Disclaimer: I do not own Now You See Me or any of its characters. If I did, there would be more of Jack
Author's Note: Happy New Year! Again, sorry for the long wait. I'm sad to say this is not a long one. On the up-side: the next chapter is already in the works!
Chapter 10: Lead
"Great, so now that we've got that settled, I have a lead!" Henley declared, breaking the tense atmosphere. "One of the phone numbers appeared pretty frequently, so I ran a trace, and it originates from Tuscaloosa, Alabama."
"Alabama?!" The surprised agents exclaimed in unison.
"Unfortunately," the Escape Artist continued, ignoring their outburst, "I can't get an exact location with the limited tech. Maybe… you could help with that?" she finished, turning to face Agent Fuller.
He licked his dry lips, thinking for a moment. "Actually… I do know a place, and it's on the way to Alabama."
Twenty minutes later they were packed and beginning the drive to the FBI research facility. John had allowed Dylan to drive, himself typing the coordinates into the Rover's built-in GPS. The agent was quickly reconsidering that hasty decision, wishing he had something to distract his mind from the recent developments. He gazed out the window, watching the scenery flash by and choosing to ignore the three magicians in the back who were doing the same. Doubts plagued his mind, but as he began to examine his choice, Fuller realized that there really wasn't much to think about. He had agreed to help them. The "helping" part wasn't the issue. John Fuller wholeheartedly believed in rescuing the kid. No. It was the "them" part that was causing confliction. The truth was, he felt betrayed. The man supposed he shouldn't be surprised that the Horsemen had played him so easily, but he had been gradually warming up to them; just beginning to see them as something other than criminals, when he found out they had been lying to him from the start. If he was really honest with himself, it stung so badly because he had thought they were warming to him as well and beginning to include him.
Dylan's unexpected treachery hurt more than it should; more than he could say. Number one, because they were partners, and partners needed to be able to trust each other implicitly and to keep them on the same page or risk complications in the field. Number two, because he had thought they were friends, and friends did not keep secrets this big from one another. All this time… had he been friends with a lie?
No, he suddenly decided. Dylan obviously still valued his friendship to some extent as he had responded truthfully when appealed to in the name of that friendship. Fuller was mad, yes, but he'd never been one to hold a grudge. This level of offense was a whole new territory, but the agent figured it would work itself out in the end.
He concluded his thoughts in perfect coordination with their arrival. Daniel, Merritt, and Henley slid down in the back seats, out of view, just as they pulled up to the security gate. Dylan rolled down his window, and he and his partner handed over their IDs and badges. They were returned shortly, and Dylan parked in an unobtrusive parking spot before telling the threesome to lay low, which they, predictably, rolled their eyes at.
The two agents exited the vehicle and made their way inside to the computer lab. Being the more accustomed to the technological aspect of their work, Fuller attached their "borrowed" phone to one of the desktops and began tracing the number. As he worked he could see his friend shooting guilty glances at him from the corner of his eye, but Dylan wisely remained silent, conscious of the security footage being recorded.
Minutes later the program gave a muted *bleep* and zoomed in on a map, pinpointing the exact longitude and latitude the calls were made at. Agent Fuller quickly scribbled it down on a pad of paper nearby before he tore it off the page and stuffed it in his pocket. He cleared his history and did a bit of quick research about a case the two were currently working on in the Bureau, to cover their tracks and to make their appearance less suspicious. He glanced up to see Dylan smirking approvingly at his move, but turned quickly away, frowning dutifully and ignoring the adrenaline rush that suddenly hit him. Agent Fuller then shut off the computer, and they strode purposefully back out to the car. The five exited the property without incident, and, after plugging the newly acquired coordinates into the GPS, began the journey to Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
About two and a half hours into their trip, they had to stop for gas. John offered to grab something for the group from inside the store while Dylan pumped gas. Atlas, Henley, and Dylan passed on the offer, but Merritt, never to be shy, ordered a bag of sunflower seeds. When the agent returned, handing over the snacks to the mentalist, Fuller thought he caught a flash of a genuine smile in the permanent smirk.
The group hit the road again, and all was quiet, each person consumed in their own thoughts and worries. All was quiet until about ten minutes after their stop at the gas station, Merritt's cell phone went off, shattering the silence.