Myriam tried to make eye contact with the officer whom she handed the last clipboard to. "Does anyone have any questions?"
The officer shook his head before taking a step back to rejoin the crowd of constables that filled the police station. There was only a bit of breathing room, but still the throng of constables stayed a few respectful paces away from the chief policeman and Deputy Virk.
"If you look at the list on the second page," the chief said, raising his hands and pointing at Myriam's clipboard. "Yes, if you could all flip over to it, that would be great. Okay, so on it, it has every single adolescent that has had a skin graft sometime in their life. On page three we have the adults."
The officers in the room muttered to one another quietly while the noise of flipping papers threatened to drown out the chiefs next words.
"Beside their names, is their parental guardians or next of kin. Then their address, phone number, etcetera. Now, ladies and gentlemen, each of you should see your name beside one or two people on the list. They are now your responsibility." The chiefs voice was starting to dwindle, but with Deputy Myriam's extra nods from time to time, the officers gave him a bit more of their attention.
"Make sure that the people you have been assigned to are safe, ladies and gents," Myriam ordered. "What we have is a type of serial killer this small town hasn't seen in a long time. I expect you to be on high alert if you see anything out of the ordinary."
With that, the station began to empty, a few bodies waiting for the steady stream of exiting people to slow. The chief whispered a few words to Myriam before ambling out of the room, most likely heading towards his office.
Gus, who had lingered near the door, exchanged a long glance with Myriam before taking a sip of his lukewarm coffee.
"Kids, you can come out now," Myriam hollered at the door of her office. She tapped on the glass, and watched as her daughter peaked out from behind the desk. Kamilla stretched her legs after jumping out from the same hiding place. Theo, who was pressed against the door, opened it sheepishly. And Ren? Of course he was huddled in the corner behind a cabinet.
"That's it, everybody out," Myriam held the door open and glared at every one of them as they scurried out of hiding. "You know, kids your age should be doing fun stuff on a Saturday."
"How long did you know we were in there?" Kamilla asked, cowed at the sight of Myriam with her hands on her hips.
"Since I started the meeting," Mrs. Virk responded, giving the werewolf a pointed look. Gus wandered over to where they were standing, and offered Theo a wink when he caught his eye.
"But me and Myriam decided that you kids should know what we're doing so you can stay out of it," Gus explained, patting Mrs. Virk on the shoulder. She decided to let it slide, and nod along with his words instead.
"Then why did you put yourself in charge of four people on the list?" Rebecca piped up, looking directly at Gus. "You can't possibly do that by yourself. Everyone else got one or two."
"Look at this, a little Miss Detective," Gus exclaimed. Rebecca smiled, appreciating the praise. "She managed to sneak a list for herself, then. Look at this lot, eh, Myriam? They're like a tween pop band, all eager to help."
"Too eager," Myriam agreed, giving the four of them a sweeping glance. She didn't seem as pleased with their keenness, and it showed in her tone.
"But she is right, I can't do it by myself," Gus admitted. Myriam did not light up as he said this, contrasting with the suddenly thrilled teenagers in the room. She displayed only an alarmed expression, her gaze demanding to be met. Gus shrugged, and Kamilla gave Theo an excited elbow to the gut. Rebecca and Ren stirred, excitement bubbling.
"You can do it by yourself; you're an old man with nothing better to do, remember?" Myriam recalled, tilting her head to the side in warning.
"Oh, Myriam," Gus huffed, exasperated, as if she was his mother, prohibiting him from going outside to play. "We're going to go visit some folks around town for the day. Then we'll show them how boring real work is."
"This isn't a field trip, Gus." Myriam sounded irritated, and Rebeca desperately tried to hide her nervousness. She looked at Ren, who scrunched his mouth together as a response.
"Well, these kids are going to get into worse trouble if we don't at least let them help a little," Gus pointed out. Myriam blew air from her nose, prepared to explode. He quickly waved his arms to try and take back his words. "Okay, you know what? I'll have them all ask their parents if they can go before we do anything. Sound fair?"
"What part of this isn't a damn play day did you not understand?" Myriam demanded. There was a pause, in which the Deputy challenged anyone to question her authority. Gus hesitated, throwing out his cup of coffee before boldly continuing.
"Myriam, you've been exposed to all of this for a long time." Gus eased into the topic, but Myriam's tenacious glare made the task that much more problematic. "But I've been at it for even longer."
"So now this is about experience?" Myriam asked, astonished at his words. Rebecca swallowed, cringing at her mother's retaliation. "I don't think it should matter how long I've known about what's really going on in this town. I think it should matter that I know, period. And I also think it should matter that I'm not stupid enough to send kids into battle, for God's sake."
