Lynn and Lana traveled along a well-worn trail. They passed by a few backpackers and spotted a few tents and the occasional motorhome, with families having barbeques, fishing, going for a swim, or kayaking. The atmosphere was very placid, and the girls heard choruses of singing birds and waves gently crashing along the shores of the lake. They walked by a few signs giving the usual warnings like extinguishing campfires and not feeding animals.
The first one dredged up some unpleasant memories for Lynn, but she refused to get distracted by self-pity again. She had to stay focused and on alert.
Hearing panting, she looked over her shoulder and saw Charles lurching after them. He looked utterly exhausted and his tongue was hanging out, thanks to constantly running back and forth between the former and the other duo.
"There you are. Charles, quit bailing on us, will ya?" Lynn scolded him. "We're in this together and we need your sniffer to track down the enemy."
Whimpering, the bull terrier staggered ahead, sniffing various trees, rocks, and bushes. He had spent all day searching every inch of this forest, but not for the enemy Lynn was thinking of.
"That's better." Lynn said approvingly.
"This place sure is neat." Lana smiled. "When I join the Bluebells, ya think we'll go camping here?"
"I dunno, maybe." Lynn shrugged. "Gotta admit, it's not all bad… getting away from the hustle and bustle of urban life."
It helped that, as Lincoln said, there weren't many ways their sisters could screw up out here and hurt anyone but themselves. And having all the commodities they could ask for at their vacation home would give them little incentive to try and find a way.
"Remember the last time we went camping? In Pipestone, Minnesota, right?" Lana reminisced, making Lynn wince.
There it was. The sisters just had to play with fireworks during the park's centennial festival.
"That was fun, wasn't it?" Lana asked, clearly suffering from rose-tinted memory.
"Lana…" Lynn said dourly. "We almost caused a freaking forest fire."
"Oh…yeah." Lana's brow furrowed. "The rangers were pretty ticked. Said they would "pump us with buckshot" if we ever came back? What does that even mean?"
"It means we better stay away if we know what's good for us." Was Lynn's frank response.
"Oh, another place we're banned from?" a crestfallen Lana replied before noticing something.
"Look, a bald eagle!" she pointed up.
Lynn rolled her eyes as Lana watched the bird swoop towards the lake and grab a fish with its talons before flying off.
"Wow…"
"Lana, for the last time, we ain't here for sightseeing." Lynn chastised her.
"What's wrong with that?" Lana questioned. "We can have fun while doing this?"
"No, because he can't afford to get distracted, Kathleen could be lurking anywhere!"
"But we've been searching for hours." Lana sighed. "Dontcha think we would have found her by now if she was here?"
Lynn had to admit, Lana had a point. It wasn't Kathleen's style to keep her pretty mug hidden for long.
"Lynn, my feet are hurting…" Lana finally admitted. "Can't we take a break?"
"Sure…" the jock gave in. "I don't wanna push you too hard."
Looking for a place to rest, they found a cluster of rocks on the beach and walked up to them. Lynn sat on the flattest rock while Lana took her shoes off and dipped her feet, enjoying the cool sensation.
Charles joined them and took the opportunity to lap up as much water as he could, for her was positively parched. Even for a canine, the heat of July and excessive jogging were a torturous combo.
"Don't go too far. Remember, you can't swim." Lynn warned her.
"I won't, kay? I'm not stupid." An annoyed Lana replied before getting an idea.
"Say, why don't you teach me how to swim? We can go back and get our swimsuits?"
"We don't have time for this." Lynn scowled.
"Why? Kathleen ain't here…not yet." Lana shrugged. "Can't we have some fun? Why are you so uptight?"
"Why? Because I have a score to settle with that wretch…" Lynn responded, bubbling with repressed anger. "She made mom think I'm a no-good hooligan who doesn't give a crap about ruining her anniversary, then tricked me into abandoning Lucy and getting our apology gifts dunked in the sewer. And she's encouraging our sisters to continue being self-absorbed little shits. I won't let her get away with that."
Now Lana felt stupid for asking. With a sympathetic look, she walked closer and touched Lynn's knee. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you angry."
"It's not you that's making me angry… it's her." Lynn muttered, trying not to get worked up.
