A/N: I should foreworn y'all: Secrets Revealed will be the last story in
this miniseries (which, of course, includes I'll Be Watching You and
Another Haunted.) THERE WILL NOT BE A SEQUEL! That's not of course, to say
that I don't have a bunch of different ideas for new Mediator stories. One
of my stories, "Moonlight Killer" is on ff.net right now, so you can go
read it. I'll be finishing that one after "Secrets Revealed." Also, I'm
thinking about putting together certain scenes from "Secrets Revealed" from
Jesse's point of view this time into its own little thing. You know, to
look at what Jesse was thinking while Suze was off doing whatever. So, feel
free to give me some feedback on that (and I know you people always do.)
All right, I know, I know, on with the chapter!
Chapter 8
Derek reached the back door of the building just as the announcement came over the PA system that there was only seven minutes left. He pushed through the doors and made it outside before he heard someone calling out to him.
He turned, spotting Emily, standing in the doorway. "What is it?" Derek demanded, impatient to get out of there as quickly as possible.
"Suze is still in there," Emily said, glancing over her shoulder.
"I know, she's getting Detective Arnold. She'll be fine." Derek turned to go, feeling just a little bad about leaving, knowing that Emily couldn't leave the building-not until it exploded, anyway.
"No, you don't understand." Emily's voice went up on the last syllable, and Derek looked back.
Cursing himself, Derek followed Emily back into the building.
There was only five minutes left.
***
I stared up at Detective Arnold. "What are you doing?" I demanded. It was sort of a stupid question. I mean, the guy had a gun aimed at me, what else could he have been doing?
Detective Arnold smiled down at me, his glasses (A/N: if you had looked back at "Another Haunted", you would have figured it out.) slipping down his nose. "Miss Simon," he said in a voice that I'd never heard him use before. It was filled with something that sounded suspiciously like hatred. But that didn't make any sense. Why would Detective Arnold hate me?
"What's going on?" I asked, trying to keep my voice from shaking.
"That's what I'd like to know, too," a voice said from behind us.
Detective Arnold spun around, pulling me along with him, the gun still aimed at me. "Derek."
Derek stood in front of us, his jaw clenched, glaring at Detective Arnold. "What's going on here?" he demanded, not moving from his position. I guess he was afraid that if he moved, Detective Arnold would shoot me.
Detective Arnold raised the gun so that it rested at my temple. I swallowed. I could see Derek tense even more, if that was possible. "Tell us why you're doing this," Derek said through gritted teeth.
Detective Arnold didn't answer him. He just sort of looked down at me and shook his head solemnly. "You shouldn't have told Jesse what was going on."
"You?" I stared at him. "You're the one who's been controlling Jesse?" Detective Arnold nodded. "But why?"
"Because I wanted to destroy the Agency just as much as you two did." The gun dug hard into my skull. I winced. "Only I wanted to destroy all of it. Including its agents." There was a soft click!
Derek said slowly, in what I guess was his best talking-to-crazy-people-who- are-holding-guns-to-his-friend's-head voice, "Why do you want to do that?"
"Because I'm the reason you can do all that you can," Detective Arnold sneered. "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have your mind control powers. I was the first one, and from me the Agency was able to give it to you." His arm tightened around me, making it hard for me to breathe. "But that wasn't good enough for them. When you started becoming more powerful than I was, the Agency fired me. But they didn't realize that since then I've been building up my power." He laughed, he actually laughed. The man had lost his mind.
"Why did they really bring you here?" Derek asked, sounding far calmer than he probably felt.
"It's just as I told you before, I threatened to go public with the information that I had. However, not only could I get rid of Slater, but I could lead them to another mediator they wanted." I could feel both Detective Arnold and Derek's gazes on me, but I closed my eyes. "Now I'm going to destroy everything that the Agency has done."
"Don't," Derek's command came out as a hoarse whisper, but he was staring directly at Detective Arnold.
He just laughed. "Do you honestly think you can control me?" Derek took a deep breath. "Look, if you have to kill one of us, kill me." He stepped forward. "Suze isn't going to tell a soul about what happens here." He looked down at me, an almost pleading look in his eyes. "Will you, Suze?"
I held still, not daring to answer.
To my surprise, Detective Arnold actually considered this. "All right, maybe. But I won't simply take your word for it." He gripped me by the arm and pulled me around to face him. "You will not tell anyone what happens here," he commanded.