"It's not a battle, Myriam," Gus exclaimed, putting his hands up in surrender. "It's going around and making sure people are safe. Stop making it into something it's not!"
"You know that it's not going to stop there," said Myriam, her voice low. Ren leaned forward, entranced as if watching drama unfold in a reality T.V. show. "You know that they're going to keep pushing until someone breaks."
"Is that a bad thing?" Gus inquired, the new tactic making the Deputy draw back slightly. "And I know you're answer's gonna' be yes, but is that the right thing to do? These kids are growing up, Myriam, and quickly. They need to know what to do if we're not here for them."
Myriam listened quietly, but the way her face twitched in agitation wasn't comforting. The tension in the room was palpable as everyone held their breath, waiting for a response.
"They shouldn't have to," Myriam insisted, shaking her head. The way she sent a not so subtle glance in her daughters direction made Rebecca's stomach jolt slightly. She knew what her mom was thinking.
"But it's just unrealistic to think that." Gus knew he had won the argument at the way Myriam pinched the bridge of her nose. He could smell her mix of chemosignals that reeked of stress and defeat.
"Call your parents," Myriam ordered the kids. The four of them exchanged uneasy glances, but didn't waste time. Three of them ducked into a hallway, leaving Rebecca alone with Myriam and Gus.
Rebecca opened her mouth to say something, but Myriam lifted her head and leaned into Gus. She looked terrifying - and furious. The older werewolf looked down at her, surprised.
"If you ever try and pull that shit with me in front of the kids again, I'll shoot you," Myriam promised. Her voice was a crude hiss, and laced with venom. "This isn't a game. If you don't stop treating it like one, I'll make sure you do not pass Go."
Myriam turned to her daughter, trying to calm herself down and get rid of the red around her vision. Gus was frozen in shock, but tried to shake it off as best as he could. There was no doubt the Deputy was a scary woman. Rebecca's eyes were wide with fear, and her nerves were buzzing and on edge. Did her mom and Gus fight about this a lot?
"Now, as for you," Myriam said, her voice cracking with the effort to keep it level. "Sorry, Rebecca, but you're not going."
Rebecca broke out of her trance, a crestfallen expression twisting her face and making her shoulders slump. "Mom-"
"I am not in the mood, Rebecca." Myriam briskly silenced her daughter's onslaught of pleading before it started. Gus watched the scene quietly, and when Rebecca caught his eye, he shrugged. Rebecca noisily exhaled and earned herself another piercing glare.
"But I do have another job for you."
Rebecca's interest was piqued, and she stood up a little straighter. Myriam chuckled, but it was lacking any mirth.
"Relax, it's not anything exciting," Myriam assured. Her daughter sat back on her heels, disappointed once more. "But it is important. I need you to get the book, the Dread Doctors, off of the bookshelf at home and try to find out anything you can about it."
"What do you mean?" Rebecca quizzed. It took all of her willpower not to groan. She was going to be stuck with paperwork? Her mom was right - she should be doing more fun things.
"I mean," Myriam mimicked Rebecca's negative tone before crossing her arms and continuing. "Find out who the author is, how it made us remember the Doctors, and stuff like that."
Rebecca cast her gaze to the ground, just as Kamilla reentered. She was waving her phone in one hand while the other was splayed outwards in annoyance.
"My parents aren't answering the phone ..." Kamilla explained, her eyes drifting from Myriam to Gus. The Deputy crossed her arms and looked at the officer to see what he would do.
"That's alright," Gus started slowly, glancing at Myriam before continuing. "You'll be fine, they won't mind."
Kamilla's face split into a smile as Myriam shook her head and let out a disgusted snort. Gus turned to the Deputy, suddenly eager to bargain.
"C'mon Myriam, she's my beta," Gus pleaded. "She needs to get out and learn alongside me."
"Just remember that doesn't mean you can replace her parental guardians," Myriam stated. She looked Kamilla up and down, then turned back to Gus. "So if she gets hurt, it's on you."
Rebecca bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from screaming in frustration. How come Gus offered his two cents when defending Kamilla but couldn't spare a single word for Rebecca? It was getting exhausting.
The strawberry blond girl was practically beside herself when Theo and Ren walked into the room, grinning. They could go, but she couldn't. In their delight, they didn't even notice how upset Rebecca was. Or they ignored it.
"Well, kiddos," Gus said, rubbing his hands together and stepping away from Myriam. "If you're able to go, come on. We've got a lot of places to hit before sundown and everyone else already has a head start."