Lana thought about what to say next, seeing that her big sis was carrying a lot of baggage.
"Maybe… we really should take a break and have some fun? That could help ya think clearly. I mean, isn't all work and no play like…a bad thing?"
Lynn wanted to object but paused to think about it. Lana was right. She had been very high-strung and miserable these last few days, all because of stupid Kathleen. She couldn't let that broad get to her when she wasn't even there.
Doing nothing but work was the reason mom and dad were such neurotic wrecks. Maybe some downtime would help Lynn get back to her A-game?
"Okay, ya got me…" she forced a smile and patted Lana's shoulder. "If Linc and Lucy say that they saw bupkis too, I'll teach ya how to swim. I always wanted to be a coach."
Given that Lincoln hadn't called again following one mandatory update, it seemed that Lana's wish would come true.
"Thanks, Lynn!" Lana glomped her, nearly making them fall over into the water.
Lynn chuckled, already feeling a bit better. "I guess a breather will do me some-"
But her eyes widened as she heard buzzing and saw a drone flying toward them.
"I knew it!" Lynn growled and jumped up, making Lana plop into the ankle-deep water. Lynn caught it and started shaking it.
"You think you can spy on us, do ya!" she looked into the camera, ready to tear the thing in half. "You hear me! I know your game, you conniving bitch!"
"Hey! What's your deal, kid?" she heard an angry voice and saw a man in a plaid shirt running up to them, carrying a remote. "What are you doing with my drone? I paid good money for it!"
"It's yours?" Lynn flushed and giggled in embarrassment. Oopsie daisy.
"Roger, I told you it's rude to film people without their permission." His wife reprimanded him, accompanied by their son, who looked to be Lana's age and wore a similar cap.
"Heh…no harm no foul." A flustered Lynn returned the drone to its peeved owner, before tucking her hand behind her back and shuffling her foot.
"Scuse me….eh, I had to endure a long, boring, cramped ride getting here."
"Hey, I didn't know there were other kids here?" The boy happily approached the sisters. "Hi, my name's Danny. Would you like to play frisbee with me?"
"Sure I would." Lana shook his hand. "My name's Lana. Lana Loud, and this is my big sister Lynn!"
"Loud?!" the parents jumped back in horror, as if they had seen an escaped serial killer.
"They must be from Royal Woods too…" Lynn instantly deduced from their reactions.
"I know." Lana chuckled. "But that really is our last na-"
"Dear lord, stay away from our boy, you…you delinquents!" the mother said angrily as she and her husband grabbed their son's arms and ran off with him.
"Clear of dangerous animals my ass!" Lynn heard the father lament, while Lana watched them with a hurt expression.
"Speak for yourselves!" Lynn shook her fist. "At least we have manners!"
She heard her sister sniffing and turned to see a tear running down Lana's cheek. The sight of it broke Lynn's heart.
"Why did they run away, Lynn? We didn't do nothing?"
"Just ignore those jerkwads…" Lynn tried to comfort her.
"But… I just wanted to play and make new friends…" Lana hung her head.
Lynn felt an immense pang of guilt. Being part of the older Loud sisters, she had done a lot more to cement her family's crappy reputation. Her going ape on the drone also didn't make for a good first impression. Lana had caused trouble herself but she was still just a little kid, whose heart was usually in the right place. She didn't deserve this kind of scorn, especially now that she was trying to do better.
"We can have fun on our own." Lynn tried to brighten the mood and grabbed her hand. "C'mon, enough Kathleen hunting for today, we can go swimming now."
The sullen Lana didn't respond, letting Lynn lead her back to their "cabin". Until Lana realized something. Glancing down, she saw that she was walking barefoot.
"Lynn, I forgot my shoes. Lemme get them." She slipped her arm free and ran off towards the rocks.
Sighing, Lynn waited patiently and tapped her foot. She saw their vacation home in the distance, but still no sign of the car dad was driving to the grocery shop.
"Golly gee willikers!" she heard Lana exclaim.
Lynn spun around. "What is it? You found Kathleen?"
Instead, she saw Lana running towards a patch of bushes, carrying her shoes by their laces, and caught a glimpse of a small, gray figure scurrying through the undergrowth.
