All Josh can see is the replay of Paul's hand on Emily's face. That fuels the fire in the pit of his stomach more than ever. He ignores the speed limits while he makes his way out of Dayton. The only thing he cares about is making it to Chicago to get James and locate Alex's whereabouts.

He gets some distance from the incident at Gwen's, making good time until the rain pours just over the Indiana state line. Josh has no choice but to slow down and be aware of anything that could happen, such as a tornado.

Indianapolis is a nightmare, and it doesn't get any better the further north he drives. Visibility is nearly gone, and his car nearly hydroplanes out of control. The anger that once controlled his actions has been replaced with concentration. Once he regains control of the car, Josh pulls over until the storm passes.

The hours from Indianapolis to Chicago's outskirts give Josh time to ponder deeply, and his overthinking ability sets in fear of not getting this team to function as a unit. The personal rivalry between Josh and Alex created such a rift that the team split in half.

Justin has always been the reliable one who sided with Josh. James, on the other hand, could never see the full picture and took Alex's side.

The issue that split the team in two is over Emily. Although she knows Josh and Erin adopted her, she wasn't told that Alexander and his college girlfriend are her parents, and neither wanted her. Alex knew it would ruin his plans to fly attack helicopters for the military. Caddie, though never wanted kids. All she cared about was inheriting her father's expanding hotel empire from New York/New Jersey to Florida.

It's midafternoon when he arrives at the parking garage entrance of INSIDE (International Network Securities Integration Development Enterprises). Upon finding a spot for guest parking, Josh kills the engine and sits there for several minutes. His heart begins to pound, feeling the anxiety soar to new heights. It hasn't been since he left for basic training since the last time he even talked to James.

One final deep breath, and Josh yanks himself from his car. His body is worn and tired from traveling. His hands and knee ache from the pounding he delivered to Paul. He travels to the elevator to the main lobby, where he sees James' name as the head engineer on the fifth floor.

"Can I help you, sir?" A receptionist asks, seeing him gawk at the employee directory case.

Josh makes his way over to the desk.

"Yeah, I'm here to see my little brother, James Cline," Josh says, tapping his fingers on the desktop.

She picks up her phone to call James' office. Josh stands there when his palms begin to sweat.

"Hi yes, Mr. Cline, sir, your next appointment is here." She listens inventively to him, with instructions to where to meet his guest.

"Copy that, Mr. Cline. I'll send 'em right up, goodbye sir."

She places the receiver back on its base and hands Josh a guest pass for the building.

"Go up to his floor; when you get off, take that right for about thirty feet. You'll see an all-glass meeting room step in there, and he will meet with you shortly."

All Josh does is nod and takes the pass.

"Thank you," he attaches the pass to his shirt and walks over to the elevator. His nerves unravel more the closer he gets to the destination.

Upon stepping out of the elevator, he walks down and into the meeting room. Josh takes a seat where he hopes James won't see his face. He's unable to get comfortable in the leather chair when the door opens, and James walks into the room.

"Sorry I am late, Mr. Tamagotchi, but I was pre..." James pauses when he takes his seat and sees Josh across from him rather than his expected guest.

"What the blue hell on God's green Earth are you doing here?"

Josh looks up to meet James in his eyes. Josh notices that James has the full Chicago appearance, slicked back shiny greased hair, clean-cut, and a dark gray and pinstripe business suit.

"It's good to see you too, Jimmie Boy." Josh greets him then becomes more comfortable in his seat.

"I know I'm the last one you wanna see, but I wouldn't be here if it weren't necessary," Josh explains.

James leans back in his seat. He sees the distress in his former best friend's expression and lays out a bombshell of his own.

"You need help with the Southern Sugar case." He waits patiently to watch Josh's reaction as to how he knows about his case.

"Don't act surprised I've been keeping some tabs on you. You're a public figure, and hey, for the right price, I might loan out some tech to you. Oh, that's a nonrefundable payment as well."

"I don't need just tech but real help, James. I need both you and Alexander. I need you to come out on the streets to help me figure out where the base of operations for this garbage is hidden and cut off the head to a multibillion-dollar drug operation." Josh begins his request for assistance.

