Chapter XXV: Chasin' Echoes - Saturday Morning

AN:

Hey there, Fan-fic-folks!

First news, this is gonna be my last definite update for about 6-7 weeks. I mentioned last week that I'm gonna be abroad for about a fortnight (Two weeks) with the mental health charity I volunteer for to work on a project/campaign with a few groups in different countries who seem to have their mental health education/provision far more together than we in the UK do. It's a British Tradition, after all. Visiting other cultures, kicking them in the nads, then stealing their ideas/lands/foodstuffs/random verbiage and making our own version of them. Hopefully we won't have to kick any of the groups we're visiting in the nads, but hey, it's a perfectly viable plan B. :D But yes, I'll be away for two weeks with no wifi and, when I get back, I'll be heading to Uni so I'll have barely any time to write then either. I might get something written, but it's not likely and we all know how well my promises of getting shit done have gone in the past so I ain't gonna make one this time. :)

I... really don't know why I titled that first news. It's really my only news. I think I have a numbering problem...

Anyways... A few things have been brought to my attention recently that I've forgotten or overlooked in this story (Thanks Buter). For the record though, they do know Nathan isn't acting alone. They knew that back when Travis and Chloe stole the records of the missing people from the police station and found they started ten years ago. Logically, an 8 year old couldn't kidnap anyone, so he'd need a partner/master. The rest of it, definitely my bad. I'll see what I can do to fix it. :) Plenty of time to think about how, I guess.

Today's title comes from watch?v=tulKRJQjiL4

(The Lonely Biscuits - Chasin' Echoes/OurVinyl Sessions)

Because fuck it, let's get Meta. :)

Thanks for reading and, as always, please review.

Commenting People:

Sorry, no comment responses today. I'm leaving for a flight in five minutes. That's hella literal, btw. I'm sat on my sofa with my laptop waiting for my taxi rn. :) See you cats on the flip side, laterz.

Tori and I walk back to the dorms together. We're not close, but we're not apart either.

She slows as we reach the main grounds. She stops in front of an artsy poster-board and stares up at it. When I walk over to stand beside her, she sighs. "Why do we keep doing this shit to ourselves, Max?"

I raise an eyebrow. "'This shit'?"

She waves a shaky hand around her, at the school, the artwork. "All of it. We fucking kill ourselves trying to make it, but... none of it's guaranteed. What's the fucking point of doing all this to get something that you probably won't even get?"

'You', huh? Tori always was... clumsy at deflecting.

After a few seconds of silence, she sighs. She clasps her hands together, interlacing her fingers.

I remember that gesture. She was nervous, deep in thought.

I remember her mentioning a submission.

She was nervous about it. She'd been rejected before, but she handled it better... then.

I think for a second, and say "Anfangen ist leicht, Beharren eine Kunst."

Tori, startled, flicks her head up to look at me. She blinks at me for few seconds, then rolls her eyes. "Jesus, you speak German too?

I shrug, offer a small smile. "Ein Bisschen. It means Starting is Easy, Persistence is Art. Anyone can decide to do art, but being an artist takes work. You need to try. You need to fail. You need to try again. That's how you make it."

She sags, speaks in a small voice. "But what's the point if you don't win? You can do everything right and still fucking fail and what's the point if that's all that happens?"

"It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose, Victoria. That's not weakness, that's life."

Her entire body freezes for a second. She drags her head up slowly to stare at me. "Star Trek? Fucking Star Trek? You just pulled a fucking Star Trek quote on me?"

I raise an eyebrow and look at her. She stares back, then flushes in realisation. "I, I... I saw an episode once. Nate likes to ogle that guy with the beard."

I flash a smirk. "Well, if you want more, I can keep going."

After a second, she nods.

I take a minute to think. "Genius doesn't work on an assembly line. Did Einstein produce new and revolutionary theories on a regular schedule? You can't simply say, today I will be brilliant."

I spot the beginning of a small smile on her face. I throw out another.

"If there is nothing to lose, no sacrifice, then there is nothing to gain."

She's still not looking at me, but she's smiling now. That's progress, of a sort.

I watch her smiling for a few seconds, then my face goes serious. "What's wrong, Tori?"

She looks away. I can feel her hiding behind the Ice Queen mask. Cool and Perfect, without flaw or emotion. "Nothing's wrong. I'm fine. Just really fucking drunk."

"What's wrong, Tori?"