"What are you doing? Get back!" Lynn ran after her and saw Lana pushing the bushes out of the way.
"Look, Lynn! How cool is that?" Lana beamed with renewed excitement.
Lynn saw what looked like a clump of hairballs, except it had a long, whiskered muzzle lined with sharp teeth, which it barred as it hissed at the girls.
Alarmed, Lynn pulled her sister back. "Get away from that thing before it mauls you."
"Charles, get him!" Lynn ordered, only to realize the dog had vanished.
"Not again!" she complained. "What's his deal?"
"Easy, she won't hurt us." Lana assured her. "She's just bluffing."
"She?" Lynn didn't follow until she noticed that those hairballs were in fact babies hitching a ride on their mother's back, the extra weight making her quite cumbersome.
Lynn counted nine babies in total. No, ten. The last one popped its head from its mother's pouch.
"What the hell is this?" Lynn narrowed her eyes. "Since when do rats get this big and-"
The comment made Lana laugh. "It's not a rat, it's a possum!" she explained while approaching it, utterly unafraid.
The possum stood her ground, when the tenth joey joined its siblings, making the mother collapse and pant in exhaustion.
Lynn couldn't help but pity the disheveled creature. Something about her was uncomfortably familiar. Maybe because she was an overburdened mother caring for ten children?
"You poor thing…" Lana spoke gently. "Do you want something to eat?"
"Lana, we're not feeding wild animals." Lynn pulled her back again. "Didn't you see all the signs-"
"Come on, Lynn. Pleeeaaese!" Lana begged her. "Look at her, she has so many babies to feed. I'll just give her one treat!"
Wary but unwilling to cause her sister further grief, Lynn snapped her head up and groaned. "Fine, but then we're going our separate ways. Got it?"
Overjoyed, Lana pulled something out of her pocket; a scrunched-up panini sandwich cowered in lint.
Upon seeing it, the marsupial edged closer toward them, whimpering like she hadn't had a square meal in eons. Once more, Lynn couldn't help but feel sorry for her.
"Here ya go…" Lana dropped her sandwich and the possum started ravenously devouring it.
"Okay, good deed done. Put your shoes on and let's go." Lynn ordered her sister.
Sighing, Lana tied her shoelaces and followed her.
"But…but can't we get her some more food?" she asked gingerly. "She looks mighty hungry?"
"Lana…she's a wild animal, she knows how to feed herself." Lynn insisted. "Plus, wild animals don't like being around people."
"But she's following us." Lana pointed over her shoulder. Lynn's face dropped as she saw the possum keeping pace with them, despite the load on her back, and squeaking.
"Get lost, will ya!" Lynn halted and shooed it. "Go play dead or something!"
"Can't we take them with us?" Lana suggested.
"Are you bonkers?" Lynn stared at her. "Mom and dad would freak out."
"Well…" Lana fiddled with her fingers "…they don't have to know? Nobody will go in the dusty cellar, so maybe-"
"Absolutely not! We have enough animals to babysit with Lori, Lola-"
"C'mon, Lynn. Have a heart." Lana pleaded. "Can't we at least build them a shelter?"
Lynn noticed the possum standing by Lana's side, fully comfortable with them and looking at the jock like a stray puppy. Lana seemed to have that effect on animals.
Lynn deflated. She couldn't be a hypocrite, could she? If Kathy wanted to be on the down low for the moment, might as help vermin in need.
"You conniving furball…you're lucky we know the struggles of being a big family." An irate Lynn pointed at the marsupial.
"Yes!" Lana cheered and threw her hat up.
Suddenly, they heard an ear-piercing scream, which made the possum duck and cower behind Lana.
They saw Luan pushing past the trees, her clothes in tatters, and she was covered from head to toe in scrapes, bruises, feathers, and guano, before jumping into the clearing, pursued by a single goose.
Luan fell onto the ground and was assaulted by the remaining goose before it calmed down, turned around, and defecated on her head spitefully before flying off.
Exchanging glances, the two tomboys approached her, only for Lynn to gag and cover her nose.
"Holy cheddar, what's that smell!"
