Leo had completely understated Mike's training regimen. Gabby was so tired by dinner time each night that she had just enough energy to get through her meal. She had to work the fitness equipment for half the day. Then, she had to do an endless succession of sit-ups, push-ups, and other strength inducing exercises. There was more Clan education and history lessons in the evening, which Gabby actually looked forward to. It gave her insight to her uncles' and father and their personal histories. Some of it was quite unsettling, though - especially their many battles with the Foot and other enemies who despised their existence. But, she was still intrigued with their home in the sewers!

At one point, she asked Mike, "Sensei, have you ever gone back to New York to see your old home?"

Mike had become quiet, but not annoyed with her the way Don had been when he was asked the same question. Michelangelo looked down at his feet in contemplation for a moment. Finally, as he looked up at Gabby, he answered her, "I thought about it, especially when the kids acted like I was just telling fables. When they treat the things that we have as if it was just the norm, yeah, I would have liked to give them the grand tour of my old stomp'n grounds. But, to be honest, other than Raph, not one of us has had any desire to ever go back there again. It was very difficult on us, Gabby; we were starving an awful lot, though we didn't realize it at the time! "

Gabby thought deeply about what Mike had shared. She finally told him, "One day, I would like to go and see! Maybe with Gaele and the others and maybe my father, too! We'll need a guide, after all. "

Mike was amused and then touched that Gabby would show any kind of interest, "You're the first of all of them to even take it that seriously!" He said gustily. "When I reminisce about those times, Gaele just rolls her eyes and Devon leaves the room. Guess the story's too surreal for them." Mike sighed. "Actually, considering where we are now, it does seem kind of like a bad dream."

Gabby commented. "Compared to how I came to be, I like your story better, Sensei!" she said, smiling. "I think my beginnings are more strange than yours!" and she laughed a little.

"Yeah, I guess so. We just look at our mutation as an accident. Yours, however, was planned out and designed. Kind of like science fiction, but in this case it's more like science fact! "Mike mused. "But, I wouldn't trade any of it for what the alternative could have been."

"You mean, crawling around in a swamp doesn't appeal to you, Sensei?" his student asked, smiling mischeviously.

"No, living in someone's aquarium doesn't appeal to me. I'll take the swamp over that any day! "And then Mike busted up laughing.

The tools were worked sparingly, but when Mike did give her time with them, it wasn't nearly for as long as she would have liked. Gabby was starting to enjoy working the equipment, which made it hard for her to do the other 'boring' stuff. But, she never faltered in her determination to do her best, regardless.

With her fear of the dark pretty much conquered and her obedience willingly given, Mike was pleased with her development by the end of her second week. On Friday, he decided to take her and Devon back out to the cove. It was not a break from her training, though.

Rahab had packed a lunch. The weather was chillier than it was the weekend before, so Gabby had to do what Mike and Devon did and wear a wetsuit. She hated it. It was so tight in spots it hurt. But, she endured it silently, mainly because she couldn't really tell Mike why it hurt. If Rahab had been along, she would have told her that the suit proved it was a curse to be female.

Gabby thought Mike was going to put her out on the surfboard right away. Instead, he wanted her to run - in her wetsuit, no less. Not on the water-packed sand, but the loose deep stuff that dragged her down. Devon and Mike ran as if they were on turf, sprinting easily across the sand, hardly leaving footprints in their wake. Gabby was impressed but even with her ability to watch and then do likewise, she just couldn't get the hang of it!

"You need to run on your toe-tips!" Mike explained. "You can dance ballet, right?" Gabby nodded, and then Mike said, "It's like that."

However, Gabby's expression changed in that instant. She started to giggle.

"What? What'd I say?" Mike asked, clearly confused.

"I can't say....." and she busted up some more.

Mike started to smile in response, but he still didn't have a clue why Gabby was laughing. Her mirth reminded him of when she and Seth started laughing hysterically only a couple of weeks earlier. That occasion had Don being the focus of their attention.

Devon was equally perplexed, looking at Gabby, who was practically in tears, as if she had completely lost it.

"Com'on, what is it?" Mike insisted, grinning. "Hey, you're looking at the main laugh man! I can take a joke better 'n all of 'em."

"I can't, really .....You might not be too - hmmm – amused." and she guffawed louder.

Devon started to chuckle, just because Gabby's laughter was starting to get to him.

"I promise I won't be offended, okay? I have a sense of humor." Mike insisted, smiling.

