In Las Vegas

KITT navigated through the bustling streets of Las Vegas, the neon lights reflecting off his sleek exterior. As they moved deeper into the city, KITT's voice cut through the ambient noise.

"John Waters has just made a cash advance withdrawal on his credit card," KITT announced, displaying real-time security footage on his dashboard. The image showed John speaking with a server in a nearby café.

Harper's eyes softened as she recognized him. "Yeah, that's him," she said, a small smile tugging at her lips.

KITT's glove compartment smoothly slid open, revealing an array of high-tech gadgets. "Take the earpiece," KITT instructed. "It's a communicator that will keep us in contact. It's always active, so I can respond instantly."

Harper reached over and picked up the earpiece, nodding as she slipped it into her ear. "Got it," she replied, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves as they prepared for the next step.

With John

John sat at a blackjack table in a bustling Las Vegas casino, focused on the cards in his hand. As the other players made their moves, tension hung in the air.

"Hit. 2,000," one of the players announced, sliding his chips forward.

John sighed, glancing at his cards. With a resigned expression, he pushed all his chips to the center of the table. "All in," he said, his voice steady.

The dealer tossed a card toward him, then looked up. "Got anything?"

John revealed a 7, and the dealer nodded with a knowing smirk. "You planning to play like that all day?"

Before John could respond, a familiar female voice cut through the casino's noise. "If you keep playing like that, you won't make it through the day."

John's head snapped up, his eyes widening in surprise as he saw Harper standing nearby. "Nyla?" he said, disbelief coloring his tone.

Harper sighed, a mix of frustration and concern on her face. "Hey, John."

John stood up from the table, still stunned. "What are you doing here?"

Harper crossed her arms, meeting his gaze. "Nice to see you too."

John quickly shook his head, trying to recover. "No, I just meant—"

Harper cut him off, her tone urgent. "Look, I know this sounds crazy, but I need you to leave here and come with me. Right now."

John frowned, confused. "You can't just expect me to—"

Harper interrupted again, her voice firm. "I'll explain everything on the way."

John hesitated, searching her eyes for answers. "What could you possibly say to explain all this?"

Harper took a deep breath, her expression serious. "Sarah's missing. Maybe dead. And this morning, men tried to abduct me."

John's eyes widened with concern, the gravity of her words sinking in. "That's... actually a pretty good start. What did the cops say?"

Harper shook her head impatiently. "Sarah wanted me to come to you for some reason."

John's confusion deepened. "You didn't go to the cops?"

Harper stared at him, urgency in her voice. "I'm a detective, John. And right now, we're wasting time."

John blinked in surprise, processing Harper's words. "Wait, you're a detective now?"

Harper nodded, her expression still tense. "Yeah, I am. And right now, we need to move."

John chuckled, though there was a hint of pride in his voice. "Well, you're not the only one who became a detective, Nyla. I'm with the Las Vegas PD."

Harper's eyebrows shot up, genuinely surprised. "You're a detective too?"

John gave a small, wry smile. "Yeah. Life's funny like that, huh?"

Harper let out a breath, some of the tension easing from her shoulders. "Maybe Sarah knew that. Maybe that's why she wanted me to find you."

John said, "Nyla, even if you're in trouble, I've got my own problems to deal with."

Harper frowned, "What does that mean?"

"It means I can't help you," John replied, leaning back toward the blackjack table, dismissing her.

Before Harper could respond, she heard KITT's voice in her earpiece. "Nyla, the men who were following us earlier are now in the casino. One by the bar in a black coat, another by the slot machines in a red sweater."

Harper's hand instinctively tightened on John's arm. "Nyla, what's going on?" he asked, noticing her sudden change in demeanor.

"The men who tried to abduct me—they're here," she whispered urgently. "By the bar, black coat. By the slots, red sweater."

John's eyes narrowed as he scanned the room, spotting the men. "They didn't follow you here, Nyla. Did you leave your cell phone on?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Turn it off," John ordered, grabbing his leather jacket as they began walking briskly away.

As they moved, John asked, "Were you wearing that top this morning?"

Harper shot him a look. "Seriously? What do you think?"

Without missing a beat, John handed her his leather jacket. "Here, hold this." He then took off his hoodie jacket, swapping it with her for the leather one. "If I run, I'm not leaving you to fend for yourself."

Harper slipped into his hoodie, and John put on the leather jacket. "And blackjack was your master plan?"

"You got a better idea, sweetheart? I'm all ears," John retorted.

Harper didn't hesitate. "I'll make it worth your while. Help me, and I'll clear whatever mess you're in."

John nodded, now all business. "Where's your contact?"

Harper handed him the earpiece. "Outside. The car. Here."

John put the earpiece in and asked, "Hey, can you hear me?"

"Yes, I'm here," KITT responded through the comm.

"How can you see those guys?"

"I have access to the casino's security cameras," KITT explained.

