Author's Note: Hey everyone! I've been barely been on Fanfiction this week because I've been busy banging out this chapter. I gotta warn you, this a loooong chapter. But I hope it delivers, I'll leave that up to you.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Suite Life series or any of the TV shows represented in this story. If I was a rich girl...
The Main Road – 02:35
"Cody, you seriously need to let go now," Zack persisted awkwardly.
Cody ignored his twin brother and continued grasping him in a tight embrace in the middle of the road for all to see.
"Shit, Cody. Are you crying?" Zack asked in disbelief with a light chuckle.
"Yes I am, and I don't care either. So shut up and hug me because we're both still alive, brother." Cody insisted fiercely.
Zack gave up and hugged his brother back. He was surprised to find that a lone salty tear had escaped his eye. He and his brother were finally reunited after everything that had happened tonight. Lizzie, Gordo, Mikayla, Bob, Tawni and Ronnie stared at the two of them: half in amusement, half in relief and half in exasperation.
"I hate to break up the bro-mance here, but we're kinda exposed standing in the road like this. We need to find a hiding place and fast," Mikayla pointed out hurriedly.
"Guys, it's okay. Save for Ned and his friends and Ethan & Co, everyone else is at the Pal Residence." Cody reassured them confidently.
"Come again?" Tawni asked dumbly.
Bob began to explain briefly to the group about how most of the Manhunt players had ended up at Principal Pal's abode in the wake of the night's events. To say that everyone was relieved at the news was grossly inadequate.
"Fuck, Cody! I never would have pegged you as the leader of a rescue mission!" Zack exclaimed in awe.
"Hello? Wilderness Scouts, Zack?!" Cody prompted emphatically with a smirk on his face.
"Well then, we should head over there and get undercover, right?" Lizzie asked eagerly.
"The rest of you should," Cody agreed sincerely.
Gordo and Ronnie caught the undertone in Cody's voice and turned to stare at him incredulously.
"You're not coming with us?" Gordo questioned shrewdly.
Zack stared at Cody, silent understanding passing between them in that moment.
"You guys should take Ronnie to the Pal Residence. He needs to get his shoulder and ankle bandaged up properly." Zack answered stoically.
"We're not leaving without the two of you," Mikayla fumed indignantly, coming to stand next to the twins.
"That wasn't part of the plan!" Bob exclaimed angrily.
"Guys, four people have already died tonight as far as I know. Now that I'm out here again, I can't just go back to the Pal Residence in good conscience, knowing there are more people still in danger." Cody explained frankly.
"Four people?" Ronnie asked in disbelief.
"Cody's right. I got everyone into this mess, so I'm sticking with my brother until this nightmare is finally over." Zack declared vehemently, placing his hand on Cody's shoulder.
"So let me get this straight: the two of you are going to walk around the neighbourhood looking for the others, thereby increasing your chances of running into the killer as well?" Lizzie demanded in alarm.
"You can't do this alone. Zack, you promised that we would stick together." Tawni protested painstakingly while sobbing quietly.
"Tawni, it's gonna be okay. I promised you that I would keep you safe for as long as I could. And now you guys don't have to hide anymore, you can get help. Don't worry about me and Cody, we know how to get out of sticky situations." Zack responded with a reassuring smirk on his face.
"Don't do this." Mikayla attempted once more.
"Bob, you're in charge now. Get everyone safely to the Pal Residence." Cody instructed calmly.
"You know your mom's gonna kill me if I go back there without the two of you?" Bob asked morosely of the twins, who chuckled in return.
"She'll get over it. Come on, you guys have to go now." Zack persuaded rapidly.
Bob nodded at the twins and helped Gordo with steadying Ronnie.
"Thanks for everything. Be careful," Ronnie advised genuinely.
"Yeah um, thanks." Gordo added awkwardly.
"Please don't die," Lizzie begged dramatically.
Tawni came to stand next to Mikayla as they both regarded Zack.
"Whatever happens from here on out, I just want you to know how grateful I am that I stayed with you throughout the night." Tawni murmured before embracing Zack in a tight embrace.
Then it was Mikayla's turn as she faced Zack with a steady gaze.
"Just so you know, there are a lot of good things about you that I'll remember long after tonight." She murmured demurely.
Then she leant in and kissed Zack full on the mouth. She pulled away all too soon again, a silent ember burning in her eyes while Zack stared at her, his eyes wide with amazement.
"Guys, we have to go now." Bob urged anxiously.
With one final exchange of handshakes, smiles and waves, Bob led the group down the Main Road in the direction of the West Gate. Cody and Zack watched in fascination as their silhouettes became smaller with each passing second until they melted completely into the shadows. Cody turned to face Zack with an expectant look on his face.
"What?" Zack asked quizzically.
"Are you going to explain to me what just happened between you, Tawni and Mikayla? What the hell did I miss?" Cody asked laughingly.
Zack chuckled and put his hand over Cody's shoulder in a confidential manner.
"Where do I even begin?" Zack asked in a dreamy tone, which didn't fool Cody for one second as he rolled his eyes in response.
The Pal Residence – 02:45
A black SUV pulled into Principal Pal's driveway. After the engine finally cut out, Inspector Ambrose disembarked from the car and walked briskly through the open front door, flanked by at least five more policemen.
"How long ago did they leave?" he questioned of Officer Bryce, who stood awkwardly in the corner of the living room.
"More than an hour ago," Dan answered morosely while looking down at the floor.
"Shit." Inspector Ambrose cursed darkly.
Carey, Kurt and Spencer stood near the living room window, talking in low voices. Carey stopped speaking when she saw Inspector Ambrose enter the living room.
"Inspector Ambrose, have Zack and Cody been found?" she asked worriedly.
"I'm afraid not, Mrs. Martin. But I've got every policeman in the neighbourhood with their description in hand on the look-out for them." Inspector Ambrose stated reassuringly.
"Could this night get any worse?" Kurt asked wearily while massaging his temples.
Carey came and stood next to him and put her arm around his waist while they continued talking with Inspector Ambrose.
"I'm so sorry, Kurt and Carey. If there's anything you need, just ask." Spencer responded kindly.
"Thanks, Spencer." Carey and Kurt murmured in unison, the both of them flashing him gracious smiles.