"Okay...but understand I couldn't help myself. It just kind of popped in my head. The minute you compared running on the sand like ballet, I pictured you and Devon....." And she then busted up some more, " Oh my.... in a tutu!" and she completely lost it, holding her sides as she doubled over in laughter, eventually sitting down on the sand.

However, she found that she was the only one laughing. Gabby sobered up, but just barely. Mike stood there, as did Devon, with his hands on his hips, clearly not happy, as she had rightly assumed. Their consternation only made it worse for Gabby as she let out one last snort of laughter. Biting her lips to keep them closed, she shuddered with a silent guffaw as she attempted to be serious. She stood back up, the magic of the moment lost. But, it was then that Mike let loose with his own rendering of a laugh, more like a bark, which startled Devon out of his indignation. Finally, all three of them enjoyed a good chuckle. It took a while to compose them selves, but they did manage to get back to the task at hand.

The three of them ran, two leaving no trace of footprints, with one who did. Gabby squinted back at her highly visible trail and then shook her head, "I did as you said, but...."

Devon then suggested, "Pretend you're air."

Gabby grinned, " Oh yeah, and I'll just float away, right? Not this girl." and she laughed.

Mike then said, "Mind over matter, Gabs. You want to leave a trail, you will. If you don't, you won't. "

"It sounds easier than it really is. I just don't know..." she replied, a bit agitated.

"It'll take time, but in time you will understand." Her uncle reassured her.

They did several more runs and near the last one, Gabby's trail was considerably less evident. Mike was satisfied, given the fact that it took him years to be able to get to his current level. He then told Gabby to get a surfboard.

Gabby went and grabbed up one of the boards, then hefted it over to Mike. "Now, help yourself!" he said, swinging his arm towards the surf. Devon had his and was already heading for the water. Gabby looked after him and thought back to last Sunday when she was determined to go it alone the next time. But, that was nearly a week ago. Now, she didn't have a clue how to go about it.

"Ah, how do I..." she asked timidly.

"You'll figure it out! Just watch Devon." Mike answered Gabby before she could finish her sentence. He left her to go get his board. There was no way he was going to be at the beach and not do a little surfing himself. He waited, though, until Gabby had a few runs in.

With the surfboard tucked under her arm, she walked towards the water. However, that familiar knot of anxiety hit her like a ton of bricks. She stopped momentarily, swallowing her fear back. Mike didn't say anything, but waited for her to regroup herself. He didn't want to be the one to push her, but instead wanted his niece to push herself.

Gabby could feel her knees shake and thought for sure they would buckle at any moment. However, she remembered her conversation with Seth and his possible return by Thanksgiving. Next thing she knew, she was in the water running full barrel with the board!

When she was knee-deep in the surf, she threw the board in front of her the way she had just seen Devon do and hopped on. Paddling out beyond the surf, she managed to turn the board around towards shore. She saw a wave forming and decided to ride it in on her posterior rather than by standing. Gabby would do the next one on her feet - if she could make it that far! However, she wasn't able to control the board very well sitting down and it flipped her just before she reached the shoreline. The wave tumbled her around as it slammed her into the sand, the board narrowly missing her head! Completely soaked with some seaweed hanging off her head, Gabby stood up and shook it off. Gabby's ears were plugged up from the water so she couldn't hear, but she could see that Mike appeared like he was having a seizure! When she finally shook the water out, she could hear again. Gabby then realized that he was laughing.

"Oh boy was that funny! HA!" he said as he finally regained his composure. Gabby was not amused.

"What was funny?" she asked, getting a bit annoyed as she retrieved the surfboard.

"The way you tumbled around. Gad, it was hilarious!" and he had to wipe the tears from his eyes.

"Well, I almost drowned!" she protested. "And that board almost slammed into my head!"

"It didn't, so don't worry about it. But, wow, that was a real side-splitter!" Mike sniggered, watching his niece.

Gabby held her tongue, only because she wasn't sure if Mike was trying to bait her into an outburst or what. Or, get back at her for envisioning him in tutu. At this point in her training, she was reviewing a lot of what happened the week before. Once any of them had something on her that was a negative attribute or a weakness, they'd push her until she pushed back. Raphael knew that Gabby didn't like being laughed at, so considering that he may have shared the fact with Mike, she kept herself in check. Finally, she decided to go with the flow, "Wish you had a camera, I'm sure!" and smiled thinly.

