Chapter Text
[Back at the Loud House, Roderick arrives to meet up with Jackson, Lincoln, Lisa, Lynn, Lucy, and Corey.]
Jackson: [On the phone] You need to be cautious, Caleb. If Lang realizes what you're doing, everything will break loose. Keep me updated. [Hangs up]
Roderick: Sounds like you're up to no good.
Jackson: Caleb, John, Clyde, Stella, and Zach are tailing the FBI agent investigating us, hoping that he will lead them to my fugitive friend. No good... at all.
Corey: [Chuckles] That's nothing. Has me trying to confirm that Zartek's fiber optics were being hacked. I'm breaking a dozen federal laws by hacking them myself.
Lincoln: The FBI doesn't care about Commander Warrick's murder. They only want to prove that there's some sort of conspiracy conducted by a cartel that we do not know of.
Roderick: Why not let them flounder?
Jackson: We can't. Odds are, Bertram will get himself killed.
Lynn: By the actual suspects or the FBI.
Corey: You got something, Unc?
Roderick: Oh, yes. [Shows a file] The FBI took our evidence, but we may have neglected to give them the photos of the body found in the sedan's trunk.
Jackson: The man he said was responsible for the three murders in the poker room?
Lucy: Brimming with respect for you right now, Detective.
Roderick: Didn't have time for a proper autopsy, let alone fingerprints or DNA. [Opens the file] But I have these. Crude, improvised inks.
Jackson: Yeah, something you'd get in prison.
Roderick: They usually highlight the gangs he ran with. It's like a resume. Sharif did some legwork and came up with this ID. [Points at a sheet] Matthew Ronson. Serving 10 years. Robbery, aggravated assault.
Lisa: Common crook.
Jackson: Not the type to get involved in high-level hacking, let alone a cartel soldier. Blows up the FBI theory.
Corey: But he must've had to have had an accomplice. Someone with computer skills. Or someone with access to Zartek.
Roderick: Well, I did a little digging. And turns out, he has an associate named Joel Collins. He's a technician contracted with Zartek to run their underwater cable. He had inside knowledge of the engineering.
Jackson: I want to know where he is right now.
Lisa: Way ahead of you. I'll pull up the GPS on his phone. We'll find him.
[Meanwhile, the other team is still tailing Agent Lang.]
Stella: See? I told you. You're getting too close to him.
Caleb: What do you mean? I'm two car lengths behind. I know how to follow a suspect.
John: Yeah, but he's not a suspect, he's FBI. If he makes us, we lose our only lead on Bertram. Probably our jobs too.
Caleb: Will you guys just be quiet?
Stella: Oh, you be quiet.
Caleb: I got this.
[Suddenly, Lang's vehicle stops, prompting them to stop.]
John: Dog-goneit, Caleb.
Stella: Ugh, I told you. He made us.
Caleb: He did not.
John: Alright. Well, I guess we'll just wait here and find out.
[Caleb tries to grab his apple juice bottle, but Stella stops him.]
Caleb: What is it now?
Stella: We have to talk. No denials, no deflections.
Caleb: About what?
Stella: About your former gang being here, hunting you down.
Caleb: I was never a member. I was a... "volunteer".
Stella: Then, why did they say you deserted them?
Caleb: They're just overreacting. It's no big deal.
John: Not much of a difference. Volunteers are just as guilty. [Caleb looks away] Look, we just wanna help you.
Caleb: You sure? 'Cause it sounds like you're just egging me for being a Jackknife.
John: Not true. We're just making sure that the authorities don't jump to conclusions. We're all under attack, alright? We need to close ranks so that we have each other's back. I've got your back.
Clyde: So do I.
Zach: So do I.
Stella: So do I. [Caleb gazes at everyone before taking a deep breath]
Caleb: And I got yours. All of ya.
[Just then, FBI cars come in and surround their vehicle.]
Clyde: And now... this happens.
Zach: What the heck?
John: Ooh... boy.
Stella: I told you he noticed us.
Caleb: Okay. [Agent Lang leaves on foot] Now, we are screwed.
John: [Uses his earpiece to call Jackson] Uh, dude, we might have a little problem with the FBI. Agent Lang just made us.
Jackson: [Over the earpiece] Dang it.
[Elsewhere, Jackson, Lincoln, Lynn, Lucy, Lisa, and Corey are eavesdropping on someone.]
Lincoln: Where is he now?
Caleb: Looks like he's on foot walking towards Owen Walter Park.
Lisa: Okay. Well, we found Joel Collins. It looks like he's setting up for a hit. [Joel gets on his motorbike and rolls off] Okay. He's leaving. Could be going the same way. [The team goes after him] Something's about to go down.
[Back to the other team.]
Caleb: We'll call you back.
Agent: Out of the car, now!
John: Don't shoot us. We have three kids in here.
[Cut to Owen Walter Park, where Bertram has met up with the woman from Zartek.]
Bertram: Keep walking. Act natural.
Woman: Why'd you have me meet you here?
Bertram: I need your help, Hannah.
Hannah: The FBI is saying bad things about you, Bertram. That you're responsible for what happened to Harvey.
Bertram: You know me. I would never hurt your boyfriend. I was trying to help him.
Hannah: So, why'd you run? Because of your record?
Bertram: 'Cause I want to figure out who killed him. But I need your help. You have to give me access to Zartek's servers.
Hannah: You know I can't give you that.
Bertram: I know it sounds like a stupid idea, but what choice do we have? That's the only way I can find the hacker. [Hannah starts to feel uneasy] Hannah, you have to trust me as much as I trust you, okay?
Hannah: Bertram, I'm so sorry. He didn't give me a choice here.
Bertram: [Confused] “He”? Who's "He"?
Lang: [Appears and aims his gun at Bertram] Hands where I can see them, Bertram.
Bertram: [Annoyed] Oh, why?
Lang: I got a dozen agents a block away. I told Hannah here I'd keep it civilized. Don't make me a liar!
Hannah: [To Bertram] They had a trace on my phone. [Lang takes Bertram's gun and examines it] They knew I was coming to see you.
Lang: Don't be too torn apart. It's probably the weapon that killed your boyfriend.
[Just then, Joel Collins arrives with a gun in his hand and aims at them.]
Lang: Everyone down! [They all do so as Collins fires at them, but the team comes in and shields the three, prompting Collins to retreat. Lang uses his radio.] We got a male suspect on a motorcycle! [The team disembarks]
Lincoln: Everybody alright?
Jackson: Bertram, you okay?
Bertram: I'm good. I'll call you later. [Tries to leave]
Jackson: [Grabs his arm] Wait, where are you going?!
Bertram: I can't stay here!
Jackson: You have to, man!
Corey: [To Hannah] You all right? [Hannah nods]
Lang: You're all meatballs! You freakin' follow me too?!
Lisa: And saved your life.
Lynn: You're welcome.
Lang: Yeah, sure. [Sits down] What a mess.