Unreal
Chapter 25: Even worse news
(2 a.m. at the Dimmsdale Police Station)
"So you have no idea why A.J. took your kids?" Detective Reddy asked.
"No," Timmy said, "all I know is that he said something about making the Turner family pay," he told the detective, "and I only know that because Veronica told me."
"And he took Verine and Chester as insurance," Veronica revealed, "he took Joel because Joel's his son," she added.
"So you don't understand why he's mad at the Turner family?" Detective Reddy asked her.
"No I don't," Veronica responded.
"Well this is quite a predicament," Detective Reddy said honestly, "we have no trail on A.J. or his accomplices and you can't explain why he'd have anything against you," he added.
"Excuse me," Mr. Chi said as he entered.
"Who are you?" Detective Reddy demanded.
"This is now a matter of the Government Secret Task Force," Mr. Chi said formally and showed identification, "all of you follow me," he said to everyone but Detective Reddy.
Everyone exited with Mr. Chi except for Detective Reddy.
(4 a.m. at a Secret Location)
"What!" Timmy shouted.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Veronica demanded angrily, "you had me allowing someone who resented Timmy into my own house!" she shouted.
"He had been an absentee father to Joel for over a year," Mr. Fetters spoke, "how were we supposed to know that he was plotting revenge?"
"But you could've still told us!" Timmy blasted, "now members of both my and the McBadbat's family have been kidnapped," he said, "I should've been told that A.J.'s Dad was sent to prison secretly for helping to cause my parents murder aside from the reason made public for his arrest which was leaking top secret information," he snapped at them.
"I apologize for the horrible situation Mr. Turner," Mr. Chi said formally, "if we had any idea that A.J. was so bitter we'd have kept a sharper eye on him," he told Timmy.
Timmy had his head in his hands in exasperation. A.J. had taken two of his children, two of the McBadbat children and his best friend Chester McBadbat.
"Will you be able to get them back?" Vicky asked in a small voice.
Vicky had been quite since being at the police station. Her past hysteria had turned to paralysing shock. It was a surprise that she was talking again.
"Your kids will be returned to you," Mr. Chi said firmly.
"We have agents out searching for them," Mr. Fetters told them, "A.J. can't get far," he declared.
"I can't place much confidence in that," Timmy said honestly, "A.J.'s a genius," he said solemnly, "when I ran away from Dimmsdale he had already showed off clones of himself for a science project," he said sadly.
"Cloning is practically illegal," Veronica spoke up, "how the hell did he get away with cloning humans back then?" she asked.
There was an uncomfortable silence.
"A.J. is very smart," Mr. Fetters admitted humbly, "but we will catch him," he declared but now sounded far from confident.
Timmy and Veronica picked up on this immediately. But Vicky spoke.
"He's CIA isn't he?" Vicky asked horrifying everyone, "the kid was so smart you couldn't help but rope him into your organization from early," she deduced, "bet his Dad got to the info that he needed through his son's position," she continued, "am I right?" she asked coldly.
Mr. Fetters looked over at Mr. Chi. It was obvious that it was not only Timmy and Veronica who were confused.
"A.J. was taken under the wing of the CIA two months before his third birthday," Mr. Chi revealed to the horror of everyone else present.
"We're up against that kid?" Mr. Fetter asked incredulously.
Mr. Chi sighed and nodded.
"Oh God," Mr. Fetters said and shook his head.
"Our kids aren't coming back are they?" Vicky asked and her voice was empty.
"They'll be back," Mr. Fetters countered.
"Fergis," Mr. Chi warned.
"Forget that you never even told me!" Mr. Fetters shouted, "they've been kept in the dark long enough."
"So what do we tell them?" Mr. Chi asked frankly.
Mr. Fetters went silent and looked at the floor.
"What is it?" Timmy asked them, "what?" he pressed loudly.
"A.J. is very assignment oriented," Mr. Chi explained.
"Are we supposed to understand that?" Vicky demanded in annoyance after a moment of silence.
"He's taken the kids and Mr. McBadbat in order to achieve his objective," Mr. Chi revealed.
"What objective," Timmy asked carefully.
"Getting you," Mr. Chi responded.
"What?" Vicky asked fearfully, "he wants my husband?" she asked very scared, "what's he going to do to Timmy?" she asked in panic.
"Nothing good obviously," Timmy muttered, "you think he'll spare my kids?" he asked the agents.
"He probably wants you to sweat," Mr. Chi said, "taking hostages to cause panic and torture you mentally and emotionally until…"
"He gets his hands on me," Timmy finished for them.
"But A.J. can't do this," Veronica said in disbelief, "he's a good person, I fathered a child for him!" she cried incredulously.
"Mrs. McBabbat," Mr. Fetters said in the voice agents of the law always used when delivering devastating news.
"What is it?" Veronica asked fearfully.
"I don't think he's going to give Joel back," Mr. Fetters told her.
"No," Veronica said softly shaking her head slowly, "no," she repeated.
"Vernie and Chester…" Mr. Fetters tried to comfort her.
"NO!" Veronica screamed, "Joel's mine!" she screamed, "that bastard was a total absentee for over a year of his life!"
"I'm very sorry," Mr. Chi told her.
Veronica fell off her chair sobbing.
Done