Part 35

A/N: Time for a little change of pace, my readers! Hint...you many want to go back and re-read Part 12 if it's been awhile. ;)

"Something isn't right," Emily says, pacing the room.

Patrick looks up from studying Riley's notes. "We heard from Ben just the other day. They haven't found anything."

"That's exactly my point – why is it taking them so long? And don't you tell me it's because there really isn't anything there to find. We both know Riley wouldn't do the things he's being accused of."

"I know, Emily, I know," Patrick sighs. "I just wish there was something more we could do from here. If we could just piece this together…"

"Oh, Patrick, stop. We've been at it for days and we aren't any further ahead than where we were before. These notes," she grabs a handful of them off the table, "are just short-hand references to things we don't understand. We've been biding our time waiting for Ben to give us some other clue, and he's found nothing to tell us? He's too smart, too observant for that. He should have found something his first day there. I'm telling you, something is wrong."

"And what do you think we should do about it, Emily? Call Sadusky? Riley has shut down three airports, now. Sadusky's hands are tied, here, along with every other agent in the nation. He already spared us two people to help Ben and Abigail. I think that's the best he can do for us right now."

"What if we can prove that Riley's treasure is real? They'd have no choice but to put agents back in these locations." She stabs her finger at the map as she speaks.

"That's exactly what we've been doing this entire time. That's what Ben is doing right now."

"That's what he's supposed to be doing, but you don't seem to be listening to me – you never really do. Something is wrong, Patrick. We need to go down to Roanoke ourselves and find out what it is."

Patrick continues to stare down at the table for a second before looking up at Emily. "It'll take us a while to get there. It's not like we can fly, after all."

"Ugh, this traffic is atrocious," Emily complains.

"What were you expecting? Did you think we would be the only ones trying to leave town?"

"Of course not. I'm not an idiot…I'm just worried about Ben and Abigail. And Riley. That poor boy has been through enough."

"Well, he doesn't exactly try to keep himself out of trouble," Patrick chuckles. "He did choose to follow around our son, after all. The Gates are a high-risk family."

"Don't I know it," Emily mumbles. Her cell phone vibrates in her purse and she pulls it out.

"Is that Ben?" Patrick asks hopefully.

"No, it's a text message…from 'Aardvark?'"

Patrick suddenly cranks the wheel, hard, pulling the car off to the side of the road.

"Patrick, what are you doing?" Emily yells.

"It's Riley!" he gasps. "That message – it's from Riley!"

"What are you talking about? How do you know that?"

"Does it matter? What does it say?"

"Uh, it just says 'That bookstore is cursed.' What does that mean?"

"It means we have to turn back," Patrick says, and pulls his car back out into traffic.

"Forty-five minutes?" Emily exclaims, "That drive should have only taken fifteen. And what are we doing here?"

Patrick and Emily walk through the door into the Border's bookstore. "Riley hates this store," Patrick explains. "It's where he lost his car."

"So we're here. What are we looking for?"

"I don't know. Maybe you should send another text?"

"I tried that in the car. There was no answer to any of my questions."

"Then don't ask a question. Just tell him that we're here."

Emily shakes her head, pulling out her phone again. "It's not going to work," she says as she types. She is duly surprised when a text returns just a split-second later. Patrick's eyes light up and Emily gives him a warning glare. "Don't you dare say you told me so, Patrick Gates, or I swear I'll-"

"What does it say, Emily?" he pushes.

"'Follow the yellow brick road.' I suppose we're supposed to find a copy of The Wizard of Oz?"

"I don't know what else that would mean. Let's go."

They quickly find the isle that the book is located on in a back corner of the store and start looking around for anything useful. "There," Patrick says, pointing to a costumer-use computer at the end of the isle. They rush over to it before staring at the screen blankly.

"I'll send another text," Emily offers, and Patrick swiftly nods his head.

We're here, she sends again, but there is no response.

"Try something else," Patrick suggests.

Found it, she tries, but still nothing. "Oh, this is ridiculous," she says, frustrated. "Why isn't he responding?"

"I don't think it's actually him that's been talking to us," Patrick thinks out loud. "It's probably a computer program – automated responses. We have to send the right response back to get a new message."

Emily thinks for a second, then types in a new message on her phone: Reached the Emerald City.

The screen on the computer before them immediately goes black, then a message begins typing itself across the monitor.

"Away above the chimney tops?" Patrick reads aloud just in time before it disappears from the screen, replaced by an impatiently flashing white cursor.

"That's where you'll find me," Emily murmurs, and types it in.

After another agonizing few seconds of nothing, a video suddenly begins to play on the screen – a video of Riley, looking very nervous and with a fresh bruise on his cheek and a split lip. His face fills the screen almost completely, and it appears he his holding the camera as the image keeps shaking around.

"Hey guys. Bet you didn't see this coming, huh? Anyway, I don't have a lot of time to explain. If you're watching this, it means I probably didn't make it."

Patrick and Emily exchange devastated looks.

"Nah, I'm just kidding," the video continues, a mischievous grin plastered on Riley's face. "If you're watching this, it actually means I'm somehow still alive and I'm probably well on my way to the Lost Colony."

There's suddenly a loud knocking sound in the background and as Riley turns his head, the camera shifts to where it faces a sink for a brief second. "Just a minute!" Riley hollers before turning the camera back to his face. "I better get to the point. I'm not sure where I'll be at any given time, but in the end, I'll eventually wind up at the center of the eye. Don't send anyone there to wait for me – you don't know who you can trust. Be careful what you say on your phones and watch your backs. I don't know how many agents Elizabeth has working for her."

Riley drops the camera as another loud bang echoes through the speakers. "Hurry up in there!" a deep voice shouts. "Almost done!" Riley shouts back, scooping the camera up off the ground. "I gotta go before he busts down the door. I'll keep in touch."

With that, the screen goes black again. Patrick and Emily stare at it for another second, and just as they are about to turn away, a new message forms on the screen.

There's no place like home.

They watch helplessly as the screen reverts back to the normal customer-service software, tears welling up in both their eyes.