Episode 4: Just Add Water... for Danger!

Squatch was hot on the trail of his partner, Soda. A track through the dust was leading Squatch toward his missing partner. The air was heady with the aromatic bouquet of Soda: Aqua-Velva, Doritos and Selenium Sulfide. The trail led to the train tracks, where the old 10:43 was clicking its way north.

The tags on the train cars were all over the place here. Someone very clearly wanted it to be known that "SKORPOINS ROOL."



While he waited for the train to pass, Squatch's thoughts drifted back to Soda's parting words.

He chewed on a twig as he mulled over their meaning. Clean water... the importance of clean water... The medicine he was taking for his scorpion attack, combined with the residual poison from the scorpion attack, were making it hard to concentrate.

Suddenly, a realization smacked him like a tennis ball between the eyes. Of course! The McFey Incident. Soda had figured it out!

Two weeks ago, eminent hydrologist and social butterfly Zelda McFey had disappeared after her usual walk along the river. Some thought that she had just had enough of the high pressure world of water science, but Soda suspected foul play.

As the caboose rolled past and the train moved into the distance, a sign on the other side of the tracks came into view. The sign for the old Water Pollution Laboratory.

Of course! This must be the place. Squatch hurried across the tracks and ran through the field toward the large building in the distance.

Suddenly, he stopped. Something was skittering through the tall grass to his right. There was trouble here. Big trouble. Scorpion trouble.

Sure enough, Jimmie the Claw dashed from behind a plant and motored toward the "germy vista" lookout area behind the lab.

Squatch dashed after him, but the meds were not helping his coordination. As they rounded a turn, Jimmie kicked out one of Squatch's paws and he hit the pavement like a 50-pound bag of kibble. Pain shot through Squatch's back as he scrambled to his feet.

By the time he regained his footing, Jimmie was on the edge of the lookout, above a filthy pool of waste-ridden water. Next to him, wrapped in duct tape, was Squatch's partner, Soda.

"Don't make me do it, cop!" Jimmie hissed. "I'll push him in!" Jimmie shifted around nervously on the edge of the lookout. The smell from the water was terrible. What were they dumping out here?

Soda was in no shape to help himself out of this situation. He was trying to tell Squatch something, but the duct tape over his mouth made him sound as intelligible as Bob Dylan yelling through a mattress.

"Mmmmph!" He shouted. "MMMMPH!"

Is this the end of Soda? Can Squatchy catch him before he takes a "toilet nap?" Tune in next week to find out!