Part 7

Fred pulled into the drive of the destination address on Daphne's phone and the sudden stop made Velma perk up. She glanced out the front windshield seeing the house that they were stopped at. It was their final location no doubt about that in her mind but more so she was actually quite surprised. It was a normal looking house, two stories, and maybe bigger than average but still quite nice and normal, nothing that would give away what was going on behind those doors. One wouldn't even begin to guess that a crazy psychopath lives at this address.

"Are you coming Velma?" Velma pulled out of her trance and looked to Fred who had his door open ready to exit the car.

"Yeah I'm coming," she responded opening her own door and sliding out from her seat. "You sure this is the right place?"

"Yeah, this is it," Fred looked down at the phone in his hand. He pressed the top button turning it off and placed it snug in his back pocket.

"Not really what I imagined it to look like," Velma said scanning the house up, down, left and right.

"If only the neighbors knew what was going on just next door," Fred said absent minded making his way towards the front door. Velma quickly followed suit but sped ahead of Fred, blocking the front door with her body.

"Out of my way Velma," he sternly looked at the girl blocking his entrance, not in any mood for delays.

"No Fred, like I said before, we can't just barge in there! We have to come up with a plan!" Velma looked back at him, her face completely serious. "I know you are desperate but Fred, you have got to stop and think about this!"

"No I don't need to stop and think about it and we don't have time to think of a plan! We don't have much time left before the hour is up and Daphne is dead! I really don't want to waste time on pointless things like this if we don't have too!" Fred really felt like pushing her out of the way but knew better than to do that to Velma after what had just went down in the car.

"This is not something pointless Fred! I'm just trying to think about what is best for our lives!"

"What about Daphne's life?! We need to be worrying about her more than ourselves right now! I thought she was your best friend Velma!"

"She is my best friend!" Velma yelled back defensively.

"Then start acting like a best friend and quit wasting our time!" Velma's jaw dropped at the statement. "Now get out of my way!"

Velma stood still, she was completely taken back by his words as she has been the whole time since they were driving over here. She understands that he is stressed, why wouldn't he be? He loves Daphne with all his heart and she's even stressed because Daphne is her best friend, but that does not give him an excuse to act like a complete jerk towards her. Ever since they had left Shaggy's house he has been nothing but hateful and horrible towards her and at times she debated in her mind whether or not to just walk away from him and let him carry on with his carelessness himself. Every time she got close to doing just that she was always stopped for one reason, Daphne. Daphne was the only thing keeping her with Fred this long. She is her best friend and she would not want to see her get hurt, even since she lost Shaggy, Daphne is the only thing she has left…well, other than Fred. She is going to stay for Daphne but she is really wishing she didn't have Fred with her at the moment.

"We don't even know if the door is unlocked," Velma finally broke the silence between the two of them.

Just as Fred was about to say something, he heard his phone ding from his front pocket. It was his text messaging ring. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, confused as to who would be texting him at this time of night, and looked at the screen seeing a message from an unfamiliar phone number. Fred's bright blue eyes widened out of shock and fear and he looked up straight into Velma's big brown ones. Velma stared back at him confused by his expression and Fred turned his phone towards Velma so that she could see the text. Her face about copied his when she saw.

To: Fred

From: +8178675309

It's unlocked

"Fred…who is that?" Velma's voice cracked.

"I have no idea…" Fred held the phone in his now shaking hand and turned his gaze towards the front door. Fred began to advance forward and Velma moved out of the way. She watched as Fred placed his hand on the doorknob and turned. Just as he suspected the front door was open and as soon as the lock clicked chills raced all through his body. He pushed the door open to reveal the darkness of the rooms on the inside.

"I think I know who the message is from Velma," Fred said still looking forward into the house.

"I…I think I know too…" Velma stuttered out still shocked by what just happened to them.

Fred stepped inside in the house stopping in the foyer entrance way with Velma close behind. They couldn't see very much for it was pretty dark but they were not completely blind in the darkness. It was enough to see where they were and where they could go.

"We need to split up," Fred suddenly turned around to face Velma.

"Are you mad?! We can't split up in here!" Velma protested. "We don't know what kind of traps this guy has waiting for us in this house let alone where he even is anyway! What if we run into him? We could be killed!"
"Well it is obvious from that message that he knows we are here so I think the element of surprise has left us and I really only care about the fact that he still has Daphne somewhere in here. All I worry about is finding her before she is dead and we can find her faster if we split up than if we stayed together. If you are worried then just watch where you are going and keep a look out for any signs of him or any traps he has set up. It's going to be fine Velma, besides, it's me that he wants to kill next not you so you'll be safe," Fred put a hand on the girl's shoulder giving her also a nice smile.

