Once again I don't own a Nightmare on Elm street or any of the characters that belong to it. I do own the story plot for this fan fiction and the OC's put in it. Now sit back, relax and enjoy another chapter of Dream Team!
Chapter Five
-----------------
" You've got to be kidding me…" Nancy grumbled looking at the stack of folders sitting on her desk and off to the side on the floor. Last weekend it was a petite amount compared to the colossal monstrous stack of work that was sitting in front of her now. Freddy chuckled from the reflection of the glass window behind her head, at her misery and pain. She held a pen in her hand and glared back at him, wanting to chuck the little writing implement at his ugly face but knowing it wouldn't do anything. 'Damn demon's freaking lucky… I'm stuck doing all the hard work and all he gets to do is float around all day doing nothing! Some how this covenant seems worse on my end of the bargain then his.'
When Mr. Ackerman walked up to her desk he could almost feel the irritation palpable from Nancy. " Ah, you're probably wondering about the papers here. Don't worry it's not as bad as you think." Caught off guard Nancy swiveled back around in her chair, displaying an unnatural anxious grin.
" Not aiming to be rude, but I was really worried that I was going to have to account for all of these." She wiped her forehead mentally, and Freddy sighed that her misery wasn't as bad as he thought it was going to be.
" Actually these are old shipment files that have built up in the back of my office for the last few months. Without a secretary available I haven't much time to get them down to the records room and store them. Now the room is down in the basement, when you exit the elevator turn left and at the end of the hallway on the right you'll see a door labeled records room." Nancy had to mentally write that down and keep up with Mr. Ackerman's fast dialogue as he continued on. " Now I have a meeting down on the second floor so if you need anything you'll have to bother Mr. Canning."
" Wait sir I'm not sure how-"
" I got to run now, it won't take too long." He grinned with business like charm and as quickly as he had strolled into her little side office, he was gone. Nancy's bewildered look dropped into a look of despair. She stood up and glanced about the room for any way to carry the load down with her. She swiftly peeked her head out and called after her boss.
" Wait what do I use to carry them downstairs?"
" Oh well- You'll probably have to carry them, I don't know where any carts are. Good luck!" He disappeared into the elevator like that, with his cup of coffee in hand. Nancy went back into her office and just peered at the stacks of folders sitting on her desk.
She officially decided that Mr. Ackerman was an ass.
" I hate him. Oh, I hate him so much…" Nancy huffed sweating a little as she dropped the next stack of folders onto the cold cement floor of the basement room. She stood back and put her hands on her hips feeling her muscles strain from the weight. " Yeah right he didn't have any time to take them to the basement… Lazy good for nothing…"
" Having fun are we." Freddy's cheeky voice spoke from the reflection of a Computer that sat towards the back of the room.
" Oh just a jolly old good time, you should seriously come out and join me in the merriment."
" You're unusually sarcastic today but I don't see why you're so upset."
" I think I have every right to be." Nancy crossed her arms glancing about the cold dusty and dry room she was in. Filing cabinets taller then she was lined the walls of the room, which was probably about fifteen feet wide and twenty five feet long. The desk sat at the back with a single old computer that Nancy was sure was probably the most oldest piece of technology on the planet. A big glass table sat in the middle of the room with a chair here and there, most likely for people to whip out old files and reread whatever they were looking for…
" We're right where we want to be. Records room remember?" Freddy pointed out with one razor finger and Nancy nodded. " Those latest files you brought down should have all the recent shipments made with other industries. He said only a few months right?"
" Right. Wow Freddy, you were finally helpful with something." Nancy rolled her eyes and began sorting the stack of folders she had brought down. " Except for I'm not sure what we're looking for exactly…" So the fun began for Nancy as she began flipping through pages trying to catch anything that had to do with industrial chemicals. However it wasn't like Mr. Ackerman couldn't have bought chemicals outside the corporation so this could just leave them with nothing… Wonderful optimism was coursing through her thoughts.
" Wait… I may have something here…" Nancy grinned a little grabbing the stapled file from it's snug little folder. " A 'Mody Chemical Industries' has a folder right here." She skimmed over the top which didn't tell her to much, nothing about any orders or shipments the company made. She flipped again, and she swore a heavenly host was singing some where in her head. A total list of Chemicals the company provided and the location of where the shipments were to be sent. " Here we go Freddy, finally we found the bread crumb trail."
