"You gettin' dawn crazy yet, or just tired?"

Spy did not want to respond to this, or any of the other attempts the Engineer had made at conversation, but it had been a long night and the laborer had to be kept awake. The sign for Lubbock had come and gone, and the very first hint of dawn was starting to creep into the sky.

Engineer had been right; the West Texas landscape had been utterly barren in the moonlight. The ground reflected like the desert, but sometimes rolled and swelled with the last of the Rockies. Spy had seen oil derricks kissing the land.

"The only crazy one around here is y- Mon Dieu!" Spy's outburst nearly sent them off the road, but it gave Engineer's reflexes the time to avoid the road's newest traveler, an armadillo.

"Gracious alive, Spook, you nearly killed us both!" Engineer had two hands back on the wheel, and was glaring daggers behind his goggles.

Spy was trying to get his heart rate down. "What was that demon doing out here?" It had looked like something straight out of the movies, some puppeteer's grotesque creation.

"The armadillo?" The Engineer was laughing at him. "They live out here. Second most common road kill counting squirrels. Don't seem to have the sense God gave a goose, but... You never seen one of these little guys before?"

Spy pursed his lips. "Not in person." He hated Texas already, and they weren't even close to the airport.

"You'll probably see plenty more. They're harmless little guys, not much use for 'em. And better hitting one of them than a cow."

"... That is a possibility?"

"More likely than you'd think. Bless my poor Mama's heart, the only two car accidents she's ever been in involved cattle. Country roads'll do that to you."

Texas sounded far more like a land of nightmares than Spy had been lead to believe. If the Engineer was anything to judge by, they had no taste. On top of that, the wildlife was a constant, passive danger. This wasn't Sniper's dangerous Outback, but it was hostile in a far friendlier way. Was that in itself not more insidious?

"And this airport of yours, the planes carry more than one passenger, yes?"

Engie answered with a huff. "It's a brand-spankin'-new airport in a metropolitan area. They have passenger planes, bars, skyscrapers, cabs, and anything else you'd expect with a bi-county population of over 2 million. If you think the whole state's like this dusty ol' road, you ain't seen nothing yet."

Spy crossed his arms and leaned against the door. "Then when we get there, I am buying a drink. I do not care how crowded this airport is."

"...Might be hard purchasin' liquor before noon. Of course, if you're willing to stop at a grocery store and get a whole bottle of-"

"Curse you and your whole wretched state!"

Engie kept his mouth shut. Spy would feel better having the last word anyhow. It was only three more hours of silence before they saw something worth talking about.

"Pull over."

"The pointer's still on 'E' we can get another thirty miles out of her yet."

"This is not about gasoline, laborer, now pull over."

Engie complied and brought the car into the driveway of the Sunoco station. It was early morning, but not too early for the place to still be closed.

"Go around back."

"The restrooms are gonna be inside a nice place like this not-"

"Are you listening to me, or is all you hear 'giddy-up partner, move them cows in'?"

That just made Engie angry. He floored it, launching the truck down the side of the station and yanking the wheel near hard enough to flip them. The truck bounced to a stop, and Spy inadvertently pulled the handle off the cab roof.

"There! We're 'round back! Now what was so darn important that you had to..." Engie looked around and immediately saw what had gotten Spy's attention. It was Sniper's van. "Well I'll be."

Spy cleared his throat. "Indeed." He set the handle on the floor and reminded himself not to piss off the Engineer while he drove. He did not have a death wish.

They both exited the truck and made their way towards the camper. It wasn't riddled with bullets or otherwise maimed. In fact, it looked the way Sniper usually left it. If the two of them didn't know better, they'd say the duo stopped for the night here. But if they did, Scout would've missed his flight by a whole day and Sniper would be hard-pressed to catch his own.

Engine looked through the passenger side window. There were six cans of BONK! in the floorboard, as well as one of Scout's shoes. That was odd. Why would Scout leave the van without a shoe?

"The keys are missing." Spy commented from the other side of the vehicle. "And that silly air freshener."

"It's not over here. Just fallout from Scout."

"Hmph." Spy rounded the van one more time, looking for signs of forced entry. He found none. "It appears as if they left it here. Though I cannot see why."

"Don't think Scout would leave with only one shoe. You know how he is about them."