The ice turns to fire in a second. I resist the urge to smirk as an image of Tori with Hades' hair pops into my head. "Nothing's wrong! Jesus, are you even fucking listening to me? I'm telling you-"

"That nothing's wrong. Yes, I heard what you said. Now tell me what's wrong."

"God, Max. Would you leave this alone? Fuck..."

I move in front of her and meet her eyes. "I can't help you if you don't let me." [AN-1]

"It's Nate."

Of course...

"I'm worried about him. Earlier tonight, he kept talking about something he had to do, something about his family, then he just... he disappeared. Jesus, it was right at the beginning of the party, too. He never does that. That's a bad sign, right? Right."

I put my hands on her shoulders. "Tori, breathe."

She glares at me, still pissed off. So, I demonstrate. In through the nose for five, out through the mouth for five. After a while, she copies me. A few breaths later, she's visibly calmer. "Thanks, Max."

"Anytime. Look, Nate's troubled, right?"

She nods hesitantly. "Right."

"Okay, so maybe he had a bad day and didn't wanna deal with people for a while. He's probably hiding out somewhere, watching the sunrise with a beer in his hand. Give it until the morning, call him then. He'll appreciate the quiet from all the Blackwell shit."

"Maybe you're right."

I smirk. "I am right. You'll see."

She rolls her eyes with an amused snort. "Wow, Max. Ego, much?"

"Wow, Tori. Say 'ego, much' much?"

We stare at each other for a second, then laugh.

"I'm... glad you're here, Max. I missed you."

I smile and step back onto the path. When Tori follows, I smile back. "I missed you too."

We start walking, talking, just chatting about random shit, and before we know it, we're back in the dorms. Tori looks almost... disappointed?

She stops at her door and turns to me. "Max, I..."

"Goodnight, Tori." I say, quietly, but firmly. I didn't want to prolong this.

Well, I did. But that was the problem.

She smiles, small and sweet, "Goodnight, Max." then disappears into her room.

I watch her door for a few seconds.

I really need a drink.

I go back to my room.

*flashback begins*

The lone figure on the screen suddenly jolts.

They're awake.

"What? What is this? Where am I?"

Laura leans in, pushes a button on the keyboard. "You are in our care, Ms Carlston."

The figure freezes. "Shit."

Laura laughs. "Indeed. Now, we'll get directly to business then. Where is the data?"

Carlston spits on the floor. "Go to hell, you-"

Laura sighs, pushing another button. Carlston promptly screams as the floor is charged with electricity.

Laura pushes the talk button again. "Manners please, Ms Carlston."

She gives Carlston a second to recover, then asks again. "Where is the data?"

Carlston grits her teeth. Refusing to talk.

Laura presses the second button again, eliciting another round of screaming.

"Please, Ms Carlston. I will not ask again. Where are you keeping the data?"

Carlston sighs. "There is no data. I made it up. I just wanted the fucking payday."

Laura looks to me. I nod. That's what Jimmy had thought. He'd be satisfied with that. She pushes the talk button again. "Very well. We will offer you a choice. Approach the authorities, confess to your crimes, and serve whatever sentence they see fit to bestow upon you."

"What... What's the other choice?"

Laura pushes the second button again. Carlston screams once again. "The other choice involves things that make that feel like a massage."

She lets out another laugh. "Do let us know which option you choose, hmm?"

As we leave the room, I swear I can faintly smell the burning.

*flashback ends*

When I wake up, I call Travis. "Travis? Two Whales. Ten minutes."

I make it in eight. He strolls in three minutes after me, sliding into my booth with a grin. "Hey Max. Have fun at yer shindig last night?"

I shrug. "It is nice to play again."

He chuckles. "Yeah, I'd imagine that's true. I reckon it's been a long while since ya got ta do that."

He settles back in his seat just as Joyce comes over. She smiles at us both. "Hey, you two. Nice to see you both again. Early, too. Now I know why Chloe ain't joinin' you."

Travis nods. "Niceta see you too, ma'am."

Joyce glares at Travis. He shrugs apologetically, but doesn't amend the ma'am. She snorts, then pulls out her pad. "So, what can I get you both?"

We rattle off our orders, two sets of waffles (Travis had checked out Joyce's ingredients and been satisfied already. He was picky about what he ate.), and Joyce ambled off to the Kitchen.

"So, how were the two kids? They need any lookin' after?"

I shrug. "No. I think I made my point with the jock."

He nods. "Good. Damn shame, a girl like Kate gettin' bullied. I'd be liabl'ta make a ruckus myself, if you didn't do it."

