Chapter 6 Song:
Jimmy, He Whispers - Manchester Orchestra
The bunker air was cold and silent aside from the light sawing sound of metal through woven fiber. It was the calm after the storm. Max had been forced to relive her heated confrontation with Nathan once again. She'd rewound time to give Victoria the small scalpel that she was now using to saw her way to freedom. But Max had needed to distract Nathan, who'd gotten a little too close to figuring out there scheme. Max thought that by now she would be used to the feeling of Déjà vu that came from repeating conversations. She wasn't.
"Wow, you'd say anything just to get what you want? You're just like Jefferson and my Dad. Everyone keeps trying to control me," he had said.
"Then don't let them, Nathan. If . . . If you won't let me go. Take Victoria out of here. I know you don't give a shit if I die. But you will never forgive yourself for letting her get hurt. She trusted you, Nathan."
He had erupted after that. Like he had before. Max noticed tears building at the edge of his eyes before he turned away and strode out of the bunker. He seemed so fragile. It made him dangerous, but Max couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him.
It doesn't have to be this way, Nathan. You can help end all of this. . .
But it looked like they were going to have to help themselves for the time being.
"Victoria. How's it coming?" Max asked, turning to her classmate.
"It's tough," She said her voice wavering, "My hands are shaking like crazy."
There was a clatter of metal on the floor, and Victoria swore, her breath speeding up.
"Shit. I dropped it. I-I don't think I can reach it," Victoria said as her voice cracked.
Max raised her hand, her powers pulling back time around her in a rolling cascade of images. When the sensation stopped, she spoke to Victoria again.
"Victoria," she said, her voice gentle. "You're doing great, just breathe."
Victoria's sawing slowed, she took a deep breath.
"Thanks, Max. I'm getting there," Victoria said, her voice steady.
The sawing stopped.
"Max. What do we do once we get untied?" Victoria asked.
Max thought about it for a moment. What were they going to do? Nathan and Mr. Jefferson were still close by. Would they be able to sneak past them, would they have to fight?
"Whatever we have to do," She responded.
Another possibility presented itself to Max. She could use one of her photos from this week to go back in time and make sure that Jefferson got put away before this ever happened. Max scanned the room for her bag and the journal full of photographs that it contained. But there was no sign of her belongings anywhere, all she could see in the room was the creepy medical equipment. Speaking of which; what the hell was all of this stuff? Some of the things, like the shelving and desk in the corner looked ancient, like it'd been down here for fifty years. But the medical slab and curtains, as well as the tools and trays all looked brand new. A series of grisly possibilities entered Max's mind but she really, really didn't want to think about them right now.
The bunker door screeched open.
"Victoria, keep going, as quiet as you can," Max whispered.
Max knew that pretending to be knocked out was no longer an option, but she would be able to buy some time if she kept herself together. She pushed down fear as Mr. Jefferson walked in, his neat black shoes echoing on the concrete.
"Nathan told me you were awake. You really did a number on him, Max," He said with a smile.
Max glared at him.
"Oh, acting tough I see," he said, stepping up to Max's chair. "It doesn't suit you. Your hands are shaking."
Max balled her hands into fists and looked away.
"Fuck you."
"I'm surprised at you, Max. You were never like this in class."
"What the hell does that even mean?"
"It means that maybe I misjudged you. Maybe you're just like all the other brain dead teenagers these days. Like that one," He gestured to Victoria in contempt. "You all make it into one of the most prestigious photography programs in the country, and I can hardly keep you all interested. You're more concerned with your cell phones, or in your case, spacing out and taking selfies."
"Well I'm glad to disappoint you."
Mr. Jefferson frowned, and pulled his camera off of one of the shelves. He got down on one knee and snapped a picture of Max.
"What the hell are you doing?" Max demanded.
"That's the thing about photography Max. You can't have any hesitation," he said as he snapped another few pictures, "You always take the shot,"
He stood up, turning the camera to face Max.
"Look at these, Max. Look at the emotion; defiant yet vulnerable. You can't get a model to take shots like these. It's real. It's art," He said to Max, as if giving a passionate lecture.
"It's sick," Max said, trying not to gag at his close proximity to her.
Mr. Jefferson sighed and stepped away from her.
"Max, you had so much potential."
The use of the past tense did not help to steady her nerves. The metal chair at her back seemed to grow colder.
"W-What are you going to do to me?"
