"So I am ready. Let's hear it," Jason said as he came into Adam's bedroom. He had just returned from getting the van along with the help of his mother. During that time, Adam had eaten a bowl of Chicken n' Noodles soup that their mother had insisted on. After that he had went up and made himself comfortable in his bed. He was just about to go into a restful sleep when Jason burst into his room. Hoping that he would go away, Adam decided to ignore him.

"Come on! The sooner you level with me the sooner you can go to sleep and get this case solved," Jason said, ripping the covers back off of his brother. He was used to this because it took forever to get Adam to wake up in the morning.

"Jason, I am tired," Adam muttered from under a pillow.

"I am too, but I care about you. We are a team and I think you are hiding something from me," Jason said sitting down on the bed.

Adam felt a ping of guilt shoot through his stomach. Okay, maybe I should just tell him the truth. I don't know what is wrong and every time I don't level with him, I end up in worse trouble. Adam let out a deep sigh and spoke from under the pillow, "Fine."

Jason walked over and gently closed the door. Then he flung himself into the beanbag on the floor.

Adam wiggled his way from under the pillows. Even though he was still all snuggled up in his grandmother's Lone Star quilt, Jason could make out his face in the dim light from the nightlight in the bathroom. Ever since the accident, Adam had to leave a small light on in the bathroom so he could find his way in the dark.

"Jason, I really don't know what is wrong. I just get really dizzy off and on," Adam said in a sleepy tone.

"Are you eating right?" Jason asked. "It seems like ever since this case started, you have been having these spells."

"I am sticking to this case," Adam said with a stern and forceful tone.

"I never said that you weren't. Just I thought that maybe you have not been eating right," Jason replied "You do know that if you do not eat right that it can make your sugar go off."

Hearing a possible out from his predicament, Adam seized the moment. He knew that it was not sugar related, but this excuse would buy him time and leverage with his brother.

"I will start eating better and we will see how that goes. You just might be right," Adam said looking up at Jason.

"Okay, so you promise that you will take batter care of yourself?" Jason asked.

"Yes, Jason I promise. So now can you just let me sleep."

"And if this does not work you will see Dr. Coykendall?"

"What?"

"You heard me."

"Okay, okay. You have a deal."

With that, Jason made his way to the door. He was satisfied that his brother was finally including him in on his recovery, instead of sneaking around behind his back.

"Oh and one more thing," Jason said before he opened the door. He heard Adam groan from under all the covers.

"Be ready to go in the morning. We have a long day ahead of us. It looks like we are going to have this case in the bag before Friday," Jason said. He wanted Adam to realize that he wanted for him to live a normal life too and it was time for Jason to ease up on him. Adam heard his brother and held his thumb up in the air. Jason had to smile as he walked to his own bedroom. It felt good finally being a team again.

For Adam, the school day dragged all day. He still did not feel so great. It was like walking in a fog. He just could not get himself to concentrate on anything and he felt so tired and sluggish. When seventh period rolled around, he literally laid his head down to sleep.

"What's up!" a voice thundered through his light slumber. He also felt the whole table shake as he squinted his eyes at the intruder. "What is your problem today?"

"What do you mean Chuck?" Adam asked, lifting his head up.

"You just don't seem to be yourself today. Even Alyssa commented last period that you seemed distant today. Then there was Miss Meade," Chuck said, sitting down next to his friend.

"Miss Meade?" Adam asked quizzically.

"Yeah, she commented to Jason that she did not realize that you were there until she saw you leave class," Chuck said with a chuckle. He pulled out a Butterfinger and offered Adam a piece. But Adam just shook his head. "So have you found out anything about my car?"

"Not yet, but it is not looking good ol' buddy," Adam said in a tired tone. "We are going to nose around after school to find out. If so, you will have to give it back."

"You mean you are not making any pickups or anything?"

"Nope, Chris left school early today so he could go to LA with Rod to make a big exchange of some sort. We have the day off to investigate," Adam said with a slight grin. He just did not have the energy to really enjoy the thought. "Dad is going to look over everything tonight."

"So you will know about my car tonight?"

"Hopefully," Adam said sensing his friend's interest. Chuck had often helped them on their cases and Adam was glad that after everything, he was still on board with them. "Do you want me to call you when we get to the house and you can help us go through the papers?"

Chuck grinned from ear to ear. "You bet. I have to do a few chores, but I will be at the house."

About that time, the sound of a bell interrupted the two friends. Chuck walked with Adam to the van. Jason was already waiting for him. The boys soon waved good-bye to their friend and turned the van in the direction of the car lot.

"Are you feeling any better?" Jason said as he interrupted the silence.

"Just tired," Adam replied. He still felt like he was walking through a mental fog. "So do you think you have found a way to get into Rod's disc file?" He wanted to change the subject.

"Yep, I talked to Craig and he said it was a simple block so," Jason said. He was looking forward to getting into Rod's private files. He was unable to get into the files the other day because of a security block that Rod had put on the discs.

Soon the brothers were at the car lot. They parked the van down the road at Kenny's Carryout and walked the half-mile to the car lot. Jason bent down to get the hidden key from its hiding place, but it was not there.

"That is great!" he muttered. "I guess we are going to have to go in the hard way."

Adam followed Jason around to the back of the small building. He looked up at the small window. He reached up and pulled on the window frame. Since it was such an old building, the window immediately popped open. He turned to his brother and smiled. "Women and children first." Adam smirked as his brother made a "step" with his hands and boosted Adam up to the window. Adam slowly wiggled through the small opening and carefully turned around so he could jump down. Within just a few seconds, Jason and Adam were sitting in front of Rod's computer. Adam went to look through the files more while Jason worked on the block.

Adam read through several purchase papers and delivery notices. He was about to start on the second drawer when he heard his brother exclaim, "Oh, yeah. We have hit the motherload!"

Adam walked in and looked over his brother's shoulder. "What?"

"Don't you see it?" Jason asked, still basking in his glorious find. But Adam was still in a daze and looked blankly at the screen.

"I am sorry Jason. I am just not with it today," Adam said with a sigh.

"This is the disc that lists every car and it's autobiography you could say," Jason answered. Adam smirked at his brother's use of words.

"According to this, most of Rod's cars are not stolen. They are flood cars. That is a good racket."

"You're not kidding. They go to the auction, buy the totaled cars and rebuild them. Then they go to another state, pass inspections if needed and Walla! A new clear and free registration."

"And the buyer has no idea. Well at least for a little while. I mean, flood cars that are flooded like that are ticking time bombs. Things start to go," Adam replied. "The worst part of this is that most of the buyers are people who need dependable cars and can not afford one at the regular places. Chuck is a great example of that."

"Let's look up Chuck's," Jason said as he plugged in the needed information. Soon what the boys had been waiting on popped up on the screen magically. "Flood savage from the state of Ohio in 1997."

"Ohio? Ohio can't get hurricanes?"

"No, but Ohio can get rains from one. But I remember something about that year. I think that was the year that the Ohio River flooded. I saw news reports from Cincinnati where they had to even put in the floodgates in the floodwalls. One whole town was washed away in Kentucky because the town did not have a floodwall," Jason said still inputting information.

"What about Eric's car?"

Jason quickly booted up the file. Adam smiled big when he saw the heading next to the car. "Stolen from New York state, 1999."

"Try not to take too much pleasure in that," Jason said.