The Last Chance Detectives

Chris: Hi, this is Chris. Welcome to a special presentation of Adventures in Odyssey: The Last Chance Detectives. Like to know more? Log on to LastChanceDetectives.com.

Meanwhile, please keep in mind that Last Chance is aimed at a little older audience and may be intense for listeners under the age of 10. So kids, make sure your parents are listening with you. And now, sit back and enjoy The Last Chance Detectives.

Mike: Previously on The Last Chance Detectives. Jason Whitaker is on his way to a secret government assignment when his car starts acting really weird around Ambrosia, Arizona. Jason's car winds up in a ditch, and Jason winds up stuck in Ambrosia where he meets the Last Chance Detectives.

He is enjoying a nice meal at the Last Chance Diner when everything goes crazy. Meantime, Winnie's grandmother is trying to stop a casino group from coming to town at a city council meeting.

Hi, my name is Mike Fowler. When I was six years old, my dad was my hero. As a fighter pilot, Dad went on dangerous missions. One night, he didn't return. They never found him.

So now, I work on my detective skills. One day, I hope to find my dad. My clubhouse is a B-17 bomber. My three friends and I solve mysteries in the town of Ambrosia. Together, we are the Last Chance Detectives.

Winnie: Winnie. Hello.

Wes Ortega: Hi. Let me officially introduce myself. I'm Wes Ortega.

Winnie: I know who you are. I heard you at the debate. What are you doing here?

Wes Ortega: I understand that you don't like me. Your grandmother and I don't see eye to eye on very many issues.

Winnie: It's more than the issues. She genuinely doesn't like you.

Wes Ortega: Of course. Anyway, the Tribal Council told me about Martha and I know you won't believe this, but I wanted to let you know how sorry I am. Even though we disagree, I respect her very much. She has been a worthy opponent.

Winnie: Okay.

Wes Ortega: And also, I wanted to tell you that I know about the pacemaker problem and that you can be assured that her finances will be completely taken care of.

Winnie: What? But how?

Wes Ortega: As a matter of goodwill, the NAIG wants to pay for this out of our emergency fund.

Winnie: The NAIG? What is that?

Wes Ortega: It's the organization I belong to.

Winnie: Wait a minute. Grandma mentioned this once. That's the National Association of Indian Gaming, right?

Wes Ortega: That's right. The proceeds from casinos go towards many good causes, including this one.

Winnie: Mr. Ortega, I don't think I can take your money.

Wes Ortega: Why not?

Winnie: I'd be too afraid that you'd talk about this in your campaign, how you helped the enemy with gambling money.

Wes Ortega: You're not the enemy. You're part of our community. We can use our resources to help you just as well as anyone.

Winnie: I can't do it. Grandma wouldn't want it.

Wes Ortega: Well, Winnie, do you really have a choice? You're dooming your grandmother to a life of poverty.

Winnie: We're fine with poverty.

Wes Ortega: Is that really a decision you should be making for her?

Winnie: Don't worry about it. There's a benefit carnival tomorrow. Grandma set it up to show that there are other ways to raise money for the Navajos instead of gambling. We'll raise plenty of money to cover for her new pacemaker.

Wes Ortega: You're being awfully stubborn about this.

Winnie: I get it from my grandmother.

Wes Ortega: Yes, you do. Well, suit yourself. But let me know if you change your mind. Bye, Winnie.

Ben: Man!

Mike: I don't think you'll be making the team for the Olympic milk bottle game.

Ben: I'm going to get this. Just stay back, okay? You're throwing me off.

Mike: And you've been playing this game all day. There are other things to do here. Haven't you ridden any rides?

Ben: Rides make me nauseous. Okay, this is the one. Ah, this is rigged. There's a magnet in the ball or something.

Winnie: Hey, guys.

Mike: Winnie, I'm glad you came.

Winnie: Yeah, me too. It's good to get out of the hospital. Wow, there's a lot of people here!

Mike: It's been packed all day.

Winnie: Great! We'll show the NAIG we can get along without their dirty money.

Mike: So the Tribal Council agreed to pay for the pacemaker?

Winnie: Yep.