Lana, on the other hand, took a big whiff and grinned. "Got skunked, didn't ya? Dang, lucky you."
"Why me, why me?" Luan wept and covered her head.
"Care to explain why you look and act like a banshee?" Lynn snarked in a nasally voice.
"Those flying monsters! All that horrible honking! They have no mercy! It was a Hitchcock horror!"
"Canadian geese?" Lana asked. "Yeah…they can be pretty ornery."
Noticing the possum next to Lana, Luan's eyes bulged and she screamed and crawled back until her back hit a tree.
"No! NO!? No more freaking animals!" she sobbed and clutched her face. "Get it away from me! Please! I hate nature!"
As much as Lynn despised her, even she felt pity for the pathetic wreck of a girl in front of her.
"Will ya cut the drama?" she said irritably. "We need to get that stank off you if you wish to ever be allowed back into civilization."
"How do we do that?" Lana asked.
Lynn had no idea, so she pulled out her walkie-talkie. "Maybe our so-called genius will know how?"
Breathing in the clean, natural air, Lisa felt some semblance of serenity while observing the surrounding woods from the cockpit of the boat. Her mother was sunbathing on the bow, surrounded by safety rails.
She was sitting in a beach chair and holding a tanning reflector, wearing sunglasses, a beach hat, sandals, and a teal one-piece swimsuit. She seemed far more content than Lisa had seen her in ages. This was the ideal time to try and have a moment with one of the people that gave life to her, her last chance.
Lisa still felt sick to her stomach, knowing that her self-imposed fate was now looming on the horizon. Some part of her mind kept telling her not to go through with this, echoing Fenton's own suggestion on the matter, but whenever Lisa entertained the notion of bailing out, she would remember the flu-zombie apocalypse, Lyle getting bestowed with the might of her super-serum, and leading Lincoln and Darcy on a perilous teleportation journey, all events that nearly got her family killed. No, logic dictated that her intellect and obsessive need to tinker with science were a problem that needed to be neutralized, for the good of everyone. She couldn't give into detrimental and illogical emotions now.
"Hey! Are you gonna just stand there and let me die from heatstroke!" Lola's snippy demand snapped her out of her thoughts.
"My apologies, dear sister." Lisa said humbly and resumed trying to fix the small fan next to the princess, who was dressed similarly to her mother, except her swimsuit was pink (big shock), and she was slurping a strawberry smoothie with a straw, under the shade of a parasol.
"I got distracted sampling the pristine and pollutant-free air, likely a result of the overabundance of evergreen conifers pumping copious amounts of oxygen into the atmosphere via the process of photo-"
"Will ya cut the nerd talk!" Lola lowered her shades and glowered. "And get me another smoothie!"
"Lola." Rita glanced at them. "Quit bossing your sister around, she has no obligation to be your slave."
"I'm not bossing her around!" Lola shot back. "She agreed to do it. Didn't ya?"
"She's right, mother." Lisa explained as she grabbed a metal jug from the cooler and replenished her sister's empty glass. "I wish to make this experience as enjoyable as possible for the both of you."
Rita didn't know what to say to that. It was most unlike Lisa to be so subservient, especially to Lola, someone Rita's youngest daughter never held in high regard.
"And here's your magazine." Lisa gave her sister the requested item after fixing the fan. "Anything else you desire? Whatever it is, I can supply you with it at a moment's notice."
"Yes…" Lola retorted "…will ya quit sucking up so much! As much as I love being catered to and treated with the utmost respect, which I deserve more than anyone…"
Rita rolled her eyes behind her shades.
"…you're seriously starting to get on my nerves! If you expect special treatment from this, you can forget about it!"
Lisa sighed. "I can assure you, Lola. My motives are purely altruistic. I don't expect any kind of compensation in return for my services."
Lola narrowed her eyes, unused to receiving unconditional kindness from her sisters. "Then what do you want?"
Lisa thought about her response. She had given herself little time for this daunting task, and she didn't even know which family members to prioritize. It dawned on her how in her short life, she hadn't truly formed any meaningful bonds with anyone due to her introverted nature and lack of common ground, with Lincoln being the closest one. Even then, it had been more of a begrudging respect than anything. She deeply regrated taking him for granted now. But all things considered, she couldn't postpone the inevitable once more, for the risk of something going haywire if she did so was far too great.