"Just so." Spy started moving away from the van, back towards the self-service pumps. Engie followed after him, curious as to the man's methods. Spy stooped down and plucked something from the asphalt.

Engie came closer. "What'd you find?"

Spy examined whatever it was before turning and passing it off to his companion. Sniper's little air freshener. It had been run over by a set of tires, and judging by the frayed end of the elastic, ripped off the mirror.

"It explains why the bushman apparently wished to view the dashboard in his rearview mirror." Spy glanced around the lot. "Also why his seat had been adjusted for a person much shorter. Someone has moved his van."

"The same somebody that separated Scout from his shoe?"

"Oui."

Engie paused, looked over at the van, and then back at his truck.

"You reckon Scout's Ma knows how to drive?"

It was a mistake telling Soldier what he'd heard.

It was a big mistake letting Pyro overhear.

The firebug had immediately latched onto his arm, refusing to let go, while Soldier was up on the kitchen table outlining their plan of attack.

"We must infiltrate this den of Soviets quickly, before they corrupt Scout's already feeble mind with their communist brain-whisk!"

"Mrrphh! Mphh hrmrr!" Pyro tugged at his arm.

"Well said, private! They will have also brainwashed the cows. We will have to contend with the bovine threat first! How many barbeque grills can you carry? I can manage three with full stomach and a patriotic heart!"

"Lads, we aren't fightin' cattle."

"Then it is a stealth mission! I will assemble the disguises. Smokey Joe, you will assist me in stealing some hooves."

Demo sighed. It was outrageous, but at least Pyro let go of him. Maybe this could distract them long enough for him to come up with a real plan.

"Guten Morgen." Medic strolled into the kitchen, a happy, exhausted look on his face.

"Mornin' Doc." Demo replied. "You sleep at all last night?"

Medic walked over to the coffee maker and waved his hand. "Twenty minutes at the most. I have found the most exquisite use for fermented cactus juice, but I digress. Where have Solider and Pyro run off to?"

Demo rolled his eye while Medic debated drinking straight from the coffee pot. "They're off to make disguises or... I couldnae tell you. Both of them want to go get Scout 'n Sniper out of this trouble they're in."

"I see." Medic opted to fake civility and drink from a mug. "If they must go, they would have to drive or hitchhike. I am sure you remember that Solider is on the no-fly list."

"Right." Who could forget the incident with the seventeen drums of crude oil and the pelican?

Medic waved his hand. "But it is of no consequence. Heavy is making the stop over to Dallas to help Spy and Engineer straighten this out."

"A stopover in Dallas from California?"

"I now owe him another favor, but I believe he was eager to go once I explained. Besides," Medic either lost track of what he was doing or planned to drink more sugar than coffee, "If it is as much trouble as you said, then they may need the help."

Demo pondered this new development. Heavy could handle himself. He could handle himself very well, especially when it came to killing people. With Spy's subtlety, Engie's brains, and Heavy's knack for intimidation, they might just be able to pull it off without casualties. Knowing them, they'd then make some casualties, but it was a problem a whole days' drive away.

For the umpteenth time that day, the phone rang. Demo looked to Medic who looked back at him with an 'I'm drinking coffee and holding a spoon my hands are full' expression. Demo sighed loudly. "I'll get it."

He picked up the receiver. "Hello? ...Miss Pauling?" Probably not, but who hadn't called them today?

"Non, it is I."

Spy. Spy hadn't called the base today.

"You both made it to Dallas then?"

"Fort Worth, but yes." Engie's voice chimed in. It sounded like they were sharing a phone booth. "Scout's Ma's flight doesn't land for another hour, but we wanted to call in. We found Sniper's van."

"Was he in it?"

"Unfortunately not. It deprived me the chance of getting rid of him and it in one go." Typical Spy. "But we did discover something: neither the bushman or Scout left the van willingly."

Demo nodded, though neither of them could see. "I figured. Got a call from Sniper late last night. He said everything was peachy, but that Medic, 'the boss' needed to have the cash up front for the deal. Didn't make any sense. Then some other bloke took the phone and asked for the enforcer. I think it was a threat."

There was silence on the other end for a long while. Spy finally spoke. "Then they are in more trouble than we suspected. I keep tabs on everyone's former associates, but this reminds me of something specific."