"I know we haven't been on the best terms for a while now, but I need a team I can trust. The government has been compromised! How deep it goes, I don't know, but I need my team. The old-school team, and if I'm sitting here talking to you, then you know I am just that desperate."

Nothing else is said for a minute or two. They sit there, staring at each other. James has a sinister smile stretched on his face. Josh begins to tap his fingers on the table nervously.

Out of nowhere, James takes out his cell phone, opening it to make a single call.

"Hey, it's me; listen, I need you in my meeting room. Got something I need to talk to you about, and it's pretty important." James listens as the individual on the other end talks until the call ends.

"Give it a minute. Alex's on his way up. He works here as head of security. I'm certain he's going to be oh so thrilled to see you sitting here."

Josh's face says it all when he goes as white as a ghost. Within minutes he's going to standing solo against two of his best friends who see him as their worst enemy.

It's not long before a man dressed in slacks, combat boots, and a black long sleeve dress shirt arrives in the meeting room. He stands by the door, locking eyes with James.

"You called me up, so what's this that I have to see?" He says to James.

The chair pushes back, and Josh gets to his feet, leaving his back to Alexander. When he turns to face him and meets eye to eye, the tension of another beatdown is already in the air.

"You have some balls showing up after all this time. Especially after what you did stealing my daughter away from me, you son of a bitch!" Alexander growls in a cold tone.

Josh stands his ground about his daughter.

"Hold it, homeboy, before you go popping your mouth off at me again. You and Caddie gave her up, which is where Erin and I legally adopted her when you signed your parental rights over to us. You only wanted her back after you found out that without her, Caddie wasn't inheriting her father's company."

James sits there, rotating his eyes between the two of them. He listens as they continue the nearly seventeen-year debate learning more about the issues that have stood the test of time.

"Now let me get this straight; while you were off defending this country then transitioned into a Fed, you adopted his daughter. Then Alex, when it came time to take over a business, that's when you wanted her back for your greed? Damn, Alex, that is messed up, man. That would also explain why Caddie went home and murdered her parents. This means after she was tossed into prison, you divorced her and married her little sister. Holy shit, and I thought I had trouble in my life." James says, getting to his feet to keep them from going at each other.

The final sentence in his comments catches Josh off guard. He looks to James to clarify he heard him correctly, but Alexander lands a sucker punch.

"C'mon!" Alexander screams, bouncing on his toes, ready to throw down with Josh.

Josh comes in with a spear lifting Alex at his midsection, dumping him onto the conference table before he realizes it. He strikes quickly with jabs at Alex's face until James intervenes.

"That's enough! Look, whatever you two wanna do to each other, don't use my conference room to settle the score! Josh, you said you needed help with a case. Here we are, persuade us as to why we should team back up like in the old days." James says, breaking up the skirmish with his hands visibly shaking.

James points to a seat at the far end for Josh to take his place down there while he helps Alex to his feet and guides him over to a seat close to him.

"So, this is the deal; I need drivers and people who haven't been compromised like agents within the federal agencies. Once you help me take these guys down, I'll personally ensure that you're compensated graciously." Josh offers, trying to get them to bite the bait.

"Well, we both make it pretty well here, but as far as money goes. I'll take a generous stake in my company." Alexander mentions in a smart-aleck tone.

"Hey, hey nah, brother, you gave that up. Sorry but this time, I gotta side with Josh on that end. You gave up the keys to that kingdom, and you know he isn't squandering it if he's sitting here still working. I will say, though, if you want my services, I want something good. Say a certain Oldsmobile Grand National fully restored, and you foot the bill. See, Scarlett wants..."

James is cut off when his assistant barges through the door completely winded.

"Mr. Cline, sir, it's Mercy Hospital... Amber, there, possible overdose, sir..."

All three of them rush to their feet and follow James down to his Mercedes C Class sedan. He fires up the car and speeds through traffic until he locks up the brakes, sliding to a halt in the hospital parking lot.

Inside, James rushes to the nurse's station to find where his daughter is and the situation.