Mike nodded and smiled back, "Yep would have been nice."

Over the next couple of hours, Gabby returned to the surf many more times, managing to ride the waves by standing on the board. Steering it was not as easy to learn as other things had been for her. The movements of control were very subtle and the capriciousness of the water unpredictable. The waves definitely had a mind of their own.

Most of the time, she could ride the surfboard in without falling off. But, there were other times she did more of the tumbling and bouncing around in the surf which had Mike in hysterics. She ended up learning to laugh at her own expense and found the effect much easier to bear than getting offended and mad. By the end of their time at the cove, Gabby was getting pretty decent at surfing.... and she was enjoying it.

That night was like all the rest. Gabby thought just getting through her meal before falling asleep was a minor victory. Then, after dinner, there was more learning about the Clan life. Gabby was amazed with all the rules. She had no idea belonging to a Clan could be so complicated! She was more than appreciative for her excellent memory, but she wanted more than anything to come to the end of this lesson. Did they add to it each week just to give her something to do? She was actually starting to believe that was true.

Near the end of the last session Friday evening, Mike opened it up for Q and A.

"I'm overwhelmed with all these rules, Sensei. Who made them, anyway?" Gabby asked.

Mike was quiet for a moment, and then answered her, his voice soft, "Splinter did. As we grew and experienced life in and around New York, there were situations that were a danger to us or we were a danger to once we were trained. He took a lot of what he learned from his master, Hamato Yoshi, and then mixed it with the rules he created to keep us and the people of New York safe. "

Then, Mike changed the subject, "It was a lonely time, but we did manage to make a few friends. There were only four humans that we were able to put our trust in - Professor Perry being one of them! They helped us in many ways to augment our safety and to keep us from starving." Mike paused and thought about the thirty plus years that had passed since those days, "It seems like a bad dream, all the things we had to go through way back then. I look at my house and business, I think about the yacht I have back east and my family --- gads, I have a wife and kids! Back then, we were so unique and one of kind that the idea of even finding someone who would put up with us was a pipe dream!"

Mike became wistful as he considered his current life. "But, you know, it all works out! I keep hoping someone like you will come along for Devon, but he'll probably have to settle for a human wife! If Gaele can't find a way to bridge the genetic gap between our species and them, Devon probably won't ever have kids!"

Gabby asked, "Is that why he's so confrontational?"

Mike nodded, "I'm sure that's part of it. His dad - your dad - was just as unsettled at his age. Raph was very antagonistic and full of anger for many years. "

Gabby thought about her own raging emotions and wondered if it was more heredity than just the way she came into being. Either way, she was tired of losing control and even more tired how the family would respond to her!

Mike continued, "Raph knew better than all of us how lonely our existence was going to be unless a miracle happened. Rahab was that miracle! It was just by chance and maybe one instant of bad judgment that she had kids by three of us! My morals weren't all that stellar when we met and Rahab was confused as to who she was. She became pregnant with Gaele shortly after she came to live with me. I was living in the outskirts of Mojave at the time. Shortly before Rahab knew she was expecting Gaele, she met Raph there when he stopped in on one of his 'swing-bys. He was working for Don at the time and liked to use my place as a means to wind down after doing a job. Anyway, she decided to hook up with him and they ended up getting married shortly before Gaele was born. Then about three years later, she had Devon."

Mike rubbed his chin as he took a pause in the story. He looked across the gymnasium floor as he thought about the difficult time he had seeing Raph married to Rahab. "You know, I loved Rahab even with all she put me through, even while she was married to Raphael. I respected their marriage and never would have tempted myself with her. It was her choice, after all. But, then she became pregnant with Seth and ....well, Seth ended up being more special than just by how he was conceived. His beginning put a lot of pressure on Rahab and Raph's relationship. Your dad couldn't hack it, the marriage thing and having Seth in the house. Raph was a free spirit and he also had some residual effects from the many head injuries he'd suffer through the years. Once they divorced, I ended up marrying Rahab. We had Riahna then and so far, that's about it as far as kids are concerned."

Gabby meekly said, "Maybe you shouldn't be telling me all of this? Some of it sounds kind of personal."

