Immediately after Ethan had gone, and they had reunited with Shaggy and Scooby Doo, Fred had the bright idea to 'split up' because 'they could cover more ground that way'. Shaggy personally thought it was better that they stuck together for protection but once Fred had an idea in his head that was that, Shaggy had learnt to accept it and so that was why he found himself and Scooby Doo down at the Coolsville docks in the dead of the night, 'looking for clues'.
He had no idea what 'clue' he was supposed to be looking for but Velma had said just to keep an eye out for 'something suspicious'. Shaggy presumed that meant some creep dressed as Dracula and his buddies but that wasn't really the kind of clue he wanted to find. He poked around the storage containers hoping to find nothing. Instead, he found a container full of food, bedding, and newspapers, clearly signs of somebody living down here. He whipped out his cell phone, taking a picture to send to Velma, the whole place gave him the creeps, and Scooby was clinging to him like the cowardly pooch he was. He was just getting ready to give up and head back to the others when he heard the unmistakeable sound of footprints. Diving behind some crates and urging Scooby to be quiet he hardly dared look up. When he did he could scarcely believe what he was seeing. There, strolling across the boards was to all intent and purposes – Dracula. Scooby cowered down beside him whilst Shaggy couldn't take his eyes off the scene. Looking like something straight out of a 'B Movie' horror marathon, he swept along, his cape fluttering majestically behind him, chiselled fangs and pale skin glistening in the moonlight before disappearing around a corner and out of sight. Shaggy stayed in position for what felt like hours later, terrified that he would return, Scooby frozen at his feet before the cold biting air started to reach him once again and he snapped to his senses, cautiously returning to their well hidden van.
At first he tried to rationalise it maybe it was the paranoia of all the circumstances recently that had got to him but he knew what he had seen. Scooby's frozen in fear face confirmed he had seen it too.
Unconsciously, he reached for his cell "Hello, Freddy? You said to call if I saw anything suspicious Well, does tall, dark and creepy count?"
Fred, Daphne and Velma had just successfully broken into the Coolsville library when Shaggy called. "You actually saw Dracula?" Despite the evidence of Daphne's photos, Fred was still more than incredulous about the whole little caper.
"I told you so" Daphne murmured quietly as she and Velma continued to search the archives. Daphne hadn't found anything and though Velma professed neither did she, it was clear something had troubled her, she had gone very quiet in the last five minutes.
Daphne shared all the evidence they had found on Dracula and the Wolfman so far whilst also looking at the crimes committed recently, the robberies, the missing drug shipments. Either the police were deeply stupid in this town (which she certainly had long suspected to be fair) or they were really turning a blind eye because it was obvious to anyone with intelligence that the two were linked.
They had started to gather an impressive little arsenal of evidence between them and hopefully with Ethan's help they could begin to really start going somewhere with it all, for the first time in a long time Daphne began to feel really hopeful and positive.
Unfortunately for Ethan, there wasn't much for him to feel hopeful and positive about right at this moment. He had woke with a severe pounding to his head and had wondered if perhaps he had fallen out of bed again but then he felt the coppery taste of blood around his mouth and someone was waking him by rudely throwing a cold bucket of water at his face.
"Wakey wakey! Rise and Shine Ethan!" A vaguely familiar voice had yelled in his ear. He jolted awake, startled to find his movement severely restricted. Not only that but something was fixed tightly in his mouth preventing him from uttering a mere syllable. Confusion and panic flooded through him as he realised that his wrists were shackled to a chair with metal cuffs, his bare feet padlocked to the floor. He could feel a severe pain on the side of his face and suddenly it all came back to him – Daphne dying but not really dying, those weird people she had made friends with and her crazy suspicions about...his eyes suddenly focussed to the figure in front of him and his eyes widened a little...Uncle Devon.