"Miss, miss, HEY NURSE!" He screams to get someone's attention, "I'm looking for my daughter, Amber Cline. Where is she, and what's wrong with her?"

Scarlett comes from around the corner with one arm holding her stomach while the other covers her mouth with a tissue to absorb the tears running down her cheeks.

Josh sees her and takes off down that way, with James and Alex following close behind. When Scarlett notices Josh coming her way, she opens her arms, giving him the tightest hug. She can't believe that he's there somehow.

"Hiya, sissy, it's been a while," Josh whispers into her ear. "What's wrong, and how can I help?"

Scarlett stutters at first, trying to find the words, but she begins to talk shortly after.

"Amber and her boyfriend got high from some kind of powdery substance. He's recovering in the room a couple of doors down, but Amber's having trouble with the Narcan."

The next sentence she tells Josh helps him realize what's happening to Amber.

"I swear it looks like she's suffering from Southern Sugar, but that hasn't been the case here in Chicago. It's been mostly in the South and southern parts of the Midwest."

Josh releases the hug then heads into the hospital room to see Amber lying there helpless and unconscious. She's the spitting image of her mother with bright red hair, with freckles scattered about her face. She's skinny and pale, which makes it easy to see the blood from her eyes that's been wiped from her face.

"Where's the boyfriend?" Josh asks, standing there, helpless.

Scarlett escorts him, James, and Alex down to the room where the young man sits up in the bed puking from the Narcan injection.

"You stupid little bastard! You get my niece high, and now she's in the other room fighting to live! Where'd you get the dope? I want to know, and if you screw with me, kid, I'll bury you in the worst federal prison. I swear I have the pull to make it happen!" Josh threatens the teenage boy shaking him in the hospital gown.

The kid takes his time focusing on gathering his thoughts with the Narcan effects still hitting him hardcore.

"Down near the Southside area of the city. In an apartment building called 'The District' in 5D, that's where. Guy had a really funny accent, more funnier than yours guy. It's uh, uh, I mean, uh, he had a tan like really dark." The kid stumbles to mumble his thoughts.

"I know where that dump is; let's ride!" Alex lets out, being the first one out the door giving directions of what to do.

"James, throw me the keys; I'll pull up and hit the fire escape, you and dumb -dumb here kick in the door." Alex orders.

Scarlett watches as they head out. Her fears refuse to ease up, knowing that the temporary alliance may not last long.

"Be safe, boys. You're always stronger together." She tells herself.

By the time they arrive at the building, Alex has a change of heart. He doesn't want to miss out on the action where he switches things up.

"Okay, after thinking it over, this is what we'll do. I'll go with Josh since we both have military training and James, you watch the fire escape. Take those trashcans and place them directly under the ladder. It'll slow them down, and..."

Josh interrupts Alex mid-sentence.

"Let's do this... Let me go in alone; I have the badge and the actual authority to do this; you don't yet. I'll charge in and see how bad it is. The last thing I need is my undercover agents getting burned this early in the case." Josh reveals making sense of the situation.

"Fine," Alex groans with a whisper of "jackass" under his breath when Josh gets out of the car.

Adrenaline pumps through his body with every step up to the floor, where he sneaks a glare around every corner of the rundown building to make sure he's not walking into another trap.

Josh has his gun drawn and a quick prayer that he can find cover since he's rushing in without gear or a bulletproof vest. One hard gulp and a call out loud, "D-E-A" Josh kicks in the door to discover that the place has been evacuated. He discovers paperwork on the table, but he hears a beeping noise from the bedroom in the distance.

"Ah, son of a bitch! Not again!" He yells, grabbing the papers on the table before he dashes for the hallway.

Within seconds after he turns the corner, an explosion occurs, sending him into the wall near the stairs.

After fire erupts from the windows, James and Alex rush inside and quickly find Josh coming down the stairs coughing with one hand still gripping the material taken from inside the apartment.

"Damn, man! You alright?" James asks, taking the paperwork from Josh's hand.

