Author's Note: Thanks to shadowhaseo (well I can tell you Sharta is close) and Sharta (Soon, I promise) for reviewing the last chapter! I own nothing but my OCs


Chapter Four- The Truth and Nothing But The Truth

Mallory leaned against the wall of the base, her eyes closed and face tilted up toward the sun. She didn't so much as flinch when arms wrapped around her waist but the barest hint of a smile curved up on her lips. "You know what I'm thinking?" she asked, her voice carrying easily in the still air.

"What?" Barricade asked, his voice wary. Mallory had to hold in a laugh as she silently asked him for the reason behind the sudden caution. Every time you ask that question we run into some kind of problem, her sparkmate replied and this time Mal really did laugh.

"I'm thinking we need to talk head back to the gun shop," Mallory said smoothly, opening her eyes. "But not for a couple hours. Keller's coming to visit now and I think we need to talk to him about this."

"Talk to me about what?" John Keller asked, running a hand through white hair. The other Autobots and the two soldiers that had gone to visit Hayley's gun shop looked up.

"Hayley Parkin," Mallory replied, narrowing her eyes as she stared at the old politician. John Keller's face turned pale and he ran a hand over his face, his shoulders slumping.

"Tell me you haven't been talking to her," he said, looking seriously worried. "We promised her that we'd bury everything about this case and leave them alone." The second her Keller spoke about was different than the first; something that caught Mallory's attention but right now she had more important matters on her mind.

"What case?" Mal asked, leaning back against Barricade's holoform.

"A missing persons case, seven missing people to be exact," Keller replied. "For a place that made its cover as a mental facility."

"Can you give us names?" Optimus cut in and Mallory raised an eyebrow in silent surprise.

"We promised never to disclose the names," Keller replied, shaking his head tiredly. "I aim to keep that promise."

"Keller I don't mean to pry but there have been three murders in this week alone and seventeen total in the last month," Mallory cut in using a reasonable tone. "This isn't something we can keep quiet anymore."

"Fine," Keller replied. "But get me a chair because this is going to be a long talk." Epps complied and Keller sank down in the chair, looking older than ever. "It all started when they gave us seven names on seven individuals from completely different backgrounds."

"Can you remember all the names?" Lennox asked, pulling out a pad of paper and a pencil.

"Of course," John Keller said with a bitter laugh. "You don't forget the case that changes your life. You ready?" Lennox nodded and Keller sighed before closing his eyes and beginning. "Hayley Parkin; blonde hair and blue eyes, five foot five, age sixteen. Parents are both deceased. Mother was Nicolette Parkin, a private detective, and Alex Parkin, a New York homicide detective." Mallory raised an eyebrow at Hayley's background but didn't comment, letting Keller continue. "Crystal Meridian, daughter of Lilliana Belmares and Carter Meridian of Chicago, Illinois; five foot four with dark brown hair and brown eyes and also sixteen. Andre Ozera; five foot ten with black hair and blue eyes; son of Mariane Ozera of San Francisco, California, age seventeen. Devon Arkham; six foot two with brown hair and green eyes; only child of Nathaniel and Eliza Arkham of some small town in Vermont, age sixteen. Cassandra Parkin; four foot three, younger sister of Hayley and also daughter of Nicolette and Alex Parkin and age six." Here Keller paused as if steeling himself to utter the next name. "Christian Lockwood, son of Raven and Isaiah Lockwood; six foot with black hair green eyes, age nineteen."

Keller paused again, a long heavy pause, and Lennox counted up the names, frowning. "That's only six," he said and Keller nodded slowly.

"I know but the last one is, consequentially, the most dangerous," he replied. "Electra Cordon age seventeen, five foot eight, black hair, and cobalt blue eyes. Daughter of Raven Lockwood and Tyler Cordon."

"Wasn't it rather unusual to get a case on seven children, especially with one being barely school age?" Epps questioned and Keller nodded.

"It was but you didn't question what lost were thrown to you at the time," he replied. "Besides it looked like an open and shut case. They had partially burned down the mental facility and escaped from it and their pictures were everywhere. We thought they'd show up on the radar soon enough."

"You mean ta say they didn't?" Jazz asked and Keller nodded.

"Not a single sign of them for two weeks and we were getting desperate," the former Secretary of Defense replied. "Then one of them showed up literally at the front door of our base of operations unexpectedly. She introduced herself as Hayley and I swear I've never seen her as furious as she was that day. Told us we could cross her sister off the list because they'd killed her and smacked a file down on the table. Said we were looking the wrong direction the whole time and then stalked out."

"So what exactly was in that file?" Mikaela asked curiously.

"The details of the experimentation which I will not disclose to you because it's their choice on what to tell you," Keller said. "And some details we hadn't been able to find along with a couple security camera disks. As it happened we found out that Christian and Electra were siblings but neither one knew it and that Hayley and Cassandra's mother and father had been killed to hide what was going on in the facility." Mallory gasped and Mikaela stiffened, her eyes wide with shock. "That's all I can tell you. Be careful." Then he stood and left the silent base with several thoughtful humans and Autobots.