In that moment seeing his uncle grin at him flanked by the two 'werewolves' from his apartment, he knew it was all true, his uncle WAS a criminal, he was also probably a ruthless killer and a quick glance at the knife in his hand showed Ethan he was willing to do whatever it takes. It all became obvious to Ethan then why he was here, Devon wanted Daphne, Ethan knew the truth about Daphne and Devon was going to get his daughter's whereabouts from him through any method necessary. This should have terrified Ethan but strangely all it did was tighten his resolve, he was going to protect his cousin at all costs, of course he was scared for his life, scared of what they might do to him, but no matter what, no matter how much they hurt him, crushed his spirit, his will would remain, they weren't getting Daphne from him, he would keep her whereabouts secret even if it killed him. As Devon and his cronies advanced towards him, knife in hand, he swallowed hard, they will not break me, they will not break me. Ethan's resolve was going to have to be to rock solid to survive. Devon Blake was going to stop at nothing to erase his daughter. Permanently.
When Shaggy met up with Fred and the girls at Shaggy's apartment an hour or so later, the gangly teen was still white as a sheet and in a state of disbelief at what he had seen. As for Scooby Doo if it was possible for a dog to look TERRIFIED, the Great Dane was certainly demonstrating it, visibly shaking and his teeth chattering together in comedic style. The pair of them stood in the doorway not really moving until Fred waved a hand in front of Shaggy's face.
"Hello? Earth to Shaggy!"
Fred, using the nickname Velma had given him seemed to snap him out of his mini trance. "Oh, hey guys."
"Well?" Velma said irritably, holding out her palm for the evidence.
"Oh! Right." Shaggy said startled, before fumbling in his pockets for the cell. "This is what Scooby and I found."
Velma thumbed through the digital pictures of the secret bunker Shaggy had found. "Interesting, very interesting, this certainly looks like it might have been the base for some of Devon's going's on. What exactly was 'Dracula' doing when you saw him?"
Shaggy blinked at Velma "What was he doing?"
"Yes, what what was he up to? You did follow him right?"
"Follow a murdering vampire?! Are you crazy Velma?!" Scooby barked in approval.
"He's not really a vampire," Daphne said with a slight smile. "You do know that?"
"You didn't know he was a murdering psychopath until yesterday to be fair Daphne so how would you know if he WAS a vampire too?" Shaggy asked reasonably.
"Because he can walk in the da...Oh never mind!" Daphne said realising it was pointless justifying it to Shaggy. "Vampire or not, he needs stopping."
"We all agree on that," Fred said "but I have to say I'm intrigued Shaggy, what did he look like?"
Shaggy rolled his eyes "For gods sake Fred, I've been through this and I don't particularly like talking about it. He had a pale white face, really sharp teeth, a cape, basically he was Dracula!"
"Shame you couldn't have got a really close up picture though!" Fred commented.
"Sure, next time I see him I'll be sure to be ask him to pose for a snap on Facebook!" He snapped.
Velma sensing the growing tension in the room, quickly cut in. "Well it's useless trying to do any more tonight without sleep, so I'm going to head home," she announced loudly.
"Good idea Velma!" Fred said grateful for the interruption, "we should probably all turn in. Daphne, you can sleep in my bed, I will sleep on the couch."
"Okay, well good night" Velma called to the trio before slipping away.
Fred collected some pillows and bedding and set about making the couch comfortable, Shaggy, still not having recovered from the outrageous set of events, retired to his room, Scooby at his heels, leaving just Fred and Daphne alone.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
"I couldn't let you sleep on the couch," Fred said with a grin.
"I wasn't talking about the bed, I mean for everything you are doing," she clarified.
"I'm uncomfortable with you thanking me" Fred admitted, "after what I did..."
Daphne cut him off by giving his hand a little squeeze, "we HAVE to try and get past that now" she said, not knowing truly in her heart if she could do that. "Good night Fred," she said softly, retreating into his room. As she lay down on the unfamiliar bed and closed her eyes she knew sleep wouldn't come to her any time soon.