"Hm? Oh, Max. We can't exactly let you go with everything you've seen, unfortunate as that may be," Mr. Jefferson said, the remorse in his voice only making what he was saying even more upsetting to Max. "It will be painless, I promise."
Oh my god. Oh my god.
Her eyes began to sting with the threat of tears, her lip trembled as she fought down the ugly primal fear that was beginning to coil within her. She needed to turn it into something else.
"If you're just going to kill me, why . . . why am I still even here."
"Because you might be exactly what we are looking for."
It was the way he said, it. Pretentious; like she was an object of intellectual discussion, and not a person sitting right in front of him. It infuriated her.
"Another binder for your collection? I'm glad they all burned," Max said, her temper rising.
Mr. Jefferson scowled and set his camera down on the shelf again.
"The Dark Room was a terrible loss, but Nathan did manage to save that hard drive," Mr. Jefferson said, before smiling at Max. "So it's not all bad."
Yeah, keep smiling you bastard. That hard drive is what's going to put you away forever.
"I'm going to make sure they bury you," Max said through gritted teeth.
Mr. Jefferson laughed. It lit a fire in Max's stomach, she pulled at the restraints despite the pain. This smug son of a bitch, she'd idolized him as little as a day ago. Everything she knew about him was a lie, a big disgusting lie.
"What could you possibly get out of any of this?" Max said, her voice rising with emotion. "You're one of the most famous photographers in the world. You have everything you could have ever wanted. I-I looked up to you."
Mr. Jefferson sighed.
"Max, I don't really expect you to understand this. But I am on the cusp of something unprecedented. Something any photographer would kill to be a part of. I'm going to capture things on film you couldn't even dream of," He said, his words filled with an almost religious awe.
He was no longer looking at her, instead he was moving towards the flickering florescent lamp at the edge of the room, drawn to the light like a moth.
Max heard a soft snap to her left. She glanced over to see that Victoria had freed her hands.
Nice, Victoria!
Victoria sat up, and began removing the restraints from her legs, her eyes were fixed on the back of Mr. Jefferson's head. Max kept herself at the ready.
"Max, it will make all of my previous works look like the fumbling of an amateur. If you'd seen the things that I have, you'd understand why I would risk all of this," Mr. Jefferson said.
Max didn't respond as Victoria stood up and began working at removing the restraint binding her to the chair.
"But then again . . . maybe you do," Mr. Jefferson said as he turned around to look at Max once again.
He balked when he saw Victoria at Max's side. Her hands froze over the restraints.
"What the hell—," he began as he rushed forward to grab Victoria.
"Don't touch me you psycho!" she shouted as she stabbed Mr. Jefferson.
He yelled in pain and backed away, looking at the metal tool that was now embedded halfway through his shoulder.
"You little bitch!" He snarled as he pulled the object out of his body, his white shirt turning crimson with his blood.
He rushed forwards towards Victoria, grabbing her by the arm and slamming her down onto the ground, hard. She moaned in pain.
Max reached out her hand and pulled time backwards, her head pounding with the sensation.
This time when Mr. Jefferson grabbed at Victoria, Max kicked her one free foot out, catching him in the leg. He fell hard onto the floor as Victoria scrambled towards the other fallen surgical tools that had been scattered by Nathan's meltdown. She grabbed another scalpel just as Mr. Jefferson landed on her and attempted to wrestle the weapon from her hands. Victoria screamed.
Just as Max contemplated using another rewind, the door to the bunker opened. Nathan rounded the corner, and for a moment, the fighting slowed.
"What the fuck!" Nathan shouted as he ran forward to pry Mr. Jefferson off of Victoria, "Get off of her."
"Nathan, stop, damn it," Mr. Jefferson said as he tried to fight the two of them at once.
"Don't let him hurt her, Nathan!" Max cried out.
"Shut the fuck up, Max," Mr. Jefferson said.
"Nathan, help me, please," Victoria pleaded.
Nathan refused to relent, and Mr. Jefferson finally took himself off of Victoria and stood up. She rolled over and crawled back towards Max her chest heaving. Nathan shoved Mr. Jefferson.
"What the hell is this?"
Mr. Jefferson looked down at Nathan, a deep scowl ruining his handsome features. He'd lost his glasses in the tussle, leaving nothing to hide his cold eyes.
"Don't you dare touch me," he said.
The words seemed to hit him like a truck. Nathan backed away.
