After four days of searching, Wheelie's trail had gone completely cold. The Autobot search party had no more leads to follow. The night Wheelie went missing, Bumblebee and Sam drove to Wheelie's location when he contacted Bumblebee. He was at a freeway off ramp. Of course it didn't take a genius to figure out that he was in a car when he sent the message. When Sam and Bumblebee realized how many different directions Wheelie could have gone after that, they called for back up. A search party of Sideswipe, Jolt, Skids, and Mudflap, joined them. The next day, Sam and Bumblebee reviewed their clues to Optimus Prime. One, humans were involved and were the most likely the kidnappers. They knew that of course, from Wheelie's message. Two, Wheelie was hurt. Every time Bumblebee played back Wheelie's message, the distressed tone in Wheelie's voice became more and more clear. Three, Sam noticed Wheelie was gone when he got home at approximately 9:15pm and Wheelie called Bumblebee at 1:45am. Four, the humans were exiting a freeway when Wheelie called. Five, Wheelie's spark signature could not be detected. So by assuming the worst, that was a good sign that Wheelie was already dead. But, it also meant that if Wheelie was still alive he was being kept in an environment with thick concrete walls, lots of electrical radio interference, or that was underground. Occasionally a lone spark signature would appear out of the blue, but it would go back into hiding before anyone could identify it as Wheelie's. The Autobots' extended search party could never find an entrance to a secret hide out anywhere near where the spark signature kept popping up. A construction site where a soon to be neighborhood was being built was all they ever found.
On the third day, Lennox and his soldiers got a hold of video footage from one of the state police officer who patrols the freeway. (With permission from the local police department of course.) He was hiding in plain sight (as many police officers did when on the look out for speeders.) looking down over the off ramp the night Wheelie was captured. Lennox was sure if they got as many license plate numbers as possible within the time frame that Wheelie's captors' car was suppose to be in the picture, they were sure to get the right car eventually. It was a great plan. In fact they got the right car, just not the right owner. The car that most likely had Wheelie inside had out of town license plates that belonged to a retired dentist in Atlanta, Georgia. So for the next day and a half, the Autobots were sent on a wild goose chase to track down a man who obviously was no criminal and incapable of hiding Wheelie anywhere. Embarrassed and frustrated, Lennox left the scene, promising the old man that they would find the guy who stole his license plates. So now they had one more clue. Wheelie's captors most likely drove a black ford mustang with stolen Atlanta license plates. By the end of the fourth day, the Autobots were only retracing their tracks. They didn't know what to do next. Sam and Bumblebee took the back roads home that night. Sam didn't want to go anywhere near the freeway. He didn't want to think about Wheelie so much anymore. Sam hoped Bumblebee would understand that, but Bumblebee didn't get the hint.
"I'll find you somewhere." Bumblebee played. Just that line, though. Just to get the point across.
"I'm not in the mood, Bee." Sam groaned.
"You know you miss him." This voice, Sam recognized as Shadow the retriever from one of his favorite childhood movies. Sam rolled his eyes.
"I don't miss him, Bee. Not really. He hates me, remember? I don't even know why he turned to me of all people. Just because somebody rejected both of us out, he's gotta come be the gremlin under my bed now? What's there to miss about him anyway?"
"Okay. I miss his stupid jokes and his stupid face and his stupid stupidness!" Played the next line of the movie. Sam couldn't believe he hadn't seen that one coming.
"Bumblebee. I'll admit I want Wheelie safe and I want him back. I just don't want him back in my apartment." Bumblebee shut off the radio for the rest of the drive home. He knew giving Sam the silent treatment wouldn't make Sam take back what he said, but he still wished it would. Bumblebee had learned to accept Wheelie as a fellow Autobot. Sam however, still did not take too well to Wheelie. Or so he said. Sam had to be just a tad bit worried about Wheelie deep down. He just knew it. Bumblebee wondered if there was anyone else they could reach out to who would help them find Wheelie. Of course there was! Maybe he could get more help after all. Sam would hate him for this, but he wouldn't be able to complain if Bumblebee actually got them help. It would be like sweet revenge in disguise. When they returned to the apartment, and Sam went inside, Bumblebee made a call. As the phone on the other end rang, Bumblebee suddenly realized the problem. How was he suppose to speak? He'd have to use the radio, but he wasn't so sure he could find the right words to say through lyrics. The phone picked up. 'Oh well.' Bumblebee thought. 'Just improvise.'
"Hello?" A familiar woman's voice answered. Bumblebee's processor went completely blank. What could he say?
"Hold on. Before its too late." Bumblebee was sure that would spark up a few memories. It did. Sort of.
"What do you want Sam!" Mikaela yelled. Bumblebee panicked. He never meant to make her any more mad at Sam. Bumblebee softly spoke to her in his real voice. Softly, so he couldn't risk damaging his voice even more. Surely she would recognize him now.
"Vissst ehehmm-e m'chka." There was a long silence.
"Bumblebee?" Bumblebee made a mechanical sighing noise. "What's going on Bee? Are you alright?" Bumblebee remembered the old days when he used to go to Mikaela's shop for repairs and washings. Back when Mikaela was Ratchet's apprentice in the medical field for Autobots. Back when Autobots were a part of Mikaela's life. Bumblebee played back Wheelie's message to Mikaela.
"Bumblebee. Humans did this. Humans did this!" Mikaela gasped at the sound of the quivering voice.
"My gosh! Was that Wheelie? What happened?" Bumblebee did his best to explain the situation to her. Unfortunately, she had no idea who would have taken Wheelie and had no clue where he would be. 'Now I've done it.' Bumblebee thought. He'd gotten Sam's ex-girlfriend involved, and she had nothing to help them with. Now that she was involved, she really couldn't turn away from them this time. Which was good or bad. He'd have to see in the morning when Sam and Mikaela would reunite at NEST.
The next morning, was not a good morning. Sam and Mikaela bickered for hours over why their relationship plummeted. Sam had school and Mikaela had her dad. Mikaela left without saying goodbye to Sam or Bumblebee. Wheelie was abandoned at the doorstep soon after, along with everything else that made Mikaela think of Sam or the Autobots. And they hated each other ever since for wasting two and a half good years of their lives together. Bumblebee wondered why he thought this would work. As if they were going to get anywhere in finding Wheelie with those two acting up all the time.