Thank you as always to everyone who reviewed! Sorry for the long wait!
bemyryder: That's a hilarious connection :D and I'm glad you liked it!
Nayha: Even one word can go a long way! Thank you so much!
Psycho4Life: Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Jen: Wow! How are you so psychic? Every time you have a new vision, it turns out to be true!
fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff
Previously
Shawn smiled. "Malena's innocent!"
"How do you know, Shawn?" Gus looked up to the roof of the café. "I've been poisoned, and she has the syringe! I still feel queasy! What if she's using us to protect her from jail, even though she is guilty!"
"It's simple!" Shawn responded. "First of all, murderers don't go around in bright pink blazers—or bright pink anything, for that matter! Second of all, she would've killed you by now if she wanted to! Third—" his eyes darted around, making sure they were alone. "I know who the real killer is!"
fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff
Malena looked over at Shawn and Gus from the table and tapped a finger to her watch. Gus pulled Shawn over next to the door to the bathroom. "What if she heard that, Shawn?" Gus whispered furiously. "She's a cold blooded murderer!"
Shawn rolled his eyes. As he opened his mouth, Gus could see Shawn was "doing the thing," where he darted his eyes around and took in every detail of the room.
When Shawn finished, he closed his mouth and held up a hand. "What is it, Shawn?" Gus asked.
Shawn put a finger down.
"Don't mess with me, Shawn!"
Shawn put another finger down. Now only three fingers were up.
From inside the bathroom a toilet flushed.
Shawn put one more finger down. Two.
"Who is the killer?" Gus asked impatiently.
Another finger down. One left.
As the bathroom door swung open, Shawn put his last finger down. And walking out of the stall, with a smirk on his face, was none other than Dr. Pines.
fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff
"Doctor Pines?" Gus asked in confusion. He turned to his friend. "Shawn, what is your doctor doing here?"
Dr. Pines smiled his warm smile, but somehow the smile was more evil than friendly. "Yes, Shawn, why don't you tell him."
Shawn glared at his old doctor. "If not for you, I would've healed by now! You put me in that coma!" He reached out and pushed Dr. Pines.
"Very good." Dr. Pines smiled wider and shoved Shawn back.
Shawn, in his weakened state (apparently due to Dr. Pines, although Gus still had no idea how), reeled backwards and crashed into a server coming out of the kitchen.
As food tumbled everywhere, Dr. Pines good-naturedly smiled and offered a hand to Shawn. "Sorry," he told the waiter, his voice dripping with a fakeness only Shawn and Gus heard. "My friend here is still recovering."
Shawn pushed Dr. Pines' arm off of him, breathing harshly. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.
Seeing the pain in his friend pushed Gus over the edge. "What did you do?" he shouted at Dr. Pines, who only smiled at his rage.
The server backed away nervously. Dr. Pines laughed. "I'm sorry for him, too," he told the young worker. "Dear Gus usually stays at the mental hospital."
"What are you talking about?" Gus asked, offended. "I'm sorry for Dr. Pines. He's mistaken," Gus said, addressing the frightened server. "I actually sell drugs and ride around in a blueberry, and my friend here's a psychic."
Shawn, still leaning against the wall, nodded tiredly, but did not back Gus up.
Dr. Pines knew that he'd won. "Come with me," he said, taking Shawn and Gus by their arms.
Gus pulled back his other arm to punch Dr. Pines, but he heard a click and felt heavy metal touching the back of his head. Dr. Pines had a gun.
And he was kidnapping them in plain sight!
"Nothing to see here," Dr. Pines told the customers in the café. To Gus, he hissed, "One word and you're dead."
As they left the store, Gus could see Malena standing up and looking after them. Her face was full of confusion. Evil, Gus tried to mouth, but he couldn't tell what part she understood.
On the other side of Dr. Pines, Shawn was struggling fruitlessly. As they reached a white van with the back open, Shawn slapped his old doctor right across the face.
Dr. Pines fell to the floor from shock, but was up in an instant. "If that's how you want it!" he whispered.
Gus felt a rough arm pushing him against the van. Dr. Pines laughed, and the next thing Gus knew, Shawn was screaming and pain was blossoming across his whole head.
Then all was darkness.
fff
Shawn couldn't stop cursing himself. He had known it was Dr. Pines! Ever since the doctor had not healed him (even now), ever since he'd been in a coma listening to the evil man talk, Shawn had known something was up.
Then, hearing Malena's story had triggered his memory: the other victim killed like Gus had been Dr. Pines' patient as well!
Yes, he knew.
But it was too late.
As Gus was pistol-whipped, Shawn felt guilt seep through his body. He had been the one to slap their kidnapper! Gus shouldn't be the one punished!
Shawn knew that Malena wouldn't think they deserted her. After all, Shawn had believed her! More importantly, she was their ride!
Shawn could only hope that Malena could make Lassie see sense.
He looked over to Dr. Pines, who was tying the unconscious Gus up. As the doctor worked, Shawn quickly took out his phone and dialed Lassie.
Dr. Pines turned around, and Shawn quickly stuffed the phone back into his pocket. Please connect, please connect.
Dr. Pines roughly bound Shawn and threw him in the back of the van, where he landed on Gus with a thud.
Faintly, Shawn could hear a ringing from his back pocket.
It was his only hope.
fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff
Plot twist!
And don't worry if you don't understand the whole Dr. Pines situation! More will be explained next chapter!
For those of you who haven't read Just Hanging Around, you should! Dr. Pines made his first appearance there!