They went back to the bunk house and Daphne bandaged Fred's ankle
"Well, have we got anything?" Trent asked.
"Not much," Ellody replied. "In the way of suspects."
"Yeah, Tawny and Raft both can't stand to lose their match, so they seem pretty unlikely." Brianna said.
"But that Kimberly girl seemed uneasy to me." Lil spoke up.
"Possibly." Velma replied.
"Maybe it's one of those jokey sisters pulling a prank." Cindy suggested.
"This seems a little elaborate for them." Jade replied.
"What about that Jess Harper guy?" Fred asked. "He seems a little shady and has been on a wanted poster before."
"Hey!" Mike glared at Fred. "What're you saying about my uncle?!"
"I'm just saying he seems a little shady to me." Fred put his hands up in defense.
"Well, he's not a bad guy!" Mike glared.
"Who could be our suspect?" Cindy pondered once Lil got Mike to calm down around Fred's accusation.
"What about that Gunderson girl?" Brianna suggested. "She seems pretty unhappy to be here. Maybe she's trying to scare her parents so they can go back home."
"Hmm... Maybe." Velma replied.
"Does anyone have any clues?" Ellody asked.
"Just some florid acid that Tawny told us about," Fred took out something. "You think it's connected to the ghost?"
"Absolutely," Velma replied as she took out a brown case and got something out. "Let me show you something."
"What about that Black Rattler Management Company?" Jade asked. "They're buying an awful lot in local real estate."
"So?" Lightning asked.
"So, I don't know if anyone else noticed, but about 98% of the ghosts we run into wind up having something to do with real estate." Daphne pointed out.
"Huh... I never noticed that." Katrina commented.
"Me neither." Brianna had to admit.
"Check this out," Velma said as she poured a cup into the acid before stirring and lighting a lighter onto it. "Florid acid burns green, maybe the ghost is using it for the green flames he shoots out of his guns."
"Dude, that's awesome!" Shaggy beamed before he and Scooby laughed.
"Like, can we blow up some other stuff?" Lightning asked.
This caused for everybody to look at him.
"So, no? That's a no then?" Lightning asked the others.
"You're right about the Black Rattler Management Company, Jade," Ellody said, logically as always. "I'm gonna have to do a little internet research on them."
"Me too." Velma added.
"I'll help!" Cindy piped up.
"What about Dave and David?" Fred asked. "What're they up to?"
"The producers?" Daphne asked. "Maybe they're here to-"
"No, what're they up to right now?" Fred pointed out the window.
Dave put something in the trunk and David was standing guard.
"Totally suspicious." Scott noted.
"Should we follow them?" Lisa asked.
"I say yes." Fred replied.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Shaggy said. "It's gonna be dark soon and there's a ghost around!"
Scooby shivered.
"Uh-huh." Cindy added.
"Fine, we'll go and you can stay here all alone in this place where the ghost appeared last." Trent smirked.
The cowardly trio then looked to each other and instantly agreed.
"All righty, let's find out what they're up to." Shaggy decided.
Cindy's cell phone soon rang as she then answered it. "Yeah?" she answered.
"Hey, Cindy, what're you up to?" Penn asked as he was raiding the fridge. "Your parents went to a meeting and abandoned me."
"I'd love to talk, but I'm busy." Cindy told her 'uncle'.
"But, Cindy-" Penn pouted.
Cindy then hung up on him.
"Uh, Mike?" Fred came over to the tomboy. "I'd like to apologize for thinking your uncle would be a suspect."
"Just don't let it happen again," Mike warned Fred. "You dis my family, you dis me."
"I didn't even know he was your uncle." Fred replied.
"I clearly said it when you met him." Mike rolled her eyes.
"Guess he was too busy checking out Daphne." Lil smirked.
"Oh, ha ha ha, very funny." Fred deadpanned.
"I thought it was." Lil replied innocently.
"Come on, they're getting in their car, let's get in the Mystery Machine." Cindy suggested.
"I hope Uncle Jess is okay," Mike sighed. "He's been gone a long time."
"I'm sure he's fine, Mike, we'll go look for him when we get back unless you wanna find him now." Lil told her girlfriend.
"We can find him when we get back." Mike replied.