I smile. Travis had an overprotective streak a mile long. Especially for short outcasts.

We fall into a comfortable silence. Joyce appeared partway through with a carafe of coffee. I poured a big mug of it and took a gulp. I feel the tightness in my muscles relax and I let out a long sigh.

After about ten minutes, Joyce appears again with two plates. She looks... upset. She's hiding it pretty well though. There's just a slight tightening in her eyes that gives it away. "Joyce?"

She looks up, waitress smile flashing on. "Yes Max?"

"Are you okay?"

She blinks. "I, uh..."

I resist the urge to smile triumphantly. Always fun to be right. After a few listless seconds, Joyce sighs. She sags down into the booth next to us. "Have you heard about what happened yesterday?"

I frown across at her. "No. What happened?" Travis and I share a look.

Anything?

Not a thing.

Joyce doesn't notice us. "Another girl went missin'. Brooke, from up at Blackwell. Such a shame, too. She was a good kid."

Brooke's gone? Damn.

"That is a shame, ma'am. D'ya know what happened?"

Joyce shakes her head. "No, but her parents were in here about half an hour ago. They talked to the cops, but..."

"But we all know their track record." I finish.

Joyce sighs. "Yeah. I like to hope she's off living it large somewhere, like all the others. But we both know that ain't true."

I reach out and put my hand over hers. "Yeah, Joyce. It sucks."

She looks up at me with a small smile. "You're looking out for Chloe, right?"

I nod. Ah. "I promise, Joyce. It won't happen to her. Not on my watch."

Another customer quickly waves for her attention. She takes a deep breath in, and the waitress smile flicks back on again. "Duty calls, Max. I'll talk to you later. Enjoy your meal, both of you."

I watch her leave. "Travis?"

"Mmm?" He says, mouth full of waffle.

"Back to the Church. Now."

Travis looks forlornly down at his plate. He sighs deeply, then stands up. "Yes boss."

I slip my earbud in on the drive back. "Anyone there?"

Laura answers. "Just me for the moment, darling. What can I do for you?"

I fill her in on everything Joyce told us. "We need a full detailing of her. And find out where she lives. We've a new lead and we're not going to lose it!"

"I'll do my best, but you are aware that research is not my strong suit."

"I kn-"

A voice suddenly cuts in. "Get out of my chair, hure."

I grin. "Hey Tish. You get all that?"

"Of fucking course. Now get off the line, I need to fucking concentrate."

I get off the line.

I'm calling out commands the moment I walk into the computer room. "Trace Nathan's truck. I want to know everywhere he was last night. If he went close to the dorms, or near to wherever Brooke's family was."

Tish types for a second, and a GPS map appears on the screen. She types again and the program traces out everywhere Nathan's truck was, plus times. "Shit, the Musudhu left his mboko party at about 6:30. He drove straight to this shitty bar, speeding by the way, and stayed there for two hours, then went to some street. Uh, Burch Avenue." She taps another few keys. "He stayed there for the rest of the night." She looks up. "Sounds like he picked up some bimbo at a bar and took her home."

"Is that anywhere near Brooke's place?"

She shakes her head. "Not even fucking close." She taps a few keys. The map zooms out and pinpoints a house on the opposite side of the map. "Brooke Scott lives, well, lived, over on the other side of town."

Huh. "So, he couldn't have walked there?"

Tish shrugs. "Not if he was drunk or high. It's about an hour and forty-five long walk."

"Damn. Well, maybe he had the day off. His master might be working alone on this one."

Travis suddenly speaks from the doorway. "All the other disappearances were at one of the parties, right? If it's Nathan's boss, he'd've hafta had been at the party, right?"

I shrug. "It's a pattern, not a restriction. But you're right, Travis. I'll poke around at Blackwell, see if anyone saw anything." I think for a second. "Tish, find out who lives there, too. Let me know when you've got a file together."

"Sure thing, boss." Tish nods and immediately goes back to work.

"Laura, Cassie, you hit that bar Nathan was at. See if anyone remembers him, find any camera footage. Travis, I need you on call if anyone needs an extraction."

"Anything I'm missing?"

Travis shakes his head. "Not that I c'n 'member, Max."

"Good. Get to work."

AN1 - This line comes from a series called The One Good Thing in Seattle by Unknown_Knowns. It's probably one of my favourite series ever and I used this line an alarming amount now.

Translations:

Hure - Bitch

Musudhu - Arsehole

Mboko - Stupid