Meanwhile, across town, unbeknown to Daphne, her cousin was far from sleep also and close to breakpoint. Devon was showing little mercy for the boy he once had looked fondly on as his own and spent the last couple of hours trying out various forms of torture in an effort to get what he wanted from him. Currently, Devon had Ethan suspended from the ceiling by metal cuffs, his torso was bloodied and bruised and his face was a mess. Devon certainly had not been shy about using his fists on the boy before moving onto other 'implements' but Ethan, much to Devon's frustration, had still not cracked.
"I have to say you impress me Ethan, you have held out much better than I thought you would and your loyalty really is something to be admired."
"Well that's something you know little about it isn't it?" Ethan spat out, whilst bracing himself for the next blow.
"You really must care about her," Devon told him conversationally whilst casually running his hand along a belt. Ethan couldn't see very well as one eye was swollen but he knew what was coming. With a sudden "THWACK!" the belt whipped through the air, making harsh and swift contact with Ethan's belly. It was hardly the first time that he had been whipped and this time he could barely suppress his anguished cry, his body stinging with the pain. "AHHHH!"
"Oh, that's better!" Devon grinned. "Now we might finally be getting somewhere."
He hit him again and again, each stroke harder, with more force behind the blow. Ethan's whole body shook with the severity of the strikes and tears sprung to his eyes but he wouldn't give up. His words trembled as he spoke them but he faced Devon, steely-eyed. "I,I,I won't tellllll youuuu."
Angered, Devon ploughed his fist into his face once more, sending Ethan's head spinning back from the force.
"Is she really worth dying over Ethan! You need to come to your senses boy. All you have to do is tell me where she is and all this pain will stop and I'll let you go."
Ethan spat blood out, hate burning in his eyes. "You think I can trust you, after all this. You'll just kill me anyway. Just like you did to that other girl."
Devon laughed "What other girl? That whore? Boy, I don't get my hands dirty."
Ethan's whole body was wracked with pain, he had tried to be brave, really he had, he had taken so many blows, his face, his stomach, his back. He had been kicked and punched and he didn't know how much more he could take, not to mention the strain of being suspended by his wrists for so long was making him incredibly tired and Devon sensed it. He sensed his prisoner's resolve was starting to weaken. At first, bravado ensured he barely flinched from the blows but soon the wincing began and the eyes watered and once the welts on his back appeared, finally, finally he started to cry out, unable to hold it in any longer. Devon knew he wasn't far away from cracking and needed to step it up a notch. Ethan eyed him suspiciously as he retrieved something from the table. His worst fears were realised when he saw the lick of the flame. Devon saw it, that unmistakable flash of genuine fear on his face, all his earlier bravado vanished and Devon loved it. Everyone had their limits and he knew exactly what Ethan's was. He played with the flame watching it flicker and burn, enjoying the pure unadulterated terror it elicited from Ethan.
Shaggy had just got Scooby Doo settled down into his doggy bed and pulled the covers around himself when his cell phone started to vibrate noisily on his bedside. Irritated at first, he softened when realising the caller was Velma, not wanting to wake Fred, he spoke softly.
"Hey"
"Hey" she replied equally as soft.
"What's up?" Shaggy asked.
"I just..." Velma seemed to struggle for the right words, pausing for an eternity "needed to talk" she eventually decided on firmly. "This whole thing, it's just a big mess isn't it?"
"Sure is," Shaggy agreed, "I don't know why I let Fred talk me into this now, this is SO messed up, I mean murder and vampires? I thought the kidnapping was bad enough but this is just five shades of crazy now. I feel absolutely TERRIBLE for what we did to Daphne, appalled even but I'm starting to think we should have just walked away like we planned to, sure we didn't get the money but we could still have started new lives, away from this mess."
"I know" Velma said "and now I'm scared. Scared of what we've gotten ourselves into, we're just kids, how can we take on Coolsville's equivalent of Don Corleone?"