Rebecca didn't move, but her arms fidgeted as she watched her friends start to leave. Ren took a few steps, then stopped, confused. He turned around and looked at Rebecca.
"Aren't you coming?" he asked. He looked at Myriam, who shook her head for her daughter. Ren glanced back at his best friend as she shrugged in defeat.
"Who's not coming?" Kamilla was already at the door, but upon seeing Rebecca standing still, she froze. "Rebecca?"
Rebecca squirmed as Theo's eyes latched onto her as well. Gus didn't even turn around. She felt she had to assure them somehow, because Rebecca didn't want to ruin their days as well.
"It's okay, guys. I'll catch up with you later." Rebecca waved her hand, shooing them away. She saw Theo and Kamilla exchange glances as Ren pursed his lips.
"We'll keep you updated," Theo called across the room, opening the door for Kamilla. Gus was probably already waiting for them in the car.
Kamilla nodded, then added: "Yeah. We'll call you if we find anything."
"I'm sure you will," Myriam said, jerking her head so the two of them could quicken their exit. She turned to Ren, repeating the movement.
"Nah, I'm good," Ren shrugged, shoving his hands into his worn out jeans.
"Go on, Ren. Mom's making me do some paperwork stuff," Rebecca explained, trying to sound nonchalant. "It's really boring, you'd hate it."
"That's okay," Ren replied. He took a few steps closer to the Virk family. "What kind of paperwork stuff? I'll help you."
Myriam raised her eyebrows and looked back at her daughter. Rebecca's eyes had lit up, silently begging for permission. Myriam threw her hands in the air before retreating into her office. Rebecca turned to Ren, smiling.
"Thanks, Ren," Rebecca said. Ren grinned as a response to her gratitude.
"Don't mention it," Ren laughed, clapping his friend on the shoulder when she closed the distance between them. "I know how much of an ass Gus can be. I don't think I'm missing much."
"Watch your language!" Myriam hollered from inside her office. Rebecca snorted, as Ren sheepishly apologized. Maybe her day wouldn't be so bad after all.
"This is the worst goddamn day ever!" Rebecca cried out in frustration. She wanted to fling the book across the room, but was afraid she'd make a mark on Ren's bedroom wall. Not that Ren would care - he was too busy groaning and dozing off on his open laptop.
Rebecca smacked herself on the forehead with the book, its hard cover making her skin sting slightly, but she couldn't care less. Hours upon hours of research and what did they find? A few book reviews. This T.R. McCammon author-guy was practically nonexistent. He had no family, no other books, no indication of where he lived - nothing!
"You know, I wish there was a website somewhere that was a Supernatural Phenomenon Explain-er," Rebecca complained, pacing around the room. Her phone was dead after all the time she spent researching on it, and her patience was at the same level.
"There is," Ren muttered out of the corner of his mouth. "It's called Mythbusters."
Rebecca hardly even thought twice before spinning around and smacking her friend on the leg with her fingertips. "You're not funny, Monkey Brain."
"Ow, watch it," Ren sputtered, sitting up and rubbing his now red face. There were lines on his cheek that mirrored the crevices between the keys on the keyboard. "There's no need to pop a vein."
"I'm about to shred this book!" Rebecca exclaimed, brandishing it in the air and shaking it in her grasp. "This stupid, stupid book ..."
"I hate books," Ren agreed, closing his laptop and glaring at the notebooks spilling out of his schoolbag. "Especially textbooks."
"Oh, boo hoo, your life is hard," Rebecca teased, sticking out her tongue while rubbing her eyes. Ren looked insulted, but she didn't care. "Though then again, Travis DeClair's life looked great..."
Ren cleared his throat loudly as he watched Rebecca start to drift off into her own thoughts.
"Travis DeClair, huh?" Ren exclaimed, loudly enough to jolt Rebecca into alertness. "The shmuck who was getting down with my sister."
"Yeah," Rebecca said. She tossed the book from hand to hand, occasionally fumbling. "The shmuck who drowned in books."
"You know, I almost forgot you broke into his house," Ren announced. He swung his legs over the bed and gave his friend a thoughtful look. He didn't sound suprised, nor condescending. "He was the one with the personal library, right?"
"Yep. There were books everywhere," Rebecca recalled, chuckling to herself before turning to Ren. She pointed at him using the novel in her hand. "You should have seen it. There was no room to walk anywhere. And they weren't comics; I swear I saw a few Charles Dickens' stuff."
"That's what I call dedication," Ren laughed. There wasn't anything really funny about it, but mirth seemed to be contagious. Rebecca grinned. "You ever wonder how he got all of them?"