Dread filled my stomach as I nodded. Detective Arnold let me go. "Get out of here," he said. "You have two minutes."
I looked at Derek, but he just shook his head.
I walked slowly away, unable to take my eyes away. I couldn't help it. I had the distinct feeling that I was going to cry, but at the time I didn't care.
I finally turned around when I reached the doors. Just as I opened the door to leave, I heard a loud gunshot.
And then everything was still.
Chapter 8
Derek reached the back door of the building just as the announcement came over the PA system that there was only seven minutes left. He pushed through the doors and made it outside before he heard someone calling out to him.
He turned, spotting Emily, standing in the doorway. "What is it?" Derek demanded, impatient to get out of there as quickly as possible.
"Suze is still in there," Emily said, glancing over her shoulder.
"I know, she's getting Detective Arnold. She'll be fine." Derek turned to go, feeling just a little bad about leaving, knowing that Emily couldn't leave the building-not until it exploded, anyway.
"No, you don't understand." Emily's voice went up on the last syllable, and Derek looked back.
Cursing himself, Derek followed Emily back into the building.
There was only five minutes left.
***
I stared up at Detective Arnold. "What are you doing?" I demanded. It was sort of a stupid question. I mean, the guy had a gun aimed at me, what else could he have been doing?
Detective Arnold smiled down at me, his glasses (A/N: if you had looked back at "Another Haunted", you would have figured it out.) slipping down his nose. "Miss Simon," he said in a voice that I'd never heard him use before. It was filled with something that sounded suspiciously like hatred. But that didn't make any sense. Why would Detective Arnold hate me?
"What's going on?" I asked, trying to keep my voice from shaking.
"That's what I'd like to know, too," a voice said from behind us.
Detective Arnold spun around, pulling me along with him, the gun still aimed at me. "Derek."
Derek stood in front of us, his jaw clenched, glaring at Detective Arnold. "What's going on here?" he demanded, not moving from his position. I guess he was afraid that if he moved, Detective Arnold would shoot me.
Detective Arnold raised the gun so that it rested at my temple. I swallowed. I could see Derek tense even more, if that was possible. "Tell us why you're doing this," Derek said through gritted teeth.
Detective Arnold didn't answer him. He just sort of looked down at me and shook his head solemnly. "You shouldn't have told Jesse what was going on."
"You?" I stared at him. "You're the one who's been controlling Jesse?" Detective Arnold nodded. "But why?"
"Because I wanted to destroy the Agency just as much as you two did." The gun dug hard into my skull. I winced. "Only I wanted to destroy all of it. Including its agents." There was a soft click!
Derek said slowly, in what I guess was his best talking-to-crazy-people-who- are-holding-guns-to-his-friend's-head voice, "Why do you want to do that?"
"Because I'm the reason you can do all that you can," Detective Arnold sneered. "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have your mind control powers. I was the first one, and from me the Agency was able to give it to you." His arm tightened around me, making it hard for me to breathe. "But that wasn't good enough for them. When you started becoming more powerful than I was, the Agency fired me. But they didn't realize that since then I've been building up my power." He laughed, he actually laughed. The man had lost his mind.
"Why did they really bring you here?" Derek asked, sounding far calmer than he probably felt.
"It's just as I told you before, I threatened to go public with the information that I had. However, not only could I get rid of Slater, but I could lead them to another mediator they wanted." I could feel both Detective Arnold and Derek's gazes on me, but I closed my eyes. "Now I'm going to destroy everything that the Agency has done."
"Don't," Derek's command came out as a hoarse whisper, but he was staring directly at Detective Arnold.
He just laughed. "Do you honestly think you can control me?" Derek took a deep breath. "Look, if you have to kill one of us, kill me." He stepped forward. "Suze isn't going to tell a soul about what happens here." He looked down at me, an almost pleading look in his eyes. "Will you, Suze?"
I held still, not daring to answer.
To my surprise, Detective Arnold actually considered this. "All right, maybe. But I won't simply take your word for it." He gripped me by the arm and pulled me around to face him. "You will not tell anyone what happens here," he commanded.
Dread filled my stomach as I nodded. Detective Arnold let me go. "Get out of here," he said. "You have two minutes."
I looked at Derek, but he just shook his head.
I walked slowly away, unable to take my eyes away. I couldn't help it. I had the distinct feeling that I was going to cry, but at the time I didn't care.
I finally turned around when I reached the doors. Just as I opened the door to leave, I heard a loud gunshot.
And then everything was still.