" Heh! Things are starting to look up. Now all we have to do is get the information on what type of acid compound they found was used on the little whores. Your friend Markus will work just nicely for that."
" You know he's actually my friend I don't just use him for this." Nancy stated feeling a little bad about using Markus like this. Before the darn dream demon came part of her world she really didn't talk to him that much… Okay maybe she was using him a little but, she didn't mean to. Well… She did but… ' There was time to feel bad about that later!'
The door to the records room swung open startling Nancy, for the second time that day. Mr. Canning appeared with the last stack of folders in his thin arms. " H-Hello… I managed to get off the phone long enough to help…" His face had a little sweat on it as he held up the rather large stack of folders.
" Ah, that's very nice of you." Nancy smiled and he just stood there his arms shaking a little.
" My arms are… going to break…" Nancy quickly assisted him pulling half of the stack away and setting it on the floor as he did. " Whoo… It looks like I need to go back to the gym." He flexed his arms chuckling a little nervous laugh. He glanced over to the table and saw the pile of folders open, and obviously riffled through. " Oh do you not know how to organize the folders?"
" Huh?" Nancy blinked at first then paused realizing she had left the folders open. She was in trouble. " Oh… Yeah… I was looking for… The dates." She lied and he nodded grabbing one of the folders closing it shut.
" Dates here to the side. The folders organize alphabetically from year to year. This last cabinet over here, behind you, is where these newest ones go."
" Sorry, about this. Mr. Ackerman didn't really explain to me how the system works."
" Of course he didn't." Thomas sighed as the two began to organize the mess on the table. Mr. Canning caught eye of one in particular and closed it quickly. " He's been that way as long as I can remember, I'm sure he's been that way forever."
" How long have you worked here?" Nancy asked a little intrigued as she closed the last folder stacking it on top of the others.
" Oh… About eight years I presume…" Nancy looked at him like he was crazy and he began to nervously shuffle. " What's that look for?"
" How on earth have you made it that long with out snapping?" Thomas chuckled lightly, a real chuckle, not the small laughter that he released when he was nervous.
" I'm a very patient man most of the time… I got a lot of help when I first came here from one of Mr. Ackerman's older secretaries. Kind of like how I'm helping you now."
" You've known him a long time then… Do you think…" Thomas glanced at the younger woman who was looking down at the table, the wood polish dusty. " He killed those women?" The two stood there a moment before Thomas took a deep sigh holding his chest.
" Are you scared?" Nancy thought that was a rather strange response to her question, she was thinking his response would be more along the lines of ' Oh no need to worry he wouldn't kill anyone'. " Since you're his new personal secretary?"
" You know all about the girls."
" I'm just here to make money and support myself. The police can handle it and justice will be brought when it's called…" He didn't look nervous for a moment, but secure and Nancy felt that was even more odd then his panicky nature. " You'll be fine, I'm sure some one's just setting him up."
The door flew open and a woman ,who Nancy hadn't meet yet, stuck her red head in. " Mr. Canning I hope you didn't forget about your job."
" Oh!" Like a bolt of lightning he was his old jumpy self, twisting his tie with his hands. " I'll be there right away! Oh no, I forgot I had to do something very important." He sweated bolting for the door. " Um- You know how to organize them now, I'm sure you'll be f-fine! Good luck!"
" Good luck to you to!" With that he was gone and the records room door came to a slow close leaving Nancy alone again. " He's probably going to need it…" She looked at the stack of folders and slipped out the Mody Chemical one, pulling it off to the side. Freddy appeared again having heard all of the conversation. Wheel's were turning in his head but he kept quiet watching as Nancy went back to work.
Nancy had wrote down all the chemicals that were shipped from Mody Chemicals on a scrap of paper to take to Markus. The folders had taken a while but sure enough that didn't mean she got less paper work to do. As for Thomas well… Let's say good luck wasn't favoring him today. The boss had called him in his office through speaker system to bring a very important report in but Thomas was currently helping Nancy at the moment so he didn't hear. The boss was not happy since Thomas was supposed to be there… It was a rather important presentation…
Nancy watched Mr. Ackerman's office. Meek little Canning stood in front of his desk as Ackerman shouted and yelled which was not heard due to the sound proof glass. Her stomach tossed and turned but she kept to her work. Eventually Thomas exited the office looking a tad gray in his hair and pale in face. He didn't look at anyone as he headed back to his office closing the door behind him.
