Muddy Poodle, x0xsecretx0x, RoutineRiot: Thank you all so much for your feedback.
Disclaimer: The title of this chapter comes from the song 'Runaway Train' by Soul Asylum.
It Seems No One Can Help Me Now, I'm In Too Deep There's No Way Out
"We need to step this up," Lauren mused aloud as she paced the office.
Thea gave a small snort. "So that loving mother act you had going on yesterday wasn't stepping it up?" she asked.
Lauren tossed her hair over her shoulder. "That helped in getting Summer closer to me. It did nothing in fabricating evidence against Michael and Sydney."
"We need voice recordings, don't we?" Thea put forth.
Lauren nodded. "Documents and files are one thing but if we can get Summer to hear Sydney and Michael saying what we want them to say then this will a lot easier."
"Ok," Thea said. "I'll approach Summer this afternoon."
"And could you contact Louis? Tell him that I won't be there tomorrow."
"They're having another meeting?" Thea asked.
"Yes. We are looking to place several more moles," Lauren replied.
"But don't you think that you need to be there for that?"
"Thea. The members of this organization are highly capable. They don't need me watching over every decision made," Lauren said. "I've got more important things to concentrate on here."
Thea paused. "May I speak frankly?"
"Of course."
"I understand your need for revenge, but this thing with Summer is turning complicated. Why not just kill him and be over with it?"
"Because it is not just about wanting to kill Michael. It is about undermining the life he leads. To show him that no matter what he does I can still control what happens. It is about shattering the illusion of the perfect little life he's got going…and then it will be about destroying him." Lauren looked directly at Thea. "And Summer, not I will be the one to do that."
"Summer?"
"Yes. Imagine what that would do to a man. To have his daughter look at him with pure, unadulterated hatred and then pull the trigger." She gave a small sniff. "That is why I am going through all of this…nineteen years. I am not going to walk away just because it is getting complicated."
"…so Owen brings it over and Connor asked him to spread it onto his toast. Quick as a flash Owen turns around and says 'I'll spread your face in your breakfast'."
Summer let out a small laugh as Mitch finished his Flinkman breakfast table story. She was entirely grateful that their conversation over lunch had stayed away from the events of the previous night.
"Is there ever an uneventful meal in your house?" Summer asked, absentmindedly fiddling with the straw in her drink.
"Only when we have guests and mum threatens us with loss of certain privileges…or body parts." Mitch finished with a grin.
"Sounds like your mum."
"Yup…" Mitch paused. "Oh, I've been meaning to ask, are you busy Friday?"
"I'm not sure. Why?"
"Do you remember Cam?" Mitch asked and Summer nodded. "Well, his band has a gig and I said I'd try and round up some support. You interested?"
"I'll let you know, but it sounds like fun…" Summer trailed off as she spotted somebody walking into the café. Without stopping her steps, Thea caught Summer's eyes and nodded towards the ladies room.
"Sum?" Mitch clicked his fingers.
"Sorry." She smiled at him. "Just excuse me for a sec, I have to got to the bathroom."
"Ok," Mitch said as she stood up. "But I can't guarantee that your lunch will still be here when you get back."
Inside the bathroom, Summer found Thea standing by the sinks. "What is it?" she asked.
Thea held up a small metal case. "Listening devices. We need you to plant them in Michael and Sydney's bedroom and bathroom."
Summer held out a hand and took the case. "Why there?"
"Those are places where they'll be having private conversations…conversations that will include work."
"So where exactly in the rooms do I put them?"
"Just remove a light globe, place the device in and screw the globe back into place- it is as simple as that."
Summer wasn't sure about this. It was one thing to hack into her parent's computer but to place bugs in their own private space felt really wrong. Thea was right about the private conversation side of things, but work would only take a small percentage of these.
"I don't think that I can do this."
Thea's eyes narrowed. "And why not?"
"I don't like the idea of invading dad and Sydney's privacy."
Thea let out a frustrated sigh. "Summer, do you want to discover the truth?"
"Yes, but—"
"Then that is all you need to think about when doing this."
Summer paused and then nodded. "Ok then."
"There is something else that you should think about as well," Thea started, her voice gentle. "You need to consider whether now is the time to be allowing yourself to get distracted."
"What are you talking about?"
"I saw you with that guy out in the café. You have just undertaken an extremely demanding job. Do you really want to add a new boyfriend to the mix?"
Summer blinked. "What? He's not—" she stopped short, crossing her arms. "And why is that your business."
"I just—"
"Not that I have to tell you, but he is just a friend. And with my new demanding job I am going to need my friends to keep me sane during its duration. Yes, I shouldn't get distracted so I guess your lucky that there is not a chance that that guy out there would be one."
A ghost of a smile crossed Thea's face. "Very well articulated, Summer…the way you express yourself, it is so like your mother."
Summer simply uncrossed her arms. "Can I go back to my lunch now?"
Thea nodded. "Just let us know when you have completed the job."
With that Summer slid the case into her pocket and walked out of the bathroom.
"What are you doing?"
Summer, who had only seconds before finished screwing the light bulb back into Sydney's bedside lamp, froze at the sound of her father's voice.
"Summer?"
"Oh, hey dad." She turned around, a smile on her face. "I was just looking for Sydney's perfume."
"Her perfume?"
"Yeah. Mitch was stressing about what to get Carrie for her birthday and I said that Syd had this great perfume, but I couldn't remember what it was called. I was just looking so I could get the name for him."
"Oh, ok." Vaughn stepped into the room, throwing his suit jacket in the end of the bed. "But Syd keeps her perfume on the dresser, not on her bedside table."
"Right," Summer let out a soft laugh and smacked her forehead. "It's sitting there right in plain view, so of course I am going to miss it."
Vaughn's brow was furrowed slightly. "You would tell me if anything was up, wouldn't you, Sum?"
"Yeah…but there is nothing to tell at the moment."
"Are you sure?" Vaughn asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. "You've so busy at this new job and Sydney said that you were stressing over uni and—"
"Dad, I am totally fine. Just your average nineteen year old girl, that's all. There is no need for you to worry."
Vaughn just smiled. "Summer, I am your dad, worrying is a permanent part of the job."
Summer smiled back. "I should go back- books to read, essays to write…"
"Ok…hey Sum."
"Yeah?"
"I love you."
"I love you too, dad."
Back in her room, Summer closed the door and leant against it, her heart still hammering wildly. That had been way too close. If she hadn't have spotted Sydney's perfume when she turned around to face Vaughn, she would have had nothing."
The logical side of her was saying that the incident was a non-issue. Her father had no reason to think that she would be up to anything. He was only curious as to what she had been doing.
However, her logical side wasn't coming through all that strong- it was the panicky side that was taking over.
And Summer was hoping furiously that whatever recordings were recovered proved Lauren wrong, because she was not entirely sure how much longer she could last living this double life.