Rebecca stopped short, frowning. She squinted at a wall, but as her gaze turned to Ren, her eyes became wide with shock. He uneasily watched her, waiting for her to speak. Rebecca's mouth dropped open and she omitted a small huff of disbelief. She bent her knees slightly too, and Ren became concerned.
"What?" he demanded.
"We never asked how he got the book!" Rebecca proclaimed. "Whoever gave it to him could have some answers! Who knows? Maybe they knew he was a target and they tried to warn him ..."
Rebecca was getting more excited every second that passed, and Ren had to stand up and wave his hand to regain her attention.
"Um, that's great, how do we find out who gave it to him?" Ren asked. When Rebecca didn't deflate, he continued: "You're not planning on barging in and asking his parents, are you? Because I'll tell you right now that you're an idiot."
"No, Monkey Brain!" Rebecca sighed, rolling her eyes. She never let the smile fade from her face. "Use that Satori mind of yours! You just said it; he was a shmuck for your sister."
Ren raised his eyebrows, snapping his fingers and pointing at Rebecca enthusiastically. His mouth was in the shape of an 'o' as Rebecca waved her arms and ushered him out of the room.
They crossed the hall in two seconds flat. Rebecca knocked on Mieko's door, resisting the urge to slam her palms against it. How did they not think of this earlier?
Mieko's startled face appeared a few moments later, but every second felt like an eternity. She wore a long turtleneck with sleeves that stretched far past her hands. She sized up her brother and Rebecca quickly.
"What?" Mieko asked, trying not to sound irritable. Rebecca's excitement faltered. The youngest Otsuka sounded as if she was being interrupted from something very important.
"Are you alright?" Rebecca instinctively asked. The bags under Mieko's eyes were a dark purple, signifying she wasn't sleeping well, if at all.
"I'm fine," Mieko replied too quickly, adjusting her sleeves subconsciously. She seemed to be making sure that her fingers were completely covered. Rebecca felt Ren stir uneasily, and Mieko's faux pleasant tone reinforced his concern. "What do you need?"
"Um, we just wanted to know if you recognized this book," Rebecca brandished The Dread Doctors, and she saw recognition flash across Mieko's face.
"Yeah, it was Travis'," Mieko stated. Rebecca blinked. The girl in front of her was so distracted, she didn't even bother to ask how they came around to getting it. "It even has the little stain on the cover. What about it?"
"Do you know how he got it?"
Mieko furrowed her brow, shifting her weight slightly. She hadn't even opened her door all the way, and didn't look as if she was about to let them enter, but Rebecca respected that.
"I think ... he got it from the library down near City Hall," Mieko said slowly. She squinted at something beyond Rebecca's head before regaining eye contact. "Yeah. The librarian was always really nice to him, that's why he kept on getting so many books."
Rebecca nodded, and offered a small smile. Mieko seemed a bit too calm reminiscing about her boyfriend that died not two weeks earlier.
Mieko took that as a goodbye, and promptly shut her door in their faces. Rebecca drew her head back, then look over at Ren.
"You saw what I did, right?" Rebecca whispered, trying to keep her voice down as she walked back to Ren's room. "She's hiding something."
"No shit, Sherlock," Ren spat. The two of them hovered in his doorway, a few inches apart so they could murmur their words and still be heard.
"Do you think she might be going through .. you know, her changes?" Rebecca inquired, ignoring Ren's tense tone. He was worried, and that was expected.
"She's not a Satori, so she can't," Ren shook his head. "She missed the window a long time ago. I mean, I was late when I first started to change, but if she was one of us we would know. Dad already told me there's no way."
"Then why would she act as if her skin was covered in something?" Rebecca pressed. "I remembered you wore turtlenecks for weeks until you told your dad that when you touched people you could read their minds. It's not like a girl getting her period - this isn't stuff you can learn about online."
Ren hesitated, knowing she did have a point. After all, when Satoris reach a certain physical peak in their life, it's uncomfortable. They gain their masterful ability to read minds a little too suddenly. It's like puberty, except worse, and you can't hug anyone for emotional support.
"I'll tell Dad, but I still don't think it's even possible." Ren shook his head. He then rolled his eyes to the sky. "Then again, I'm a supernatural monkey-like creature who can read minds."
Rebecca cocked her head, pouting her mouth in agreement. "Anything can happen."
"Anyway," Ren said, sweeping away the subject with a flick of his hand. "What are we going to do about this librarian stuff we found out?"
"Right," Rebecca nodded, focusing her mind on their original task. "Do you want to call someone, or something?"
