Clyde and Rachel walked in to see the siblings right where they had left them. Kylie wasted no time, walking past them and out of the room.


"Well? Did you get through to her?" Clyde asked.


"Not exactly." Jason admitted, sparing them the details.


"She DOES seem a little different, doesn't she?" Rachel commented as she closed the door.


"Yeah, Emily changed her." Was all the explaining Jason wanted to do.


"That's too bad. She was a nice girl." Clyde said, dramatically.


"She still is! She just needs to be shown that what she is doing is wrong." Jason said, defending her.


"Yeah, how'd that go for you?" Clyde asked, smirking. "You're holding your ribs pal." He finished, winking.


"Well uhh, she just wanted to hold me. . . . Very roughly. . . "


"You're so full of shit Jason! I know you want to feel independent and everything, but reprimanding someone that much bigger than you, and emotionally unstable, seems kind of foolish." Rachel informed him.



"We're family! I'm not just going to give up on her, no matter what. When I get back up to size, I'm gonna kick her ass."


Neither Clyde nor Rachel had the heart to tell him that That might not even be possible, so they encouraged him and built him up.


"Ok, so what is the other part of the news you had?" Clyde asked, getting back on track after Gracie's interruption.


"Oh yeah! Check this out!" Rachel exclaimed, sitting back down.

She opened up a web page to a newspaper article on the screen.


"So, I went to the library during study hall today right. You're whole genetics lab theory got me pretty intrigued last night. So I started going through records of any types of government buildings or labs that were built around the time those twins went missing."


"And?" Jason asked, the suspense building.


"There were a few, but one stood out. [Genetitech] built in 2005, North of the city about 5 miles."


"That is such a douschey, shady operation type name!" Clyde noted, laughing.


"I know right!" Rachel agreed. "Anyway, i Google mapped it, and suspiciously enough, the lab is right next to the plant that handles the cities drinking water."


"That is how they distribute the chemical!" Jason concluded.


"That would make sense, but I have no evidence to support that." Rachel admitted. "But that isn't even the most interesting thing! You'll never guess who the head scientist of the lab is!"


"Mya's dad!" Clyde and Jason shouted in unison.


"Actually. . . . No. But you're close. A man named [Marko Anderson] I honestly think it's Mya's uncle. I didn't have time to investigate any further before class ended and I had to pick the girls up from school, but I'm 100% convinced you are on to something."


"Mya is so full of shit. She pretty much said she had nothing to do with it. No wonder she knew so much about the hg32, it's the fucking family business!" Jason said, getting pissed off.



"Can you blame her? If you were secretly drugging a whole population, would you go around telling everyone?" Rachel asked.


"I. . .I suppose you're right, but still! She is basically a spy for them. For all we know, suits could come busting in here at any time to abduct me! Emily is the most and least of my worries now." Jason shouted, feeling light headed.


"Hold on a minute dude. . . . . You had your accident in YOU'RE DAD'S lab! What the fuck was HE doing with the chemical?"


Jason's face went pale.


"Think about it. He could be working with them on this! I mean: he gets close or perfects the formula, he gets called somewhere for a week to report on what he's got. somewhere secretive that is blocking his and your mom's phones. It all fits together man!" Clyde rambled, putting together a plausible scenario.


"Holy shit!" Rachel said under her breath, running her hands over her buzzed head.

"No! No way does my dad have anything to do with it!" Jason said, shaking his head.

"Jas, I know you don't want to hear that, but that's just what it looks like." Clyde said, holding his hands up.

Jason was silent as he tried not to explode on Clyde.

"Can we just go please?" Jason asked, quietly.

"Uhh, yeah. Let's get going." Clyde said, placing Jason on his shoulder.

"We'll talk to you later Rachel. Good work finding out about the lab." Clyde said before he walked out.

Again they sat in the car, tension high between them.

"You alright man?" Clyde asked finally.

"Yeah, it's just a lot to take in, you know."

"I know. This whole thing is pretty fucked up. Not a good addition to an already fucked day." Clyde agreed.

Silence.

"I hate to ask you this right now. . . . But are you going home now or what?" Clyde asked, solemnly.