"What happens now?" Kurt asked carefully of Inspector Ambrose.
"For now, we wait. I have to go meet Chief McCauley soon. He's circling in a police helicopter over the neighbourhood as we speak, looking for 'The Woodsman' and other survivors. He should be landing on the Savoy Estate any minute now." Inspector Ambrose explained succinctly.
"I can't believe this is happening," Carly murmured despairingly through her fingers while she and the other teenagers sat in the living room eavesdropping on the adults' conversation.
"We can't give up hope, guys. The police will find everyone else. They have to," Miley pleaded earnestly with the rest of the group.
"What if they don't?" Grady asked slowly.
"I don't know," Max answered truthfully while staring up at the ceiling.
Archie, who had been conversing in a low voice with Dan for several minutes, suddenly gave a start and moved towards the door.
"What's with Sergeant Blow-Hole?" Sam quipped sardonically while watching Officer Smith's movements.
"No idea. He probably heard a squirrel moving outside." Chad remarked callously in an undertone.
Everyone in the living room Officer Smith utter something that sounded like 'son of a bitch' in a loud voice, which confused everyone to no end.
No one was left in suspense for too long when more people began filing into Principal Pal's home. It took Sonny several seconds to register that both Tawni and Mikayla were standing in the living room, looking a little worse for wear.
"Oh my God!" Sonny cried out in amazement, getting up abruptly from the sofa and moving towards her two friends.
Nico and Grady were hot on her heels as they approached Tawni.
"Sonny, oh my God!" Tawni exclaimed and enveloped Sonny in a tight embrace.
Sonny couldn't help smirking at Tawni's actions. This was the closest that Tawni had ever come to admitting just how much she cared for her. And she couldn't be happier.
"Tawni!" Nico and Grady called out in unison.
"Nico! Grady!" Tawni cried out happily as they came to her and embraced her rapidly.
Moisture crept into Sonny's eyes at the sight of Tawni's shoulders shaking while Nico and Grady did their best to comfort her while she sobbed against Nico's chest. Sonny was even more surprised when Tawni broke away from Nico and Grady and moved towards Chad, who was sitting on the sofa. Chad got up immediately and took up a protective stance, as if he thought Tawni was about to hit him.
"I see you came back to us in one piece, Cooper." Tawni began in a curt voice.
"Apparently I have staying power or something. Apparently, you do too, Hart. Glad to have you back with us," Chad answered as stoically as possible, extending his hand to her.
Tawni glanced down at his hand and stared back at him with an exasperated expression. Before Chad could stop her, she launched herself into her arms and hugged him tightly to her body.
"Whoa, watch the hair!" Chad admonished amidst Tawni's blonde luscious locks.
Tawni took no notice of him and continued hugging him. Nico and Grady looked at one another and shook their heads, but not in an unkind way.
Then it was Mikayla's turn as she and Sonny hugged one another.
"Mikayla, I'm so glad you're okay." Sonny murmured against Mikayla's shoulder blade.
Without warning, Mikayla hit Sonny sharply on the arm.
"Ow! What did you do that for?!" Sonny demanded in a scandalised tone.
"That's for scaring the shit out of me and for thinking you were dead. Don't ever do that ever again, Sonny Munroe, or I swear to God, I will kill you myself next time!" Mikayla threatened through a flow of angry tears.
Sonny shook her head laughingly and embraced Mikayla once more, cradling the latter's head in her hand.
"I'm sorry, it won't happen again." Sonny promised, humouring her while they continued hugging.
Sam, Carly and Freddie watched the reunion with an undertone of bittersweet relief since their thoughts were still on Gibby.
Lizzie and Gordo came through the door next, supporting Ronnie between the two of them while he hopped on his good leg.
"Oh my God!" Miranda yelled out, sprinting towards the three people she loved most in the world.
"Get a paramedic down here now!" Inspector Ambrose barked at Officer Smith.
Officer Smith nodded in return and got on his police radio immediately.
After Spencer and Kurt came forward to help Ronnie to the nearest sofa, Miranda finally had a chance to hug her two best friends.
"Lizzie! Gordo! Thank God you're okay! I was so worried!" she murmured painstakingly while hugging them tightly.
"Right back at ya, Miranda." Lizzie murmured sincerely while she hugged the two people she loved most in the world.
"Miranda, there's something I need to say to you. About that boring documentary I made you watch on Salt Water Taffy-"
"Gordo, would you give it a rest already?!" Lizzie admonished exasperatedly, giving Miranda a knowing smirk, which the latter returned happily.
The worry look returned to Miranda's face while she glanced behind her at Ronnie.
"Go," Lizzie urged her seriously, letting go of Miranda's arms while Gordo nodded in understanding.
Miranda shot them a grateful look before going over to Ronnie.
"Oh my God, who did you this to you?!" Miranda asked in dismay as she knelt in front of Ronnie.
"A guy in a mask. I guess he wanted to play Manhunt too," Ronnie teased hoarsely.
"That's not remotely funny," Miranda replied reproachfully.
"I'm sorry. I should never have left you. I had a bad feeling all night and I ignored my better judgment. Can you ever forgive me?" Ronnie asked remorsefully of Miranda.
Miranda shook her head and let out a wry chuckle.
"You are the strangest boy that I've ever met, Ronnie Jacobs. Even stranger than Gordo," she mumbled before enveloping his lips with hers.
It didn't matter that Ronnie was drenched in sweat and blood and broken. All Miranda cared about in that moment was that she was finally reunited with the boy she loved.
"I love you so much," Ronnie murmured against her lips in a hoarse whisper with his eyes closed.
"I know," Miranda replied with a chuckle, cupping his frail head in her hands while she gazed at him steadily.
At first, no one had noticed that Bob had entered the room last of all. But then Carey and Kurt rushed towards him, followed by Max, who had hopped off the couch in her haste.
"Bob, thank God!" Max cried out eagerly, happy to see her best friend.
"Bob, where is Cody?!" Kurt demanded heatedly, rounding on Bob.
"Uh," Bob croaked out in bewilderment as every eye in the room fastened on him.
"Robert Hamilton Galecki!" Carey thundered furiously, her hands pursed on her hips.