"I understand that we had this talk already, but I just want to ensure that there is no hostility between us. Despite everything, we are still family, right? You don't…hate me, right?"
Lola was stumped. Her first instinct was to recoil in annoyance and then snap at Lisa for being so cloyingly saccharine all of a sudden… but she didn't. Lisa did seem to be genuine in her attempt to be friendly with her, which was more than Lola could say about her other siblings. She honestly didn't know how to react to this.
Maybe, just maybe, Lisa deserved some slack for being so nice to her these last few days.
"No…I don't hate you. Why would I hate you?" was Lola's awkward response, lacking her usual brashness.
Lisa considered asking Lola if she valued her as a sister, but decided against it, for such a question might have pushed things too far. Lola was not the sentimental type, and this was probably as much as Lisa could get out of her. At the end of the day, they weren't close, they had nothing in common besides their genetic makeup, so Lola had little incentive for heart-to-hearts and Lisa hardly knew how to conduct such conversations anyway. Perhaps this was the best note to end on?
Lisa sighed inwardly, hoping her new self could handle her roommate, but if not, she could always count on Lincoln to have her back. He might have been a wimp, but he would always protect his little sisters as much as he could and he had definitely grown out of kowtowing to Lola's tantrums. With some hope for her future, Lisa turned her attention to her mother. Another person she hardly bothered to get to know.
"Would you care for a drink, mother?" Rita found Lisa suddenly standing next to her on the bow, holding a bottle of root beer.
"Eh…sure, thanks." She took it before giving the genius a scrutinizing look. "If you don't mind me asking, why are you so content with pampering Lola? Is she blackmailing you?"
Lisa blinked and tried to think of an answer. "No, not at all. Um…I'm merely trying to establish amiable relations, now that we are roommates and all."
"And why did you take her as a roommate in the first place?" Rita asked, still not convinced Lisa was doing this willingly. Luckily, the noisy fan drowned out their conversation for the little prima donna in the cockpit, who was too immersed in the latest fashion trends, even if she couldn't read the text naming and describing them.
Lisa shrugged. "Nobody else wanted to, and I didn't wish to burden Luna."
Rita thought about it. Luna didn't exactly deserve to have her own room, but Lola did even less. Having such a privilege would only spoil her more… if that was even possible. Then again, it could reduce the chances of needless fighting if one of the most temperamental siblings had her own room? Rita decided to postpone the issue until they came back home.
"That's very noble of you." She started. "But…eh…"
"I know this comes as a surprise to you, mother…" Lisa continued. "But I've come to the realization that my aloof and apathetic attitude has negatively impacted my relationship with all of you, and I sincerely wish to correct that. We might have many differences but family still shouldn't treat each other with contempt or indulge in inane fighting over trivialities and minor inconveniences."
A nonplussed Rita dropped her bottle and reflector. "Lisa…..are….are you feeling alright, honey?"
She pressed her palm against her daughter's forehead to make sure she had no fever, making Lisa take a step back.
"Yes, I am. I suppose you could say that my mind has never been clearer before." She admitted and then sniffed. "And…and I just want you to know that, although I may not express it out loud, I do appreciate you and all the sacrifices you and father make on a daily basis in order for us to live comfortably."
"Lisa…" Rita felt like slapping herself, this couldn't be for real. "Where…where is this coming from? I mean…you….?"
Lisa could feel those blasted emotions trying to get a hold of her again, with her tear ducts being on the verge of excreting copious amounts of salty liquid but she refrained from letting it happen. If one of her parents noticed that she was in distress, surely they would watch her like a hawk and make it more difficult to sneak away in order to do what needed to be done. She had to placate their curiosity.
"I…I've been having some conversations with Lincoln lately, and he made me realize the error of my ways…" Lisa answered with a half-truth, when the walkie-talkie strapped to her belt began ringing.
"Excuse me." She picked up the call, allowing her words to sink in with Rita.
