Fair warning, some dark shit will go down in this chapter.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. But we didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Have a nice day." a middle-aged, mustached tourist said as he and his wife tried to escape from Katherine Mulligan.

"What do you mean "saw nothing"?" the exasperated reporter kept hounding them. "Your freaking camp is just two miles from-"

"I said we saw nothing. Goodbye." the man said firmly before joining his wife inside their old car.

Mulligan saw him grow a giddy expression and heard him say, "I'm so going to swap out our ol' jalopy for a sleek new sports car!".

Their car drove off, leaving Mulligan to stomp her foot. "Rrrrr! What's the matter with everyone? They couldn't possibly have missed whatever the hell happened last night in the woods?!"

"Perhaps that family knows something?" the cameraman pointed at a couple and their small child. "Little kids have loose lips, don't they?"

Mulligan smiled deviously and pushed past him. "Don't mind if I do! Twenty-third time is the charm!"

As the two adults guided their child out of the woods, they were confronted by the scoop-hungry reporter shoving a mike into the father's face, nearly giving him a black eye.

"Good afternoon, campers. Katherine Mulligan, Royal Wood News, I'm sure you've heard of me!" she said smugly. "I'm also sure that such bright and observant folks such as yourself have noticed the giant crater in the woods!"

"You too?" the man was caught off guard and turned to his wife with a relieved look. "I thought we were the only ones who noticed? Everyone's been acting-"

"What about the blue light, dad?" the boy chirped, much to Mulligan's delight, who shifted her mike to him.

"Finally, a breakthrough!"

"Blue light? Very intriguing. Care to elaborate on your story, kid?"

"Hold that thought, son." a new voice cut in and Mulligan saw a man wearing shades, a fedora, and a trenchcoat, with a fancy vest and tie underneath it, approach them. One of his arms was in a sling and he also wore a nose cast.

"You shouldn't be telling tall tales to reporters." he told Danny while handing his father a check. "Because none of what you may heard or seen with your own eyes actually happened. Are we clear?"

The kid made a face while his parents nearly had a heart attack after seeing the number written on the check. They exchanged big smiles and the father shook hands with the mysterious stranger. Mulligan seethed, knowing a bribe/cover-up when she saw one. Now it all made sense!

"Of course, crystal clear." Rodger gave a cordial nod while tucking the check in his pocket, before urging his family to go. "Let's go, guys. We have places to be, which isn't at this dump."

"Sorry, reporter lady. We saw nothing, we don't know nothing." he told Mulligan halfheartedly while shushing his son, who was too young to know how to play ball.

"Hawaii! Here we come!" the mother whooped.

Knowing there was nothing she could do to coerce her witnesses, Mulligan turned her attention to the mystery man, who was trying to get out of there, and grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Mark my word, buddy." she hissed dangerously. "Whatever you people are trying to cover up, I will find out. And the world will know it was me, Katherine Mulligan,who uncovered this sensational scandal!"

Nervously, Stewart jerked free and adjusted his sunglasses and hat. Mulligan caught a glimpse of bandages on his scalp and a nasty shiner.

Trying to stay formal, the former said, "Miss Mulligan, you have my deepest sympathies, but I'm just doing my job..."

As he spoke, Mulligan couldn't help but think that his voice sounded familiar, like an insignificant flunkey that worked for someone who mattered.

"...and technically, you don't have permission to investigate this matter less you want to compromise your journalistic career."

"Don't have permission?" she huffed skeptically, when, as if on cue, her phone rang. She saw that it was the news station and answered.

"Hello?" she grew a look of shock. "What do you mean we're keeping a lid on it? How much did you get paid? I'll be fired and blacklisted if I do any further investigating? Walking on thin ice?"

Stewart seized his chance to run away from the fuming woman, who clenched her teeth, as she reluctantly said, "Understood. Mum's the word."

As soon as she ended the call, Mulligan crushed the phone in her grip, causing the cameraman to take a step back, and she threw it to the ground, before stomping on it furiously and yelling all sorts of profanities.

"Unbelievable! Those bloodsucking leeches won't even give me a cut of the bribe!" she screamed before freezing with realization.

The cameraman shifted uneasily as Mulligan stood there in eerie silence. "Wait? I know who that guy was! Kathleen Tisdale's valet! All his injuries are a dead giveaway!"

"Tisdale's valet? You mean that rich brat is here?" the cameraman asked her, when they both heard honking and saw a fancy yacht cruising on the lake, and attached to it were two parasails.

