Chapter 7: Her time of need
Max's POV
I picked up on the movie after falling asleep in like the first fifteen minutes. Rachel wasn't in bed with me, so I assume that she's in the bathroom. Still, I kept the volume to a minimum, but not to the point where I can't hear. I thought it was really loud for a second when I reached the part where they were in the trenches about to run across No Mans Land. When the whistle was blown and the men started charge, the first thing I can think of is Thomas Caulfield is super brave, super crazy, and must have looked badass with a kilt.
Wonder if Ms. Grant would let us watch this in class someday...
Ancestors aside, this was all super nostalgic with Chloe and I watching movies late at night till early in the morning with Pokemon, The Star Wars Series, Star Trek, Blade Runner and the other sci fi films that I can't think of right now. I'm no stranger to this pain, but it's still so painful to think of. My heart ache thinking of her, and everything was my fault. Those moments we had together that week are some of the best and I will never forget them. I shudder thinking back to the bathroom with Chloe and Nathan.
Did she really have to die? Was she the real reason the tornado was created? Or... was it me the whole time?
"You're the real storm!"
A tear escaped my eye and I felt numb realizing that Chloe was innocent in all of this. "It should have been me... I should have been shot..." A forced gasp seeped in.
Pull it together, Max! You don't have your power anymore! What's done is... done...
How could I think of something so insensitive just to ease my pain?
My phone went off letting it buzz against my leg in my pocket. Who would bother to text me at this hour? The only person I can think of is Warren because of him most likely in a battleground in the Alterac Valley.
When I pulled out my phone, I felt bad that I got a text from my mom much earlier, but there was no message from Warren. The number was unknown, and that's what scares me. The first thing that popped into my head is that Mark Jefferson is out of prison and he's coming after me, Rachel, and others. But when I read the message I began to doubt it was really him.
'Hi, Max. Listen I know this is super weird and kinda scary, but I'm not your enemy. I know everything that has happen... About your vision, the tornado, Chloe, and the others.' -RAC
I can feel my muscles freezing up me with my clenched heart beating to the breaking point. I was really freaked out right now! Who the hell is this? How the hell does this person know about this? Another text popped up.
'I'm sorry, but I can't reveal my name. Please just refer to me as RAC.' -RAC
Feeling my muscles loosening up, I gathered the courage to respond, though something tells me that this was a bad idea...
'okay rac. either never talk to me again or i will fucking report you.'-Max
My brows furrowed feeling some confidence seeping in by my text to this stranger. There was a response.
"I'm not out to hurt you! Please hear me out!" -RAC
My mind pondered thinking if I should listen to RAC or just delete our conversation and block him. Or her.
'I'll take that as an 'okay'. Listen, I don't know if you heard, but Sean Prescott is dead, and Nathan is missing as well as some dead blue.' RAC
'blue?' -Max
'A cop.' -RAC
'get to the point or go the fuck away'-Max
'All of this happen on the same night. But they took place at different times.' -RAC
'okay?'
I'm confused of where this was going.
'Dammit, I'm not good at this... What I'm trying to say is something big is going on, and I need to find Nathan.' -RAC
Does that mean Nathan is missing on purpose?
'I know you must be scared, but I promise right now, you, Rachel, Kate, Dana, everyone is safe.' -RAC
'how the fuck do you know them' -Max
'Like I said, I know everything, Max. But not in the supernatural god thing you're thinking of.' -RAC
'what do you mean' -Max
'You're not the only one that had an ability, Max.' -RAC
Did I read that right? I'm not alone? If that's true then... at least someone believes me.
'if you're telling me that i'm going to have powers or some storm bullshit i will flip' -Max
'No, Max... You don't have your powers anymore. I promise.' -RAC
'I have to go now. I'll contact you when something comes up. Right now I have some unfinishes business to take care of. But I promise you no more of this bullshit. Have a goodnight, Max' -RAC
Before I could even send out a message, our entire conversation has been erased. I sighed flopping my head down on the pillow.
Just when I thought I was done with this bullshit... Don't contact me ever again...
I can feel the hot tears swelling up in my eyes with all of those horrible memories with Kate, Jefferson, the tornado, Chloe, all of them in one nasty swirl of emotions hitting me in one painful punch.
Why can't I just get better? Why does it have to hurt so much?!
I turned on my side hugging the pillow as tight as I could whispering the one name the name of the girl I miss so much. "Chloe..."
Calm down... breathe... just breathe... You need to get your act together... For Rachel, for Kate... You don't have your power anymore...
I turned my body so that I was laying flat on my back facing up at the ceiling. Closing my eyes, I took in the longest deepest breaths I ever did before releasing it. I never thought I would hold in that much air. After relaxing myself from all those yin feelings, my eyes opened and my neck turned to face the movie showing a scene that understood how I must feel: Powerless to save the one love.