She recognized the device as one of Lincoln's, who was always hoarding these things, given his fondness for spy and action films. If Lincoln had entrusted her with one of those, it lent credence to Lisa's story. He usually only shared them with Clyde and his immediate circle of friends, who didn't tend to break things after having them in their possession for about five minutes.
"Lynn…..ah-huh…Luan… mephitid musk? Yes….yes, I do know how to neutralize it, it's simple chemistry… I'm on my way."
Lisa exhaled, knowing she couldn't stay here any longer, there was so much work left and so little time. This wasn't quite how she had envisioned this moment, but she supposed she had told her mother what truly mattered. Time to say goodbye, for good.
"Is there are problem, Lisa?"
"Yes, but nothing to be concerned about." Lisa replied. "Seems Luan is in need of my assistance following an encounter with a skunk."
Rita cringed a bit. "Alright… you can go. I think I got the hang of how to drive this boat."
She shook her head and muttered, "Hope this finally taught that stubborn girl to stop fooling around."
Without another word, Lisa went and hugged her mother, catching her by surprise. By the time Rita registered what had happened, Lisa jumped into the cockpit and did the same to Lola.
"Hey? What are you doing?" she ranted but was released just as quickly.
"Goodbye." Lisa said, trying not to sound too solemn, as she dropped a Nessie-shaped pool float into the water and jumped into it with a paddle in hand.
Lola and Rita watched her stroking and her form grew smaller, leaving both of them puzzled.
"What's her deal?" Lola wondered and turned back to her magazine.
Rita, meanwhile, thought about Lisa's strange behavior. Could it be possible that Lincoln somehow managed to influence her enough to make her want to better herself? She had never seen Lisa be this sentimental and affectionate. Or openly expressing gratitude in any way that wasn't terse or halfhearted.
The middle-aged mother had grown wary of the dangers of having too much hope but she allowed a small smile to creep onto her face. Maybe she could let herself be cautiously optimistic, time would tell.
But high above, a certain vulture soared over the boat, looking nervous. He had lost sight of Ryan and knew his boss would be most displeased if he didn't return with a detailed report of the runt's whereabouts. Looking around, he saw various campers, but none would be of interest to the boss, including a little spectacled child with messy hair on a weirdly-shaped raft.
"Squawk!"
Raza did a double take as he recognized the toddler. It was one of the kids that trespassed into one of the boss's caves, along with the scrawny, white-haired one. Watching the toddler reach land, he decided to circle around the general area and much to his delight, soon spotted a familiar canine stopping for a breather near a stump before resuming running. Flying just a little further on, the vulture saw a familiar white-haired figure traveling alongside a smaller, pale-skinned one with ebony hair.
Raza couldn't believe his luck. He would surely be dining on some scrumptious dark meat tonight!
Lincoln and Lucy were likewise walking along a trail, the former mindful not to stray far from it, otherwise they might get lost. According to one of the maps they saw, most of the paths ran in circles, helping novice visitors to find their way back to their camp while exploring the woods.
Lucy found the place oddly relaxing, with so few people around. She was hardly a social butterfly, especially since familiarity tended to breed contempt, mainly geared toward her. Plus, she always cherished getting to spend alone time with her big brother. But one thing still bugged her.
"When's Ryan going to come, it's way past noon?" she asked once more.
"He'll get here, sooner or later." Lincoln replied, tired of having to explain it to her again. "He's not going to just poof here at a moment's notice."
"I know, but it's not like him to be this sloppy." Lucy pointed out. "I thought he would be here by now."
"Lucy, he has to travel here by himself, behind his family's back, cut him some slack. He's lucky if he caught a bus going here." Lincoln pointed out, unable to believe that he was actually defending Ryan.
"I guess…" Lucy had to consent. Still, she couldn't shake off the feeling that something was terribly wrong, besides Kathleen's machinations. Glancing up, she saw a large black bird soaring over them but had to shield her eyes from the blinding sun.
"We've almost gone full circle, and still no sign of our "gracious" host." She heard Lincoln say, his teal eyes continuing to scan his surroundings.
"Perhaps she's trying to lull us into a false sense of security?" Lucy suggested when they came across a small peninsula with a disheveled motorhome, where two men dressed like hayseed gas station workers were sitting on folding chairs, one roasting marshmallows over a small fire, the other holding a beer can and slapping his knee.