"Yes ma'am?" Bob squeaked fearfully, forgetting momentarily that he was holding a weapon to defend himself with.
"Where are my boys?" Carey asked in a dangerously low voice, rounding on Bob.
"They're looking for the other kids in the neighbourhood," Bob answered hoarsely, hyperventilating at Carey's close proximity to his face.
Inspector Ambrose turned away from the group and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.
"You idiot!" Max hissed exasperatedly while rolling her eyes at Bob.
"Zack's okay?" Carey squeaked out in surprise, cupping her hands over her mouth.
"Yes, he's fine, Mrs. Martin. So is Cody." Bob responded happily.
"So, both Cody and Zack are fine. Where are they now, Bob?" Kurt demanded through gritted teeth, gripping Bob's shoulder blades tightly.
"Last time I saw them, they were still on the Main Road." Bob squawked in a wheezy voice, his eyes looking strangely cross-eyed.
Inspector Ambrose shook his head once more and got on his police radio, informing the policeman on the other end of the latest developments. He pricked up his ears at something intriguing that the policeman said to him in turn. After he had signed off, Inspector Ambrose shrugged out his jacket, which threw his bullet proof vest into sharp relief.
"We may have a possible situation in the neighbourhood. I need to go speak to Chief McCauley right away," Inspector Ambrose announced abruptly.
"Come with me," he instructed rapidly to Carey and Kurt.
"Us??" the two of them chorused in confusion.
"If your sons are still wandering around the neighbourhood and get caught in the cross-fire-"
"Cross-fire? What's going on?" Kurt demanded worriedly.
"I just spoke to Officer Jensen. He's been patrolling around the neighbourhood. He thinks he may have caught sight of the 'The Woodsman'." Inspector Ambrose explained quickly.
Murmurs of exclamation, curses and gasps filled the entire living room.
"What?!" Lily exclaimed in shock.
"The cops have caught him already?!" Freddie added in amazement.
"No, they've lost sight of him again. I need to go speak with Chief McCauley to find out what our next move is," Inspector Ambrose explained quickly.
"But what about Zack and Cody? Shouldn't you head down to where 'The Woodsman' was last spotted first?" Carey questioned anxiously.
"Mrs, Martin. While I'm in charge of this investigation, I still have to follow protocol. We'll go speak to Chief McCauley and evaluate the situation from there. I'd like you to come along, just in case you have to…identify your sons." Inspector Ambrose continued delicately.
Kurt placed a hand around Carey's waist as she began crying softly. Bailey in turn gripped Max's uninjured hand while they began sobbing quietly. Bob stood near them wearing a grim expression on his face, which matched that of the rest of the inhabitants in the living room.
"We understand, Inspector Ambrose." Kurt replied in a slightly shaky voice.
He glanced down at Carey who nodded slowly.
"Principal Pal, perhaps you should come with me, in case we need to identify 'The Woodsman' too." Inspector Ambrose suggested rapidly.
Principal Pal nodded and made to put his rifle down when Inspector Ambrose stopped him.
"Maybe you should bring 'Old Quick Draw' with you, Irving. Just in case," Inspector Ambrose intercepted hastily.
"Whatever you think is best, Inspector." Principal Pal responded promptly.
"On second thoughts, I'd feel better if we brought along a few more policemen on this little expedition. Officer Bryce and Smith, you'd better come along too." Inspector Ambrose improvised.
"Inspector, wouldn't it be better if we stayed here?" Archie asked him wonderingly.
"Unlikely. This way, I can make sure nothing slips through the cracks again. The remaining policemen can stay with the children and Mr. Shay," Inspector Ambrose instructed tersely.
"With all due respect, Inspector Ambrose, um sir. If it's alright with you, I'd like to accompany you to speak with Chief McCauley." Spencer interjected quickly, rising from the chair he had been sitting on.
"Mr. Shay, your sister and her friends are already safe and sound. You don't have to identify another family member nor a serial killer. What possible reason could you have for coming with?" Inspector Ambrose demanded evenly, looking at Spencer steadily.
"Permit me to say this, but I was raised by a military man myself. Therefore, my good conscience wouldn't let me rest if I didn't do what I could to help or assist the police in a dire situation such as this. With your permission of course," Spencer answered stoically, looking Inspector Ambrose in the eye.
Principal Pal beamed with pride at the young man's words while Carly stared at her oldest brother in awe.
"Very well, Mr. Shay. You may accompany us. But I stress this: you must follow my instructions at any given moment. You'll stay with Mr and Mrs. Martin in one of the police vehicles on the scene at all times. Do you understand?" Inspector Ambrose questioned sternly.
"Understood, Sir." Spencer replied sincerely.
"Excellent, let's go. Keep me posted of all developments here. And don't let anyone leave this house under any circumstances." Inspector Ambrose commanded of the police officer that he was leaving in charge at the Pal Residence, who nodded silently in response.
Just as Spencer was about to exit the house, Carly grabbed his arm.
"Spencer, are you out of your mind?!" she demanded in a ringing voice.
"Carly, Kurt and Carey don't know if they're going to find their sons alive when this nightmare is over. They've done so much for me tonight; I want to be there for them now." Spencer answered reasonably.
"But this is crazy. You could get hurt!" Carly admonished, angry tears spilling down her cheeks.
"Don't worry about me, Carly-Bear. I'm not gonna be a hero. I'm just going with for moral support," Spencer reasoned lightly.
His forehead creased at the sight of his baby sister's tears.
"Hey come on, Carly. You know I can't stand to see you cry. Nothing's going to happen to me. When this is done, I'm coming right back, I promise. I need you to be brave," Spencer persisted seriously, cupping Carly's face in his hands and looking her dead in the eye.
Carly launched herself into her brother's arms and sobbed quietly against his chest.
"I'll try," she promised weakly.
"That's my girl. Freddie, you're in charge of my kid sister now. Take care of her till I get back. I know where you live." Spencer warned with beady eyes before kissing Carly on the forehead and exiting the house.
Sam came behind Carly and took her hand, leading her back towards the living room sofa where Freddie sat waiting for them. Carly sat down next to him and rested her head on his shoulder while Sam sat next to her, still holding her hand.
"It's gonna be okay, Carls." Sam murmured soothingly while she squeezed Carly's hand tightly.