" Ugh… I feel bad for the poor guy. He was helping me and he only got into trouble…"
" Who cares." Freddy grumbled crossing his arms. " We got what we needed, it was his fault anyways." Still the guilt clung to our dear heroines mind, like white cat hair on a black hoodie, and she sat at her desk her face twisted in unease.
Time passes though, the day dragged on but eventually Mr. Ackerman abandoned his cozy office, with coat in hand. Glancing over to see Canning sitting in his office, a look of gloom hovering over his head, she moaned to herself and quickly stood, following after her employer. Mr. Ackerman didn't even hear her as he ambled hastily down the hall and to the stair well.
" Sir!" Nancy called after, barely missing a red haired woman and her stack of papers in her way. " Mr. Ackerman! Hold on!" She pushed open the stairwell door to see him standing there patiently.
" What's the big rush?" He asked her quirking a brow with out any really worry in his voice.
" I wanted to talk to you about earlier," Nancy began keeping her voice steady. " It was not Mr. Canning's fault that he missed the presentation, he was helping me down organizing the folders in the basement. You should put the blame on me as well."
With out hesitation the cold man replied with a aggravated sigh. " I know he was. He should have known better, but yet he still disappoints me." With that her boss whirled about, continuing his descent down the stairs. Nancy however was ruffled and could feel heat filling her face. He should have known better! There was a breaking point for her, this man was about to get it! Boss or not!
" What do you mean he should have known better?!" Nancy called after barely even hearing the sound of a object hitting the linoleum tiles of the stairwell. Her eye caught what seemingly fell out of Mr. Ackerman's pocket, she snatched it up quickly as he turned to her with a puzzled look.
She thought he was going to retaliate back to her. " Did I just drop my keys?" As he shuffled with his pockets Nancy hid the object behind her back, teed off that he did even respond to her accusation. Mr. Ackerman heard a jingle in his coat pocket pulling them out with a smile. " Weird I thought I just dropped something… Oh what did you say again Miss. Thompson?"
" Nothing sir… Have a good evening." She turned with a livid look back up the stair well, listening to him whistle as he ambled down the set of steps. She stopped at a landing and slowly pulled back the small metal thing that fit well in her hand. She peered at the fine detail and design of a pocket knife. Engraved in it's handle was the initials DA, obviously for David Ackerman.
She flicked it open captivated by the shine, then captivated by the rust colored brown blood that clung to its jagged edges.
It was then that Nancy began to fear that her boss was a murderer.
He hated how much ice people put into soft drinks at certain restaurants and food joints. If the place had self serve soda machines then he was fine because he could put a little bit of ice and get more of the beverage. The little internet café called 'Fast Track' was not one of those places. He had more freaking ice in his cup which left him little to slurp on while waiting for his friend.
Mark shook the cup listening to the rattle of ice and set it back down on the table. He was wearing a 'Korn' t-shirt that he had obtained from a rock fest concert and just an old pair of jeans. The computer in front of him was logged on and he was busy checking his bids on a video game system on e-bay. The front door rattled and he glanced over to see the person he had been waiting for finally enter the door.
" Before you sit down can you get me a refill? It's Dr. Pepper." He requested before she could even get a word in edge wise.
" Fine, but you better be helpful to me today." Nancy grinned taking his cup back up to the front counter. Mark looked down at his bag and made sure the documents were nice and snug inside. He recollected their phone call the other day and his mind was buzzing with excitement and worry. Nancy was getting into the crime too deeply, she was a bystander who should have no interest of involving herself with the murders… Why was she so intent on getting into it?
Nancy sat down and pulled her brown purse onto the table handing the drink back to him. He sucked the soda down while she pulled out a plastic bad with a fancy looking pocketknife sitting inside it.
" So that was what fell out of his pocket huh? It definitely looks like something a rich snobbish man would have."
" It's not the way it looks what matters it's what's on it that I'm worried about." Nancy stated quietly as the world around them chatted on with no idea about the important evidence being discussed. " There's some blood on it, and I'm pretty sure it's not animal. The women were not only burned with acidic compounds, there was several cuts on parts of their bodies made with knifes."