"Howdy, kids! Mighty fine day ta be roughin' it out here in da country." One of them tipped his hat.
"Darn tootin' right, Jimmy!" the other laughed.
"Good day to you too, sirs." Lincoln gave a cordial wave before turning to Lucy.
"You might be on to something. She or Lyle could be watching us as we speak. Let's just keep moving and keep our eyes peeled."
They walked on, with Lucy shuddering at the thought of Lyle being nearby. She really wished Ryan or even Lynn was there to protect them from that unhinged brute.
"Woof!"
They looked back and saw Charles trotting up to them before plopping on his belly and rolling over, panting.
"Charles, where have you been off to?" Lincoln asked. "Again?"
"Seems he has trouble staying focused, nothing new." Lucy figured. "Probably went off chasing squirrels."
"Guess the great outdoors has worn you out, huh?" Lincoln gave him a belly rub. "Even you can't only run that much."
Charles whimpered, trying to catch his breath. The things he did for love.
The siblings moved on, followed by their exhausted canine companion, none of them noticing a small camera lens projecting from the gas cap on the motorhome and following their movement.
The inside of the vehicle was the polar opposite of its exterior, with a tv monitor, indoor cooling, leather furniture, a fine maroon carpet, a serving cart with croissants and cocktail shrimp, and a small bar in the corner.
The lighting was minimal, casting its sole resident in sinister shadows as she tapped her fingers against the armrest of her massage chair.
With her frustration growing, she turned it on and reclined, trying to relax while thinking of her next move.
"Why do these freaks have to be so difficult?" She thought indignantly. No matter what she was doing, that ragtag bunch of pathetic misfits was always on to her, and nothing she offered could bribe them into compliance.
She almost got Lincoln with the arcade at Tisdale Towers but Lynn snapped him out of it. She was honestly starting to wonder if these two were even human? No human being was that self-respecting or righteous, a person's dignity and loyalty always had a price (and seldom an expensive one). At least Luan had a history with her.
"No matter, I have them isolated….now, what to do?" she weighed out her options. "Get some video endorsement from those idiots Lori and Leni? Should be easy. I can bribe Luna too. And Lola loves me. Why shouldn't she?"
Turning on her tv monitor, she smiled as she watched recorded footage of Rita, Lola, and Lisa boarding the speed boat.
Lola was such a darling girl, she really deserved better than the riffraff she was tied to only by blood. But Kathleen was focused on the mother and smiled darkly as she paused the footage.
She had ol' Thunder Thighs over a barrel, she was scared of Kathleen and the power she wielded. Fear was a powerful tool. And Mr. Loud was a spineless fool. But even her own parents couldn't sway Luan to publicly accept Kathleen's apology, or convince the other freaks to give her a chance.
That's when Kathleen zoomed in on Lisa and the wheels in her head started spinning. She had entertained the idea for quite a while, but now it seemed like the time had come to take the next step. The big problem was, Lisa was obviously aligned with Lynn and Lincoln, she listened to their spiel and took it to heart, likely because she too was a freak of nature, but one with a lot of potential if utilized correctly.
That's when Kathleen's phone rang. The caller ID said "Lackey" and she frowned irritably while putting him on loudspeaker. The imbecile better had good news!
"Hello?"
"Hey, Kathleen?" came an awkward response.
"Lyle, what's the stat on the Ugly Thugling?" she cut to the chase. "I assume he's on his way? What's his travel route? How is he traveling?"
She knew she had to keep an eye on Ryan Taylor, because frankly, he unnerved her, even more than his cohorts. He was a wild car, unpredictable, and with no shame or evident passions beyond being a smart ass. In other words, he had no clear weak points to explore, making it hard to try and browbeat or manipulate him into compliance. Lincoln was savvy but a wimpy, ineffectual drip and Lynn was easy to read and trigger, but Ryan was a different beast.
"Yeah, about that…um…I'm on my way to you."
Noticing his tone, Kathleen glowered with suspicion. "Enough chit-chat, what have you learned? Why are you only calling me now?"
