"Mr. Dodd, parking in West Altadenia is atrocious. How are you going to improve it?" Cabe asked Sylvester as he stood behind a makeshift podium next to Toby sprawled out on the couch.

"Since I ride the bus, I think a logical option would be for more people to use public transportation." Sylvester answered.

"My opponent is a dork. I win." Toby said as he raised his arms in triumph.

"What? I answered everything honestly." Sylvester complained.

"Honesty will get you points at the Pearly Gates- in politics, it gets you crushed." Cabe told him seriously.

"Hello, everybody." Veronica said as she walked into the Garage.

"Veronica. Hi. You're here." Sylvester said distrustfully as an eyebrow rose.

"Oh, is this debate prep for the alderman election?" Veronica asked while ignoring the shade in his voice.

"Yeah, if you can call it that. So, who've you been on the run from?" Toby asked.

"Funny." Veronica told him. "I'm sure you remember what happened back just before Christmas."

"Yeah we remember." Cabe said as he looked at her crossly.

"Is Paige here?" Veronica asked as she felt edgy.

"She went with Happy, dropping your grandson off at school." Toby told her.

"Well, I'm sure she's still mad at me." Veronica told him. "For what happened, but I really need to talk to her for a few minutes."

"When it comes to debate prep, there's a lot you could learn from this woman." Cabe told Sylvester.

"All I've heard from her is obfuscation." Sylvester complained.

"Exactamundo." Toby nearly shouted.

"First of all, Sly, you should always redirect. Answer the question you wish had been asked instead of the one that was." Veronica told him.

"Like when Allie asked me if I liked vegan food. I said yes. I like broccoli and carrots. I just left out that I like them next to a steak." Cabe told him.

"That sounds like a lie." Sylvester frowned.

"No, it's a pivot. I will admit that it has forced me to supplement my protein intake with a lot of jerky." Cabe told him.

"Yes, I have noticed." Toby teased seriously.

"Veronica?" Walter said as he came down the stairs of the loft.

"Hi Walter." Veronica smiled.

"Hey big brain, what's with the seashell on your desk?" Toby asked quickly.

"A failed idea." Walter answered dismissively while still looking at Veronica. "What are you doing here Veronica? Paige is going to be upset about this." Walter said as he turned to face her once he reached the bottom of the steps.

"What kind of failed idea?" Toby dug as he sat on the corner of Walter's desk. He pulled the conch shell up and putting it to his lips he blew into it.

The Garage echoed with the clarion sound created by the conch shell.

"I know but I need to tell her something. I promise what I tell her will make a big difference." Veronica told him.

Walter frowned at Toby and looked back at Veronica.

"This is not going to end well. And we have a client due here momentarily." Walter told her.

"Come on Walter, what's up with the shell? Are you dating Sally down by the seashore and you need shells to pay her?" Toby grinned.

"No. You know I'm in a relationship with Paige." Walter said disgustedly. "It was made clear to me that my decision-making could be a bit, um…"

"Tyrannical." Toby joked.

"I was gonna say unilateral, but your input is heard and appreciated." Walter told him.

"Overcompensation by way of agreeability and inclusion." Toby told him while shaking his head.

"Wrong. But appreciated. Anyway, we're a team. Everyone's feelings should be heard, not just mine." Walter tried to stress.

"Anyone that graduated middle school knows the conch method. It's from Lord of the Flies. You know this'll flame out when you eventually snap like a rubber band; being genial isn't your nature." Toby told him.

Veronica saw Paige as she stepped through the door and quickly stepped around Walter.

"Walter is working to improve his nature, Toby." Paige said harshly to him as she heard his comment.

"Man, the traffic was brutal today." Happy complained after she walked in behind Paige.

"You're wrong Toby, but." Walter paused looking at Paige. "Uh, appreciated. Since today's case is relatively simple, I figured we could implement, uh, a soft tryout?" Walter looked at his watch. "Transportation for Crooning Crane Winery will be here very soon." Walter looked at Veronica. "We have a private job to revamp their viticulture technology with selective harvesters and optical sorters." Walter explained before he looked at Toby. "But Paige said the shell wasn't worth trying."

"Oh, so I'm wrong but she can tell you the same thing I am and that's okay? Great logic there 197." Toby told him.

"Mom? What are you doing here?" Paige demanded as she saw Veronica back behind Walter as she stepped up to Walter.

"What if I said it's Bring Your Mom to Work Day?" Veronica smiled weakly.

"Uh, Toby and I forgot my model for the sap flow sensors." Happy told Walter as she was feeling uncomfortable.

"What? The client's minutes away." Walter said but realizing his outburst he tried to cover. "But, uh, I'm sure there's a good reason." Walter sighed looking at Paige.

"Uh, we were awake all night in a wedding venue rabbit hole." Happy said but was clearly feeling apprehensive.

"In other words, we spaced, but we'll get it and we'll meet you at the winery." Toby told him as he walked past Walter and Paige. He took Happy's arm and they rushed out of the Garage.