Carly chanced a side-long glance at the rest of their companions in the living room, who were either fighting down tears or staring grimly off into space.
"I hope so, Sam." Carly responded bleakly, her moist orbs becoming hollow once more.
Nelson Street – 02:47
"Zack, would you mind telling me why we're going this way?" Cody demanded waspishly after swatting a mosquito off his arm for the umpteenth time.
"Hmm, can't say. But my gut's telling me that this is the right way to go if we're going to find everyone else." Zack answered pensively while pursing his lips together.
"That's not much of an explanation." Cody retorted impatiently.
"You're probably right, and I know that I've never been great at getting out of trouble as much as starting it. But I promise you, Cody. I'm gonna fix this, somehow." Zack declared vehemently.
"Zack, this isn't your fault." Cody told him quietly.
"Of course it is, Cody. I went to the costume store. I bought those stupid red and gold masks. I started Manhunt." Zack retorted flippantly.
"No, Zack. I'm the reason that everyone was out here tonight. I wanted my one night of cool, to prove to everyone that I'm not a complete loser. If it's anyone fault for getting us into this mess, it's mine." Cody responded firmly.
"Dare Night would've ended sooner if it weren't for me. We would've finished at 8pm and been back at school before curfew." Zack continued seriously.
"Knock it off, Zack! Let's just agree for now that we both screwed up with our plans for a cool Friday night." Cody interjected as firmly as possible.
"Fine, but don't say I never take responsibility for my actions." Zack teased lightly.
The grin dropped right off Zack's face in a heart beat and he grabbed Cody's wrist forcefully, causing him to stop dead in his tracks.
"What the-" Cody interjected angrily before Zack covered his mouth with his hand.
"Hold that thought for a second. Look over to the right dead ahead. What do you see?" Zack whispered rapidly under his breath.
Cody did what Zack asked and squinted his eyes in concentration.
"I can't see anything," he admitted slowly after about two seconds.
"Look carefully, near that clump of elm trees going towards the hill." Zack emphasised delicately.
Cody focused hard on looking ahead of him. It was lucky that Zack still had his hand over his mouth or he might've emitted a loud exclamation. Instead, his eyes dilated in surprise, followed by horror.
"Unless my eyes be deceiving me, it looks like we've found our mystery man," Zack whispered tensely, taking his hand off of Cody's mouth.
There was no denying it. Several meters ahead of them, crossing the threshold of Nelson Street from beyond the cul de sac of the Bolton Residence was a tall figure dressed in black walking in a deliberately stealthy manner. Even without seeing the mask on his face, Cody could make out what looked like a weapon in the figure's left hand.
"Holy shit," he cursed under his breath.
"You said it, brother. I'm going out on a limb here, but I'm guessing that he's not taking in the sights. He's walking slowly for a reason, because he's following someone." Zack continued tersely.
"Or several people," Cody choked out.
Zack nodded grimly in response.
"We've come this far, and this might be our only chance of busting this asshole. What say you, Codery?" Zack asked seriously.
"This may well be the first and last thing that we agree on, Zackary." Cody responded frankly.
"Then hold on tight to that bat. We've got a killer to catch." Zack declared ominously.
The Savoy Estate – 02:50
The entourage of policemen and concerned citizens with Inspector Ambrose at the forefront drove up Elm Avenue, which took them past the Claythorne Residence, the Greene Residence and finally the Savoy Estate. This was done to avoid the rugged terrain of the hill where the luxurious mansion stood stop which Inspector Ambrose's SUV might not have been able to withstand. As they drove through the iron gates which stood wide open for them, they were greeted by fluorescent lights flashing from several police vehicles and the police helicopter itself.
Though the helicopter was already grounded, the blades still swirled around in the air, causing the area to become unnaturally windy. The throng of people that exited the black SUV had to cover their eyes and faces in general while they made their way across the luscious green field of the Savoy Estate. Inspector Ambrose (who was leading the way), recognised the tall silhouette of the police chief standing near the door of the helicopter, conversing with an unknown person. Chief McCauley glanced up at Inspector Ambrose's approaching figure with a grim expression on his face.
"Chief," Inspector Ambrose called out loudly by way of greeting.
"Inspector, I see you've brought your own entourage." Chief McCauley greeted back knowingly.
"Chief McCauley, you obviously know Officers Archie Smith, Dan Bryce and of course Irving Pal, the chief witness for the State in the 'Chopsaw' case. This is Spencer Shay: his sister and friends were hiding in the neighbourhood and are now in a safe location. And this is Kurt and Carey Martin: the parents of Zack and Cody Martin, who are still missing in the neighbourhood. This is Chief McCauley, the police chief at West Roxbury Police Department." Inspector Ambrose introduced succinctly.
"Nice to meet you all, though I wish they'd been under better circumstances. This is Ronald Savoy and this is his property that he has so graciously allowed for police use." Chief McCauley greeted them all cordially while nodding in a professional manner at Officers Smith and Bryce. Ronald Savoy nodded at all of them, worry lines creasing his face.
"What's the situation as it stands?" Chief McCauley asked of Inspector Ambrose.
"As the situation stands, we've recovered 19 teenagers who were hiding in the neighbourhood throughout the night. There are still 12 teenagers that haven't been accounted for yet in the neighbourhood." Inspector Ambrose explained coherently.
"And the suspect?" Chief McCauley questioned grimly.
"Officer Jensen claims to have spotted him near Nelson Street approximately 5 minutes ago. But I haven't received confirmation on his exact whereabouts. What are your recommendations, Chief?" Inspector Ambrose asked seriously of his superior.
"Our best bet would be to cordon off that entire area, starting from the point where 'The Woodsman' was first spotted. If he was spotted, then I'll bet he was stalking more people in that part of the neighbourhood. We need to get down there immediately and try and head him off and bring him in." Chief McCauley stated frankly.
"What's our strategy for bringing him in?" Inspector Ambrose asked cautiously.
"Use weapons if necessary. But don't shoot to kill; I want him alive." Chief McCauley responded sternly.
The surrounding policemen all nodded in response while the Boston civilians gazed at one another in horror. Chief McCauley retrieved a police radio from his pants pocket and gave out a set of instructions to the other policemen in the neighbourhood.