"Good. See if they're wearing earpieces, like the ones they used earlier."

John turned to Harper, grabbing her hand. "Come on."

As they moved through the casino, KITT's voice came through again. "There's another one ahead of you, walking towards your position."

John whispered, "He's one of them. Move," guiding Harper to the right.

They weaved through the slot machines, trying to stay inconspicuous. "Hey, they've got all the exits covered," John muttered.

"Understood," KITT replied. "If you're considering hand-to-hand combat, I have another suggestion."

John, growing frustrated, snapped back, "Look, man, you're really starting to piss me—"

Before he could finish, the casino's fire alarm blared to life, cutting him off. "—off. Great, now we've lost the crowd cover."

"Head to the security door on the east wall," KITT instructed.

"Those doors have remote locks, genius," John pointed out.

"I'm aware of that," KITT responded.

John directed Harper towards the door. "If you can't open this door, I swear, when I'm done with these guys, you're next."

As they reached the door, the keypad beeped, the light turned green, and the door swung open. John and Harper slipped inside, but before John could close it, one of the men—a tall, intimidating British guy—caught up to them, forcing the door back open.

"You're in way over your head, kid," the man sneered.

John smirked. "Oh, you think so?"

The man lunged at John, throwing a punch aimed at his face. John blocked it with his arm and the man grabbed his jacket, kneeing him in the stomach. 

John groaned but quickly retaliated, smacking both sides of the man's face. The man staggered back, and John pushed him, delivering two swift punches to his face, followed by a right hook.

The British man wasn't done yet. He blocked John's next punch and lunged forward, attempting to choke him against the wall. John, struggling to breathe, looked down and quickly decided on a desperate move—he kneed the man in the crotch. 

As the man doubled over in pain, John shoved him out of the room and slammed the door shut, the lock clicking into place with a satisfying beep.

John, catching his breath, said, "You're lucky that worked."

KITT's voice came over the comms. "Luck has no bearing on my calculations—"

John interrupted, "Oh, so you staying in the car while Nyla was ambushed is part of your plan?"

KITT responded, "I'm not certain that my entering the casino would have been the most discreet approach."

John turned to Harper and asked, "Where did you find this guy?"

KITT's voice continued, "In approximately 10 yards, turn left. There will be an emergency exit; I'll meet you there."

John replied with a hint of sarcasm, "Looking forward to it," as they made their way towards the emergency exit.

At the exit

John and Harper walked through the exit and found themselves in the valet parking area. As John spotted a sleek Mustang pulling up, he commented, "Nice ride."

But when the car's doors opened automatically with no driver in sight, he exclaimed, "What the hell is going on?"

Harper quickly said, "Just get in."

John hurried to the passenger side and slid into the seat as both doors closed on their own. He fastened his seatbelt, and the car began to drive itself.

John, puzzled, asked, "I thought you said your contact was in the car?"

KITT, navigating smoothly despite the obstacles, replied, "I am the contact. Hello, John. You may call me KITT."

John stared at the car and said, "Okay, it's talking and it knows my name. Can someone explain how this thing is driving itself?!"

Harper said, "It's not a thing; it's a car. And you can call it KITT."

John grumbled, "KITT? Fine, whatever. KITT, if you try something like that again, I swear I'll put sugar in your gas tank."

KITT responded, "I wouldn't recommend that, John."

Harper interjected, "John, don't provoke the car. KITT, just ignore him. You're doing great."

KITT acknowledged, "Understood."

As KITT descended the levels of the parking structure, John asked, "Do these guys know what this car looks like?"

Harper smiled, "I wouldn't worry about that."

KITT's nanotech then changed the car's color to purple as it made a right turn. John looked at the transformation and remarked, "Huh, didn't know it came in cholo."

Harper smiled at John's reaction and turned to see their pursuers scanning the area in front of them.

As KITT smoothly maneuvered through the city streets, John kept his eyes on the rearview mirror, watching for any sign of their pursuers. Harper, meanwhile, glanced at the dashboard where KITT's interface displayed a series of security feeds and real-time data.

John asked, "So, KITT, what's the plan now?"

KITT replied, "I am currently rerouting to avoid detection. We should be clear of immediate pursuit shortly."

Harper looked at John and said, "KITT's got it covered. We need to focus on getting to Sarah's place and figuring out what's happened."

John nodded, but his gaze remained suspicious. "Alright, but I want some answers. What exactly is going on with Sarah? Why was she targeted?"

Harper took a deep breath. "Sarah's missing. This morning, some men tried to abduct me. I think they might be connected to whatever Sarah was involved in. She was working on something big, but I'm not sure what."

KITT chimed in, "I have access to additional data. Based on recent activities and patterns, Sarah's disappearance may be related to her recent investigations into organized crime. She may have uncovered something that made her a target."

John looked impressed, though still wary. "So, this is bigger than just a personal issue. Got it."