"Naw, you're family. It's part of Clan lore, for cry'n out loud. No secrets here, okay?! Everyone knows how you came to be, so..... As far as Seth is concerned, Leo had a dream that basically predestined his son's birth. That was the temptation where he sort of fell from grace. He was seduced by Rahab's vulnerability. She just had Devon, Raph was having serious seizures and they were both in Japan at the time. Leo had taken an oath of celibacy, but he just found himself in a weak moment. I think he saw all these kids being born and wanted one, too. Can't blame him! Not like there weren't a slew of us to take up the slack!" Mike laughed, and then continued, "However, Seth's existence became a blessing, as it turned out. Leo had been plagued for years with some sort of mental disorder he kept under wraps - so we thought. Turned out it was like a spiritual battle for him. Seth's a Christian, as you know, and his family is pretty important to him. But, the moment he found out about Leo being his real father, he just dumped me! At least, that's how it felt anyway. To make a long story short, Leo had taken off after Splinter died to who knows where - Nepal, we found out later - and Seth brought him back after staying through a couple of winters up there in the mountains. Ended up that Leo had the demonic spirit of Saki in him and Seth was able to exorcise it out. That all happened right here, by the way."

Gabby was transfixed with Mike's story. When he talked about Saki's spirit being taken out of Leo by Seth, she felt some dread. "Is Saki gone?"

"Yeah, he is! Saki's gone for good - thanks to Seth. Despite everything with Leo and Rahab, Seth's quite special, Gabby! Outside of his paler skin tones and those eyes of his, he has a talent that goes far beyond anything spiritual. He won't talk about it, since his Christian faith opposes such things. Too bad, too, 'cause if he would develop it, Seth could easily fill the void that Splinter left when he passed away!"

Gabby was quiet for a long time. She mused," Gosh, Sensei, your life story would make a great movie!" and smiled sheepishly, thinking it was a silly thought.

"Actually, Gabby girl, that's how we acquired our wealth!" Mike remarked, smiling.

"No way! You made a movie about your life?" she was surprised. "That seems rather revealing, don't you think? How does that fit in with all these Clan rules about keeping a low profile and not getting one's picture published?" she asked.

"For starters, we only took it as far as introducing the professor with the mutagen - that encompassed two movies. We used actors in costumes that were a vague representation of what we really looked like! After that, Hollywood started having some fun with the idea and we were only involved as far as making sure the characters stayed true to themselves. We had a fifty-five percent share on our image and anything having to do with us. That was Donnie's shining moment. If you know anything at all about Hollywood..." Gabby shook her head, indicating she didn't.... "You'd know that it's unheard of for anyone outside that industry to get so much!"

Mike seemed to be revisiting that time as he stared off a bit. Then, he continued, looking back at his niece, "As far as Clan rules are concerned, we were already found out in New Mexico. The news of us spread like wildfire worldwide! Splinter decided that we needed to explain ourselves in order to calm the masses. So many people thought we were aliens, or terrorist. It was expedient that we right the fears and myths that were getting out of hand. That's why one of the rules is, never hit a human! Not ever unless they invade your home! Raph did early on before we created that rule and he lost everything, including his freedom for a year! Don is very tight with that one, too! There are also exceptions to the no photos rule! I'm in a high-profile industry where it's nearly impossible to be invisible. I'm somewhat retired as far as being a working ninja, so Don gave me permission to do this biz. Injuries have made me ineffective on the battlefront, anyway, so it's just as well!"

Gabby asked, "So, sometimes you make rules as you go along?"

Mike nodded, "Depends, but if there's a major problem and it deals with behavior and how it affects either the family or our public image - yes! It's not unlike the government when they discovered how easy it was to get a bomb onboard a plane. Years ago, the airports didn't have the security they have now. But, ever since 9-11 way back in 2001 when the World Trade Towers were destroyed, the entire airline industry changed overnight! Rules are made to protect and ensure safety. Just the way it is!"

There was a bit more on the turtles' history, but the most important stuff was already talked about. Soon, Mike ended their session and he excused Gabby for the evening. She bowed respectfully to him and then headed upstairs to see the professor.

Her visit with the professor that night was a welcomed relief for Gabby. She asked him if they could just watch a movie or the news or something that didn't have to do with her day. Although he wanted very much to hear about her surfing experience, she promised him that on Sunday she would recap it all for him then. She retired later to her bedroom and didn't have any trouble falling asleep!