"Sure, your mom?" Ren asked, walking deeper into his room and yanking out his phone. Rebecca didn't even bother nodding. She threw the book into the air and caught it by the spine as Ren was directed to voicemail. "Your mom sucks at answering the phone."
"She might have left her personal one at home," Rebecca shrugged. "Too bad she doesn't tell me the number of her work one."
"Who else? Gus?" Ren asked, sitting down on his bed and scrolling through his contacts. He looked up at Rebecca, a sour expression on his face. "Wait, no. Gus broke his phone. He dropped it in the shower, right?"
"It was his sink, idiot," Rebecca corrected. "Who brings their phone into the shower?"
"Gus?" Rebecca pretended to smack Ren across the face with the book as he said this. The small breeze she created in doing so made Ren's jet black hair stir slightly. "Whatever, Airhead. So what now? We don't have landline anymore, and your phone's dead."
"Call Kamilla," Rebecca suggested. Ren dialed her number, waiting a heartbeat before frowning. He removed the phone from his ear, then growled to himself.
"Mine's dead too," Ren announced. He tossed his phone beside him and dragged his fingers across his face in agitation. Rebecca once again caught the book after throwing it, giving Ren a sidelong glare.
"This is going great," Rebecca scoffed. She checked the wall clock on Ren's wall, then sighed. "It's eight o'clock. What do we do now?"
Ren shrugged with one shoulder, but caught Rebecca's earnest gaze. He froze, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. "I know that look. What's your plan?"
"I don't have a plan," Rebecca lied, whilst gesturing to herself innocently.
"Bullshit, just tell me," Ren urged.
"Okay," Rebecca said enthusiastically. "City Hall is like a ten minute drive from here. We'll go in my car, and see if the librarian is there. See? It's not really a plan just ... you know. A thought."
Ren nodded his head slowly, but doubt made him frown. "So what if the librarian isn't there?"
"Then we come back! No harm done," Rebecca said nonchalantly. "Both of your parents are at work, and Mieko won't snitch on us."
"And what if you mom figures out that we left without her permission?" Ren inquired, tilting his head. If there was anyone Ren wouldn't pick a fight with, it was Myriam Virk.
Rebecca hesitated, then deadpanned her next sentence: "Then we'll be flayed alive and you'll be sent back to your family in a match box. But hey, we'll probably die an even worse death if we wait for the Dread Doctors to murder us."
Ren knit his brow in alarm. "Wow, thanks. That was a really positive motivational speech."
"It's true, though," Rebecca said, pointing at him with her index finger, knowing she had him wrapped around it. He groaned, knowing there was no way he could chain Rebecca to the house and stop her from going.
"I'm not paying you any gas money." Was the only thing Ren managed to say before Rebecca hauled him out the door.
"Do you ever think about what Gus said?" Ren asked out of the blue. It had been a mostly silent car ride, and Rebecca was fine to let Ren stew in his own thoughts.
"What?" Rebecca inquired, taking her eyes off the road to look at her friend. "What did Gus say?"
"What do you mean, 'What did he say' ? It was the most important thing he's said in a while," Ren stated, swallowing extra saliva in his mouth. He wanted her to say it, because it was a sensitive subject. What was sensitive at the moment? Mieko.
"You mean about him thinking that we shouldn't be coddled?" Rebecca clarified, glancing at her rearview mirror. Ren nodded slowly, chewing on his thumb nail. "Yeah. It's actually a good idea because I'm the one who said it to him first."
"When?"
"Here," Rebecca held out her hand. She did not want to recount the night Connor had tried to kill her. Ren looked at her hand warily. Rebecca shook her hand slightly in case Ren hadn't noticed it was there. "Go on. I don't want to get into it."
"It's not safe," Ren replied finally. She placed her palm back on the steering wheel, frowning. He pursed his lips before continuing. "I've been thinking lately. If Satoris can erase memories, change opinions, and mess around in peoples minds, there is literally no way of guaranteeing what will happen if I touch you."
"What do you mean?" Rebecca understood what her friend was saying, but she thought he was taking Gus' message the wrong way. If he was going to hone his powers he was supposed to be confident about it, not shy away from them all together. "You've done this tons of times."
"Yeah, and what if I had accidentally done something to you?" Ren quizzed, and Rebecca hated how upset he sounded. "I want to learn how to use them first."
Rebecca stayed silent. A part of her knew how he felt. Yet the bigger section in her mind didn't want him to fear himself like that. Supernatural powers were a lot of responsibility, and maybe seeing how the Dread Doctors have been abusing that power made Ren want to take better care of what he did.
