Chapter Fourteen: Bodies
Nevel lead the FBI task force in. Apparently, Freddie had managed to reroute all the water to a secret section of the complex, essentially setting off a bomb. Bodies drifted out of the basement; some were armed, most were dead. A few survived, but the entire place was coming down.
Sam struggled out to find herself in familiar arms, "Carly!" The two friends had a tearful reunion before fleeing the scene.
Teachers and students fled for their lives. Approximately fifteen hundred tons of material rested atop Freddie's body.
The FBI soon made a public announcement that they were looking into a terrorist threat- the school had received an e-mail from a disgruntled student who flooded the basement, killing his fellow classmates.
Carly was disgusted. She agreed to help under the stipulation that the government help her friend, not pin it all on him.
Nevel disappeared, stating, "I'm so sorry." He meant it, leaving behind an explanation in a letter.
Dear Carly,
By the time you read this, I have no doubt as to how bad things have gone at the Institute. Before we go any further, let me fill you in on a few details you simply do not possess.
Firstly, that Freddie will survive. He won't. Either the dogs will kill him out of spite, or the agents will out of fear. Freddie is something neither side is willing to deal with. I am sorry.
Secondly, you labor under the delusion that this is a fight between two sides- this is a mistake. To believe that the Institute is evil, and that the FBI is good is an error on your part. Nothing could be further from the truth. See, both sides are willing to deal with one another. Take me for example. How do you think I got this job? The agents going to war against the Institute are dogs themselves. By killing off enough agents in a fire fight, they hope to pressure the Bureau into employing some more, let us say, dogged agents?
Thirdly, that taking down this Institute will signal the very end of the dog problem; have you never wondered why this place was given such a bland name? So that it may blend in. There are institutes in San Diego, New York, Baltimore, etc. There will be thousands of dogs soon. If I were you, I would keep a wary eye out.
Finally, though in the past, we have butted heads, I want you to know that I will not be hunting you. That being said however, I suspect that more than a few dogs will be.
Sincerely,
Nevel Amadeus Papperman
P.S. Sorry about Freddie. I really am.
It felt like someone was slapping her in the face.
Chapter Fifteen: Finale
Carly woke in the middle of the night. Sam was staying with her now. It was a little safer that way. She clutched her ribbon.
It was always with her now. She wore it to school, to work, everywhere. The thought of losing it, and the memory of her last time with Freddie, was horrifying.
She felt someone in the room with her. For a fleeting instant, she hoped it would be him. Some girlish, idealist part of her heart wanted that same warm, safe feeling that appeared whenever Freddie was close by; at Griffin's, in the hospital, in the visitor's room at the Institute. Carly could feel when she was truly safe.
She was not.
Griffin stepped out of the shadows. Carly shuddered in fear.
"Our business is not over, Carly Shay."
She set her jaw, "I'll scream."
He laughed, "I expect you will. I want you to scream. I'll kill Spencer, finish that off. And get Sam in here. I like her- she's nice and easy to scare, once you break her down after months of torture anyway. Without having you around, I had to fill my time with her. And I mean fill her over and over to prove what a nasty little bitch she was. Besides, I owe her for punching me in the face!" Her ex-boyfriend turned his head with insane eyes, "Oh… you don't want that? Maybe you should do what I say. Turn over."
She glared at him.
"You heard me, bitch."
"No. And I'm not a bitch," she got out of bed, "Do you think I'm scared? 'Cause I'm not. You can't take what's precious to me anymore. Freddie has it."
He looked at her, "Last chance, bend over."
She glared at him, straightening as tall as she gets, "I refuse."
They stared at one another, testing each other's will. As a dog, he was hard-wired to display dominance. Such a show of insubordination had to meet with the most brutal of reprecussions. He was taught to believe that there was nothing more important than dominating. And that he had to dominate her now.
But looking into her eyes, he knew; she was not his. He could not take what she no longer had. No matter what he did, she would be Freddie's.
Finally, Griffin left, drifting silently into the shadows. Carly sighed, relieved. Maybe he did not like a girl who just refused to submit to him; maybe he figured she was not worth the trouble.
Maybe Freddie's defiance protected her, even after his death.
With many fears and questions, Carly lay her head down. Gripping the ribbon, she felt… safe, and warm… like Freddie was a guardian angel still watching over her.
The end.
A.N. I am aware it was heavy on the sex stuff. But, I have excuses- one, the dogs are sexually aggressive. It's part of their programming. Two these are teenagers. And three… it's fanfiction.