The others went inside the Mystery Machine and Mike and Lil went on their motorcycle to follow Dave and David. Dave and David soon got out of their car with their bag.
"What the heck could they be doing here?" Velma wondered.
"What's that case that he's carrying?" Cindy asked.
The gang then hid behind the rocks so they could see what the producers were up to.
"Is it a gun?" Jade wondered.
"I think it is." Trent replied.
"I can't see..." Cindy pouted as she was too short.
"Come on, man, move." Shaggy said.
"Re ran't ree." Scooby added.
"Scooch over!" Cindy frowned. 'Can I just-" she then leaned over and fell down the hill and landed in front of Dave and David. "Don't shoot!" she then cried out.
"Shoot?" David replied.
"No, don't shoot, I'm too young to die, just put down the-" Cindy panicked until David set down the object which wasn't a gun after all. "Tripod? Oh, wow, we thought that was a-" she then yelled out as the ledge below her feet broke and she then began to fall.
"Cindy!" Everybody else cried out.
Cindy got onto a rock in the ledge. "Aw, man, I need some help... Is someone out there?" she then reached into her pocket and took out the button that Penn gave her and pushed it with her free hand since this was an emergency.
The group then came over to the accident prone girl.
"Are youse okay?" Chicken asked.
"Oh, I'm fine, just a nice little evening out and about, and-PULL ME UP TO SAFETY, WILL YOU?!" Cindy yelled out.
"Don't worry, we'll save you." Mike promised.
Ellody narrow her eyes and Cindy was floating up back to safety thanks to the older girl's telekinesis.
"Oh, man," Cindy replied. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Ellody."
"You're welcome," Ellody said. "Are you okay now?"
"I think so." Cindy said before stretching.
The gang then met up with the producers.
"So, you thought we had something to do with the ghost?" Dave asked.
"Sorry, it was just-" Fred started.
Daphne giggled nervously. "You were coming out here to this isolated place... And... Uh... Heh..."
"We were just taking some pictures," David smiled. "Scouting some locations for our movie."
"Ooh, a movie?" Shaggy asked.
"About the nefarious Dapper Jack and the heroic Sheriff Carmichael." Dave informed.
"Guess I won't be starring in that one." Cindy commented.
"Man, if you make a movie, then everyone's gonna know about my jerk ancestor." Shaggy replied.
"We feel like it's time for a big blockbuster western." Dave said.
"All the science-fiction, superhero, and zombie movies really run its course." David added.
"And in that case, we're gonna make Dapper Jack an alien zombie superhero robot from the future." Dave added.
"Also, Sheriff Carmichael might have a rapping monkey that grants wishes," David smiled as he then looked down to Cindy as he showed a picture on his phone. "Sound like fun, kiddo?"
"I prefer sophisticated comedy with jokes from books like Charlotte Bronte." Cindy replied as she adjusted her glasses.
"Uncle Jess, please be okay." Mike hoped.
"Wanna go look for him?" Lil offered.
"He promised he'd be back..." Mike said.
"Come on, Mike, let's go find him." Lil comforted.
"He should be fine... I hope." Mike stated.
"You know, if you want to find out about Dapper Jack, you're in the wrong place." David said.
"Yeah," Dave added. "You should really check out his grave. It's right down the road."
"Did you say grave?" Cindy gulped. "But I don't like graves."
"Just trying to help, kid." Dave shrugged.
"Um, guys?" Mike spoke up. "You can go right on ahead, I want to find my Uncle Jess."
"Okay, Mike, take your time..." Cindy said, trying to hide her nerves about going to a graveyard.
"Don't worry, Mike; I'm sure your uncle is okay." Lil soothed.
"I hope he is..." Mike sighed. "He really made a difference in my life... He was like another father to me."
"Don't worry, we'll find him," Lil comforted. "It's going to be okay."
Mike only sighed as she went with Lil to find her Uncle Jess.
Meanwhile...
Penn panted as he was walking all the way to the dude ranch while looking like he could pass out and die right now. "I should've... Waited... For the stupid airport..." he grunted before passing out in the middle of the road. "This is it... Goodbye, Cindy... Goodbye... Um,... Her friends... I'll miss you all. Hang on, Carlotta, I'm coming back for ya!"