"Chief McCauley, since the police vehicles will most likely have trouble negotiating the rugged terrain of the surrounding hilltop, might I suggest an alternative route? You can travel through the wooded area that will take you back to the Main Road, then back up to Nelson Street." Ronald Savoy stated in a refined English accent.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Savoy. That will help us a great deal. I'll have to recommend that the rest of you stay back as much as possible while the police close in on Patient 00517. This thing could get ugly fast." Chief McCauley remarked frankly.
"Chief McCauley, what about our sons?" Kurt asked anxiously of the police chief.
Chief McCauley in turn wiped off an audible bead of sweat from his forehead with an expensive handkerchief before answering.
"Mr. Martin, all we can do at this point is hope and pray that they don't get caught in the cross-fire." Chief McCauley answered as truthfully as possible.
Nelson Street – 02:50
"Man, this hill is hard to climb." Larry complained while his hands struggled to close around a rock to steady himself with.
"Try to steady yourself on that boulder. And hurry, Tudgman. I don't like standing around here waiting for someone to happen," Ethan whispered tersely.
"You just focus on climbing up the hill yourself with your injured shoulder. I'm a Physics Man, I'll figure this out," Larry shot back curtly.
Ethan shook his head and looked behind him once more to keep a look-out. His eyes widened in astonishment at the sight behind him.
"Tudgman, climb down now." He commanded abruptly.
"Would you make up your mind, Craft? This was your idea in the first place." Larry complained wearily.
"Larry, get down now!" Ethan yelled out hysterically.
Larry hopped down from the side of the hill and regarded Ethan with a suspicion expression on his face.
"Ethan what the fuck is-" Larry began exasperatedly before the words died on his lips.
Behind him and Ethan stood a masked figure regarding the two of them steadily. They glanced down at the gleaming pick-axe in his left hand, and then looked at each other in dismay.
"Oh shit," they murmured in alarm.
"Run?" Ethan asked of Larry fearfully.
"Run," Larry agreed heartily.
They began yelling at the top of their lungs as they sprinted away from the green and silver-masked figure, who took off after them in a familiar fashion.
Zack and Cody, who had been trailing their target very closely, watched in horror as the masked figure took off at top speed. They looked at each other in horror before looking ahead.
"Run!" they chorused in unison and began sprinting madly after the three figures running beneath the elm trees.
The Tree House – 02:51
"Can you see anything?" Claire asked curiously.
Kate had found a pair of night vision goggles in a cardboard box and was now using them to observe their surroundings. It was odd seeing the entire neighbourhood lit up in green without a single thing stirring. Then she noticed something moving slowly from the direction of the Claythorne Residence.
"Wait, there's something coming towards us from the direction of the school." Kate observed quickly.
She handed the goggles over to Claire who put them to her eyes. At first, she couldn't tell it was, but then it became clearer with each passing second.
"I think it's a car." Claire murmured pensively.
"What kind of car?" Kate pressed excitedly, leaning slightly out of the tree house.
"I thought I saw some lights flashing off of the top. It could be a police van." Claire responded quietly.
"The cops are in the neighbourhood. Is that good or bad?" Kate asked cautiously, glancing at her best friend.
"At this point, I'm not sure." Claire replied truthfully.
The Guard House – 02:51
Sheila Paxton had been on her cellphone continuously for the past two hours, consulting with her superiors back at headquarters, reassuring them that the situation in West Roxbury was under control. Harry, the technician, was busy checking the wires on the electrical box to make sure that everything was in order.
"Hey, Sheila. One of these wires look a little frayed. I'm gonna take a closer look," Harry said in a loud voice.
Sheila nodded hurriedly in his direction while she continued her conversation.
Harry retrieved a pair of thin pliers from his tool box and set to work on the frayed wire. But instead of trimming the wire like he planned, his hand slipped and cut through the entire wire, snapping it in half.
"Harry, what did you just do?!" Sheila thundered angrily, hanging up her cellphone sharply upon finishing her conversation.
"The wire broke," Harry responded haphazardly.
Sheila shot Harry an enraged look, which caused several beads of sweat to form on his forehead.
"Don't panic, I can fix this. The lights haven't gone off, which is a good sign." Harry pointed out optimistically.
"Not in this area, they haven't." Sheila fired back impatiently.
"Well, which part of the neighbourhood is in darkness then?" Harry asked in horror.
Sheila consulted her digital map of the entire neighbourhood that was saved onto her cellphone and sighed audibly.
"The 4-way traffic stop on Nelson Street." She answered ominously.
The Rescue Party – 02:52
"The power's gone out again!" Spencer exclaimed in amazement.
"Why are we stopping?" Carey asked in alarm as the black SUV came to an abrupt halt.
"We can't continue down this road without the street lights on. We'll need to get some flashlights and start looking for 'The Woodsman' from here on out." Inspector Ambrose responded quickly, disembarking from the car.
"Why can't we just put on the car's bright lights to help us see where we're going?" Kurt asked evenly.
"We need the element of surprise on our side, Mr. Martin. That's why I had Officer Bryce switch off the police sirens just as we got onto Nelson Street. If we're going to catch 'The Woodsman', then we can't alert him to our presence." Inspector Ambrose explained coherently.
"But won't that make it even harder to see where we're going?" Spencer asked worriedly.
"It mostly likely will, Mr. Shay. But in my experience fighting during war times, camouflage is our most valuable weapon at this point and time." Principal Pal replied reasonably.
"Well said, Principal Pal. Make sure you're all wearing your bullet-proof vests. Let's move in." Inspector Ambrose instructed calmly.
Another police vehicle pulled alongside Inspector Ambrose's SUV and became stationary. Officer Jensen got out of the vehicle and approached Inspector Ambrose.
"Officer Jensen, good. We're going to move in now. I need Mr. Shay and the Martins to stay in your vehicle until we resolve this. Principal Pal, you're a good shot right?" Inspector Ambrose asked carefully.
"The best my platoon had in Vietnam." Irving answered slowly.
"Our sharp shooter has been delayed in getting here. With your military experience, I'm gonna need your help in taking 'The Woodsman' down if necessary. Do you think you can do that?" Inspector Ambrose asked pointedly of him.
Principal Pal thought it over for a few seconds.