" That is true, but the knifes were obviously sterilized before use and even that wouldn't matter since the acid ate away any forensic evidence available. Still the blood on that knife can be analyzed and could possible be a huge turnabout in this case. That is if it belong to one of the victims." He took the bag slowly across the table. " If you give this to me you know the police are going to investigate into you, and will possible point to you as a suspect."
" I'm fine with that."
Mark couldn't stop the question from coming out of his mouth. " Why are you so willing to get yourself into this mess?" Nancy was emotionless for a moment then smiled taking his drink, and a swig.
" Why are you so willing… To help me with this case?"
" Touché." He took the drink back setting it on the other side of the table. " I guess we both got our little secrets." There was tension a moment but it soon passed as Mark dug into his bag and produced a thin pack of papers. " The chemicals used on the bodies are all listed here. I had to go through a lot of shit to get this so be grateful."
" I see that there was… Nitric acids used."
" Explaining why the corpses were yellowish in color. That's what happens which Nitric acid reacts with human flesh. There is also bits of sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid."
Nancy was in thought reading over the papers and Markus turned to his computer screen to find some one had out bid in him the game system. Damn. Jamie would kill him if he went any higher then he promised.
" Thanks Mark," She said pushing the papers back to him and standing up from the chair. " When you get that blood analyzed please contact me right away."
" Sure… Oh by the way Jamie was wondering if you'd like to go out to dinner sometime next week. She's got something planned and wanted me to invite some friends to go."
" Ah free food, I will gladly accept your invitation." She smirked hoisting her purse and bidding him farewell. Mark watched as she left through the same door she came in. The glass window in the door glinted off from the sunlight and Mark blinked a moment in confusion. " See you later!" Nancy called out pulling Mark's eyes back to her. He waved in return while the door jiggled shut. He sat there staring at the door a few seconds then turned back to his computer screen. He hoped he could find a good deal on another game system, perhaps luck was on his side.
The parmesan chicken looked and smelt delicious as Nancy pulled it out of the oven. Of course Nancy didn't actually make the stuff, it was precooked but that didn't matter. She plopped down on her sofa with plate in hand, cutting into the chicken as the TV blared on. Freddy stood in the living room window the curtains were drawn back but it was dark outside.
" We got really lucky today but I have a bad feeling about this…" Freddy muttered trying to wrap his mind around the ordeal the two were in.
" I'm getting worried…" Nancy stated after finishing a bite of her meal. " Hydrochloric acid… That stuff is an industrial chemical but it evaporates very quickly so it has to have specialty care."
" Just get to the point woman." Freddy replied.
She rolled her eyes. " I went online to the website for Trade and Pass and did a little research on the base here outside of Springwood. It turns out the building has special holding storages that control and correct air pressure and temperature. Perfect for holding Hydrochloric acid."
" And that was on the list of chemicals that were shipped not to long ago from his company."
" Exactly. The specialty storages here are perfect place for the chemical corporations like Mody to ship their supplies to. Easy access for Ackerman since he owns the whole deal and probably has keys to everywhere."
" Sounds very convincing doesn't it?" Freddy grinned, showing a nasty smile. " It looks like some ones planting a perfect trail pointing right to Ackerman."
" You don't think it's him." She didn't ask him the question she stated it.
" Ackerman may be a egotistical dick but he's not stupid. If he was really killing the girls it would have been covered way better… Especially with his cash." Nancy thought for a moment but had a feeling in her stomach that Freddy was right. She didn't like that very much. Some one close to Mr. Ackerman must have put the pocketknife in his pocket. So it could be some one at the company or some one closer friends… or family.
" I think I should dig a little into his personal life… I'm going to see if I can meet his wife perhaps she can put a little more information on the table. She can also identify the pocketknife if it's really her husbands or not."
" Don't forget his son. He's also on the table." Freddy proposed a snicker twisted on his burnt face. Nancy wasn't sure about Damien in the case, their last conversation had puzzled her, but now bringing it back up put more fear in her mind. If he was the one doing it then Carol would be in danger… She could bear the thought of losing another one of her friends again.