Demo didn't ask the question Engie was busy pestering Spy about. It sounded to him like someone had it out for Sniper. Someone he knew.

"One more thing- Heavy's on his way from California. Medic called him down after we got word from Sniper. Thinks you two could use some muscle."

"Tell Medic that's a wonderful idea. If we're bustin' up a gang we could use a guy who looks tougher than Slim here."

"Is that why you hid behind your dispenser the moment Scout spotted the BLU Spy in our base last Wednesday?"

Demo didn't know how much more of this he could take. Thankfully, Medic tapped his shoulder. "If I may, Herr Demo?" He gladly relinquished the phone.

"Gentlemen, please." Medic began. "If you would meet Herr Heavy when his flight lands this evening, he will be able to assist you. I am also capable of driving down. Demo and Soldier will come with me. Is this an acceptable solution?"

Medic gave a few vague responses, said goodbye, and then hung up. Demo waited for an explanation expectantly. "We should leave for Dallas at once. I have a feeling this will take more time than I anticipated."

DFW International Airport was a pretty big, pretty messy place. Not messy in the way that it looked: DFW was spotless, a stunning display of gates, terminals, and only the residual signs of construction. No, it was messy because of the way it was built. Engie would've missed their terminal if it hadn't been for Spy's quick eye. Ramps, side ramps, and turnoffs were all marked but confusing as all get out. They were a far cry from the sparse road signs they'd encountered coming up.

"A-24, laborer." Spy began fiddling with his disguise kit. "You wait outside the gate, and I will collect Scout's mother."

"Alright, but she's riding in the middle seat. I don't think I can trust you this close to the wheel, after the armadillo incident."

Spy made a noise but didn't otherwise respond. They pulled up to the loading zone for A-24 and Engie put his hazards on. "Don't you be too long, lest they peg you for D.B. Cooper." Rolling his eyes, Spy activated his disguise- a surprisingly ordinary businessman- and exited the truck. Nobody so much as turned their head as he strolled into the terminal.

Engie turned the engine off and waited. None of the traffic officials would come for him here, far clear of the crosswalk and well-within loading zone limits. No, he was just an ordinary fella waiting for a man in a balaclava and a lady from Boston. Engie attempted not to look suspicious, that is, he hoped what he was already doing wasn't suspicious even though there wasn't anything wrong with waiting on an arriving flight. People did this everyday, and there wasn't anything wrong with it. No sir.

He had the jitters something fierce. Maybe it was being on the road too long. He felt antsy sitting in one place like this, even though he could. Loads of other people were waiting on arrivals too. He popped open the glove compartment, pushed aside his gun, and went for a tape buried under his entire history of insurance cards.

Dean "Tex" Martin Rides Again. Engie checked to make sure he'd rewound it- he always did after parking his truck back at the base- before blowing it off and sticking it in the cassette slot.

'Yeah, I'm gonna change everything that holds a memory of you, oh yeah...'

It was his usual driving music, something to preserve his nerves on the big trips. Couldn't stand the sound of the wind whistling by as he drove in otherwise total silence. Sure, he had other cassettes for the big trip from Bee Cave to New Mexico, but he always started with Dean. Didn't feel settled on the road until Tex Martin rode again. Engie relaxed. He'd switch it off when Spy reappeared, but it was nice to have for the time being.

He cracked the windows a touch, making sure the air would be circulating by the time his passengers got back. The day was spoiling to be a hot one, and three people in the front seat of a truck didn't make it cooler.

At long last, he spotted a familiar suit in the crowd. It was funny, how he recognized the suit but not the man behind yet another mask. Could Spy be anybody, at anytime, or just folks he'd killed out in the middle of New Mexico? Engie did not recognize this man, this potential murder victim, but the woman walking next to him was strikingly familiar.

He could see Scout got his looks from his father, whoever that was, but not everything. The boy's Ma was petite but not rail thin. She was shorter than Spy but not by a whole heck of a lot. Clearly more put-together than her son, but similar. There was a solid resemblance. And for such an early hour- after being on a flight no less- her hair and makeup were done with the precision of a practiced hand. The woman could've walked off a magazine shoot not twenty minutes ago and Engie would've been none the wiser.

