Chapter 20: It's A Trap!

After getting a phone call from work in which she was told to take a few days off, Lily was trying to fall back asleep. Mark's frustrated grumblings from her desk were hindering her plans of slumber.

"Is there any chance you could do your plotting in the living room? Or keep it down a bit?" She sat up and glared at him. He glared at her for a few seconds then went back to his drawings.

"Time is short, if we're going to pull this off without any problems we need to have perfect plans."

"Fine," Lily got up, grabbed a pillow, and stormed out, "I'll be on the couch." She called back. The change of location didn't help matters, now fully awake she was starting to realize the logistical issues. "Wait…how the fuck are we going to get 14 people in a few hours?"

"Exactly," Mark walked up to the couch and sat down, "According to the envelopes John left for Jill, there are a lot more players involved. But she's out of the picture now."

"What do you mean by 'out of the picture'?"

He rolled his eyes, "I meant that her giving me the envelopes was her last involvement in our games."

"So what, are we going to have to have Peg-Leg to help us?"

"Unfortunately yes. He will get 4 people, you will get 5, and I will get the other 5. And no, you can't get Pamela."

"Aww, why not baby?"

"Because you would beat her up. Now go get dressed." Lily got up to go back to the bedroom, Mark followed her but she slammed the door in his face.

"You are NOT watching me change!"

"Lily, I've already seen you naked at least 50 times."

"…NOT THE POINT!"

Five hours (and many needles) later, Lily was driving her car full of bodies to the abandoned zoo. She called Mark's phone just as he and Lawrence stepped out from the building.

"Little help here?" She was still surprised at how easy it had been to get her 5 people. Lawrence and Mark came over with a wheelbarrow and helped her unload the people. "How was your day sweetheart?" She asked Mark, giving him a quick kiss.

"Perez is alive, and they're trying to find the Seth Baxter tape." Lily saw Lawrence smirk at that statement but wisely didn't say anything.

"This genius used a different kind of blade for the puzzle pieces on Seth and Eddie than your father used on the rest," Lawrence mockingly patted Mark on the shoulder as Lily face-palmed, "enough about Detective Donut though, let's finish this setup."

An hour later, Lawrence and Lily had separated from Mark and were fastening the six victims into the carousel.

"You know he's changing, right Lily?"

"Don't know what you mean." She said without looking at him as she fastened the straps on the blonde girl.

"Yes you do. As the games go on, he feels more powerful. And that feeling can be dangerous." He went up to her and pulled her shirt collar aside, revealing the scabbed-over brutal bite marks Mark had left on her, "I know you've noticed him changing, becoming angrier and more aggressive, and it's going to catch up to him soon."

She nodded, ripped away from his grip, and went to check the restraints on the last girl, "I know, he's changing and it scares me. But I can't just leave him now, y'know?"

Lawrence nodded sadly, "Love is a funny thing. I wouldn't ask you to leave him; I just ask that you be careful. I promised your father I would protect you…but you have to take steps to protect yourself." He kissed her on the forehead as Mark walked into the room.

"Is it done?" Mark asked roughly.

"Yes, they're all strapped in," Lily said, "just waiting to turn on the carousel."

"Then do it," she nodded and flipped the power switch on, "good, Lawrence go back to work. Lily, come back here when I call you," he smiled evilly, "let the game begin."

Some time had passed when Lily received a call from her mother. For some reason Jill was insistent that Lily come with her for a few errands then dinner. Now Lily found herself in her mom's shitty car, with her anxious mother driving.

"Mom, are you sure you're okay?"

"Of course I am, just wanted to have some quality time with my baby girl." Jill pulled up to a small hospital, "I just need to pop in here for a bit for some paperwork from the clinic, just stay in the car." And before Lily could respond, Jill had dashed off.

"…and mom's losing it" after Jill had gotten back into the car, Lily noticed that her mom's hands were shaking. "Mom…you sure you're okay?"

"Don't worry about it. One more errand and we can go grab some food."

Lily felt surprised when they pulled up at the back of the zoo. She looked at her mother, and Jill just smiled.

"Just one last thing your father asked me to do. Wait here." And Jill left the car, carrying a bag.

"I don't wanna know." Lily reclined the seat and closed her eyes, letting her mind wander. The glare of approaching headlights a while later jolter her back to reality. A blur ran by her window and when Lily realized that Mark was the one who had run past her AND that her mother still wasn't back yet, she panicked. Lily turned the car off, grabbed the keys and ran inside to where she saw Jill standing at the end of the hallways staring intently at the door. "Got your keys mom, what's going on? Where's Mark?" Then she heard Mark yell from behind the door. Lily tried to head for him, but Jill grabbed her arm.

"No Lily, this is what is supposed to happen!"

"'Supposed to'. Mother what did you do?"

Jill smiled weakly, "John's will, his final request."

Lily screamed and tried to wrench her arm away but Jill held fast. "LET ME GO MOTHER! MARK!" She started to cry as Mark's screams continued. Tears fell down her face as Lily slapped her mother across her face, finally able to yank her arm away from Jill's grasp. Lily ran for the door, but as she reached for the handle, something metal burst through the window and gashed Lily in the forehead, knocking her down to the ground. She watched in horror as the pieces of metal in Mark's mouth opened a few inches. Lily scooted back against the wall, frozen in horror as Mark used the prongs to rip through his cheek. She turned back to where her mother had been standing but her mother was gone. The door flung open and Mark staggered out, covered in blood. He walked past Lily and staggered down the hallway, out of her line of sight. Sometime later, Jill came back to where Lily was sitting and helped her up.

"Are you okay baby girl?" Jill asked her hands and voice shaking.

"I…I think so." Lily felt her forehead and felt a giant gash bleeding down her face, "You though…have you lost your damn mind? You tried and failed to kill my Mark, and now he's gonna be even madder than he already was!" Lily pushed Jill away from her.

"Lily, I was just carrying out your father's final request; just like you and Mark had been doing."

"Whatever, just fucking drive me home."

They drove back in silence, when they arrived at Lily's building she bolted out of the car and slammed the door shut. Sitting down on the couch, the adrenaline from earlier wore off and she realized that her still-bleeding forehead was hurting. She looked at it in the bathroom and groaned, she was gonna have to stitch it up herself (an ER would ask too many questions). Lily grabbed her sewing materials and vodka (to sterilize the wound and anesthetize herself) and started to work. It hurt like hell, each stitch hurting worse than the last one. Upon finishing, she collapsed on the couch as an exhausted sobbing heap. What she had seen today scared her to her core, and she didn't know if she could keep loving Mark.

A/N: We're nearing the end my lovelies, thank you all who have stuck with me, right now reviews would really be appreciated