Harper replied, "Exactly. And if these guys were following us, it means they're trying to prevent us from finding out the truth."

KITT smoothly navigated through traffic, adjusting its speed as needed. "We are approaching an area with less surveillance. It should give us some breathing room."

John glanced at the changing scenery. "Good. I need to figure out what's going on with my life too. Can't let this mess distract me from my issues."

Harper said, "I understand. But right now, we need to focus on Sarah. Once we have answers, we can deal with everything else."

KITT continued, "We'll reach the designated location in approximately 20 minutes. I recommend preparing for a potential search once we arrive."

John nodded, "Alright, let's get this done."

As they drove on, the city lights of Las Vegas started to fade into the distance, and the car moved toward the quieter outskirts. The urgency of their mission and the mounting mystery of Sarah's disappearance weighed heavily on both John and Harper.

Later

On the road

KITT was driving through the desert backroads, his sleek, race car version cutting through the terrain with ease.

John asked, "So you have no idea who's after us or what they want?"

KITT responded, "Part of the footage I captured as I was leaving your home included this."

Harper recognized the car from earlier in the day. KITT continued, "I traced the vehicle's registration to the Blackriver Corporation."

John frowned and Harper said, "What's Blackriver?"

Harper looked at John, puzzled, and John explained, "A private security firm. We worked with some of their guys in Iraq. They're all about the money."

Harper said, "That sounds familiar."

John glanced at her and KITT added, "My analysis suggests that this situation is more critical than initially thought. With Blackriver involved, they are likely after Sarah's research on Prometheus. If they break Sarah's encryption, they could gain control of systems capable of crashing planes, attacking nations, and causing widespread chaos and death."

John said, "And she just had the specs of this program lying around?"

KITT replied, "They need Sarah Knight to decode the data."

John added, "Or someone who understands what Sarah knows," glancing at Harper.

Harper nodded. "Yes, we worked on the initial encryption code together. But after that, we stopped speaking."

KITT said, "I possess all of Sarah Knight's knowledge and can access Prometheus. Therefore, after ensuring Nyla's safety and securing John Waters' help, my programming directs me to contact the FBI and surrender."

Harper said, "KITT, stop the car. Now."

KITT pulled over on a bridge, and the nanotech transformed the car back to its original form.

Harper exited the vehicle, and KITT remarked, "That seemed quite irrational."

John said, "You don't understand women."

John opened the door, and KITT continued, "On the contrary. My database includes numerous suspensions..."

John cut him off, "KITT, shut up."

John got out of the car and closed the door, calling after Harper, "Nyla! Where are you going?"

Harper said, "To get a rental car."

John said, "Maybe the FBI can help us."

Harper replied, "The FBI will just question us for hours. I need to get back to the house and figure out what happened to Sarah. I've already wasted too much time. You'd do the same for someone you loved."

KITT's voice spoke firmly, "I cannot allow you to go alone."

Harper and John turned to see KITT following them.

Harper said, "Either you take me to Sarah's home, or I'm going by myself."

KITT said, "In that case, I have no choice but to take you."

John and Harper shared a determined look.

John said, "You realize that by going back to the house, you're doing exactly what they expect. You're leading KITT straight to those who want it."

Harper shouted, "I'm not running from this! I'm not you!"

John looked at Harper, his confusion evident. "What do you mean, 'I'm not you'?"

Harper turned to face him, her frustration clear. "You ran from our relationship, John. You disappeared and left me to deal with everything alone. Just like now, you're trying to avoid facing what's happening."

John's expression hardened. "I didn't run from our relationship. I had my reasons."

Harper's eyes flashed with hurt. "Reasons? You left without a word, without an explanation. How was I supposed to understand?"

John took a deep breath, trying to steady his emotions. "I didn't leave because I wanted to. I was caught up in the demands of my work. Things got complicated, and I couldn't... I couldn't make it back in time. I thought it was best for both of us if I stayed away."

Harper shook her head. "That's not an excuse. You didn't give me a chance to understand or to even say goodbye. It felt like you abandoned me."

John's voice softened. "I didn't abandon you, Nyla. I was trying to protect you. I thought if I stayed away, I'd be safe from the danger that was surrounding me. But I was wrong. I see that now."

Harper looked away, struggling with her emotions. "I just wish you'd been honest with me. I needed you then, and I need you now. But I need you to understand that I'm not going to run from this, even if it means facing what's coming."

John's face showed a mix of regret and determination. "Alright. Let's do this together. But you need to trust me, and I'll do everything I can to make things right."

KITT's voice interrupts their moment. "I suggest focusing on the immediate threat. We can address personal matters once we're safe."

Harper and John exchanged a final, resolute look before turning back to KITT. Harper nodded, "Let's go. We'll deal with everything else after we find Sarah."

John said, "Agreed. We'll handle this—together."

Harper got into the driver's seat and John got into the passenger seat.

KITT took off down the road staying on the road.

To be continued...