. Glancing at Yoshi, he said, "I'd like to keep coming and paint some more. I don't like leaving things unfinished."

"If you wish," mumbled the new jonin sadly. "I am just going to sell it, anyway."

* * *

The 1991 Jimmy pulled into the driveway of the Simpson's gas station, which stood across the road from the Aurthur Charcoal Factory. An adolescent with blonde hair stepped out of the vehicle and walked up to the soda machines, where he found two elderly men sitting in lawn chairs, talking about a funeral. Inserting his money, he hit the button for a cola.

One of the men looked at him and spoke. "Hot day."

"Yep," agreed the teen disinterestedly. "Who died?"

One of the men said, "That Japanese man who was raising his niece here in Aurthur."

"What'd he die of?"

"Old age, I reckon."

The boy pulled the soda can from the machine and said, "I think I know who you're talkin' about. Tanemura Funakoshi, the ninja master of Jamie Raleigh."

"Yeah, that's right," stated the other man. "You know him?"

"Oh, yeah," answered the adolescent. "Jamie and me go way back. Some friends and I drove two hours to see him Saturday, but I heard from some of the people in Sera that he'd went to that elementary school, anti-racism demonstration. Sounds like the same Jamie Raleigh I've always known." He smiled. "Well, it's been mighty nice talking to you two gentleman." He turned and walked toward the Jimmy. Getting into the driver's seat, he smiled and waved at them. They waved back at him as the vehicle squealed back onto the highway, headed toward Sera.

"Nice lad," one of the men commented to the other.

"Yep," his friend responded. "Not many of them around anymore."

"Nope."

"What do you think he had that big _R_ sewn into his jacket for?"

"Ain't no tellin'," shrugged the first man. "Kids these days . . .."

TO BE CONTINUED

About the Author

In 1989, when Jeffrey Allen Davis was fourteen, he started a recording on his parents' VCR to get a horror movie about a Ouija board. It captured the movie that came on Showtime after it, as well. That accidental recording, a ninja movie that starred Michael Dudikoff, grabbed his imagination and the shadow warriors have been hiding there ever since. Over twenty years later, he still enjoys watching a good ninja movie.

Davis lives in St. Charles, MO, with his wife, Vickie, his daughter, Kaitlyn, and two stepchildren, Jayson and Breeanna.

Visit him online at www.jeffreyallendavis.wordpress.com.

A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

I'd like to thank you for taking this journey with me. I understand that you have limitless choices for entertainment and it is a true honor to have this opportunity to share my world with you. If you enjoyed this story, please take a moment to leave a review on your favorite shopping site, as well as Goodreads. And tell your friends.

-Jeffrey Allen Davis

Check out my other books here.

You can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

ALSO AVAILABLE

From Jeffrey Allen Davis

and GCD Publishing

Lily's Redemption

A Christian mystery thriller exploring the dangerous effects of pornography, it is available in paperback, Kindle and Nook editions.

Invasion of the Ninja

A group of teenage martial artists defend a Southern Missouri high school against an invading ninja army. Book One of the Adventure Chronicles is available in paperback, Kindle and Nook editions.

Gateway to Thera

Half of the martial arts team known as ADVENTURE are spirited to another world to save Shawna Weston from a dark wizard.

The Ultimate Failure

A new Christian gives a police statement regarding his friend's suicide. A free flash fiction story.

Coming Soon

The Search for Yoshi

Shawna's nightmares lead Adventure back to Thera, where we are treated to a flipped "damsel in distress" story and our heroes are forced to seek out and battle a witch who may be descended from the Old Testaments' priests of Ba'al.