"If you can't do it, you need to let me know right now." Inspector Ambrose persisted sternly.
"I can do it." Principal Pal responded firmly, looking Inspector Ambrose dead in the eye.
"Good. Officer Jensen, get the other policemen in the area together and begin forming a perimeter." Inspector Ambrose instructed rapidly.
"Inspector Ambrose!" Carey called out.
He turned to face her in the ensuing darkness, not being able to see her face.
"Be careful," she instructed slowly.
He smiled even though he knew she wouldn't be able to see it.
"Thank you, Mrs. Martin. I'll see you all soon."
The policemen came up to the front of the line while the civilians stayed behind in Officer Jensen's police vehicle. Then they began moving forward very slowly, guns poised and ready.
The Claythorne Residence – 02:52
"I definitely saw some flashing lights out there," Coconut Head observed quietly while the five of them continued staring subtly out of the kitchen window.
"The cops must be in the neighbourhood." Ned answered softly.
"But if it was them, why did their sirens go off?" Cookie demanded suspiciously.
"Whoever it was, they didn't want anyone to know they were there." Suzie put in shrewdly.
"I wonder what they're doing," Ned commented thoughtfully.
"If it's someone else, there's no way of knowing. But if it's the cops, I'd say they were tracking Mr. Chopsaw right now. They might be about ready to close in on him any minute now. That's why the sirens are off; they don't want him to know that they're hot on his trail. So while he's stalking another student, the cops are stalking him. They're playing their own game of Manhunt now." Moze declared in an ominously prophetic tone.
The remaining four teenagers glanced at her, having no idea how she would know that, but believing her all the same. Either way, there was no way of knowing the truth of what lay just outside the front door.
The 4 Way Traffic Stop – 02:53
"We're gotta head him off somehow!" Cody instructed, pushing the muscles in his arms and legs to their limit as he sprinted ahead.
"I'll be right with you once I've backtracked to pick up the lung I dropped back there," Zack quipped sarcastically, feeling an unmistakable burn in his chest while he continued running.
Just ahead of them, Dusty was slowly gaining on Ethan and Larry as they ironically got closer towards the Greene Residence: the place where their true journey had begun just hours ago.
"Do we have a plan here?" Ethan yelled out painstakingly.
"We've gotta get to the tree house and try and hold him off," Larry called out hurriedly.
"Then what?" Ethan demanded impatiently.
"I'm fresh out of bright ideas," Larry quipped dryly.
The Greene Residence was coming into full view now as the five figures ran steadily onwards. Unbeknown to them, the two young women in the tree house were keeping an uncanny eye out for their movements.
The Tree House – 02:53
"Kate? You know how you saw a car coming from below the hill a few minutes ago?" Claire asked tentatively of Kate who was inspecting what looked like a bee-bee gun in the corner of the tree house.
"Uh-huh," Kate responded distractedly.
"Well now there are about four people coming straight towards us from the left of Nelson Street," Claire remarked hastily.
"What?!" Kate exclaimed excitably and ran towards the balcony where Claire stood.
She took the night vision goggles from Claire's hand and trained them on where Claire pointed towards. Against the backdrop of luminous green, she could see the figures clearly from their vantage point: two in front, one in the middle and two at the back.
"What are they doing?" Kate asked in bewilderment.
"It looks like they're being chased." Claire answered slowly.
"By who?" Kate demanded in confusion.
"By the one in the middle. Look familiar?" Claire pressed delicately.
At first, Kate couldn't make out what Claire was talking about. But as she zoomed in with the digital lens of the binoculars, she gasped at the figure in the middle. There was no mistaking it; they were wearing a mask on their face. And where the mask should've been darker with red and gold, this mask was dark on one side and a lighter tone on the other side.
"Shit, it's him! What do we do?" Kate demanded in horror of Claire.
"Get help somehow," Claire answered resolutely.
The 4-Way Traffic Stop – 02:53
"Hey!" Cody and Zack called out hysterically, the closer they got to the masked figure as he edged towards the two figures in front of him.
Taking the masked figure completely by surprise, the twins shot right past him and came to join the two unknown figures in a defensive stance. They were now standing in front of the tree house in the middle of the 4-way traffic intersection.
"It's okay," Zack called out haphazardly to the two people he and his brother were about to save.
"Zack?!" Ethan and Larry asked in bewilderment.
"Ethan?!" Zack asked in confusion, recognising the older boy's drawling accent.
"Larry?!" Cody asked dumbly as they faced each other momentarily.
"Cody?!" Larry asked in shock.
"What are you guys doing here?!" Ethan demanded hysterically.
"Saving your lives…or dying right along with you." Cody explained dubiously.
"Did you guys go get help?" Larry asked enthusiastically.
"Well, no. This was more of a 'spur of the moment' decision." Zack answered with a nervous laugh.
"Oh great, this is it. We're screwed." Larry complained in a whiny tone.
"I hate to break up the little pow-wow here. But the party's over, boys." Dusty announced in a low voice.
"I was afraid you might say that," Cody retorted hastily, watching the pick axe edging closer towards him.
"Do something, Cody! You've got a baseball hat in your hand!" Zack commanded impatiently.
Cody took aim and hoisted the heavy bat in the air. Dusty severed the baseball bat with one swing of his pickaxe, causing it to splinter along the middle and snap right in half.
"Never mind," Zack retorted sardonically.
"Oh shit," Cody whimpered in horror.
The Tree House – 02:54
"What's going on down there?" Kate demanded impatiently.
"I think it's Ethan and Larry down there, and maybe Zack and Cody." Claire mused thoughtfully.
"How do you know?" Kate asked curiously, straining her eyes to see through the darkness.
"Well for one, I recognise Ethan's 'I'm With Stupid' t-shirt. Talk about ironic." Claire quipped sardonically.
"Where's the car we saw a few minutes ago?" Kate questioned rapidly.
"It stopped near the exit on the alley in front of the Sudekis Residence. There are people walking towards the traffic intersection." Claire answered slowly.
"Who is it?" Kate pressed urgently.
"They look like cops. One of them near the front looks like he's carrying a huge rifle. But why aren't they moving quicker? The killer's right in front of them!" Claire fumed.
Kate was struck with a sudden disturbing thought in that moment.
