Continuing on, it's time to get our heroes together.  Plus, as everyone probably guessed, it's not going to be an uneventful reunion.

Disclaimer: Characters and associated details are property of Hanna-Barbera and are used for non-profit entertainment purposes only.

Archiving permission granted.

THE FUTURE (PAST) ADVENTURES OF JONNY QUEST

Synopsis: Their paths cross again, and trouble rears its head as usual.

Categories: E, F, JQ/JB HR

"Meeting of the Minds" - chapter 2

by Eric R. Umali

"Close Call"

Jon took one last stroll of the hotel lobby, checking his PDA every few seconds.  When he wasn't doing that, he was glancing in a mirror, making sure his disguise was holding-- that his darkened hair was evenly colored, his narrow moustache straight and the awkward pads filling out his cheekbones hadn't slipped.

He finished the final go-around in about thirty minutes.  Guards from a private security firm handpicked by the Company were stationed unobtrusively near every door and stairwell and were constantly in contact.

The small earpiece he wore beeped insistently.  He tilted his chin towards the small hidden microphone.

"Yes?"

"Sir?  This is Nash," said the gruff voice in his ear.  Jon recognized it.  Nash was an ex-Navy SEAL who ran the security firm contracted for the conference.  Not that the man knew it, but he'd done business with the Company more than once.

"Go ahead, Mr. Nash," replied Jon.

"Mr. McCann just called.  There are three additions to the guest list, and two deletions."  Jon sighed, and Nash heard.  "I agree, sir-- no way to run a ship."

"No, indeed."  Jon called up the list of the invited researchers, a who's who of the American scientific community.  Once upon a time, the name Benton Quest would have been at the top of the list, but Jon shrugged the thought away.  "Go ahead."

Nash rolled off the names, spelling them as well.  "Our no-shows are: Mitchell Gant and Tamiya Hamagani.  The new faces will be Daniel Petrovik from Lucent Technologies, Anna Cross from Quest Technologies..."

"... and Jessica Bannon, from Bannon TechCommunications."

Jon stopped in his tracks, nearly knocking over a potted palm.  *Damn!* he thought at first.  *Jessica is the last person I want put in this situation!*  Soon, though, reason returned.  *No.  I've designed the best security system humanly possible.  She'll be safer at this conference than crossing the street.  But I can't let her know I'm here.*

"Definitely not," he said under his breath.

"What was that, sir?" asked Nash.

"Nothing, Mr. Nash, thank you."

"I've begun the usual background checks on the newbies, sir."

"Good man."  Jon thought again.  "I'm going to do some of my own checking-- on all of the attendees.  I want the deepest possible security checks, and I've got a few connections."

"Unofficial channels, sir?"

"Exactly."

**********

For the next three days, Jon was a shadow, holed up in his room for most of the time, a vanishing wraith when outside of it.  The attendees of the conference had no idea he was there, though many commented on the quality of their protection.

Jessica Bannon, communications technologist extraordinaire, strolled down the hallway towards her room.  Her meeting had been a little more than frustrating and less than successful.  She shook her head.  *When are some of these nerds going to learn that there's a real world, and get their heads out of their--*

She stopped, thinking she heard a voice around the corner.

Jon huffed into his microphone.  "Well then, get Dr. Taylor his stupid Skittles!"  The officer on the other end acknowledged.  "Buncha geeks," he said, then stopped, a flash of red catching the corner of his eye.  He looked into the mirror at the end of the hall.  Despite the awkward angle, he saw her.  Jessica started walking, and hadn't seen him yet.  He spun around.

There was nowhere to go.  Nearly panicked, Jon looked up to see the drop ceiling.

Jessica nearly skidded around the corner.  She found an empty hallway.  *Great.  I'm hallucinating.  I've got to get some sleep.*  Jessica walked to her room and went in, rubbing her temples.  The door clicked closed.

A moment later, one of the plaster ceiling tiles slid back.  Jon dropped from the cramped crawlspace and dusted himself off.  "Well, that was an adventure," he muttered, and headed for the stairwell.

**********

Groaning, Jessica dropped onto the bed wearily.  "Would I really have started my own business if I knew it'd be _this_ hard?" she mused out loud.  She sat up and regarded the mirror nearby.  "Yeah, I would."  Still groaning, she kicked off her shoes, raided her suitcase and headed for the shower.

She emerged a good while later, wrapping her hair in a towel turban.  Deciding to give her nerves a rest, she chose to skip that afternoon's discussion.  Jessica picked up the phone and ordered an early dinner from room service.  Crossing to the desk, she opened her custom laptop.

After checking her e-mail, she decided to give Jon a ring.  After sending out the call, she sat back, knowing it would take her old friend a while to get to a convenient video phone.  A minute later, she heard someone running down the hall, but let the footsteps fade without checking it out.  After another few minutes, her laptop chimed.

Jessica smiled as Jon's face appeared on the screen, looking typically tired.  The young man leaned toward his camera and squinted.

"Hadj?" he said, far too close to the lens.

"That's very funny, Jon.  How are you?"

"Ah, the usual," Jon replied, a little out of breath.  "You?"

"The same."

"Let me guess-- you're at that big telecom shindig in San Diego, right?"

**********

Jon winced inside.  How could he have said that?

**********

"How'd you-- well, I guess it's your business to know stuff like that," Jessica replied, unaware of the relief that flooded her friend.  "So where are you?  Or," she teased, "can you not tell me?"

"New York," he replied, a touch of annoyance in his voice.  "Schmoozing some Wall Street guys for QT."

"Can you get out of it?"

"Is that a dinner invitation?" Jon asked, smiling.

Jessica smiled back.  "Sure.  Are you free?"

Jon made a show of thinking and rubbing his chin, until he finally sighed, "Well... all right.  I can be there..."

**********

*In ten minutes,* he thought.

**********

"Tomorrow afternoon-- is that okay?"

"Sounds perfect.  I'll start asking around for a good place to eat."

Jon yawned on the other end.  "I'll give you a call before I leave."

"Get some sleep, Hotshot."

"I'll see you tomorrow, Ace."

The phone program shut down.  Once she'd closed the laptop, there was a knock on the door.  Behind it, Jessica found the waiter with her food.  Tipping the teenager generously, she sat down before the dish and dove in heartily.

After a quick nap, Jessica got dressed and headed out.  She ended up at the sprawling open-air Horton Plaza, did a little shopping, then caught a movie.  Satisfied with her afternoon of hooky, she turned in early and went straight to sleep.

**********

"Is the equipment prepared?"

"Everything, Alpha."

"The men are in place?"

"Yes.  The work schedule has been appropriately altered."

"And our extraction plan?"

"The cars are prepared, Alpha."

"Then begin the countdown.  Twelve hours."

TO BE CONTINUED...