"I think you should just try and see," Rebecca admitted. She once again held out her hand, palm towards the roof of the car. Before he could protest, she hurriedly added: "Just to see what you need to work on."
"I don't think so-"
"C'mon, Ren," Rebecca said, giving him a reassuring grin. "I trust you."
Ren looked at her hand, and swallowed again. She looked back at the road, waiting patiently. A minute or so went by, and she finally felt Ren's hand ghost over her own. When he at last he was holding it securely, she heard his breathing slow down.
"Gus is ... a bag of dicks," Ren murmured. Rebecca snorted, but didn't bother actually replying. If Ren smacked someone across the face he could read immediate emotions: if he took his time he could concentrate.
Rebecca was pulling into the library parking lot when Ren let go. He was silent, and Rebecca tried to play it off by rolling her shoulders back and craning her neck.
"I think I see a car," Rebecca said. She squinted, having a hard time seeing in the dull light of a lam post. "Let's get out and see."
"I'm sorry, Becks." Ren's voice was so quiet, she didn't realize he had said anything until she noticed him staring at her. He repeated himself, a little louder.
"About what?" Rebecca's hands began to shake, so she tapped a melody using her thumbs on the steering wheel.
"He wouldn't have killed you," Ren whispered. He seemed to be entranced by his new found knowledge, so Rebecca allowed herself to bite her lip anxiously for a moment. "Connor wasn't himself."
"I know," Rebecca said, but didn't mean it. She wondered if he had glimpsed at how worried she was about him. No body was found yet. Yet.
A door slammed shut and Rebecca nearly smacked her head off the car roof she jumped so high. Ren gave her a wide eyed glance before they hastily began undoing their seatbelts. Scrambling out of her Mazda, Rebecca pointed at a brisk figure, jogging to the only other car in the lot.
"Hey!" Rebecca shouted before she could come up with a better plan. The figure - who was no doubt the librarian - froze for a second before quickening his pace. Ren was a few paces ahead of her when they started sprinting towards him. "Wait a second! Wait!"
Rebecca and Ren leapt between the man and his destination, holding up their hands as signs of peace. He glared down at them over his exceptionally large nose.
"What?" the librarian demanded, shifting a few books under his arms while Ren nudged Rebecca.
"Um, we ... we just want to talk for a few moments," Rebecca said dumbly. She could practically taste the librarian's disdain. "We heard about Travis DeClair, and how he and you were really close-"
"No," the man interrupted loudly. His scowl deepened when she said Travis' name, but Rebecca wasn't convinced by his anger. He had spoken to quickly to stifle suspicion. By the way Ren shifted beside her, he knew it too. "Sorry, children, but you are mistaken. I must insist you step aside and-"
"Not until you tell us why the hell you were sending presents to a recently murdered minor," Ren declared, causing the librarians face to redden. Rebecca resisted the urge to punch him in the arm: she settled instead to gawk at him spitefully.
"Young man, I urge you to take your abhorrent accusations to someone who has the patience to deal with them," the librarian annunciated, as if Ren was five years old. As a reply, he curled his hands into fists.
"Sorry! Sorry about that. We're not here to call you a pedophile," Rebecca stepped in front of Ren hurriedly. She grimaced as the man flinched at her terminology. "Sorry ... um, I know this is kind of inappropriate of us to ask, but we just want to know if Travis did anything strange before he died. You know, to see if we can stop someone else from being a victim."
The librarian scoffed. "I admire your gusto, but you're not detectives. I will talk to the police, and the police only."
"Then why don't you come with us and we'll set up an appointment," Ren offered, his voice biting. His tone made the libarian's words sing a different tune.
"I-I don't think ... you don't have the authority ... who are you? I'll have you know I can file a complaint against you for harassing me like this." The man started to sweat. Rebecca chewed the smirk off of her lips and tried to remain serious. They had him right where they wanted him.
"Cut the shit," Rebecca shrugged off his threats. There was only reason Rebecca deduced as to why he was afraid of going to the police: because he was aware of the supernatural, and maybe he feared the Dread Doctors. "Maybe if you tell us why you stayed silent when an innocent boy was murdered, we won't have your lying ass thrown in a cell."
Despite her mom being a cop, Rebecca gleaned most of her bad-cop attitude from television. The librarian paled. He was guilty of something, that's for sure, but that didn't stop Rebecca from feeling bad for her unnecessarily mean words.