The next day was Saturday and Gabby's second time at Mike's studio. She decided to forego her laps in the morning since the water was becoming too cool for her. She opted, instead, to get up just before Seth would be praying for her. She did her meditating in her bedroom this time, thinking about him and praying that the Lord would keep him safe. Gabby was now referring to Seth's god as Lord and the act of praying was not so alien to her anymore. She found a peace and contentment that had long eluded her and wondered if maybe she was getting close to accepting this Savior that Seth loved so much. It would be something for her to talk over with him the next night, if talking with him was allowed!

Driving into Monterey, Mike told Gabby that he had some running around to do and would have some more filing and other things for her to keep her busy at the studio. Devon would be there, she was told, while Jason would help her learn the different aspects of the business. Then, both of them would take her to lunch. Mike cautioned her, "I don't want to hear any unsavory reports this time! Behave yourself, Gabs! "

"I will! I promise!" Gabby said, smiling! After Jason had rescued her, she felt her dislike for him lessen somewhat. But, he still bugged her. The way he had looked at her that day at the beach when she was in her bathing suit was quite annoying. It made her feel very insecure and she'd had enough of feeling that way by then. However, the incentive to have Seth home by Thanksgiving solidified her resolve to get passed it.

Things went relatively well the first half of the day. Gabby was given twice the amount to file, but she decided not to show off and worked at an even pace. She realized that she had flaunted her intellect a bit the week before when she had everything done quicker than Mike had expected. The motivation was purely to do a job worthy of her efforts, but a little pride was mixed in there as well. After doing the study in Romans, Gabby realized that her reaction towards Jason when he checked her work was due in part to having her pride hurt. The Bible had more than enough examples of what happened when someone put their pride before everything else! And, Gabby had certainly paid the price for it with the tongue-lashing Mike had given her!

Jason showed her around areas in the studio that she hadn't seen the previous week. He went on to explain that Mike had security cameras everywhere - except for the bathrooms and one large storage closet. "Who wants to know that they're on 'candid camera' in the restroom? " he laughed! Gabby smiled uncomfortably, having to agree with him on that. "And who cares if someone takes a broom, eh?" he added.

About lunch-time, Jason came into the receptionist room where Gabby had taken over when Gracie went home. "Say, hey, Gabby, let's do lunch, 'kay?!"

"Where's Devon?" she asked.

"He had some unexpected phone calls. Told me to go on ahead with you and he'd grab something at one of the vending machines out back."

"Oh..." Gabby mused. "Ah, why don't we do the same?"

"Naw, not when Mike gave me an expense account! There's a great place in Monterey; you'll like it!" Jason insisted.

Gabby worked the inside of her cheek, clearly not at all happy with this turn of events. She knew that if she balked at all and Jason became upset, he might end up telling Mike. As she thought about it, she knew that he would tell her uncle; it was what he did the week before, which ended her up in trouble in the first place. Though it was partly her fault for being rude, this time would be considered equal in its offense.

Not wanting to create a situation and have Mike come down on her once again, Gabby switched the automatic message machine on and stood up out of the chair. She was a bit apprehensive about doing lunch with Jason, since it would not look appropriate with him being engaged to Melissa. But, she felt that if Devon didn't have a problem with it, she would try to cooperate.

Jason decided to go into Pacific Grove. The city was a little north of Carmel on the beach and just west of Monterey. He took her to a rather nice restaurant called the Velvet Seal. Its interior was similar in lighting as the Blue Pelican back in Connecticut. But, instead of tables here and there, the seating was booth-style. Each booth was privately screened off on the sides, affording intimacy from neighboring diners. Gabby's senses picked up on the lack of visibility. She didn't like it one bit! She observed that for couples, it was a perfect spot to dine, allowing for passive romantic gestures without observation. But, she didn't have any of those feelings for Jason and it all seemed rather overstated in its intimacy, given their working relationship.

The waiter took them to a booth in the back, offering one side to Gabby. She stayed put on the end. No way was she going to find herself in the middle again. Jason took the opposite side and smiled at her.

Taking up the menu, Gabby scanned the selections, but then looked up to see Jason staring at her. "What? Do I have frog on my head or something?" she asked good-naturedly, smiling.

"No, just thinking." he replied.

Going back to the menu, she asked, "About what?"

"About Seth. Heard from him lately?" Jason inquired quietly. He hadn't even opened his menu yet.

"Actually, I have! Last Sunday. He's doing fine. Seth may be home by Thanksgiving!" Gabby said, not looking up, but her face brightening at the thought just the same.

"You like him, don't 'cha?" Jason commented.