It was a sobering experience for Shaggy to hear Velma confess she was scared. In all the years he had known her, he knew her to be intelligent, mysterious, slightly cold but never frightened, she always seemed so calm and confident, it was further confirmation for Shaggy that despite knowing they were doing good, it could turn out to be the most costly mistake of their lives. He knew he was supposed to reassure her but knew there was no bullshitting Velma Dinkley so he was deeply honest.
"I'm scared too, more scared than I've ever been in my life but at the same time I just think..." Now it was Shaggy's turn to be stuck for words. Luckily, Velma was on the same wavelength.
"we're supposed to do this?" She supplied, knowing instantly that Shaggy felt the same way, it was the strangest thing.
"Yes!" Shaggy said, almost forgetting to be quiet "it's just the strangest thing. Even when I was at the docks and 'Dracula' appeared and I was scared out of MY FREAKING MIND there was this really odd sense that I was 'supposed' to be there and see him but that's crazy right?"
"Maybe, but if you believe in destiny, maybe we were meant to find this girl, to help her? I know it sounds ridiculous Shaggy but everytime I think about running away and believe me over the last 48 hours I've strongly considered it but something, somewhere lures me back."
Shaggy had never heard such raw honesty from Velma and he had to admit he found the conversation so comforting. Sure, he could talk to Freddy but knew it was Velma now who he could spill his darkest secrets to, she got him in a way his best friend couldn't, the conversation left him with a new sense of purpose.
"Thank you," he said sincerely, "I really needed that, you've helped me get my head sorted"
"No problem" she replied "see you tomorrow?"
"Yeh, good night Velma"
"Good night Shaggy"
Shaggy placed the phone gently back onto the beside, and settled under the covers again, getting to sleep would still prove difficult but the burden on his mind had certainly eased a little now.
For poor Ethan though, his nightmare was continuing at a brutal pace. He had taken the beatings as bravely as he could, but as soon as Devon brought out the lighter, menacingly holding it close to his skin, he began to really panic for the first time, thrashing against his bonds, trying to move away but unable to move barely an inch.
"Please Devon! Please" he pleaded "Please, please don't do that!"
"Oh, what's the matter Ethan!" Devon mocked, delighted. "Where's all that bravado and bluster gone now eh!"
"You know, you know" Ethan quivered in terror "you know what happened!"
"Yes, yes I suppose I do" Devon said wistfully, a smile playing on his lips.
Ethan was 13 when it happened, when the explosion tore through his home, how he lay in searing pain for what felt like hours, feeling the heat on his face, waiting for the flames to engulf him. Until Devon came and swept him to safety, he never had chance to question then, why it had happened, in the months after the investigation, nobody was brought to justice for the explosion, the marshals tried to claim it was a faulty boiler, that it was impossible to tell how the fire began, Ethan never bought that but never understood until now why anyone would want to kill him.
"It was you," he said, the realisation slamming into him as harsh and quickly as any of the blows that Devon had dealt in the last hour.
"Well yes but not in the way you think," Devon admitted, feeling Ethan's hatred bore into him. "I didn't try to kill you that night, I saved you, remember?"
"I remember," Ethan said quietly, "it wasn't me they were trying to hurt was it? It was you"
"Got it in one kid."
Ethan scowled,"I nearly died! You were damn lucky that Daphne was out that night or SHE could have died!"
"More like unlucky," Devon mused to Ethan's disgust, "It could have saved me a lot of trouble."
"How can you talk like that Devon?!" Ethan cried incomprehensibly "How can you talk like that about your own daughter?!"
"Oh you have no idea Ethan, none at all!" Devon suddenly spat out angrily. "Now I am done playing games! You WILL tell me something I want to know or so help me god Ethan I will kill you in the most horrific way imaginable, I'll make it long and painful and you will suffer greatly. I will burn every last part of your flesh until there is nothing left!" Devon stalked to the table picking up a blow torch, leaving Ethan in no doubt he would carry out his terrifying threat, the expression in his eyes was inhumane.