"You can't talk to me like that. My dad—,"
"Your father isn't here right now, Nathan. And as far as I'm concerned, he would tell you the same thing."
"You said you wouldn't hurt her. . ."
"Cut the bullshit Nathan. Don't act like you aren't in this with me already. You knew what was going to happen."
Nathan grabbed at his forehead, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"I didn't want to hurt anybody."
Mr. Jefferson walked over and grabbed him by the hair, pulling his head up so that he could look at Max and Victoria.
"Take a good long look, Nathan. Because you've hurt them just as much as I have. You're just as responsible for what's happened, and what is going to happen to them. So don't you dare say that you didn't mean it, because it doesn't fucking matter."
Nathan gulped, his eyes red with tears. Victoria grasped at Max's legs, the two of them stared at him, wide eyed, and pale. Max couldn't even rewind, she was too stunned to do anything but watch.
Nathan sunk to the floor, whimpering.
"You know why we're here, Nathan. You know what needs to be done and what will happen if you can't follow through."
Mr. Jefferson placed a hand on Nathan's shoulders and his voice softened.
"Nathan, I know that this is hard for you," he said as he helped Nathan to his feet. "But what we are doing, it's going to be worth all of it. I promise. . . Now go get the syringe. Let's let them rest again."
Nathan looked over to the sedative filled syringe on the counter. He walked over to it like he was sleep walking, his head hung low, his gaze averted from Victoria and Max.
"Nathan . . .," Victoria whispered, her voice weak.
Nathan picked up the syringe and walked over to Mr. Jefferson. The teacher held out his hand, a reassuring smile nestled in his goatee. Nathan hesitated.
"You don't have to do this, Nathan. You have a choice," Max said, her voice gentle despite her fear.
Nathan looked at her, and for the first time, Max could see the true face of Nathan, one that was hurt and afraid and weighed down by a terrible darkness.
He dropped the syringe in Mr. Jefferson's hand. The photography teacher smiled and walked over towards Victoria. Nathan looked away and covered his ears as he began muttering to himself.
"Don't struggle Victoria. It'll all be over soon."
I have to rewind. I have to rewind. . .
But what could she do? Her mind raced as she tried to think of something, anything that she could have changed in order to stop this. She could think of nothing. But then, something inside her called out to Max. It felt . . . familiar. She had a notion that she wasn't supposed to do anything at all.
Thunk.
Mr. Jefferson froze mid-step. He turned to look back at the corner where the door was. Nathan looked up too.
Thunk . . . SCREETCH
The bunker door opened, hidden on the other side of the corner. Mr. Jefferson began walking towards it, caution in his steps. He seemed unsure of if he knew who would be on the other side.
Max's heart nearly exploded when she saw Chloe round the corner, a tire iron clutched in her hand.
Their gazes met from across the distance, and in a brief instant, a fury of emotions passed between them. Shock, relief, longing, joy, all in one passionately conflicting moment. Then Chloe looked at Jefferson, who leapt sideways through the plastic curtains, towards the old wooden desk in the corner. She lunged forward, weapon at the ready. Max could hear him rummage through one of the drawers, his body distorted behind the opaque material.
Max heard the sound of a gun clicking ready. Then there was the sound of metal cracking against a skull, then a heavy thud, as Mark Jefferson collapsed onto the floor.
Warren and Kate rounded the corner next as Nathan leapt forward, running towards the exit. Warren, who was holding a heavy iron chain, acted on reflex, and brought the makeshift weapon down across the other boy's shoulder. Nathan cried out in pain and lost his balance, tumbling onto the floor. Warren, caught up in the moment, hit him over the back several more times, until his opponent was whimpering in a fetal position.
Kate gripped her flashlight like a club, and stood just behind Warren, seemingly ready to follow up if needed.
Max was stunned beyond belief. They had just been rescued. Rescued by her closest friends in an instant. She was shaken out of her slight trance by the sound of Chloe ripping past the plastic curtain, running towards her.
"Max!"
"Chloe!"
Chloe tore at the restraints on Max's arms and leg like an animal. She was laughing and crying in equal measure, her fingers fumbling at the material as Kate ran up to join her.
"Max, I was so fucking afraid. I-I . . . I can't believe it, you're here. You're alive," she said as the restraints came off and Max flung herself into Chloe's arms.
"Chloe. You found me," Max said, the words buried in Chloe's shoulder.
Chloe planted a kiss onto Max's forehead, and ran her fingers across her friend's hair. Max trembled as she griped tighter at Chloe's back.
