twenty-seven ➵ adventures in babysitting

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The radio Teresa haphazardly thrown into her bag when she left the lab crackled to life, an unfamiliar, garbled voice coming in. The kids watched Teresa tune the radio, until Flo's voice could be heard clearly.

"Chief? I had a call from a Becky Ives last night. She's looking for you. Said something about a girl."

"Flo?" Teresa pressed the talk button.

"Reese? What are you doing on the police bandwidth?"

"Becky Ives. She's related to Terry Ives, right?" she checked.

"Yeah, the woman said something about two girls."

"Yesterday? Did she say anything else?"

"Yeah, last night. Said something about trouble. Said the Chief went to see them a while ago, gave them his number. You know where your dad is, honey? We haven't been able to reach him in days."

"Uh, yeah. Slight problem. Can you do me a favour? Can you send Powell or Callahan or someone to the Ives' place? We're a bit—" she looked up at the group, all of them stressed and scared to hell. "I'm babysitting. We can't reach dad for a while. It's— It's important. Do you have a description handy?"

"Yeah, sure honey, I've got it now."

Teresa stood up, walking a little away from the group, but keeping them just in sight. "Curly hair, early teens, brown hair, brown eyes?" she guessed.

"That's— spot on, sweetheart."

"Can you get one of them to check where the girl is? That sounds like what that mother called in. Dad was looking into it."

"All right, of course."

Turning to walk back to the group, Teresa continued to tune the radio again. She ignored the questions coming her way, and instead started pressing the talk button rhythmically, though none of the kids or Steve could decipher what she was doing.

"Just be quiet," she snapped at them, continuing to tap against the button.

._..

Over, and over, and over again.

... _ _ _ ...

No answer.

"Shit," Teresa whispered, tuning the radio once more. "Everybody get your stuff. We gotta go," she reached down for her bag, throwing it over her shoulder before she picked up her axe with her free hand.

"Whoa, whoa whoa—"

"Max, where the hell is Hargrove?" she asked her, ignoring Lucas and Dustin's rapid fire questions and instead fixing the only other girl with a questioning stare.

"Hell if I care," the redhead shrugged. "How the hell—"

"I'll answer all questions once we get going—"

"Reese."

Dustin and Lucas's eyes met, before they stared at the radio in Teresa's hand. She immediately lifted it, pressing the talk button and turning away from the group.

"El?"

"El?!"

"Lab," came the girl's answer, Teresa nodding to herself.

"I know. I'm going."

"Mike."

"I know, kid, I know," Teresa sighed, staring off towards the building they had to go to, El's figure appearing in the fog faintly. "I'll get him," she added, though the appearance of the girl shocked her just slightly. Dark eyeshadow, slicked back hair, an oversized blazer. The girl looked too much like Teresa when she put some effort into her appearance. "Where are you?"

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