"Hey," she continued awkwardly, trying to soothe the much older, much taller man. She also used this opportunity to test her theory. "You can tell us. Listen, we know things too. Did you give Travis the book to warn him about the Dread Doctors?" The man's eyes widened in horror, and she nodded. "Yeah, we know all about that stuff. And the book, too."
The man just stared at her, in frozen horror. Rebecca shifted her weight, very uncomfortable.
"Hello?" Ren called, waving his hand to try and bring the librarian back to earth. His glassy eyes were starting to freak the two of them out.
When he moved, Rebecca hardly had time to defend herself. The man flung a book at her face, and it bounced off her shoulder. Ren cried out in alarm, but the man shoved him aside as he wove between them and sprinted towards his car.
Rebecca spun on her heel and pounced. She wrapped her arms around the librarian's waist and sent the both of them sprawling on the concrete. Rebecca earned herself quite a few nasty cuts for her efforts, but the older man took most of the impact.
"Hold him!" Rebecca called to Ren, who complied quickly, pinning the old man on his stomach so all of his limbs could be restrained. Rebecca rose to her feet and brushed some of the tiny pebbles out of her various flesh wounds. When she turned around, the man was an ugly crimson colour.
"I didn't know!" The man started wailing, and Ren grunted with the effort to keep him on the ground. "I wanted to warn him! He was a target and I thought if I gave him the book-"
"Then he'd be safe," Rebecca finished, nodding. She knelt down on one knee, cocking her head to look the librarian in the eye. "The question is: how do you know about the Dread Doctors?"
"I knew the author once," the man said, suddenly very agreeable. "He told me that the book was so people would remember the Dread Doctors and fight back. I thought if I gave it to Travis, he'd at least have the common sense to run..."
"I think he tried," Rebecca said flatly. The man grew still, watching her face grimly. "He crawled out of a window, but they got him. What are they?"
"Ancient scientists," the man said proudly. He seemed keen to express his knowledge and not face the embarrassment of being held by two teenagers. "They mix the supernatural and science to create new things. They even used electromagnetic technology to preserve their life indefinitely."
"Creepy," Ren muttered, squeezing the librarian's arms slightly. "And what about you? How do you know all of this?"
The man hesitated. Rebecca squinted at him until he spoke.
"My wife was a member of old Augustus Waters' pack," he uttered reluctantly. Rebecca flinched. "Before she was murdered a few months ago."
Rebecca felt a sour feeling settle at the bottom of her stomach, and the librarian narrowed his eyes at her. She met Ren's worried gaze and exchange glances with him for a few moments. It seemed everything was just one big reminder of what had happened a few months ago.
"Who the hell are you?" the man demanded. Rebecca's mouth twitched.
"Ren, let him go," Rebecca ordered, and he released the man. The librarian leapt to his feet, running his hands over his collared shirt swiftly. He struggled to stand up tall, and Rebecca decided to forgive his snobbish behavior. "So you knew Travis was a target?"
"Have you read it? The book, I mean?" the man inquired. When the two teens nodded, his face hardened. "So you know what they are, then."
"Sort of, we had to do some extra research," Ren offered, rubbing his hands together thoughtfully. "But why the hell are they even here? Why are they doing their freaky voodoo stuff?"
"All I know is that they need a successful chimera," the librarian shrugged. Rebecca and Ren looked at one another, puzzled.
"Chimera?" Ren asked.
"Success?" Rebecca inquired.
"Yes," the man groaned, rubbing his eyes as if talking to them was mentally draining. "They turn their victims into chimeras, or hybrids of different supernatural creatures. Unfortunately for them, they struggle with finding the best combination and most of their attempts fail. They want a success. Honestly, did you not read the book?"
"Divulging in fine literature's not our number one priority at the moment," Ren stated. "But that still doesn't tell us why they want to do all of this anyway."
"Who knows?" the man exclaimed, making Rebecca and Ren jump at his loud voice. "Who cares? If they come after you, you're dead. You can't get help, and nobody can help you. Just say goodbye right now, before it's too late."
Rebecca cast her eyes to the man's black shoes. Something about his words made the weight in her chest grow heavier. The librarian saw her crestfallen expression, and rolled his eyes.
"Here, you want some advice? Get out of this town while you still can. If you think the supernatural is a game, you're wrong. And you'll end up dead-"
"We'll take our chances," Ren snapped. He then dropped his scathing expression, instead touching Rebecca's arm gingerly, and causing her to raise her chin to meet his concerned gaze.
The man quietly watched as Ren's fingers faltered before he touched Rebecca's wrist. She managed a weak smile and held his hand gingerly. Could he somehow tell that her insides were churning?