They held each other in that intense embrace, like they were afraid the other would disappear if they let go. Max's heart was roaring in her chest as she felt a warmth spread through her whole body. She felt safe again, despite everything. There were so many things that they needed to say, but for now, the words could wait.
Victoria rose to her feet, using the chair to balance herself. She almost collapsed when Kate reached out a hand to help. Warren remained standing over Nathan, making sure that he didn't move.
"Victoria, are you ok?" Kate asked. There was uncertainty in her voice.
"I-I . . . I'm fine now," Victoria stuttered, blindsided by the appearance of Kate Marsh. "What are you doing here?"
"I came for Max, I had no idea you'd been taken too. God, this is awful," Kate said, her voice trembling.
"I, uh . . . I'm glad that . . .," Victoria stuttered.
She was unable to look at Kate, who seemed genuinely concerned for her wellbeing. Victoria's movements were awkward and rigid as she tried to say something more. Then, without warning Victoria flung her arms around Kate, who to her credit, returned the hug.
"Hey. I uh, could use some help here," Warren said as he looked back and forth between them and the prone Nathan Prescott.
Chloe took another look at Max, her eyes swimming with emotion. Then she let go of her, hands grazing across her arm as they parted. She turned to face Nathan, and her face hardened. She grabbed a roll of duct tape from the counter and began binding his arms and legs. He tried to speak, but Chloe placed a strip of tape across his mouth to shut him up. After a moment, he lay still. Chloe moved onto Mr. Jefferson next.
Max rose from her chair, her legs faltering a bit from lack of use. Warren approached her and seemed to be moving towards a hug, but then stopped himself. Max was surprised by this. She opened her arms up to receive a hug. Warren smiled, and obliged.
"Max, we were so worried!" Warren said, before backing away from the hug. "A-Are you ok?"
"I am now."
Warren looked away from Max, and back at the restrained Nathan. He seemed like he wanted to say more, but then Chloe called them over. The four of them joined her, standing over the semi-conscious Mr. Jefferson, whose head lulled from side to side, a large bruise beginning to form across his cheek where Chloe had struck him. Mr. Jefferson's gun sat on the edge of the desk, next to the hard drive and red binder, where Chloe had tossed it.
"Max, what the fuck is your photography teacher doing here?" Chloe asked, confusion and rage displayed on her face in equal measure.
"H-He was working with Nathan. Controlling him. He drugged me and Victoria at the Vortex Club party."
"Jesus Christ," Chloe said, leaning against the desk.
Victoria merely glared at him. Warren looked too shocked to say much of anything.
"M-Mr. Jefferson?" Kate whispered, tears beginning to form in her eyes as her hand rose up to cover her mouth. She stepped away from everyone to the other side of the desk.
"You sick fuck," Chloe said, her voice cracking. She grabbed him by the collar and dragged him to a sitting position against the wall. Mr. Jefferson coughed and opened up his eyes, blood dripping from his nose and split lip.
"You killed Rachel! You almost took Max away from me!" Chloe said as she slammed his back into the wall. Max walked up to stop her, despite the satisfaction it gave her to see it.
"Chloe, don't. He's going to get what he deserves soon enough."
"Always the cautious one eh, Max?" Mr. Jefferson coughed out.
Max spit in his face. Warren stepped forward his fists shaking.
Chloe pulled out her phone and dialed David's number. She frowned when it kept ringing. She tried again.
"Max, I can't get ahold of my stupid step-shit. He was supposed to be here before us," Chloe said, sounding more frustrated than worried.
Mr. Jefferson let out a weak chuckle.
"Madsen? I don't that fascist fuck is going to be making it."
"What the hell does that mean?" Chloe asked, glaring down at him.
"It means he's probably already dead and buried," he slurred, his jaw was slacked but his eyes were focused and they were pointed right at Chloe.
"You're lying," Chloe said, looking at Max.
But instead of answering he smirked.
Chloe grabbed him by the collar. Mr. Jefferson didn't waiver.
"He trusted the wrong cop. They won't find his body."
"You son of a bitch!" Chloe pushed herself off of him.
Max grabbed Chloe's arm, and pulled her close. Mr. Jefferson scowled at them.
"You're all going to pay for this. You don't know who is. . ."
Mr. Jefferson's voice trailed off and his gaze fell to somewhere behind them. There was a soft click. Everyone turned to look at the source of the sound.