"Yes I do. Why do you ask?" Gabby didn't think it was any of his business, but she didn't want to be equally as rude and then have that reported back to Mike. She looked up at the young man. The metal on his body didn't bother her as much any more, but his progressively intrusive questions did!

"Isn't he your cousin or something like that?" Jason scrunched up his forehead as if he thought it quite offensive.

Gabby looked at this 'metal man' and her feelings of dislike for him started to resurface again. "What's it to him, anyway?" she thought. Instead, she replied, "Actually, the connection is distant. The only common relationship that Seth and I share is through his and my father's mother. Their fathers were completely different! Genetically speaking, it's watered down even more with the human DNA from my mother."

Jason nodded, trying to understand the genetics that seem so easy for Gabby to explain. Finally, he asked, "So, you think you and Seth might get hitched?"

"I don't know. He's over in Japan and I'm here. "Gabby was getting pretty perturbed at the moment. But she wanted to make it perfectly clear to Jason where her heart was at, so, she added, "I hope so." She noticed that he was staring at her the same way he did the week before at the beach, making her feel like he was undressing her. She was getting quite annoyed with him.

"So, then, you have raging hormones, too, even for a reptile?!" he sniggered.

Gabby's eyes blazed fury. How dare he even think he can bring such a subject up like that? Promise or no promise to get along with him, she didn't feel obligated to discuss such matters. Instead of popping of with a sarcastic comment, though, she changed the subject, looking back at her menu, "So, what are you going to have for lunch?" She looked up to at least appear cordial, but saw that Jason had not taken the hint and gone back to the menu. He was looking deeply at her - and it was then she realized why he had chosen this restaurant in the first place.

"I'm not hungry, really, not in a food sort of way - if you know what I mean?" he drolled, winking one eye.

"Well, I Am." and she motioned to the waiter who came right over. Gabby made her selection quickly and waited. Jason sighed and quickly scanned the menu. Finally making his choice, he told the waiter, who then promptly left.

"Gabby, what's wrong? I was only kidding!" Jason explained.

Gabby didn't trust his explanation at all. Jason's expression didn't match his words and if there was one thing she did very well, it was reading people. After spending so much time with her family, she had finally been convinced it was inherited! Trusting her feelings this time, Gabby was going to make it a point to confer with Mike on this new turn in Jason's behavior - just as soon as they were back at the studio. She was not looking forward to the drive. The 4Runner didn't allow much room between the driver and the passenger. Gabby thought maybe she could feign being sick and sit in the backseat.

The food arrived quickly and Gabby ate in silence. She didn't have any interest in carrying on a conversation with Jason. His rude and intrusive questions, not to mention how he continued to gape at her, had ruined any resolve she had of getting along with him. All she saw with that attempt was an invitation to be taken advantage of.

Jason tried to converse with her, but all he received in response was either one or two word replies. He was getting rather frustrated with it all and when the bill finally arrived, he slapped his charge card down on the receipt tray. The waiter took it and returned shortly with the sales slip. Signing furiously, Jason took his copy, shoved the charge card back into his wallet, and then motioned to Gabby that he was going.

She was so upset with everything, Gabby forgot to fake being sick. There she was, in the front seat next to this creep that Devon called a 'friend'. How could her brother be friends with such a jerk? Maybe there were two sides to Jason? That might explain it. Where he worked with Mike previously before this latest employment and the fact that Mike was quite influential - not to mention owning the best surfing spot in the area - Jason could be gilding his own interests! Being best buddies with Devon gave him an advantage on so many fronts; it made sense to Gabby - though it disgusted her at the same time!

Driving south along route 68, Jason sang along with the CD he had just popped in. It was playing some song about taking advantage of opportunities missed, going for broke, all with sexual overtones that practically screamed through the speakers. Things that Gabby thought were not very moral and not worth the time to listen to. She sat as far into her door as she could get without it appearing obvious. The drive back to the studio seemed to be taking longer than expected, though. Was Jason even making the speed limit?

Just as Gabby started to take a casual look at the speedometer, Jason pulled off the street and onto a dirt road. He drove a ways and then made a right turn into a designated park. The area had riding trials and he took one of them. He drove further into the wooded area, taking a trail that wound around some brush and out of sight from the main roadway.

Gabby was becoming concerned when Jason turned off the main highway, but now she was feeling an overwhelming sense of panic! The entire event seemed like something out of a bad dream and any moment now she would be waking up. If only that were true!