Ethan knew that he had little choice but to comply now, though he knew he could tell Devon the truth about what he knew and still be killed he HAD to take the chance that Devon might be good to his word and let him go, after all he did care for him once perhaps he could show that one last bit of compassion for his brother's son. Ethan hated himself for his weakness in this moment but he just could not take any more. "You'll make it stop?" he asked in a pitiful whisper.
"You have my word Ethan, that if you tell me what I want to know, I won't lay another finger on you."
His word, that's all Ethan had, it would have to be enough. I'm sorry Daphne he thought. What he was about to say would not directly lead to her he knew but eventually if Devon put the pieces together he could find her, Ethan could only hope he would be around to help her.
"So you're ready to talk?"
Ethan nodded wearily.
"Excellent!" Devon enthused, unfurling the wires that held Ethan suspended from the ceiling, who plummeted to the floor in an ungainly heap, hands still manacled.
Ethan struggled to get up on his knees, "I can't tell you where she is," he started then curled up to protect himself as Devon sought to kick him. "WAIT!" he cried, "I don't know where she is now honestly I don't!" The panic in his voice showed Devon he was telling the truth, he didn't know where she was, Devon could feel his frustrations rising, Ethan was his last play, he knew he had met her but he obviously wasn't privy to her plans like he had thought.
"You're trying my patience!" Devon said exasperated,
"But I do know something!" Ethan said desperately "I know who she's with! I know who kidnapped her."
Now Ethan had got his attention alright, "you're telling me she's WORKING with the people who kidnapped her?" He laughed incredulously.
"I couldn't believe it either," Ethan said almost in agreement with him, "but they're just kids, 3 of them, about her age."
Devon struggled to hide his shock, when he had got that phone call he thought one of his many rivals had snatched her but then they did ask for money...not one of his enemies would have demanded a ransom, they would only have taken her for revenge, so it did make sense but...what was this Stockholm Syndrome -esque twist about?
"So she's working with them?" he clarified. "Of her own free will?"
"Her own free will" Ethan confirmed, with unmistakable disgust on his face. "If you ask me, it's the boy, he has some kind of hold over her."
Ah! Devon thought a boy! there always has to be a boy. Her allegiance made more sense now. Blinded by love.
"So who he is? Who are these kids?"
Ethan frowned ,suddenly forgetting the names of those he was introduced to.
"The girl," he said, "real clever, she had a funny name though, Vera, Verity..."
"Velma?" Devon offered.
"Yes Velma, that's it, you know her?" Ethan said surprised.
"Not exactly, but I know of her and her 'special talents'...now this boy..." Devon pressed.
"Fred" Ethan said without hesitation. "His name was Fred"
Fred Devon mused, vowing to track him and his friends down, if he couldn't find her than finding these kids could very well be the next best thing.
"Tell me everything you know about this Fred" Devon demanded and "What of this third kid?"
Ethan described Fred to him, knowing he was betraying Daphne but hoping it would take time to track the elusive teenagers despite his information. "I never met the third" he admitted "I know he had a dog though from what Daphne told me, he looked kind of like a stoner, she said, bit of a beatnik"
Devon smiled, finally Ethan had proven to be useful, "thank you" he said sounding almost grateful.
Ethan felt disgusted with himself, he wasn't proud of what he'd done.
Devon beckoned his lackey's back in who manhandled the already very weak Ethan to his feet.
"Get rid of him" Devon said without emotion.
Ethan looked up in despair from between the two goons "What?! No! You promised!"
"I said I wouldn't hurt you...I didn't say anything about anyone else..."
"You bastard" Ethan cried, knowing his fate was sealed now "what happened to you?!"
Devon chose to ignore the tortured cries of his nephew as he was dragged from the room, knowing he would never see him again. There was a time he loved that boy as his own but now, well now he couldn't afford to dwell on the past. He shut the door to drown out his screams and focus on his new plans; finding these meddling kids who had unknowingly now become his enemy, it was time to put a few calls in.