"Yeah, I've been through worse, but let's scram before we get stopped by the local cops and blow your cover." He suggests while coughing as they make their way out of the building.

They scatter back to the car and take off for James' office to go through the material picked up in the apartment. Once they're inside his office, he goes over to his desk, typing in a code that locks down the office from outside interference.

"Now we have the room to ourselves. Let's see what we got to work with." James separates everything mapping it out on the table.

"I see plane tickets to Jacksonville, Tampa, and Atlanta. Any of these could be our ticket in or a one-way trip to the grave by being set up. How do we figure out which city to hit and where to strike first?" James explains, looking over the tickets, and finds one with a phone number.

"Wait, I know that number!" Josh tells him when James flashes the number to see it belongs to his DEA agent David Stone.

"I remember my director telling me he had sent Dave out to investigate. He must be hot on the trail or close to being inside the network already."

Josh takes out his cellphone, dialing the secured number for his boss. He places the phone down on the desk and waits for an answer.

"Agent Bradshaw, checking in?" The Director says, waiting for Josh to discuss any updates.

"Affirmative and I have here interim agents Alexander McMichaels and James Cline, sir. We made a hopeful breakthrough already. You mentioned before that you put Dave back into undercover work. We discovered his phone number written on a pamphlet with a plane ticket to Atlanta. What are our orders, sir? We have here, Jacksonville, and Tampa, any indications of where we need to hit next, sir?"

The air goes silent for a moment.

"I sent Agent Stone to Atlanta to investigate there, but he's turned up nothing thus far. Things haven't improved, so I would suggest going to Jacksonville first, being closer to Atlanta. If they have shipped their operations, then that would be the next logical location. I will say this though Agent Stone's family has been threatened. His fiancé has been targeted, from what he's told me in his check-in sessions. If you all have a family to keep out of harm's way, then get them to a secure location without letting them know what's going on. Until then, best of luck, and thank you, Agents Cline and McMichaels, for coming aboard."

The line goes dead, and the trio looks at each other without saying anything for a few seconds. When the silence is broken, James is the first one to break that peace.

"Any ideas?"

Josh rotates his eyes from Alex over to James, where he nods with an idea.

"We'll head back to the hospital and sit with Amber and Scarlett. After she's recovered, I have the perfect place for all of us to lay low. We can be in Jacksonville in hours; we'll send everyone to my summer house located along the Outer Banks. I mentioned it already as an idea of a family vacation. It's off the path, and we can keep everyone safe there."

Alexander doesn't hesitate to bring up the age-old subject all over again.

"Can I spend time with my daughter?" Alex asks.

James, fed up with all this bickering back and forth, steps in for Josh to break things down.

"Look, Alex, you're my boy, and all, and I got mad brother love for you dawg, but nah after finding out earlier that you only wanted Emily back to gain access to her funds. I'm saying hell no to that idea. I doubt she even knows who you are, man! Don't be doing anything to undermine our boy here. I've been thinking 'bout all this since you two battled it out earlier, and he is her dad. Get pissed if you want to, but this time you're in the wrong."

The only thing Alexander can do is lower his head in shame. He folds his hands in his lap, thinking it over, and accepts the misfortune but makes one last statement.

"Don't think I haven't thought about her or realized that I messed up listening to Caddie back then. She is a bat-crazy psycho bitch, and you have no idea. I do love my daughter, don't get me wrong. I must admit that I messed up, and I thought I didn't want her, but I do. I can still at least in time become a family friend if you think we can patch all this up."

In a deep breath, Josh doesn't buy it at first, but when he catches a brief instant of Alex sobbing in his seat, Josh has a change of heart.

"She could always use a family friend, but just remember I am her dad, bub. You and I were boys like no one's business back in the day, and I'd like to be that tight again, but that's something we can discuss after y'all help me close this case."

"Deal!" Alex says, keeping his head low in shame.

Alex reaches his hand out to make the pact. They shake on it, then get to their feet and exchange a quick bro hug. Although the tension still exists, they know it's a move in the right direction as they make a return trip in each of their cars to the hospital to wait and see if Amber will recover from the near-lethal overdose.