"Yes, it is her!" Mulligan grinned and rubbed her hands before turning to her cameraman.

"Let's go, Mark. We might be forbidden from reporting on whatever she is trying to hide in the woods, but with America's youngest "philanthropist", there's always a dozen other scrumptious scoops just waiting to be shared with the world!"

"I feel so alive! I'm the king of the skies!" an ecstatic Lynn Sr. shouted while spreading his arms out wide, doing rock and roll sings and letting his tongue dangle like a dog looking out of a car window.

"How are you doin' over there, Lincoln! Or Lori! Or Luna?" Rita shouted at the other parasailer before snorting childishly. "Shit, I have no idea who you are! I'm sooo woozy!"

Lyle was whimpering and hugging himself before hearing his phone ringing in his pocket. Clumsily, he pulled it out and nearly dropped it as it bounced around in his shaky hands before finally securing a firm grip on it.

It wasn't a call but a message, short and to the point.

"Get your sorry ass back here in five minutes or I'll send what's left of you in a tiny box to juvie! You're escaping with Lisa on the speedboat and you'll be quick about it!"

Gulping, Lyle didn't need any more incentive and tucked his phone back into his pocket before grabbing the rope attached to his harness and pulling himself back toward the deck.

Inch by inch, he managed to get himself closer and closer to the safety of the yacht, happy that Kathleen's stupid plot was finally going somewhere, until he noticed a small form on the highest platform of the deck, standing unnervingly close to where his rope was anchored.

"What the hell?" Lyle raised his shades and squinted until he realized that he was looking at the goth brat.

"What's that little shit doing?" he grumbled until he got close enough to see that she was holding a large kitchen knife and was in the process of severing the rope.

Lyle squeaked in terror before screaming, "Are you out of your goddamn mind!? STOP THAT!?"

Lucy looked up calmly, her eyes obscured by her bags, and she grew an uncharacteristically wide smile. She didn't cease cutting the rope, much to Lyle's horror.

"I said stop that! What's wrong with you!?"

"You're not one to preach, Lyle Owen!" she shouted over the howling winds.

Lyle clenched his teeth nervously, before feebly trying to feign ignorance. "Who the hell is Lyle Owen?! I said stop that, you stupid brat, or you'll be sorry!"

"Don't act dumber than you already are! Though you are a very pathetic adversary, I haven't forgotten you, or what you did to me and my family!" Lucy retorted in a dark tone, her knife embedded deep into the rope.

"I'm not Lyle Owen, whoever that is!" Lyle screamed. "I'm..." he felt the bile build up in his gut "...Leslie! Kathleen said I'm Leslie...ehh...Leslie Blake!"

"I know Leslie's your middle name, idiot!" Lucy shouted. "That is SO gay by the way!"

Seething and knowing that the cat was out of the bag, Lyle growled like an enraged beast, his nostrils flaring and the veins in his eyes bulging. "You little goth shit!? I'll enjoy ripping you limb from limb!" he screamed as he continued pulling himself down, faster than ever.

"True!" Lucy sawed deeper into the rope. "Revenge is very fulfilling! Have a nice trip!"

Feeling a mixture of terror and unadulterated rage, Lyle desperately tried to reach her. Crying furiously over the howling winds, he extended one hand, but just as he was about to grab hold of Lucy, he was yanked back with tremendous force, and let out a high-pitched scream.

Unfazed, Lucy's smile didn't falter and she waved goodbye while growing smaller and smaller from Lyle's point of view, who flailed around frantically as his cap and shades were blown off his face.

As they wafted down, Lucy caught the sunglasses and put them on as she walked away nonchalantly.

The strong winds carried Lyle further and further away from the boat, leaving him with no other option but to tuck his legs in and cover his eyes, desperately hoping that he would land somewhere safe.

Quivering, he suddenly heard a manic chortle, "Oh, this is priceless!"

Incredulously, Lyle dared to open his eyes and glanced down, seeing what looked like a stereotypical fisherman standing on a rocking kayak.

The latter looked up, revealing a familiar pale face, dark eyes, and a ghoulish grin.

"Taylor?!" Lyle blurted as he flew over the laughing kayaker who cupped his mouth.

"Hey, Monobrow! Rein in the golden shower, will ya! There's folks fishing down here!" Ryan shouted.

"You're dead, asshole!? You hear me!?" Lyle screeched furiously while he was still within earshot. "You and the goth brat!?"