"Ew, ew, I hate death, ew, no..." Cindy wandered to the road only to trip over Penn. "Oof! At least I landed on this giant marshmallow."
"Get off of me!" Penn replied. "I'm not a marshmallow."
Cindy soon got off and cleaned her glasses and took a closer look. "Jeez, it's you!" she then backed up nervously, she then came back and grabbed his hand to pull him up and tried to make him stand up as she leaned against his back. "Gah... Don't fall on me... Don't fall!"
Penn then stood up, brushing himself off.
"Phew!" Cindy looked relieved.
"Cindy, you helped me stand up..." Penn smiled. "I guess you're not so weak and pathetic."
"Says the guy who guest starred in Friends in 1997." Cindy teased.
"Watch it." Penn growled.
"Sorry, Uncle Penn." Cindy replied.
"Say, where's your friend, Mike?" Penn asked, looking around.
"She's looking for her Uncle Jess." Cindy said.
"Wait... What're you doing here?" Penn asked.
Cindy narrowed her eyes. "I swear, you never listen to me, I should be asking what you're doing here!"
"I came to rescue you because I felt that you were in trouble." Penn explained.
"You came to rescue me?" Cindy cooed. "Aww... I knew it... Deep down with that wild and crazy personality, you're a puppy dog Mom would adopt with a big heart!"
Penn paused for a moment and put his hands in front of him with a playful smirk. "Tell Mommy that Puppy wants bath~"
"Don't ruin the moment!" Cindy groaned.
"Sorry," Penn replied. "Where are you guys going?"
"To the grave of Dapper Jack." Cindy informed.
"Dapper Jack..." Penn repeated as he walked with her. "I feel like I've heard that name somewhere..."
Random flashback...
"Before I work with you, I must warn you to watch out for certain figures like Dapper Jack..." Teller advised.
End of flashback.
"Oh, my God..." Penn's eyes widened. "Teller can talk!"
Cindy gave him a deadpan look and they followed everyone, minus Mike and Lil.
Meanwhile, Mike and Lil were looking for the ex-gunslinger who works for the Sherman Ranch now.
"Mike, look at this," Lil said. "I found some tracks. They look like horse tracks."
"Horse tracks, huh?" Mike asked before she took a closer look. "Hmm..."
"You think it could be his horse?" Lil asked.
"It's still warm, he might not be too far from here." Mike said hopefully.
Lil gasped as she looked down and saw a little bit of blood. "Uh, Mike?" she weakly called. "You may wanna take a look at this."
Mike came over and saw her girlfriend pointing at the little blood. "Blood... From who?" Mike frowned.
"I don't like where this is going." Lil frowned back.
Mike sniffed the blood and her eyes widened. "I think it's Uncle Jess's blood."
Lil's eyes widened as well as she let out a gasp. Mike and Lil continued to follow the horse tracks and blood.
"Mike, look!" Lil cried out.
They saw a man tied up to the tree.
"Uncle Jess, is that you?!" Mike cried out.
"Mike, it is him." Lil said.
They then ran to the tied up man as he groaned.
"Uncle Jess?" Mike asked.
"Mike... Is that you?" Jess weakly asked.
"Are you okay?" Lil asked.
"Yeah, I feel like I got kicked by a mule." Jess mumbled.
"Do you know who did this to you?" Mike frowned to her maternal uncle.
"I couldn't see after I got knocked out," Jess replied weakly. "Last thing I saw was two guys and a girl."
Mike began to untie her uncle.
"Oh, you poor man..." Lil frowned. "You look trashed."
"I'll be fine," Jess replied. "I've been through more tough stuff than this."
"I'm just glad you're safe." Mike soon hugged her uncle. "I was so worried about you."
"Sorry that I was worrying you, kiddo." Jess said as he wiped blood from his lip.
"The others are at Dapper Jack's grave." Lil told the ex-gunslinger.
"Let's go rescue them before they could get into trouble." Jess said while hooking up his gun belt and putting on his hat.
"Are you sure that you're all right?" Mike asked her uncle.
"I've faced much worse than this, Mike, Lillian, let's go." Jess decided.
"Okay, as long as you're sure." Mike told her uncle.
Jess then got on his horse while Mike and Lil got on their motorcycle and headed to the graveyard.