Kate Marsh was pointing a gun at Mr. Jefferson, her hands shaking.
"Kate, what are you doing?" Max asked in disbelief.
Kate's eyes were wide, her cheeks stained with tears.
"H-He hurt me Max. He almost destroyed my life," she said. Her voice had a strange, desperate quality to it, like she was piecing everything together faster than she had time to fully process it.
Max could see the red binder on the table next to her had been opened, revealing one of the disturbing black and white shots of Kate.
Oh god, Kate, you shouldn't have had to see that. I can fix this.
But when Max lifted her hand to rewind, her head felt like it was being crushed under a rock. She almost cried out as a stream of blood poured from her nose.
Again? How could this be happening again . . .?
Max began to feel something deep within her . . . something strange. A wave of nausea passed over her and the hairs on her arms began to stand on end.
"Woah, Kate. Let's take it easy, ok." Warren said, as he stepped closer to Kate.
Kate jerked to face Warren, seemingly unaware that she was now pointing the gun at him.
"No! H-He can't get away with this."
Warren backed away, and Kate brought the gun back to face Mr. Jefferson, who seemed amused more than anything. Victoria looked back and forth between Kate and Max, her mouth agape.
"Kate, don't do this. We've got him, he's going to go to jail for a long time," Max said, trying to keep herself standing. Chloe steadied her, and Max felt some of her strength return at the touch.
"W-We don't know that. He said they had a cop with them! Y-You didn't want me to go to the police before . . . how will this be any different?"
"He could be lying to us Kate, we can't trust anything he says, and even if it's true, we have so much evidence against him that they couldn't possibly cover it up."
"Max, I want to believe you . . .," she said, and then her voice turned cold. Something almost unrecognizable as Kate. "I worked in his classroom for weeks . . . I trusted him."
"We all did Kate. But this isn't the way to fix it. You won't be able to undo this," Max said, pleading not for the life of Jefferson, but for the regret that she knew would haunt her friend forever for taking a life.
Her headache was growing worse and worse, her vision beginning to blur at the edges. But she couldn't give in now. Maybe if she tried again. . .
"Th-This isn't you."
Max was surprised to hear Victoria's voice. Kate seemed just as astonished and her gun lowered slightly, but it was still pointed at Mr. Jefferson.
"I know that I don't have any right to say that . . . but you're not this," Victoria's voice was soft, her gaze locked on Kate, she held out her hand. "Hasn't he taken enough from us?"
Kate looked at Victoria, her resolve beginning to falter.
"This is would make an amazing shot," Mr. Jefferson said. "This . . . this corruption."
Kate looked away from Victoria and the others. Her gaze locked with Mr. Jefferson's.
"I want to know. Why? Why did you do this to me? To all of these girls?" Kate said, pleading.
Mr. Jefferson smiled and shook his head.
"It was never about any of you. But never mind that Kate, you've given me something very special to witness. The death of real faith. If only I had my camera."
"You're a wicked, man," Kate said as she leaned forward. Her hands stopped shaking as she lifted the gun.
Max's head felt like it was going to explode.
"Kate, no!" Max cried.
And then everything stopped. Kate and the others, Mr. Jefferson, all of them were completely motionless. The chaotic moment was frozen in time, like a photograph. To be pulled away from the immediate tension of the situation was jarring, like being shook awake from a nightmare.
The space around her flickered in and out of focus, and that wave of unease that Max had experienced earlier now felt like a tsunami. She pulled herself out of Chloe's frozen grip, her body feeling like it was moving through water. The silence was so sudden and unnatural, that Max's breathing began to unnerve her. But it was one terrible thought that shook her the most.
I didn't do this.
"Hello, Maxine," said an enthused voice from behind her.
The sudden sound caused Max to jump and she turned to see a middle aged man in a pressed brown suit standing at the bunker door. Her chest tightened and she felt like she was going to pass out. This didn't make any sense. This couldn't be possible.
The man smiled at her, revealing large bright white teeth.
"My name is Sean Prescott, and we've got a lot to talk about."
Notes:
It's Nathan's Dad! Surprise!
So this was one of the big changes that I had planned from the story since the beginning, and I was really excited to write this chapter. I'm finally at the point in the story where a lot of my big ideas were focused on and in the coming chapters I will be writing some of the scenes that i had originally envisioned for this story, which makes me very excited!
I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it, and I hope you're all ready for the events that are about to be set in motion. So buckle up.