Conner entered the address Ricardo provided into Google Maps and followed it to Carter Halbrook's house. The house was located in the suburbs of Jackson, Mississippi, right at the end of a cul de sac. When Conner parked his car, Ricardo pulled up right behind him.

"So this is it," said Zoe. "This is where we'll find out what Carter really wants."

"I just hope you're right about this," said Olivia.

The four of them got out of the car and joined Ricardo on the sidewalk in front of Carter's house. "Alright, friends," said Ricardo. "This is it-this is where Carter lives."

"How convenient," said Lanie. "He lives right here in Jackson, where Genetics Engineering's headquarters are."

"Nah, this isn't the only establishment Genetics Engineering has," said Ricardo. "They've got buildings in Georgia, Montana, Rhode Island, and Texas. But the place you saw was the most important facility that they have."

"So Carter told you everything that happened last night," said Zoe.

"Yep, he did," said Ricardo. "So are you gonna go talk to him, or what?"

"Yes, we are," said Zoe. She and her companions went up to Carter's front door. Zoe rang the doorbell and waited.

After a minute of waiting, Carter answered the door. "Hello?" he said. His face brightened when he saw Zoe, Olivia, Lanie, and Conner. "Oh, thank goodness," he said. "My bounty hunter managed to find you."

"Yeah, he did," said Olivia. "So what do you want?"

"Some help from you." Carter looked around. "Where are the rest of your friends?"

"They're on their way," Lanie answered.

"Right," said Carter. "Come inside. We'll wait for them."

So Lanie, Zoe, Olivia, Conner, and Ricardo came inside and gathered in Carter's living room. It was another ten minutes of waiting before there was another knock at the door. Carter answered it and let Saige, Miles, and Rachel in.

"Well, we're all here now," said Lanie.

"That's right," Rachel said when she saw Carter. "You're the guy who helped Circe draw our blood."

"And for that, I am very sorry," said Carter. "I am especially sorry about your friend Bailey. But that is why I asked Ricardo to track you down and bring you here."

"Why?" Saige asked. "Are you gonna draw out my blood and give it to Circe?"

"No," said Carter. "It's Zack's-or Zoe's-blood that I need."

"Huh?" Zoe asked. "Why do you need my blood specifically?"

"Well, in case you haven't picked up on the hints yet, I've been conspiring against Circe's back," said Carter. "I know all about her plan to spread a virus that'll transform every man into a woman, and how impractical it will be in the long one."

"Why?" said Conner. "Because an all-female world wouldn't be able to reproduce?"

"Exactly," said Carter. "That, and because some people might choose to commit suicide because they can't accept changing their gender."

"Like Jenny," Lanie muttered to herself.

"But, since Circe is employing me to create the virus for her swarms of fleas to spread, I think I can sabotage it," said Carter.

"And you need my blood?" Zoe asked.

"Yes. You experienced a gender change like many of your friends did, but for you, it's different. After you'd been turned into a girl, you were hit with another gender-changing curse. Since you'd already had your gender changed, it messed with the curse and gave you the ability to shift genders. Therefore, your DNA is abnormal-but not in the same way that Olivia's, Lanie's, Saige's, and Rachel's is. If my estimates are correct-and they always are-then your DNA is constantly reverting between male and female. Circe wants to use the male-turned-female DNA to create a virus that changes people's gender, but if I mix Zoe's DNA with it, then it will mess up the workings of the virus. In short, I can use Zoe's DNA to create a pathogen that'll kill the virus."

"Oh," said Zoe. "So that's why you thought I could help you unravel Circe's plot."

"Yes," said Carter. "Circe wasn't ready to trust Lauren or Josie to track you guys down again, so she told me to hire my mercenary friend-"

"That's me," said Ricardo.

"Yes, thank you Ricardo," said Carter. "She wanted him to capture you so I could draw your blood and take it back to the lab. But if I take Zoe's blood in, then Circe won't suspect a thing."

"Great!" said Saige. "We'll let you draw Zoe's blood, then you'll create your pathogen, and it'll kill the virus-and maybe even the swarms of fleas!"

"No," said Olivia.

"What?"

"Look, this is a great plan," said Olivia. "But even if we do foil Circe this time, how do we know she won't cook up some other evil plan? What if she tries to create...I don't know, some kind of magic storm that turns boys into girls when it rains on them?"

"A gender-changing storm cloud," Saige repeated, hoping to convey how stupid Olivia's words really sounded.

"You know what I mean," said Olivia. "If we just let Circe go once we've stopped her this time, she'll just make even more trouble."

"Actually, she's right," said Lanie. "We should find a way to shut down Genetics Engineering for good-just like how we shut down Pretty And Pink, and you guys shut down the Y. F. F. H."

"Well, we know Circe and her witches are here in Jackson," said Miles. "Probably still at their compound."

"Actually, Circe didn't tell me to come back to the compound here," said Carter. "She told me to bring the blood sample I got to the lab in Houston, Texas."

"TEXAS?"

"Circe was worried you guys might try to stage another attack on her Jackson location," said Carter. "So she decided to transfer her flea swarm operation to the Houston location."

"Then I guess that's where we'll go next," said Olivia.

"But what's our plan?" Saige asked. "We'll have Carter do his pathogen thing, but what about taking down Circe?"

"Hey, wait a minute," said Lanie. "Ricardo, you said you're a demolitions expert, right?"

"Right."

"Maybe you could get us some kind of bomb we could set off inside Genetics Engineering's Houston building? And, if Circe is still in there, then it could take her with it?"

"That could work," said Lanie, "As long as Carter gets out before the bomb goes off."

"And as long as we can get it in," said Rachel.

"We can do it," said Carter. "I know the Houston building inside and out. I can figure out how to sneak in a bomb or two."

"But you can't sneak it in," Zoe pointed out. "You'll be too busy creating a pathogen from my blood."

"Which is why I'll need your help," said Carter. "That is, if you're willing to help bring down Genetics Engineering."

"Of course," said Lanie. "Defeating witches are our specialty."

"We'll burn down that laboratory," said Olivia. "For Bailey."

To be continued...