Not to say Scout's mother was dressed to the nines. As the pair got closer, Engie could see some of the worry coming into visual range. Her dress was nice, something as nice as his own Mama used to get gussied up in to go to the store, but a little too wrinkle-free. Engie doubted she wore it much, if ever. A gift, maybe from her son. He'd gotten to know fabric fairly well with Textile Engineering, but the signs didn't stop there.

Scout's Ma had done her hair neatly, but on the flight she'd bumped it loose or fiddled with it enough to knock a few strands outside the order. He'd seen the same thing on Miss Pauling enough times to figure it was an earmark of stress.

They were getting awfully close to the truck, now. Spy pointed it out with one hand while dragging the lady's suitcase with the other. Engie tried to get a read on that disguised face, to sound out the situation. Spy's body language was a picture of forced calm. He had obviously picked up on the lady's state of mind, and was striving to make natural.

Engie took this as his cue. He made sure the hazards were still going and hopped out of the truck. He left his hardhat on the seat and headed around the other side to meet them.

"Howdy, ma'am. I'm the outfit's Engineer, we spoke on the phone last night." He held out his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, though I wish it were under different circumstances."

Scout's Ma smiled and shook his hand. "It was too nice of you to drive Frenchie all the way out here. I know how he gets when he's bored. Oh..." She stopped, realizing something. "I suppose I oughta call you the 'Spy', shouldn't I? Jeremy told me about how you gents have that 'top secret' vibe an' all." She stopped again, shook her head, and rested a hand at her hairline about where the do was coming apart. "Scout, I oughta call him Scout. One of you twos help me out here."

Engie and Spy exchanged a look. Of course, Spy's end of it was more condescending, but they both got the message. She was under a lot of stress- keeping to together remarkably, mind- and a little out of her area of expertise.

Engie took the lead on this one. "Around us, I reckon it's fine if you say whatever you like. If'n we start talking with the local law enforcement, we've got..." he scrambled for a better turn of phrase for 'fake names'. "...accredited aliases. We're not supposed to give out names- ours or each other's- if we're acting in a capacity affiliated with the company."

It was nervous talk, but mostly accurate. Since Sniper and Scout had vanished, they decided it had become a 'company affiliated' affair. Though Spy seemed to think Sniper was the target, they couldn't rule out the idea that it was more than that.

Scout's Ma took this all in and nodded. "I get it. Frenchie- Spy told me one of your other guys was missin' too, an' that makes it complicated."

"Our Sniper, yes. He was the one driving Scout to the airport. We found his camper van at a gas station a couple miles out of town. I hate to say this, ma'am, but they are missin'. It's not a matter of a missed flight after all."

A pinched expression appeared on the woman's face, and Engie was afraid he'd delivered it too bluntly. But Scout's Ma was no fainting lady. Her brows scrunched.

"I knew somethin' was the matter when he didn't call. With so many boys, you gotta drill it in 'em to call wherever they go, or else you get a call from the cops at t'ree AM tellin' you there was a street fight..." She put her hands on her hips and squared up to the two men. "So, where are we gonna start lookin'?"

Engie raised his eyebrows in Spy's direction and took the suitcase to load into the truck. It was Slim's turn to be in the hot seat. After all, it was his idea to drive all the way out here. He ought to have a plan to get everyone back.

Spy straightened his tie. "We begin with the local law enforcement. It would be best to check the drunk tanks, in case they escaped and their story was not believable." He met the incredulous look. "You would think the same if you knew the bushman."

The suitcase was stowed with the rest of the luggage. Engie heard 'drunk tank' but his mind went to 'morgue'. Scout's Ma would need to know if that was the way the cards fell, but it might be best to keep her in the dark about that part of the search. Besides, it was looking very much like Scout and Sniper had been taken alive. If they were to be murdered all the way out here, it likely would've happened at the van. Or, at least, there would be signs in the van.

"Well," Engie interjected, "the truck's loaded. I reckon we can book some hotel rooms, borrow their phones, and get a jump start searching." He got to the passenger side door and opened it for Scout's mother. "Ladies first."

"Sounds like a good plan, Tex." She accepted his hand-up into the cab. "Looks like we're all about to make like a trio of sardines."