"I don't know. I don't know if I can ever go home now. What if my dad IS one of them? He could sell me out to the lab for proof of his progress!"

"What we need to know is where he went." Clyde suggested.

"There is only one person who would know right now. . ." Jason said, ultimately dreading that fact.

"Well she IS expecting us." Clyde shrugged.

"I really. . . Thought I was ready for that, but this shit with Mya, and my dad. . . . Getting my shit smashed on top of that. . . I don't think I can take it, honestly."

"Ok, Fuck Emily then! Let's go back to my pl-

Just then Clyde's phone rang

[A/V Steve]

"Hello?" Clyde answered.

[What's up man? Listen. . . I'm still not pumped about how this went down, but if it will help me get revenge on Jason's bitch sister, I thought of something that totally skipped my mind.]

"And that is?"

[I forgot that A: my sister is in charge of running all the lights and visuals for the dance tomorrow and B: I promised her I would help film it so that family's can get copies of it.]

"So?"

[So if you can get Jason to me quick, I can sneak him into my sister's gear. He would be right in the room where he needs to be. Just sneak out of the bag, and initiate the video.]

"What do you mean "quick"?

[My sister is in charge of running everything that night, so she will be gone pretty much all day. If I don't get him in there tonight, the window will be gone. Even though I'm a part of production, Emily banned me from the visual booth for this very reason.]

"Damn dude, she thought of everything!"

[I know. And this is risky as it is. I don't know what my sister will do to him if she finds him. Whether ornot he pulls this off, I wouldn't be able to get to him until my sister gets home.]

"Ok man. I'll let him know. We are going to my house and I'll let him decide."



Minutes later Jason and Clyde sat around Clyde's phone, The name [Emily] on screen.

"You ready?" Clyde asked, making sure Jason was making the right decision.

"Yeah. We need to know."

"Ok, I'll leave you alone then." Clyde said, standing up and walking out of his room, closing the door behind him.

Jason just stared at the phone. This would be the first conversation he had with his sister since she left him with Mya. He didn't know if just talking to her would be enough to freeze him up, but he had to know the truth about their dad.

He hit call.

[Ring]. . . . . .[ring]. . . . . . .[ring]. . . . .

"Ugh!. . .hello?" Emily answered, distaste evident in her voice.

"Em. . . . It's me. . . It's jason."

"Oh! And to what do I owe the pleasure?" Emily asked, radiating dominance with her voice alone.

"I. . . I need to know where dad is." Jason said, using all the courage he could muster.

"Don't worry! Mom and dad will be back tomorrow and this whole ridiculous cat and mouse game will be over. You can stop crying and scheming already, you little baby!" Emily spat at him.

"This isn't about you and me Emily. . . I just need to know where they went this whole time."

"They told us like 50 times Jason! You always do this!" Emily exclaimed.

"Please Emily. . . Please just tell me! I really don't have time for this!" Jason pleaded.

"Uh- YOU don't have time for this?" Emily asked, choking on her words as she got worked up. "I-"

"Emily!" Jason shouted, interrupting her. "Either you're going to tell me or you're not! You don't need to lecture or bully me. I'm already scared shitless of you! You made your point. You won! This is bigger than you or me, so either help me or just hang up!" Jason finished, his passion taking over.

Emily had never heard Jason talk to her like that. Part of her wanted to erupt on him, but the other part knew that he wouldn't be calling if he had any other option.

Jason heard her breathing through her nostrils and knew he was walking the fine line of Emily's anger.

Finally she answered.

". . . . I don't know exactly where they went. Dad was vague about it. It was the West coast somewhere. Oregon or Washington I think." She replied, calmly.

He could tell it was taking all she had not to scream at him.

"Thank you. . . . . Thanks Emily. " Jason said, sincerely.

Quiet.

". . . Don't think I'm letting you off the hook, just because I told you that! You guys trashed my interior!"

"I know . . I don't expect you to forgive that. I only ask that you leave Rachel and Clyde alone. I'll take their punishment."

Silence.

"I'll leave them alone. . . . IF. . . You hand yourself over to me. . . Today!" Emily counter offered.