" You better not be wimping out on me bitch." He must have caught the look on her face, or perhaps he just could feel her stress. She hated how he could read her fear and tell what bothers her and what doesn't but now after their reunion he seemed to know her feelings even more. She loathed that.
" I'm fine don't worry about me." She sarcastically said finishing her dinner and putting the plate on the end table next to her sofa. " I'm just chasing after a serial killer that may try to kill one of my friends and me."
" Feh." He snorted flexing his knife blades in the air. " Please, I'd have the guy shredded and beginning me for mercy before he could even touch you."
" What was that… Did you just say you'd protect me?" Nancy's lips curled up into an evil smile as the dream demon frowned his hand dropping next to his side.
" I have to protect you bitch," He growled crossing his arms with a look of disgust. " I'll die if you get killed and there is no way I'm going to hell yet."
" You're like a demonic form of health insurance."
" Trust me if I wasn't forced be your health insurance, you'd be dead a long time ago."
" I got away from you once Krueger." Nancy spat the routine game of ridicule becoming much darker then usual. " I can do it again." She stood grabbing her plate and heading to the kitchen it was getting late and she'd have more work tomorrow.
" You manage to run away… But you always come back for more." Freddy called after and Nancy stopped in her tracks. Her skin prickled up with anger. She wished deep in her stomach that she could pull back her fist and punch him one right in the face.
" Like I want to see you! The only reason I came back was to destroy you and protect people from your stupid nightmares. I never want to see anyone go through what I did!"
" I see…" Freddy began and Nancy thought for a moment he sounded hurt. " You don't want to share me with others, a bit selfish Nancy." She was done, there was no heart or space in his tiny brain for sympathy or understanding. The dishes landed loudly in the sink, she would take care of those tomorrow when she wasn't so teed off.
After changing into her PJ's, which she had to do in a mirror/glass less room, she stood before her bed. The lights were all turned off, only the moon shone down through the windows onto the comforters. Sleep to normal people was comforting, the ability to lay your head down at night and dream away into unconsciousness. After what happened to her she didn't care much for sleep, it became a chore more then a relaxant. Especially now that he was there in hers, every night, unavoidable and inescapable. He often would leave her to her own dreaming, for the most part, but he would be there watching and waiting. She disliked it when he approached her in her night time world, she detested even more so when he watched in the shadows… She could never tell what was lurking in his mind, he always knew what was on hers.
Sleep was required of every human though. Crawling under the covers, she snuggled into her usual position and closed her eyes. Falling to sleep was simple and easy now, and with blink of an eye she was already lost from the real world.
That night her usual dreams were twisted and grotesque. She was all alone in some storage room running past countless bodies of burnt, limbless, skinless women who cried out to her to save them. Nothing could be done as the big faceless man chased her on into the depths of the storage, foaming acid dripping from his fingers. Nancy huffed in air, gasping as she continued to run her feet burning from the liquid compound spreading across the floor.
She barged through a door and found herself on a platform high above a tank of chemicals that reeked of dead people. Countless faces of people she knew rose up from the depths. Tina, Rod, Glen, innocent children and then the melted corroded face of her mother. They were trying to grab her to pull her in with them.
'YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED'
'YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED WITH US NANCY'
She closed her eyes willing her dream to change into something, anything. There was a hand on her shoulder. The young woman recoiled and turned sharply pulling from the revolting fingers. Freddy stood leaning against some machinery in his boiler room world. Slowly her breathing returned to normal and she panted looking at the boiler she called the heart as it burned away.
Her eyes glanced back to Freddy, his eyes were covered by his fedora as he stood his left hand in his pocket. Nancy leaned her head back against a boiler and thrummed in her head easing her worried mind. Neither said anything, Freddy stood and Nancy rested. She pondered why he had pulled her out of her nightmare, surely he enjoyed her misery didn't he? Or maybe he didn't like not making her miserable himself. The answer would not come about as Nancy found no voice to ask him.
Perhaps it was better that they both kept silent, and perhaps his company was better then nothing.
Bet you guys thought I had let this fan fiction die. NEVER! Freddy X Nancy forever! Errrmmm… Sorry about it being such a long time though guys. Writers block is the weirdest thing ever. I can't write for about two months then out of the blue I can write again. Hopefully next chapter will be much sooner then this one. XD Thank you so much for all the reviews!