"Buh-bye!" Ryan waved with his hat, no longer bothering to look and see where Lyle was heading, though he hoped it was someplace filled with sharp, jagged rocks, or the river infested with hungry grizzlies.

Instead, he continued paddling, keeping the yacht in his sights and watching the other parasail still attached to it. If Lori and Lola were the two people up there, he hoped their rope was just as breakable.

"So Lucy got the better of the disphit?" Ryan figured as he mulled over Lyle's last words, trying but failing not to get sentimental. "I've never felt so proud of the kid, she's growing up so fast."

Meanwhile...

Luan was slouching on the bed in the room she was hiding in, as sullen as ever, and letting out a mute sigh, before jolting when she heard a knock on the door.

Tentatively, she walked towards it after the door handle twisted, but whoever was on the other side couldn't open it, as Luan had made sure to lock it after the others left.

She would have asked for the password, but she never gave one, given her vow of silence and all. And unfortunately, there was no peephole on the door.

Luan wasn't sure what to do until she heard a hoarse, monotonous voice say, "Luan, you can come out now. We caught Kathleen red-handed. Mom's with me and wants to apologize for not believing you."

It sounded like Lucy. Luan's eyes widened in disbelief and the corners of her mouth started twisting into a big smile. Could it be? She had faith in Lincoln and his group to pull it off, but she didn't think they would be this quick? There was justice in this world after all!

Without further thought, she pulled back the locks and opened the door.

She instantly regretted her action as a fist connected with her throat and sent her crashing to the floor. Coughing and clutching her aching neck, she looked up and saw her visitor calmly walk in and lock the door again.

"Always so gullible, Tin Teeth. Though admittedly, I am a phenomenal actress." It was Kathleen, dressed in badminton clothes for some reason, and looming over her.

Before Luan could react, she was backhanded, so hard that it made her spin around.

"But sharing personal secrets with your fellow freaks?" With a dark smile, Kathleen swung her foot and kicked Luan in the side, making her tumble back. "That's just not cool."

Panting, Luan tried to get up but was swiftly grabbed by her shoulder and received a painful blow to her belly. Before she could keel over, Kathleen grabbed her by her striped shirt and hoisted her up to eye level.

"You crossed the line, Lu-Lu. I'm done playing!" Kathleen hissed as she punched her onto the bed.

No sooner did she land, Luan felt a knee pressing into her stomach and Kathleen's hands seized her throat. Luan's nose was bleeding and she wanted to cry for help but could only wheeze as her old enemy was on top of her with a crazed look in her blue eyes and growing a rictus grin.

"I know, I know... 'I knew you didn't change, Kathleen, you dirty liar'." she said in an exaggeratedly high-pitched voice, her attempt at imitating Luan's. "Blah, blah, blah. Don't waste your breath on that cliche."

As she said that, her grip on Luan's throat tightened, and the rich girl relished the terrified look in Luan's eyes as the latter struggled to draw a breath. She gripped Kathleen's arms, trying to pry her off, but her attacker didn't even budge, leaving Luan unable to do anything but wheeze frantically.

Kathleen weighed out her options. Part of her was quite curious to know how much longer she needed to squeeze the freak's neck until she cut off the oxygen to Luan's brain permanently.

Her expression didn't change. "Besides, you took a vow of silence, right? After some thought, I decided that it would benefit me if I helped ya uphold it!"

Quickly, her right hand let go of Luan's neck and the latter saw Kathleen pull something out of her pocket. Luan tried to cry but Kathleen swiftly jabbed the object into her throat.

The mime's eyes bulged and her body shook violently before going limp.

The deed was done.

Kathleen walked out of the room, cleaning some blood off her hands with a towelette.

"How therapeutic..." she said in a light tone, feeling much better than before. But her mood soured as she remembered her match with Lynn. At least it offered a great distraction.

She had to act fast, she just hoped that idiot Lyle would hurry up. No sooner did her thoughts drift to him, so did her eyes towards the sky and she was startled to see one of the parasails missing.

The one holding two people was still there, but not the other, smaller one. Kathleen's face turned red and she trembled. How did this happen? Which one of the freaks would be ballsy enough to do that?

Obviously not Luan. Not Lincoln either, the spineless goody two-shoes. Not Lana, she was too young and inept. Lynn was brash enough, but she was too stupid to do it discreetly. And the others were drugged or braindead or both. Did Ryan somehow sneak aboard? The thought scared her and she started sweating.