"I thought you seemed familiar," the man said slowly, looking directly at Ren. Not only did the librarian's eyes show awe, but surprise made his mouth open slightly. "An Otsuka, right? I've heard all about your kind."
"Good for you," Ren mocked, making a face.
The man ignored him, taking a step back and sizing the both of them up again. His attention turned to Rebecca. "So, a Satori and ... what are you? Werewolf? No, you're not strong enough... I would suggest a banshee of some kind-"
"My name is Rebecca," she cut him off briskly. He looked at her as if she was a peculiar science experiment and she hated it. "Rebecca Virk."
"Rebecca ..." the man mumbled, as if he recognized the name. Rebecca squeezed Ren's hand as her blood ran cold. She had forgotten he mentioned his wife used to be in Gus' pack. She pursed her lips and waited for him to connect the dots. Ren cringed as well, bracing himself.
Panic gripped Rebecca's lungs as the librarian's eyes enlarged to the size of planets. He brought his hand to his mouth, horror striking him suddenly and making him go rigid.
"No," he breathed, fear making his voice crack. Rebecca shook off Ren's hand and displayed her palms guiltily.
"You've heard of me," she said slowly. The man laughed darkly, and Rebecca Virk chewed the inside of her mouth.
"Heard of you?!" he exclaimed. "Miss Virk, you used to be a legend in this town. My wife used to say you were the bravest tyke she ever did meet."
His tone made any praise a backhanded compliment, and Rebecca knew why. She bowed her head in shame.
"I should have known, but I guess I just hoped that since no one's heard much from you lately, you had left town." He surveyed her again, as if she were a rabid, filthy animal he needed to dispose of. "You really want my advice? I'll give it to you: get out of this town, Rebecca Virk. You bring trouble wherever you go, and we don't need it here anymore."
"Watch your mouth, pal," Ren snarled, his hand splaying across Rebecca's back as she felt tears welling in her eyes. The man took another step back, scared of the enraged Satori.
"I'm not sugarcoating anything," the man seethed, yet still he kept a wary note in his voice. "She knows what she's done to the people of this town..."
"One more word and I'll make you forget how to breathe," Ren threatened.
"You can't do that-"
"Watch me-"
"Wait!" Rebecca interrupted, her voice small. Her neck snapped up, and she squinted into the alleyway beside the parking lot. "Did you hear that?"
Ren held his breath as his supernatural eyes peered into the night, not quite sure what he was looking for. However, he assumed the worst.
"Nothing is there," the man scolded, glaring at Rebecca once more. She looked up, her eyebrows knit together.
"I swore I heard something."
As if on cue, a whir of mechanics reached all of their ears at once. Their eyes fixated on the image of one Dread Doctors emerging from the alley, into the light of a lamppost. It was coming steadily closer.
Rebecca jumped backwards instinctively, and she pulled Ren behind her for safety. The man screamed and Rebecca looked at him, horrified as a second Dread Doctor grabbed him by the arm and suspended him in mid air.
Rebecca was too shocked to react, that is until the Doctor pulled out a needle, the syringe glinting off of the faint light. Rebecca extended her arm, as if she was going to stop the Doctor from six feet away with just her palm.
"No!" the man gargled as the needle found a vein in his neck. "You're too (gak) strong (gasp) don't give them ... success..."
The Doctor emptied the syringe into the man, and he shook violently, silvery liquid pouring out of his mouth, eyes, and nose. Rebecca gagged, horrified. She had let another person die.
Her gut stirred as she clenched her outstretched hand into a fist. The Dread Doctor dropped the man's body on the ground, as if disposing an old toy. Rebecca saw, out of the corner of her eye, the other Doctor approaching quickly. If she was going to attack, she better do it soon.
However, before she could act, Ren grabbed her arm, and met her wild eyes with his own.
All of her confidence ebbed away. How was she supposed to fight them when Ren in danger? She clenched her jaw and lowered her arm. She knew what she had to do.
Finding Ren's hand with her own and linking their fingers together, Rebecca nodded at her friend. He exhaled as a reply, determination in his gaze.
They turned away from the Doctors, joined by their interlocked hands, and ran for their lives.
Hello! It's been a while.
Lisieux Selwyn - I'm glad you like the story! As for what Rebecca is, I suppose you'll have to hang tight for just a little longer! ;) Not much Theocca in this chapter, sorry about that! As for the pace and such, I am really glad it's good because I'm never sure, and I'm so afraid of writing filler chapters and ugh. Thank you for the review, and don't worry about not being logged in, it happens to the best of us :*
thellaraegent - I'm glad you like it! :D. You're amazing too! :*