Mike: Cool. So you want to ride something?

Winnie: Sure.

Mike: Ben, you coming?

Ben: No thanks. I've got a stuffed orange worm to win.

Mike: A stuffed worm? He's been trying for the worm all day. Hello?

Spence: Mike, it's Ben. I know where the signal's coming from.

Mike: Where?

Spence: It's not a fixed location.

Mike: What do you mean?

Spence: It's moving! And Mike, it's coming straight for you!

Mike: What?

Spence: Get out of there! The electricity could go crazy any second.

Mike: Spence, this whole thing is run by electricity. We've got to go. We've got to get everyone off the rides.

Winnie: Why?

Mike: Just do it! I'll take the carousel. Hey, mister!

Guest (Male): Yeah?

Mike: You've got to stop the carousel.

Guest (Male): Why?

Mike: The kids could be in danger. Please, just turn off the ride. No! What are you doing? I told you to turn it off, not on!

Guest (Male): I'm trying! It's going by itself! It's out of control!

Mike: The kids, they're going to fly off! Somebody get my kid off of there! There's a little girl about to fall off!

Guest (Male): Where? There!

Mike: You keep trying to turn it off. I've got to jump on. Help me!

Winnie: Winnie, what do we do? We have to turn everything off.

Ben: How? There's not exactly a carnival on-off switch.

Mike: Yes, there is.

Ben: Where?

Mike: Right there, Ben. The generator. We have to flip the switch.

Ben: But it's shooting sparks everywhere! You'll get electrocuted! Don't touch it!

Mike: The switch is right there. If I could just hit it somehow... Wait a minute. I've got it!

Winnie: Got what?

Mike: Grab some baseballs from the milk bottle game!

Winnie: What?

Mike: I've been practicing all day for this! I missed! Hand me another ball!

Winnie: Maybe we should get someone who can hit the broad side of a barn.

Mike: Ben, this just isn't working! Just hand me another one! All right, this is for all the times I got picked last for kickball!

Winnie: You did it! You turned it off!

Mike: We need to jump off.

Winnie: I can't! This whole thing is going to collapse. We have to do this.

Mike: Ready? One, two... Wait, it's slowing down. Oh, thank goodness. We're going to be okay.

Winnie: Thank you.

Mike: You're welcome. We're safe.

Guest (Female): Oh, Mommy!

Mike: This is getting way out of control.

Spence: Mike, Ben, you're back.

Mike: Yeah, they closed down the carnival.

Spence: Can't say that I blame them.

Mike: Winnie is trying to get them to reopen tomorrow so that the weekend's not a total loss.

Spence: Maybe if we solve this case in time, they'll reopen.

Mike: How are we going to do that?

Spence: We're closer than you think. The seismograph instruments are working even better than I had hoped. It looks like the device emits a low-frequency signal even when it's disabled.

Mike: Disabled?

Spence: When it's not emitting the current that plays havoc with our electricity. I've been able to track its precise movement since the carnival.

Mike: So where is it?

Spence: It's moving around like some kind of vehicle.

Ben: A spaceship?

Spence: Not unless spaceships travel on a road, which is what this thing is doing. In fact, after the carnival, it left town and traveled down Route 66.

Mike: To where?

Spence: It stopped 8.3 miles west of town at the Astro City truck stop.

Winnie: Sheriff Smitty!

Sheriff Smitty: Yeah, Winnie.

Winnie: Are they going to let us reopen the carnival tomorrow?

Sheriff Smitty: No, they're not.

Winnie: Why?

Sheriff Smitty: Look around you, Winnie. This place is a shambles. All that has happened lately, I'd be hesitant to let the town run a lemonade stand, much less a carnival.

Winnie: But we can have the carnival without electricity. People can just play games like the milk bottles and...

Sheriff Smitty: Can't take the chance.

Winnie: We paid a lot of money to have this carnival and now we're not going to earn any of it back.

Sheriff Smitty: I know.

Winnie: And Grandma, how am I going to...

Sheriff Smitty: I'm sorry, Winnie.

Mike: There it is. You got the walkie-talkie, Ben?