With Ryan onboard, and Lyle gone, they could overpower her, and Mr. and Mrs. Loud weren't there to keep them under control.

She tried to ease her worries. "Don't be ridiculous. That ugo isn't a freaking ninja. He couldn't possibly have snuck aboard!"

Regardless, she had to act. It was now or never, but without Lyle to do her dirty work, it was time for plan B. She hurried to a white locker and pulled out her keys.

She was oblivious to someone appearing around the corner. It was Lucy and she froze in her tracks at the sight of their host. The goth knew she was eavesdropping on something important.

"Hey, Kathleen!" Kathleen jumped and spun around, adopting a fighting stance, only to realize she was facing Lola, who flinched at the former's response.

"You okay?" she asked, wearing sandals, her pink one-piece and sunglasses above her eyes.

Kathleen composed herself, flushing. "Sure, Lols. Why wouldn't I be?" she said while scooping up her dropped keys.

"Are you and Lynn really having a badminton match?" Lola asked excitedly.

"Eh...yes, she challenged me and I couldn't possibly back down." Kathleen answered. "Somebody had to humble that competition freak sooner or later."

"How noble. I'm sure you're going to crush her like the pathetic loser she is-" Lola was cut off as Kathleen grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her away.

"You're absolutely right, but I'm going to need some moral support."

"You can count on me, Kathy! You spent years cheering for others but today I'll be your cheerleader!" Lola said encouragingly before getting forcefully shoved away, almost falling over.

"Splendid! Go...and find some pom-poms! I'll be at the court in five minutes!" Kathleen said forcibly. "I just need...my lucky racquet! Now go!"

"Okay..." Lola said uneasily, rationalizing that Kathleen was just feeling the pressure.

Once she was out of sight, Kathleen quickly unlocked the locker and Jenny fell out of it, covered in sweat and gasping for air. Peeking from the corner, Lucy raised her brow. Not that you could see it thanks to her bags.

"Get up!" Kathleen yanked Jenny up by her shirt. "We're running out of time!"

"Dude, it was..." Jenny panted "...a hundred degrees in there-"

"I don't care!" Kathleen silenced her and pointed at Jenny's backpack.

"You have the tranq darts?" Jenny nodded fearfully.

"Good, change of plan. Lyle's missing and possibly dead, so it's up to you to grab you-know-who." Kathleen explained. "She's drugged and so is the idiot watching her. I'll keep everyone distracted. Grab Amber if you have to but be discreet about it."

"Okay, I understand..."

"And just to remind you, Jennifer..." Kathleen said sharply and raised her finger. "...this is a very big deal! Far bigger than anything a pathetic little nobody such as yourself has any right to be involved in. Everything hinges on you-know-who being in my custody by the end of the day, I can't keep this charade up much longer. So you better not screw up like Lyle did... or else."

Jenny gulped and raised her hands. "I won't disappoint you, I swear. This will be easy. Any idiot can kidnap a sleeping toddler."

Kathleen's face brightened. "Excellent." She slapped Jenny's back faux-affably. "I knew I could always rely on you."

Staying quiet, Lucy snuck away. But as Jenny went in one direction and Kathleen stormed off in the other, the same one as Lucy, the goth was forced to hide. Seeing an open door, she dove in and found herself in a small storage room.

Pressing herself against the wall, Lucy heard footsteps and silently backed away from the door but accidentally knocked over a bag of potatoes in the process. She stifled a gasp as some of the potatoes rolled around on the floor and she turned around to see Kathleen stop by the door.

Her heart thumping, Lucy pressed her hand over her mouth as Kathleen gazed into the storage room, humming suspiciously. But fortunately, the rich girl turned away and kept walking.

Or rather, she stopped just three feet away from the door, sporting a knowing smirk as she walked in place, making each subsequent step softer until she stopped and casually turned around, with her hands behind her back.

"Three...two...one..."

As to be expected, the tiny eavesdropper ran out but came to a screeching halt as she looked up and came face to face with Kathleen.

Lucy gasped and stepped back.

"Looks like we have a little snoop." Kathleen smirked darkly as she grabbed and twisted Lucy's arm. "Always the one who falls under the radar."

Before Lucy could yell, she was thrown back into the storage room. Landing on her back, she sat up and was engulfed by Kathleen's shadow.

"Sorry for the substandard accommodations, whatever your name is. But I have matters to attend to." Kathleen said faux-affably and closed the door. "Enjoy your stay."