Silence.

"Emily listen. . . I will do it. . . I will. . . But I can't today. You have to understand."

"Give me one good reason why I should let you. It's just more time for you to weasel out of it. I SHOULD just come over there and grab you right now for being a scheming little shit this whole week!"

"I'm not telling you you can't, but I'm just begging you for more time. I'm not scheming, I promise."

"If you're not scheming, then tell me what you need more time for! And why you needed to know where dad was." Emily demanded.

Silence.

"That's what I thought! I'm coming to get you. Be waiting. No games Jason! I swear to God!" Emily said, through clenched teeth.

[End call]

Jason just sat in silence. He knew the time to run was quickly disappearing. Once Emily arrived, there would be no escape. He called for Clyde.



"What the fuck do you mean she is coming for You?! What did you do!? All you had to do was find out where your dad was man!" Clyde shouted.

"I'm sorry! I tried to do too much. I'm so sorry. " Jason went on like a broken record.

"Bro, I'm not mad. This effects you more than me, I just don't want to see your story end like this! We need to run." Clyde suggested, clearing the air between them.

"She said no games! She won't allow it!" Jason explained.

"Since when do we listen to anything Emily says? She pretty much hates us because we DON'T do what she says!" Clyde said laughing.

"She is going to rip your arms off and beat you with them Clyde." Jason warned, managing a chuckle.

"Fuck it!" Clyde said as he grabbed Jason and rushed out of the house.

He fired up his Honda and sped down the street. Looking back, he saw Emily's car turning the corner at the opposite end of the street, just as they were.

"Hopefully Kimmy will keep her busy. Otherwise, she is liable to destroy my whole room, probably kill Tyler, and who knows what else!" Clyde said, changing gears and picking up speed.

They rushed for Steve's neighborhood, trying to get ahold of him as they drove. He hadn't answered by the time they got there, so they parked the car, and hid on the playground across the street. Hiding in a slide, Clyde tried texting Steve.

[Dude, are you at home? It's an emergency now!]

(I'm still at the school, what's up?)

[We're at your fucking house! Jason pissed off Emily and we had to bail.]

(Typical)

[Do you have any ideas or what, asshole? This was your idea]

(Yeah, but I meant later tonight. I knew I was going to be busy.)

[Holy shit dude!]

(Well fucking tell Jason to keep his mouth shut!)

Silence.

(Shit man! Ok, go to my bedroom window. East side, basement. It's an egress. You should be able to get it open. Slip Jason inside and tell him to stay out of sight.)


"Fucking Steve dude!" Clyde shouted.

"Get me to the window man. It's ok. Nothing ever goes easy."

Clyde peeked over the edge of the slide, making sure the coast was clear, before he went down the slide, knocking over a little kid in the way. The little boy began to cry as Clyde sprinted across the street to the side of the house. He baseball slid up to the window and climbed down into the hole.

"Ok man, here's the window. Get in there. Don't get seen!" Clyde instructed, opening the window. He set Jason inside and prepared to climb back up when he turned around.

"Oh shit! Two things!" He said, reaching into his pocket. "You might need this."

Clyde handed Jason the thumb drive.

"Yeah, that might be useful" Jason agreed.

"Also. . . . This might be the last time I actually see you dude! Whether things go according to plan or not, we gave it out best shot."

"Yeah we did. I'll see you on the other side." Jason agreed, as he turned and jumped off the window sill onto Steve's bed below.

Clyde gave him the peace sign, before he climbed up and out.

Jason didn't really know the lay out of Steve's room, but he figured that getting low was his best bet.

The covers on Steve's bed were a mess, making for slowing going as Jason tried to traverse them. A whole 7 minutes later, he made it to the edge. At this point in his journey, he wasn't afraid of small jumps any more. He thought back to when he had hurt his ankle back in the lab. That fall would be nothing now.

Jason dropped to the floor with a roll, and took in his surroundings. Steve had a ton of camera equipment and lighting under his bed, and it looked like it hadn't been moved in a while, so it would probably be the best bet to wait there for Steve. Jason sat down on the leg of a tripod and got comfortable.