Ben: Yeah, right here. What is this foil thing around it?

Mike: Spence magnetically shielded it so that it won't be affected by the signal. Okay, Spence, we're here. The truck stop is about 100 yards away.

Spence: Good. I'm still picking up the signal. Here's what I need you to do. Get the radio.

Mike: Got it!

Spence: Turn it on.

Ben: I hate this station.

Mike: We don't care. We just need a clear channel. It's on, Spence.

Spence: All right, I want you to hold the radio out and rotate your body slowly.

Ben: Are you kidding me?

Spence: No.

Ben: I guess you want me to do the Hokey Pokey too.

Spence: Tell me if you hear any kind of interference.

Ben: Okay, but you better not be secretly filming this. There it is!

Spence: Stop spinning when you hear interference. Right there. Stop. Good. Now which direction are you pointing?

Ben: Toward the Astro City truck stop. Actually, he's pointing at the little warehouse behind the truck stop.

Spence: That's our place.

Mike: We're going in.

Ben: We're going in?

Mike: Yes, it's why we came here.

Ben: We don't even know what this thing is. That warehouse is definitely big enough for an alien spaceship.

Mike: There is only one way to find out. Okay, Spence, we're in.

Ben: I think I left something back at the quad runner. My stomach.

Mike: Shh! There is nobody around, Spence.

Spence: What do you see?

Mike: It looks like a mechanic's garage. Smells like oil. Lots of tarps covering stuff.

Spence: How's the radio reacting?

Mike: Big time static. I must be right on top of it.

Ben: Just so it's not on top of us.

Mike: Look underneath some of these tarps.

Ben: For what?

Mike: I don't know. Old motor, ice machine. Hey, here's a car! Wait a minute.

Ben: What?

Mike: Look at the fender.

Ben: Why?

Mike: It's dented in and it's covered with dirt.

Ben: So?

Mike: Is this the same car that Jason Whitaker said he drove?

Ben: You don't think...

Mike: Here, hold the walkie-talkie. I'm going to check inside, see if there is any ID. You check in the front seat and I'll check in the back. Got it. What was that?

Sorry, I dropped my walkie-talkie. It's on the floor by the pedal.

Ben: Get it. I need to tell Spence something.

Mike: Ben! Oops, close the door! Okay, open the window and pull the tarp down over us. Stay still.

Frank: I just thought I heard something, Selena.

Selena: What did you hear?

Frank: It was a squeak or a honk or something.

Selena: Are you sure it didn't come from the highway?

Frank: No, it came from in here. Maybe it's one of those cars beeping.

Selena: It was probably one of the machines malfunctioning again. With the EMP out here, I'm surprised the whole room hasn't imploded by now.

Frank: I guess so.

Selena: No, there's nobody in here. Come on, Frank, you're wasting my time.

Spence: Mike, what's going on there?

Mike: Turn it off.

Spence: Mike, Ben, do you read me?

Ben: I can't reach it.

Mike: It's too far.

Frank: Well, well. Oops. It looks like we caught ourselves a couple of snoops. Come on out of there.

Mike: We're not doing anything. We're just a couple of meddling kids.

Ben: We're just exploring.

Selena: Frank, I'm not quite sure I believe them.

Frank: I'm sure I do either, Selena. They look a little suspicious to me.

Selena: Suspicious. You come with us.

Frank: What was that? He's got a walkie-talkie in there! Wow. Maybe they've even got a spy on the outside. Selena, these aren't just nosy kids. They're experienced. You tell them you're okay and not to call back. And be natural about it.

Mike: Spence?

Spence: Mike, you're there. I was worried for a minute. What's happening?

Mike: We're okay, but we need to go silent for a while. Just don't call us back, all right? SS and over and out.

Spence: SS?

Mike: That's our walkie-talkie code. They use it in the Air Force. It means maintain your position. I'm really not sure what it stands for.

Selena: Frank, let's get rid of them. I don't have time for this.

Spence: Mike? Mike, do you read me? SS. What's that mean? Something's wrong. Maybe I should get Pop or... That's it! SS! Sheriff Smitty! Mike wants me to call him. He must be in trouble!