Lucy bolted towards her and tried to open the door but it was already locked. She stepped back and cursed under her breath before looking around. It was the same storage room Lyle had been forced to clean earlier.

She saw a bunch of boxes and an air vent near the ceiling to her left.

"Predictable." the goth scoffed. "Kathleen thinks ahead as much as Lori."

But her being trapped here even for a little while would give Kathleen and her cronies enough time to enact their plan. Lucy needed to hurry, so she pushed the first box under the air vent.

Miles away...

Livid grunting and squirming could be heard across the forest as a parasailing peabrain hung from a tree near the lake's shore, trying to release himself from his harness but having no idea how to unbuckle the damn thing.

"I'll kill her! I'll kick her puny ass off a cliff! I'll rip her bratty spine out! AGHHH!" Lyle ranted to himself while dangling some 20 feet in the air, before calming down enough to realize that a fall from this height wouldn't do him any good and he swallowed a lump.

"I hate freaking heights!" he yelled inwardly while trying to think of a way to get down. Needless to say, there was not even a blip on his mental radar.

"I can't dangle here until some idiots stumble upon me!" To his dread, he realized that would be his only option.

Or not.

A soft, malevolent chuckle interrupted his non-thought process, scaring the tween out of his skin.

"H-hello? W-who...who's there?" Lyle tried to look over his shoulder, his voice cracking in fear. He saw nothing.

"What do we have here? A hapless runt delivered to me by the winds of fortune." a deep, smooth voice said in amusement.

Lyle's temper started flaring as he looked around. "Look here, pal! You better get me down, or...or I'll kick your ass!"

"Will you now?" the voice sounded unimpressed. That's when Lyle noticed a single eyeshine in the shade of a tree, belonging to a four-legged creature that decided to step out into the light.

It was a large, black-furred wolf, his lip curling in contempt. "You're even more transparent than the last one."

Dumbfounded, Lyle stared at the wolf for a few seconds before flinching and letting out a high-pitched scream. Soto smiled to himself, delighted to see the familiar display of sheer terror.

"So you remember me." he probed.

Lyle covered his eyes and tucked his legs in as he sobbed, "What is this?! This isn't real! I'm losing it, man!?" He started fluctuating between crying and laughing uncontrollably. "I'm really losing it! Kathleen drove me nuts with her bullshit!"

In response, Soto let out another throat chuckle and sat down while studying the dangling idiot.

"Oh, I can assure you, I'm not a figment of your limited imagination. Your pint-sized, spectacled trickster made this conversation possible. Not that you need to be reminded, I'm sure you know more than you're letting on."

"Lisa Loud?!" Lyle dared to look, trying to make sense of this. "Why would she do that? Why would she make a wolf smart and talk?!"

"Then again, maybe he doesn't." Soto deduced. This kid was clearly as dull as a pack elder's fangs.

"An intriguing question, though I'm afraid I lack a sufficient answer. But I'm sure you know why I've approached you." he humored his victim and tilted his head to his right.

Lyle made a face, slow on the uptake as usual, but seeing the wolf's scarred face brought back a painful memory, making him squeak and instinctively shield his scalp.

"It's you?! That wolf at the old cabin...in the gorge!?"

"The one you maimed with your firecracker, yes." Soto's tone turned dark but retained an air of superiority. "Now, what do you suppose would be an appropriate response to such a transgression?"

"It wasn't my fault!?" Lyle cried. "It was Taylor and his stupid girlfriend! I was aiming at her!? I swear!"

"Did you now? I presume you're referring to the ugly one with the big mouth and the freckled brunette?" Soto snarked. He wouldn't dignify the runts by bothering to remember their names.

"Yes! Yes!" Lyle nodded frantically. "Kill them! Kill all those freaks! It was all their fault! I-didn't-do nothing! I'm-innocent, cross-my-heart-hope-to-die!"

Soto looked mildly intrigued. "So the pale-faced wretch wasn't lying, you and him are at odds as well? Or are you just another coward with no loyalties?"

"Of course we are-I mean not! I mean...yes, I hate him! I hate him and his band of freaks to death!" Lyle retorted lividly. "Me and Kathleen both!"

Soto looked amused and closed his good eye while shaking his head. "So it seems we have a three-pronged war going on? Oh, no. That's much too complicated for my taste. Better if I...streamline things."

Lyle blinked. "W-what do you mean?"

The wolf didn't answer. He just smiled with a sinister glee in his eye, letting his words sink in with the dolt. They eventually did.