Paige looked at her Mother.

"I'd say that it doesn't exist. So, why are you here?" Paige demanded from her Mother. "You know how dangerous it is for you to be here."

Before Veronica could answer the door opened again and Miss Walker, Scorpion's latest client, walked in.

"Our client, Miss Walker. We are ready to leave with you, but Toby and Happy will be joining us at the winery." Walter greeted her while silencing Veronica and Paige.

"But we provided transportation for the whole team, so everyone could sample the wines before arriving." Miss Walker told him.

"Mm, adding roughly ten percent to our overall job time. So, how about a ten percent discount in our fee?" Walter countered.

"I just need to make a quick call." Miss Walker said as she turned and stepped out of the Garage.

"Of course." Walter told her before looking at Paige.

"I thought we agreed we weren't using the conch?" Paige asked Walter as she stepped up and kissed him.

"We did, I just thought I would try the softer language. Did I err?" Walter asked as he studied her expression.

"No, I like you trying to be softer with the guys. Just remember, when you get frustrated with people, this softer language may cause you to create a bigger outburst." Paige grinned.

"If you will all come with me." Miss Walker said as she looked in the door.

Sylvester jumped up with his gear and walked out followed by Cabe. Paige turned and started to walk towards her desk.

"Paige?" Walter questioned.

"Just putting my tablet away." Paige told him.

"No, just bring it. Our client is already testy." Walter smiled.

Paige smiled at Walter for picking up on that and nodded as she turned and walked with him. They were followed by Veronica. Walter stopped and locked up the Garage while Paige tucked her tablet into the pocket in her sweater.

"Paige, I'm not wanted by them anymore." Veronica said a bit exasperated that she couldn't have a single conversation with Paige.

"Wait, what?" Paige asked, looking at her as they settled into the back of the limo.

"When I left back at Christmas, I really missed you, Ralph and Walter too. So as hard as it might be for you to believe I made a calculated gamble. I went to them with all the money I owed them plus fifty percent and paid them off. They were satisfied and I'm free from them." Veronica smiled.

"Mom, I really want to believe this." Paige told her desperately.

"I know baby, I've been such a disappointment it is easier to believe the opposite of what I say. But I am being truthful." Veronica smiled.

"Why don't you have a drink, kid? It'll take the edge off. As my Italian forebears would say…" Cabe told Paige.

"Cabe." Walter cautioned as he watched Cabe miss pouring the wine.

"What? I give a healthy pour." Cabe grinned.

"What was the name of the guy who hated the Smurfs?" Veronica asked.

"Gargamel." Sylvester told her.

"Oh, I think he's driving that SUV right there." Veronica said with a giggle.

"Look. Guys, we're being drugged." Walter warned them.

"No, we're just getting liquored up." Cabe laughed not realizing he barely had a few sips.

"Yeah." Veronica agreed as she laughed with him while holding a dry flute glass.

"No, smell it. The air, it smells sweet. It's kevloturane. It's a subtle knockout gas." Walter warned them.

"Maybe we should all take a nap." Sylvester offered.

"W-W-We're moments away from being unconscious. Here. It won't budge." Walter said in frustration trying his door.

"Locked." Paige said as she tried her door.

"I got this." Cabe said as he pulled his service weapon out.

"No, no, no, no, no, no. Kevloturane is flammable. If a bullet creates a spark, then the limo will explode." Walter warned him.

"Why don't we all pop the corks of the champagne bottles at a single window?" Paige offered.

"Yes! Yes. Okay. Shake the bottles to build up pressure, and then release the corks at every corner of the windows. Are you ready? On three. One… Two…" Walter said before they all passed out. The sound of the bottles falling onto the floor of the limo was the last sound from the back of the limo.


"Oh. Where the hell are we?" Cabe complained.

"Walter?!" Paige panicked and then saw Walter getting up on his knees.

"Right here love." Walter said before he half crawled over and shared a kiss with her.

"Somewhere we're not getting out of, without Happy. Look, card reader." Cabe said pointing.

"No fumar." "Agua". Spanish? I'm not sure that we're in the United States. Look, Central American outlets." Sylvester pointed.

"Someone drugged us and flew us out of the country?" Cabe frowned.

"They took our wallets and our phones. Okay, list of Central American countries with three and a half hour flight time from Los Angeles." Walter said.

"Look, high-end printing press…and recently printed sheets of U.S. $100 bills." Veronica said.

"This is a counterfeiting operation? What do they want with us?" Paige asked.

"Oh, no. We're being set up." Walter said.

"Did you have something to do with this?" Paige demanded from Veronica.

"Absolutely not…as far as I know." Veronica looked worried.

"This team gets into a lot of trouble, but we never get kidnapped." Paige told her.

"Toby got kidnapped." Sylvester chimed in.

"We don't get kidnapped en masse." Paige said exasperatedly.

"Okay." Sylvester conceded.