Winnie: Grandma, can you hear me? I need to tell you something. This is really hard for me. I hate these tubes and these machines. It doesn't make sense, you needing things to keep you alive. You're the one who's always kept us alive.

I can't do this to you. You've worked so hard all your life. You deserve better. I know I told you I would keep up the fight, but I had no idea that it would come down to tubes.

I'm not as strong as you are. And I'm sorry. But this is something that I have to do. Mr. Ortega, this is Winnie.

Frank: Get in there!

Ben: You're going to freeze us? This is a walk-in freezer, isn't it?

Frank: It's not even turned on. Get in!

Ben: But wait! Is there any air in here?

Mike: I can already feel the carbon dioxide choking me! Oxygen! I need air!

Jason Whitaker: Don't worry, there's a vent.

Mike: Jason Whitaker?

Jason Whitaker: Yeah. You guys have anything to eat?

Ben: No.

Mike: Starvation! I didn't even think of that! I'm glad you're alive.

Jason Whitaker: Me too.

Mike: So they kidnapped you?

Jason Whitaker: Yeah. And I should have seen it coming. I knew something was up with these two.

Mike: What's their problem? Do you have any idea what they want?

Jason Whitaker: Well, I think I know pretty much everything. If you stand up on that shelf there, you can hear through the vent in the ceiling.

Mike: So what's going on?

Jason Whitaker: Frank and Selena are behind all the electronic interference.

Ben: How are they doing it?

Jason Whitaker: They've got a device called an EMP-X generator.

Ben: EM what?

Jason Whitaker: EMP. It stands for electromagnetic pulse. The X is the brand new version of it. It's just a little thing. It fits right in the palm of your hand, but it's incredibly powerful and it sends out intense bursts of energy like a lightning bolt.

Mike: It fries electronic equipment.

Jason Whitaker: Exactly.

Ben: Why would they want to even invent something like that?

Jason Whitaker: They used to use the big version as a weapon. It destroys a city's lights, communications, transportation, you name it. And it doesn't even have to take human life. Then they started experimenting with this X version. It doesn't quite work as well as the original, but it's just as dangerous, especially if it gets into the wrong hands.

Mike: So the military uses it?

Jason Whitaker: Not yet. Like I said, it's still in the experimental stage.

Mike: How did Frank and Selena get one?

Jason Whitaker: It was stolen a few days ago from a military facility in Black Sands. Strangely enough, that's why I was going down there, to investigate.

Mike: You work for the government?

Jason Whitaker: A little bit, here and there.

Mike: I don't get it. They got their hands on this great military weapon and they're using it on a carnival? Why?

Jason Whitaker: I think I might have the answer to that one too.

Mike: Is it serious?

Jason Whitaker: Deadly. And I'm afraid it has to do with Winnie's grandmother.

Spence: Sheriff Smitty!

Sheriff Smitty: What is it, Spence?

Spence: I think Mike and Ben are in trouble.

Sheriff Smitty: What kind of trouble?

Spence: They may have been kidnapped.

Sheriff Smitty: What makes you say that?

Spence: We were communicating via walkie-talkies and he left me this cryptic message.

Sheriff Smitty: What are you talking about?

Spence: He said SS, which I think means Sheriff Smitty. And then we lost transmission.

Sheriff Smitty: It sounds like a fun game of super spies to me.

Spence: No, we weren't playing! They broke into the warehouse behind the Astro City truck stop.

Sheriff Smitty: They did what?

Spence: That was the origin of the signal. We were just investigating.

Sheriff Smitty: And you decided breaking and entering was the way to do it?

Spence: Nothing else came to mind.

Sheriff Smitty: Come on.

Spence: You're helping us?

Sheriff Smitty: Yes. And maybe for the fun of it, I'll just go ahead and arrest you.

Mike: What do you mean, Mr. Whitaker? How does this involve Winnie's grandma?

Jason Whitaker: Somebody wants gambling very badly in Ambrosia, and they believe that eliminating Martha is the way to get it.

Mike: So they're trying to kill her?

Jason Whitaker: If that's what it takes.