"What? No...no! You can't do that!?" Lyle shook his head, his voice drastically rising in pitch.

"And why not?" Soto asked, milking the situation for the last ounce of amusement.

The panicking boy scrambled to think of an answer until something hit him. His predicament was a blessing in disguise! He was out of the wolf's reach.

With newfound confidence, Lyle laughed crassly and pointed at Soto.

"Ha! You can't get me cuz I'm way up here! And you're down there, you stupid dog! Stupid dogs can't climb trees!" he bragged and blew a raspberry. "Nah-nah-nah-nah, can't get me, you flee-bitten cur!"

Soto didn't take the bait. His demeanor didn't change, as he had planned ahead, and he turned his head to his left.

Unnerved by the lupine's calmness, Lyle's bravado quickly dried up as he glanced in the same direction. He saw a fallen log on top of some boulders, some ten feet away from him.

"And by the way..." the wolf started casually as he strolled towards the rocks and jumped up onto the log "...the name's Soto."

"S-Soto?!" Lyle squeaked, too scared to form another word.

Soto turned around on top of the log and locked eyes with his target, now on the same level. Lyle turned pale as a ghost and quivered uncontrollably as the wolf adopted a pouncing pose.

"Yes. Just in case Old Scratch asks who sent you."

With a growl, Soto lunged at him and Lyle screeched before the beast seized his boot with his jaws.

"NO!?" Lyle cried as he was yanked down by the wolf's weight, who snarled as he bit down harder on Lyle's foot, nearly crushing it. The branch creaked as it bent down.

Screaming, Lyle struggled to untangle himself while Soto pulled them both to the forest floor and continued pulling once his back paws touched the grass. But the harness was indeed tough and the wolf growled in aggravation as it refused to snap, prompting him to pull harder.

Lyle squeaked and the wolf grew a grin as they both heard the branch cracking. Faced with certain death, Lyle's brain did something extraordinary...it conjured up a real thought. Hastily, he struggled to untie his boot.

Soto kept pulling until suddenly, Lyle's foot slipped from his boot and he screamed like a little girl as he was flung high up into the air, free from the harness and flailing frantically as he flew over the treeline and plunged headfirst into the lake.

With air bubbles escaping from his mouth, Lyle squired underwater, swam up, and gulped for air. He had no time to process what had just happened, as he just let out a gargled scream and started swimming laps away from the shore.

From the bank, Soto watched him go in disbelief and fumed while crushing Lyle's boot in his jaws, when he heard the sound of trotting hooves and a voice exclaiming, "What's all this ruckus?"

With an enraged glare, the wolf turned around and was met with a steed carrying another ranger on his back. The startled horse stopped, clearly recognizing the infamous killer but his master was none the wiser and chuckled blissfully.

"Oh, it's just a wolf." he carelessly jumped off his horse, who neighed in fear but was ignored.

"You're a big fella, aren't ya? Haven't seen you around these parts." the ranger said in jest as he put his hands on his hips. "Okay, fun's over. Be a good boy and drop that boot."

Soto gave him a murderous glare and raised his hackles.

"Been nice knowing ya, Hal." the horse neighed and galloped away.

Oblivious that his time was almost up, the ranger wagged his finger. "I know you love your chew toy but we can't get accustomed to human stuff, can we? You might get bold and give someone a nasty fright."

Easing his temper, Soto smiled and dropped the smelly boot.

"My sincerest apologies, ranger." he said mockingly in plain English, stunning the uniformed man.

"And I'll gladly take the consolation prize." Soto grinned viciously before lunging at him.

All the birds in the area scattered and flew away as a blood-curdling scream filled the forest.

I can't believe it's been nearly 5 months since my last update. I feel like such a procrastinator. This was originally supposed to be a longer chapter and wrap up the "Cruising for Trouble" part of the story, but over the last four months, between trying to update another fic (which I did) and creative blocks, I only sporadically wrote on this chapter and with March drawing to a close, I decided to just post the first part of it, to tide things over, and I'll hopefully post the second half soon enough. Plus, this part had quite a few "shocking" moments anyway; Kathleen assaulting and possibly murdering Luan, Lucy going full sociopath hero and cutting Lyle out of the picture, and Soto finally getting to kill someone, a not-so-bright ranger (off-screen that is). Plus, Kathleen might regret telling the loose-lipped Louds that she's supposedly planning a big Fourth of July festival with a nosy reporter stalking her now.