"El Salvador, Guatemala... Oh, I hope it's not Norteguay." Walter said finally.

"Well, that's just as bad as North Korea. And Norteguay has been rattling their sabers at the U.S. ever since that last round of sanctions." Cabe told them.

"Threatening to kidnap our scariest geeks?" Veronica frowned.

"But their threats are nonspecific, and their dictator, Alejandro Durante. He calls them earth-shattering. Now, he's the kind of guy, he starves his own people. He feeds his enemies to his kill dogs." Cabe told them. "Man, I wish Rusty and the gang were here."

"Oh, God, I hope it's not Norteguay." Sylvester whispered in panic.

"Okay, we need some way to contact the outside but they've taken our phones and computers." Walter frowned as he thought. Suddenly Walter grinned. "Paige, do you still have your tablet?" Walter asked her.

"I-I think so." Paige said and then reached into her sweater pocket and pulled it out.

"Perfect." Walter grinned and then they heard a beep from the door. "Put it away." Walter said as he stepped in front of Paige so he was between her and the door to give her some cover.


"Lucinda? What exactly is going on?" Walter asked as their 'client' stepped in with a man who was holding an automatic rifle.

"On behalf of our beloved leader, I welcome you to Norteguay." Lucinda smiled evilly.

"Oh, boy." Sylvester said.

"You've been brought here to rectify the damage Norteguay has suffered from crippling U.S. sanctions." Lucinda informed them.

"Your own guy caused that, not us." Walter said defiantly.

"My brother, President Durante, is not the problem. His mission is to reclaim the glory of Norteguay, using the same means by which it was stolen." Lucinda explained.

"The U.S. denied you dollars, so you're gonna make fake ones." Walter said pointing towards the fake money.

"You'll finish creating half a billion in counterfeit American dollars. When you're done, you'll be released." Lucinda promised a little too easily.

"I'm not sure I'm buying that." Veronica stated clearly.

"Finish? Who's the guy that started them? Wait…Anders Dietrich. Swiss Professor of Criminology who specialized in counterfeiting. He disappeared a month ago at his office at the University of Geneva." Sylvester explained as his thoughts drifted over an article he read.

"Probably took the same limo ride as us. Where is he now?" Paige asked suspiciously.

"The professor was unable to replicate the American bill's newest innovations, the 3-D holographic strip and the varnish seal. His memory should serve as a motivator not to fail at those two tasks." Lucinda almost purred.

"His memory…We're not counterfeiters." Paige told her.

"According to dark site discussions you expertly faked UN ID badges and created an exact 3D-printed replica of a 2,000-year-old ceremonial bowl from Djibouti. Now, if you're incapable, we have bullets with your names on them." Lucinda informed them.

"Guilty as charged. We make 'em, we fake 'em, we turn 'em over to you, you take 'em. That's our motto." Sylvester said in an overly friendly but nervous voice.

"Start copying and printing the holographic strips. When the rest of your team arrives, Dr. Curtis will balance the biochemical dyes for the phosphorus varnish. And your engineer will configure the plates." Lucinda told them.

"Which means they're on their way or you haven't caught them. And if you haven't, good luck." Walter told her.

"They'll be here soon. So get the job done or your non-geniuses die." Lucinda threatened.

"You're not gonna kill a U.S. federal agent, and Paige is the only way these guys can function." Cabe told her.

"And without me, you're going to be printing bills that even a clerk at the 7-Eleven could spot." Veronica bragged.

"You? You're the one I kill first." Lucinda said arrogantly.

"Really? Because your phosphorous varnish won't work. The U.S. government says publicly that's what it uses, but it's a red herring. You need hydroquinone." Veronica told her confidently.

"Mom. They seem to know what they're talking about." Paige said worriedly.

"The phosphorus looks good at first, but it dries sticky. Uh, feel free to look up my criminal record. I served ten months for counterfeiting perfect copper mine deeds." Veronica explained while ignoring Paige's words.

"Couldn't be prouder." Paige said sarcastically trying to keep her worried feelings at bay as she looked at Walter.

"We can try your method. If it fails, you die. We have the chemicals in another room." Lucinda gestured towards the door.

"Mom!" Paige said, feeling panic even as Walter put his arm around her.

"It's okay sweetheart, I know what I'm doing. I've got years of misdeeds that can serve us well here." Veronica told her. Veronica wanted to take Paige with her, to protect her, but she knew she wasn't in a good mental place to be away from Walter.


Greetings! I hope this finds you all well!

Well FFN went belly up again on comments and story stats. Looks like it "lost" your chapter 8 comment LouBe, sorry I didn't reply to it. But now it seems everything has been righted and the comments are now appearing. Yes, Ms XXX had stopped talking so hard. I had originally planned on it resolving everything in the first story but, whatever was clogging my muse just stopped everything. So hopefully since my muse has been talking in Callan again, that means it will come back around and let me write the next story.

To the Adventure! -Tim