"Maybe they can't see him. The lights are off by the traffic robot and they're groping around in the dark. They can't see him!" Kate announced wildly.
"Kate, you're right! Shit, what do we do? We have to warn them somehow!" Claire proposed hysterically.
Kate thought for a few painstaking seconds and then her eyes alighted onto the miniature paint ball in her hand.
"I've got an idea," she declared.
The Pal Residence – 02:55
"I wonder what's happening right now," Carly mused in a hollow tone beneath her hands covering her cheeks.
"I can't take this. Why haven't we heard anything yet?" Grady asked of a policeman standing nearby.
"Just because we haven't heard any news, doesn't mean it's bad news." The police officer responded in a soothing tone.
"Or they could have news that they don't want to tell us," Max retorted morosely.
"It's gonna be okay," Bob chided softly, squeezing Max's hand in his own.
Bailey stood in front of the hallway window, watching and listening for anything happening in the distance, trying to steady her erratic heartbeat.
Before anyone could react, Miley was in front of Mikayla with a steely glint in her eye.
"I have something I need to say to you," Miley began abruptly.
"O-kay. What's up, Miley?" Mikayla asked curiously.
"Lately…for a while, I've had issues with you that have made me like you less," Miley continued in a hesitant tone.
Oliver and Lily glanced at her, then at each other in horror, wandering what exactly Miley was about to say.
"Okay." Mikayla responded uncertainly, not liking where this conversation was going.
"But if tonight's taught me anything, it's that life's too short to hold a grudge, especially when you can't take it back in the end. So I'm sorry, and I hope we can still be friends." Miley concluded with a remorseful look on her face.
"Of course, even though I have no idea what you're talking about. But sure, we're cool." Mikayla responded graciously, pulling Miley into a warm hug.
Miley was even more surprised when she didn't pull away instantly or recoil from hugging her arch enemy. What she did feel was intense relief and contentment for the mean time. Oliver and Lily let out subtle sighs of relief in response.
"It's too quiet outside," Tawni remarked in annoyance, getting to her feet.
"I guess the clouds have moved on already." Freddie noted in a dull monotone.
"I told you it was no good with the lights on." Sam commented wearily.
"What do you mean?" Sonny asked curiously.
"With the lights on, you can see everything, yet nothing at all. The lights distract you from what's really happening." Sam replied frankly.
"And what do you think is happening out there?" Ronnie asked quietly of Sam, regarding her with interest.
Sam stared back at Ronnie momentarily, noting how a good a job the paramedics had done with his injuries, bandaging up every cut and scrape. Then she looked away again.
"Right now, while we're sitting here, Mr. Chopsaw's still out in the neighbourhood with the cops closing in. Right now, someone could be on the verge of losing their life." Sam concluded menacingly, glancing at everyone in the living room, yet seeing nothing at the same time.
The Rescue Party – 02:55
The policemen were moving painstakingly close to their quarry without even realising it. The claustrophobic darkness was dulling their remaining senses more than awakening them.
"It's hopeless. We can't see a damn thing!" Officer Smith exclaimed exasperatedly.
"Wait! Can you hear something? It sounds like a commotion up ahead!" Officer Bryce called out exuberantly.
Inspector Ambrose retrieved a strange looking device from his pocket, which emitted a strange piercing noise, which startled everyone. As if in answer, yet another strange piercing noise could be heard from several feet away. Inspector Ambrose grinned to himself in the darkness.
"What was that noise? What's going on?!" Spencer called out haphazardly from the police vehicle. The three adults sat huddled together in the back seat of the police vehicle with all the car windows rolled down, trying to glean as much as they could from their vantage point.
Inspector Ambrose pulled out his police radio and began calling to the other policemen in the surrounding area.
"All units proceed to Nelson Street near the 4-way traffic stop immediately. Patient 00517 is in close proximity. I repeat: Patient 00517 is in close proximity. Ambrose out." He instructed and then signed off.
"What was that all about, Inspector Ambrose? We haven't even spotted 'The Woodsman'." Officer Smith stated wonderingly.
"True, but we all heard him." Inspector Ambrose returned devilishly.
"What do you mean?" Officer Bryce asked in confusion.
"That device I just used is used to locate a tracking device. According to Dr. Connor's file on Dusty Chopsaw, each patient admitted to Watertown's Psych Ward is fitted with a tracking device around their ankle. It's been offline for several hours, whether from the distance Chopsaw travelled between here and the hospital or the blackout, but it's back on now." Inspector Ambrose pointed out happily.
"That explains why the hospital couldn't track him sooner." Officer Bryce mused aloud.
"Hey, what's that weird flickering red light?" Spencer queried in bewilderment.
"I have no idea." Kurt answered slowly, straining his eyes to focus on the strange light.
"So we've got him?" Archie asked enthusiastically.
"Almost." Inspector Ambrose stated gently.
"What now, Chief?" Principal Pal asked quickly.
"We don't do anything until we can clearly identify him, understand? Move in!" Inspector Ambrose barked.
The Guard House – 02:56
"Whoa, gotta go! 'The Woodsman' may have been spotted near Nelson Street!" one of the policemen standing near Sheila announced abruptly and grabbed a bullet proof vest.
"Go ahead, we'll fix this!" Sheila called out as several more policemen left the guard house and got into their vehicles.
"For God's sake, hurry, Harry! This is a matter of life and death now!" Sheila barked impatiently.
Harry wiped a bead of sweat off his face with the back of his hand before continuing.
"I'm going as fast as I can, Sheila." Harry promised rapidly, his teeth chattering loudly while he worked feverishly to repair the broken wire.
The Tree House – 02:56
"All set?" Claire asked quickly.
Kate nodded in response as she stepped forward, carrying a bee-bee gun in her arms fitted with several miniature paint balls.
"Think of Ethan's last birthday party," Claire urged.
"Urgh, he just had to drag us all to that stupid forest to play paintball. I ruined my French manicure." Kate complained exasperatedly.
"True, but you did take down at least four people during that game. Now, it's just one opponent." Claire chided confidently.
Kate looked at her one time and a silent moment of understanding passed between them.
"Give me the signal," she commanded softly, taking aim.
