DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN MAXIMUM RIDE!

Chapter 3

Max's POV

I couldn't help notice the smirk on Fang's face as he realized Dylan had left the flock.

"So much for my perfect other half", I thought. I mean' first the kid said he was made for me, and now he's abandoning the flock. Way to win me over.

I looked at Angel. "Did you get anything from his mind about where he was going?" She shook her head. "Not a thing. He was totally blank".

"Maybe he took off to find Jeb for us", Gazzy said. Poor kid. He just found out he could expire in a few weeks, and now someone left the flock. Can we ever catch a break?

Fang spoke up. "Well we don't need to worry about Dylan right now", (he was just all too happy that we didn't have to), "It's the Gasman we have to focus on. Max, call your dad and find out where he is."

I gritted my teeth. I hated thinking of Jeb as my dad. Some father he had been. But lately Fang had been saying it more often just to tick me off, and I couldn't let him know it had worked. I just took out my phone and called my "dad".

I had to call him 3 times before he picked up. "Hello?"

"Jeb, where are you?"

"Hi Max! I'm here in Colorado with your mom. Why? Is something wrong? How's the flock?"

"We have a bit of a situation, two actually," I said, glancing at Fang, "We need to talk to you."

"Why, Max? What's wr-"

"We will be there in a couple hours. And if you hear from Dylan, let me know."

"But Max, Why? Where's Dyl-"

"Gotta Go Jeb" *click*

I turned to the rest of the flock. "Alright, he's in Colorado at the house. Let's go."

Jeb's POV

"What a strange phone call," Jeb thought, as he sat staring out the window. "I wonder what that was about." Suddenly, he saw a figure soaring through the sky. "It's Dylan! But where is the rest of the flock?" he wondered. He remembered what Max had said and leaned out the window and shouted "Dylan! Dylan! Come back! Where are you going?"

Dylan's head turned around as he was flying and looked right at Jeb with a frightened look on his face. Then he turned back and kept flying. "I've got to call Max and see what that was about."

Fang's POV

I watched as Max picked up a call on our way to Colorado. All that could be heard of the conversation was "Yep. Really? Uh huh. Thanks, bye." She said nothing about the call, so I flew up beside her.

"What was that all about?" I said, making my eyes bore deep into hers. She tried to look away but I held her gaze.

"Jeb spotted Dylan." My face fell. On the inside though, because I don't show my emotions, remember? "Is he coming back?"

"No." This time she did look away. "Jeb said he leaned out the window and called to him but he just kept flying."

That made me feel better. Ever since that creep came into our lives, I had barely had any alone time with Max. "Where did he go?"

"West of Colorado. Now come on, we're here."

Max's POV

I was the first one through the window, and the first one to get to Jeb. "I'm going to ask you this once, and I want an answer. This is life or death, Jeb. Is there anyway at all to stop an expiration date from working?"

"Hey! What's going on Max? What's up with Dylan, who has the date? What's wrong?"

"I'll tell you what's wrong," I growled at him, "What's wrong is that you and all those other psychotic scientists that created us programmed an expiration date into our bodies, and Gazzy's just showed up!"

"Wha…What are you talking about?" he asked.

I got close and dangerously quiet, with the whole flock backing me up. "What I'm saying, dad, is that an expiration date showed up on the back of the Gasman's neck, and we need to know if there is anyway to stop it."

He looked at us for a long time before he spoke again. "Max, I was told that there is a way to stop it, but as far as I know only one person knows how."

I got even closer. "You have ten seconds to tell me who, before I strangle the life out of you."

He looked shocked as he realized what was happening as he replied; "Dylan."

A/N*gasp* but Dylan's gone! What happens now? Hmmmm…. Please Review!