"Well…" he chuckled uneasily. "There may have been a little hiccup in my mission. I…sorta took a teensy-weensy little power nap while-"
"You fell asleep on the job!?" Kathleen was livid.
On the other end of the line, Lyle cringed inside a bus and pulled the phone away from his ear.
The handful of other passengers gave him odd looks, making him grin innocently and turn away from them.
"How incompetent can one be?! Why did I ever bail your sorry ass out of juvie!?" he heard his partner ranting as he tucked the phone close to him.
That did it for Lyle. "Hey, who are you to bitch about it? You made me get up at the crack of dawn and then demanded that I work nightshift too? I gotta rest sometime!"
He heard Kathleen seething and breaking a few things before calming down enough to ask, through clenched teeth, "Did you at least learn anything of value?"
"Pffft…of course I did." Lyle bragged. "Taylor's going to Muskegon by bus and will then hike the rest of the way. See, I know what I'm doing, so there!"
"….and you managed to eavesdrop on him without getting caught?" Kathleen asked with heavy doubt in her voice.
Lyle chortled brashly. "Didn't need to. That idiot has no indoor voice. He was talking so loudly; you'd think he wanted the whole world to hear his plans. But then again, what do you expect from a loon who talks to cats!"
Back with Kathleen, her face dropped and her pupils shrank in horror.
"Yo…Kathleen? You there?" Lyle asked while the rich girl trembled like a steaming pot.
"You brain-dead, lazy, bungling, good-for-nothing blockhead!" she screamed, making him cringe from the volume once more. "He WANTED you to hear him, so he could play you for a patsy!"
"Huh?"
"How oblivious can you get! That sneak clearly knew you were there and intentionally gave you false info! Now he's off our radar! Ughhh…whatever possessed me to leave such an important task in the hands of…."
Her words turned into unintelligible grunting and growling before she threw her phone against the wall, shattering it into pieces.
Outside, the two "campers" cringed as they heard screaming and thrashing from inside the vehicle, making them both quiver with fear.
"Oh, my…" one of them said in a British accent. "I do believe Miss Kathleen is very displeased."
The door was kicked open and the two hugged each other as the cart was hurled out.
"James!?" Kathleen jumped out, flames in her eyes. "Drive me to the nearest cafe! I need a mocha latte pronto!"
"Yes, ma'am!" James put on his chauffeur hat. "Right away, ma'am!"
Kathleen turned to her cowering valet. "And Stewart! Book me the best room at the nearest motel!"
"Yes, Miss Kathleen." He nodded before she gestured for him to come closer.
"Jenny and Amber aren't here, and I'm dealing with a lot of emotional turmoil! Get in!" she snarled.
The valet gulped in terror, knowing he was going to have to visit the doctor after this.
Kathleen, meanwhile, was seething while glancing at the tv monitor, focusing on the still-frozen image.
With the freaks on to her and their ugo of an ally being out there, possibly lurking nearby, she had to make a move and make it fast.
Despite her frustration, Kathleen's mouth twisted into an unhinged grin. Little Lisa might just be her ticket to a quick and easy victory.
The problem now would be to get a private session with her and arrange a working relationship…whether the undersized scientist wanted to or not.
This chapter went on a bit long, so I had to cut a scene or two and reserve them for the next chapter. Things got a bit depressing here and will likely continue to be so for the next chapter, with Lisa trying to savor her last day with her family and say farewell on good terms, just as Kathleen is thinking of her next move and has set her sights on the toddler genius, hoping to talk her into, a.k.a force her to cooperate with Kathleen, but Lisa's own plans might put the kibosh on Kathleen's lofty ambitions before they can even get started.
And since they are out in the wilderness, naturally, Lana will start befriending woodland critters and wanting to help them, regardless if her family approves it or not, starting with a possum. And yes, Virginian opossum mothers do carry their joeys on their backs, even if they have a dozen of them. Once I remembered that tidbit, I honestly couldn't think of a better visual metaphor for Rita and Lynn Sr.'s own plight XD And despite myths spread by laymen, opossums are more bark than bite, and they also rarely ever get rabies (their marsupial metabolisms just aren't a good breeding ground for the virus), so they are relatively harmless and can even be friendly.