Man... Tristan and I have it rough now... at least he has Susannah. And I have Rachel.
I sighed not really interested in the movie anymore and got out of bed going over the window staring out into the darkness and lights. My eyes spotted a photo slightly tilted on the window looking like it was going to fall any minute now. Feeling a bit nosey, I grabbed it from the window feeling the effects of the sticky tape detaching from the glass. My heart melt seeing that it was a picture of Rachel and I wrapping arms around each other with a rustic urban background.
She looks genuienly happy. I'm glad I... The other Max was such a cool friend. But... what about me?
I didn't know the answer, but I was more than willing to do my part.
I placed the photo on her desk fighting the temptation to uncover what secrets she is hiding. I sat back down on the bed deciding to check my messages from my mom.
'Maxine
I'm so sorry I couldn't respond sooner! So much has been going on. When I heard you were in the hospital, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I'm so glad you're okay, sweetheart! I'm so sorry about what happened to Chloe! That's so awful! But I'm glad that you're okay. Please tell Joyce we miss her and that we're thinking of her.' -Mom
"Thanks, mom." I muttered tiredly sounding like a zombie tossing my phone on Rachel's desk.
I suddenly noticed that Rachel has been gone for quite a while, and I'm beginning to worry. If she has been gone this long, something is going on. The thought of her being kidnapped made me tremble no matter how stupid it sounds.
I should check the bathroom. Just in case.
I grabbed my phone before exiting the room into the darkness activating my flashlight app, but I began to get the chills going down my spine feeling that Jefferson was behind me breathing really heavy. Just the thought of it made me gasp and dart around to see that bastard was not here but still in prison.
"She didn't just give me headshots, she gave great head."
My teeth were grinding against each other feeling my blood boiling from his taunting, but I remained silent only carried down the corridor at a faster pace.
"You so strung up, Max." It was Frank. "You need to get high! Like Rachel!"
"Shut up!" I hissed walking even faster starting get really scared now. "Don't say things like that!"
"You should've seen her at that party, Max." Nathan. "She was a fucking animal! Shaking her ass off, making out with us! But one little spiked drink earned her a ticket to my humble abode. Oh the fun we had. She was truly amazing, Max. Drugs can make for a hell of a night huh, Cockfield! Why don't you go play with your retro selfies, and I'll send her another invite."
His voice made me sprint down the hall already fearing for Rachel's life. "LEAVE HER ALONE!" I roared.
Finally seeing the restroom door, I rammed myself against the entrance barging into the bathroom breathing really heavily, but I can hear soft crying coming from behind the shower curtains.
"Hello?!" I called out panicking. "Rachel?! You in here?!"
"Go away..." The voice croaked sobbing and trembling. "Please go away..."
That was Rachel!
My heart was pounding in fear. Not putting up with this any longer, I ripped the curtains out of my way, and I was left speechless and terrified.
Rachel was huddled up in a ball shaking violently naked with her clothes scattered all over the tile floor looking rather soaked. Her palms and face were sweating and she looked super pale white like a vampire. When our eyes met, she looked scared for her life. "Nononononono... Don't... Don't see me like this..." Her head averted to the tile floor her wet bangs covering her eyes. "I... I don't want you to see me like this..."
What's wrong?! What happened to her?!
I crouched down to her level reaching out to grab her shoulder. "Rachel.."
I barely touched her shoulder and she immediately jerked it away violently. "GET AWAY FROM ME!" Her shrieks made me stagger back. "No! Not like this!" Her sobs were heart wrenching. "Whore... whore..." Her hazel eyes that are so full of joy and beauty are now with enraged savagery. "Whore!" Her hissing was animalistic, but her eyes quickly softened going back crying. "Fucking whore... I'm a whore, and I love it..." Her sobs wrench my heart.
"Rachel..." I whispered. I enveloped her in tight hug not even caring if she could hurt me or how wet she was. There's no way I'm not leaving Rachel. Never.
It must be the drugs... Oh Rachel...
I heard the door open making me glance back to see Kate, Dana, and Victoria.
"Oh my goodness..." Kate murmured covering her mouth with her hand.
"Victoria, get a towel!" Dana barked dashing down to our level looking at me. "You okay, Max?"
I nodded. "Is she okay?" I could feel a lump in my throat.
Dana nods smiling. "She'll be fine." She looks up at Kate. "Kate, take Max to your room. I'll take care of Rachel."
"What? No!" I protested.
"Max, listen." Dana started.