Spy followed in after her and rolled his eyes. Once he was inside the truck, he removed his disguise and slammed the door. Engie hurried back to the driver's side door and climbed in after them. He settled his hardhat on the dashboard, started the engine, and put the truck in drive. They were settled pretty close, but Engie could say he'd chauffeured worse car rides. Any time Solider wanted to go to the store outranked about every other trip.

He managed to get them out of the glistening new spaghetti bowl and back out towards TX-114. Now came the trickier part.

"Head east, towards Dallas."

The Engineer took a deep breath. "The van was closer to-"

"Laborer please-oof-" Scout's Ma shifted enough for Engie to recognize an elbow to the gut. "Ahem. Engineer, I assure you this has nothing to do with your precious Cowtown, and everything to do with where we will be able to find our missing teammates. When we have found them, we can complete your pilgrimage to the Stockyards."

So, Spy had been listening during the long drive over. Fort Worth didn't seem like all that much compared to Dallas or an even bigger city, but it was near as close to Engie's heart as Bee Cave. Sure, Austin was a near neighbor to his hometown and the ol' BCS would hold a piece of him forever, but there was just something else about Cowtown. It didn't have the big ol' capital building or the brand-new Texas Stadium. But when they drove up, he could get a peek of Landmark tower and the world's largest combination rotating clock, digital clock, and four-sided sign.

In his youth, he'd seen the CNB clock when it had first gone up. He was just starting his first PhD when he and some buddies got the wild idea to make the three-hour drive north for the unveiling of this engineering marvel. They arrived in town long enough to park across the Trinity River and watch the clock come to life at 2 in the morning.

After that, Cowtown had become a sort of escape destination. He'd clear his head to whatever 8-tracks he could get his hands on (and a few 10-tracks he'd managed to build with a little gumption and the help of his mother's record player) and take the I-35 straight up.

But this wasn't some wayward joyride. Finding Scout and Sniper was far more important. And, well, with a good pair of binoculars you could read the CNB time from Dallas.

"Alright. I know the lay of the land 'round hereabouts, if the highway construction hasn't shot that to pieces. They say every ten years it's a brand-new Dallas. Where ought I point us towards?"

Spy's hand made for his cigarette case, paused, and returned to the window rest. "A hotel with phones. Low profile. Somewhere a group like ours will not draw attention."

Engie made a turn in the right direction and started doing highway math. Once he'd added a ramp and carried over the lane change, he asked after the next part of the plan. "And then what? Might as well get our ducks in a row before we get there."

"But of course." Spy's fingers twitched again, but whether it was the truck or the lady's presence, he deemed it best not to smoke. "We call the base first, let them know where we are staying. That way if something else occurs, they can let the Administrator know. I'm sure we will be seeing Miss Pauling if that comes to pass."

Whether Miss Pauling would be helping them or putting them out of their misery was anybody's guess. But it was a sound plan. If the boys back in the badlands had heard anything else, this would be a good time to check. In the event that Scout and Sniper had dodged whatever'd got the drop on them, they'd call the base first.

"So," Scout's Ma broke the silence, "you got my boy your Scout, you two, a Doc, somethin' called a Pyro, a Heavy Weapons guy, Demolitions, an Army vet, and a Sniper, right?"

Engie nodded. "More or less, yes."

"Mhmm." Scout's Ma seemed to be thinking. "And I heard plenty about that Pauling gal. She sounds nice."

There was no wondering where she'd heard that from. It stood to reason Scout would call home about his love life- or lack thereof.

"What I guess I'm gettin' at is, are you boys just gonna call me 'Ms. Scout's Ma' or do I get one of them codenames too?"

Engie chuckled, but the more he thought about it, the better idea it seemed. The less they and the general public knew about Scout, the better. The same protections ought to extend to his mother. After all, she was a big part of Scout's life and a big danger to it if the right connections were exposed.

"That ain't a half-bad idea, ma'am. Don't reckon I know what it would be, but I'm sure we can come up with somethin' nice."

"I don't want 'somethin' nice', Tex," she said with a grin, "I want somethin' good. Somethin' that'll make whoever took my boy think twice about doin' it again, y'know what I'm sayin'?"

He knew. Still, it was a matter of putting the thing together. "How 'bout we think on it? If'n we have to introduce you to the fellas, it won't be for a while yet."

Spy hadn't said a word, but his silence wasn't a 'no' either. They'd think on it, even if it were just the two of them.