The 4-Way Traffic Stop – 02:56
Zack, Cody, Ethan and Larry were moving around in a slow circle, as if they were in a trance. Dusty was trying to stall them, hoping to back them into a corner on the Greene Property.
"What's with that weird red flickering light?!" Larry asked suspiciously.
"He probably got it as an induction gift into Lunatics Anonymous!" Cody shot back flippantly.
"Well, that club's not so anonymous anymore. Look, you'd better make up your mind fast about which one of us you want to kill first. We haven't got all night!" Zack retorted callously.
"What are you doing?!" Larry hissed indignantly.
"I'm trying to distract him," Zack explained rapidly.
"No offence, dude. But your plan sucks." Ethan pointed out frankly.
"He can't help himself sometimes," Cody added wearily.
"Look guys, I know this is lousy timing. But Cody and I are really sorry we got you into this mess in the first place." Zack continued in a more serious tone as the four of them faced off against their attacker.
"It's okay. I'm just sorry you're gonna die with us too," Larry responded morosely, glancing at Zack and Cody momentarily.
"Yeah, man. Thanks for trying to help us, for what it's worth." Ethan agreed with a wry smile.
"This is it, we're gonna die." Cody whimpered in terror as Dusty took aim.
What's the hook, the twist within this verbose mystery?
I would gladly bet my life upon it
That the ghost you love, your ray of light will fizzle out
Without hope
Larry and Ethan began backing away from the masked perpetrator, their eyes dilated with fear.
"This is it. Shit, this is it," Ethan continued muttering in a hoarse whisper.
"Remember what you said, Ethan? We're going down fighting." Larry murmured in a resolute voice, never once taking his eyes off the perpetrator.
"Don't give up on your six-month plan with Bailey yet, Codery. Just like I'm not gonna give up on finding Ms Right after this nightmare is over." Zack added encouragingly.
"A gorgeous celebrity who can't commit to more than a cellphone plan either?" Cody asked with a weak laugh.
"Exactly." Zack smirked in familiar fashion.
"Alright, you want some of this, huh? Well you got it, you coward. Take your best shot, I dare you." Zack taunted deliberately, his mouth set in a hard line.
"Say your prayers," Dusty intoned threateningly.
"Gladly," Cody agreed all too willingly.
The Hallway Window – 02:56
Bailey drowned out all the voices in the living room, focusing alone on what lay outside in the persistent darkness. She closed her eyes and placed her hands together. Her trembling lips were the only visible parts of the body that seemed remotely alive now.
The Tree House – 02:57
"Come on, just a little closer." Claire urged painstakingly, training the night vision goggles on the masked figure, who now had his back to the tree house as he advanced on Cody.
The figures below were all still moving around each other, like planets gravitating towards the sun.
Kate gripped the paint ball gun tightly in her hand. If she missed, they were all as good as dead.
We're the empty set just flowing through wrapped in skin
Ever searching for what we were promised
Reaching for the golden ring we'd never let go
Who would ever let us put their filthy hands upon it?
The 4-Way Traffic Stop – 02:57
Dusty brought the pickaxe high up into the air, waiting for a split second as it made its way downwards towards its target.
The Hallway Window – 02:57
A lone tear escaped from Bailey's eye, cascading slowly down her cheek as she stared ahead.
The Tree House – 02:58
"Now!" Claire shouted fiercely.
Kate took aim and fired off a round from the gun in her hand, praying against all hope and reason that their plan worked. The paint balls left the chamber of the gun noiselessly and headed straight for the masked man's back. Her prayer was answered as the paint balls splattered mercilessly against his back. He turned around sharply to see where the disturbance had come from.
That was all the distraction that was needed before he was thrown back onto his stomach by a well-timed bullet which embedded itself into his shoulder. Without warning, the lights came back on in that part of the neighbourhood, which was now overpopulated with persons of every size and age. Ex-principal Pal came sauntering forwards with a shot-gun in his hand, his posture like that of a former war-veteran which was evident in every stride. The look on his face was scarier than anything the teenagers had witnessed that night as he stared down at Dusty Chopsaw bleeding out of his shoulder with unrepressed loathing.
"Principal Pal, how nice to see you again," Dusty Chopsaw greeted through gritted teeth as he bled out onto the street.
"It's over, Dusty." Principal Pal concluded in a hard voice.
The light on the traffic robot now shone with a deep red, flickering ominously on the scene in front of it.
The Pal Residence – 02:58
Everyone had risen to their feet at the sound of a rifle's refrain in the distance. Their hearts were in their throats as they all looked at one another. Bailey came towards them, her cheeks stained with fresh tears.
The Claythorne Residence – 02:59
"What the hell was that?!" Ned demanded hysterically, getting to his feet.
"It sounded like gunfire." Moze answered slowly.
"Oh my God," Suzie whimpered, cupping her mouth with her hands.
They were interrupted a second later by the sounds of a crash and heavy footsteps coming from the front door. In a matter of seconds, they were completely surrounded by policemen wearing bullet proof vests and carrying hefty looking guns.
"Everyone down on the ground now!" one of the policemen barked out in a no-nonsense tone.
The five teenagers all fell down to their knees with their hands on their heads.
"Holy shit!" Cookie shrieked in alarm, cowering from head to toe.
"What's going on?!" Coconut Head asked in amazement.
"West Roxbury Police. We're here to apprehend 'The Woodsman'." One of the policemen offered in a booming voice.
"Took you long enough." Moze quipped in an undertone.
Musical References:
1) Miss Murder - AFI
Phew, it took a while to get this all down. Alright, let me have it: what did you guys think? Were the ending scenes too jarring or did the various perspectives work? I had to rearrange a lot of things to make this chapter work, so I hope it makes sense. I had a good laugh at Carey 'middle-naming' Bob, parents are funny that way, aren't they? I couldn't resist putting in that kiss scene between Mikayla and Zack, it was a spur of the moment thing. What did you think of the overall reunion between the twins? Next chapter is the farewell chapter before I proceed to the two flashback chapters and finally, the epilogue. Then 'Manhunt' will officially be over. Okay, now I put this chapter out extra early instead of waiting till the weekend. So, I'm counting on you to do your part and review por favor : ) You'll be doing my ego and self esteem a huge favour. Thank you so much everyone, hope you all have a great day.