"No! You listen, Dana!" I growled. "I don't give a shit what you think, but no way in hell I'm leaving her! You want to help? Fine! But I'm not going anywhere!"
Holy shit... did I... did that just happen?
Dana looked taken aback by my sudden aggressive assertiveness, but nodded reluctantly. "Okay, Max."
Victoria returned with a towel which Dana wrapped around a weeping Rachel. I continued holding on to her while her body shook from every hiccup she made.
"She was on drugs..." Dana confessed silently. "She's been clean for 3 months, but..." She gestured down towards Rachel. "Withdrawals can be messy... Trust me I know.."
That surprised me dearly. If she's saying what I think she was saying, I never pictured Dana as a former drug user. Sure weed probably but never anything hardcore. Then again, Frank does have some crazy shit from what I saw in his RV. I'm just glad Pompidou was never tainted by it.
"I'm here, Rachel." I assured her. "I'm right here."
She slowly brought her head up letting us stare at each other eye to eye exhaling a ragged breath. "Max." Her whisper was hoarse.
I nodded pulling her in. "I'm here." I breathed silently. "I'm not leaving you."
Rachel smothered her face in my chest and I can feel her more relaxed and I felt her hand softly gripping mine.
I don't know why, but kissing Rachel on the forehead is the most natural thing in the world right now.
(^)
Crime scenes are part of the job when it comes to a police officer, but one inside a secured State Penitentiary with high level security is rare.
A female detective marched across the platform on the way to her destination with her lifelong partner by her side. Both of them did not wear the standard blue uniforms other officers wore. The women wore a brown leather jacket that was buttoned up and skinny jeans while her partner wore a black long sleeve shirt and khaki pants.
"Ever had one of these cases before, Ev?" The partner asked eyeing down to the bottom floor to see guards examining prisoners and their cells.
"No. Nothing like this." She answers in a casual manner. "You, Fish?"
"Couple of times." He answered. "But mostly the deaths involve people who would cough up anything useful."
Two officers rushed passed them in a hurry, and the detectives glanced back for a quick second.
"But those deaths involve silencing them." She supplied. "And far as we know, our guy was just a one man show."
"Don't forget his assistant." Fish added.
"Okay, two man show." Ev corrected. "Even then, I don't see the point of him silencing himself."
The two detectives arrived at their destination where they were stopped by an officer guarding the yellow tape shielding off the crime scene, but were allowed in with a quick ID check. They entered the shower room revealing a rather messy death of one recently criminal.
Mark Jefferson was on the ground only in his boxers with nasty looking gashes in his arm, a pipe gouged in his stomach, and a brutally beaten head with a perfect circular hole in the middle of his head where a small blood drizzle trickled down his head and onto the floor. The surroundings even look disturbed with a broken mirror, cracks in the walls, and some damaged pipes.
"Oh god..." Ev muttered walking around the scene.
"Looks like he was really unpopular with somebody."
One of the officers approached the detectives. He was a tall young Asian man with somewhat messy hair and the prison guard uniform. He looked anxious but calm.
"Detectives Williams and Reti?"
Fish nodded shaking the man's hand. "You're the one in charge of looking babysitting him?"
"Yeah." He answered without hesitation with confidence in his voice. "Fred Brooks."
"What happened here?" Ev demanded cooly.
"You got me, ma'am." He let out a breath to calm himself. "I just started my shift guarding him." He motioned towards Jefferson's body. "Took him over to the showers then outta the blue, the power went out. Pitch Black. I heard screaming and... things breaking! I-I was frozen! I thought I was gonna be next-"
"Hey take a breath!" Ev told Fred calmly. "Calm down."
"When the power came back on..." He shakily points towards Jefferson. "I saw him like this."
"How long was the power out?" Fish questioned.
"I dunno..." Fred slurred. "Maybe... two-two, three minutes."
Fish and Ev looked at each other both thinking the same thing.
"Looks like someone wanted this sick bastard dead." Fish summarized.
Ev nodded. "Vengeance most likely."
I was hesitant to place this chapter up, but I wanted Rachel to have a more human approach. Now for questions of there being an OC visible. That remains to be see, but RAC it going to have a major role. And yes RAC is and acronym lol.
Just an FYI Thomas Caulfield is a made up so he's not canon, but I thought it would be cool that Max had a Scottish ancestor who fought in the First World War, even though Caulfield is mostly an Irish Surname. (Scene from Legends of the Fall)
Jefferson is out of the picture now. I had this idea in for awhile, but his brutal demise is shrouded in mystery. I'll let you guys make the assumptions :)
Ev and Fish are based off of Olivia and Finn from Law and Order SVU and the shower crime scene is based from the episode Crossover (only much more brutal)
Hope you enjoyed!
Thanks again, guys!