"You can't go by yourself Fred! We can't risk losing you too! What if he does find you and get killed?! I don't want to lose two friends in one night it would kill me to have that happen! You're an idiot if you think this is the right thing to do!" Velma looked at him with desperate eyes.

"I will be fine. Daphne is the one I'm worried about, she's in more danger than I am and I just want to find her." Fred let out a sigh and tilted his head down, "Please Velma, I want you to worry about Daphne not about me."

Velma stayed silent, not wanting to answer him. Wasn't it just a couple minutes ago they were yelling at each other and Velma was thinking to herself that she would rather not be with Fred right now and do this all herself? Now he was smiling at her and she was protesting his plan to split up? She is mad at Fred, there is no doubt about that, he hurt her bad with his words and has only been shooting her down, but in her heart she knows that she loves him and he loves her and neither one of them would want to see the other get killed. What he was saying was sending warning bells in her head and in some ways she really doesn't want him to be alone even after everything that has happened…

"I'll go upstairs and you can search the downstairs," Fred said breaking the silence. "If you find Daphne then call me or come find me and I will do the same."

Fred turned around to head up the stairs but Velma suddenly stopped him by reaching out and grabbing his arm. He turned around and looked at her for an answer as to why she suddenly stopped him.

Velma lowered her head and sighed, "Just…just be careful okay Fred?"

All he did was nod back at her then he began his way up the stairs. Velma felt her stomach drop at the cold shoulder given to her. What was happening to them? Just a few hours ago they were all best friends, all still alive, and now everything was falling apart. How could all their years of friendship just seem to disappear and be in complete jeopardy in one night? Velma fights back a couple of tears wanting to come out thinking about everything. Like Fred said, she shouldn't be worrying about all this right now, finding Daphne safe and alive was top priority. Velma gathers up her emotions and heads out past the stairs with a flashlight clutched tightly in her head.

Fred stopped when he reached the top of the landing. His eyes scanned the large open room to his right and spotted what looked like an extra hallway all the way in the back. He had to focus, he couldn't let his emotions get the best of him now, not when he was this close. He felt bad leaving Velma like that but there was no time to make amends now like he would really want to. He had a job to do, he had to protect what was left of his gang and if that meant sacrificing himself then that's what he would do. He didn't feel bad about splitting up, he knows from all the clues that the killer wants to kill him next and if he had kept Velma with him then she might have surely died if the killer came for him. Fred couldn't live with himself if that happened to her, that's why he sent her alone so that she would be safe. He wouldn't say this out loud but part of him hopes that she finds Daphne before he does. He wouldn't want her to stand beside him right now, he doesn't know what he would do if Daphne died because of him…

Fred pulled a flashlight out of his pocket and turned it on to illuminate the path before him. He swallowed a big gulp and slowly began to move his feet in the direction of the dark hall. Every little sound made him jump and turn his head in all directions. No doubt he was scared and nervous, one wrong move and he could be dead or come face to face with the killer like he predicted with no way to defend himself but a flashlight. He had to be brave though, he had to find out where he was hiding Daphne, whether he found her or Velma did. He loves her with all his heart and he would do anything to make sure she was alright…anything.

Fred made his way across the room and into the little hallway. He pushed open each door he saw calling out Daphne's name each time and each time she didn't answer back his heart would sink. Fred reached the end of the little hallway and stood in front of two double doors. He walked over to them and pushed them open with some hesitation in the action. He walked into the room immediately spotting a great but creepy and scary clue. What he saw was unsettling and his stomach dropped just looking at them. It looked like the villain's main control room in the movies with tables with computers on them and pictures all over the walls. Fred found a light switch on the wall and turned it on revealing the disturbing pictures. He walked over to one of the back walls to get a better look at them hoping he was wrong about what he thought they were. He carefully moved his fingers across the photographs and chill went down his spine. They were pictures of him and the rest of the gang in their everyday lives, in their homes…

"So he has been watching us all this time?" Fred thought aloud. "But just who is this guy?"

Fred looked around the photos and his eyes stopped their movement when he spotted a picture that was not of them, but of two men, one very young and another who looks significantly older. Something was puzzling Fred though about this picture. His mind was telling him that he has seen the older man before but he can't quite point out where.

"Where have I seen him before? He looks so familiar…"

He continued to look over the wall until he spotted a newspaper article. As Fred was trying to read it over however, little did he know that there was someone threating standing behind him. All of the sudden, he felt something hard hit him on his head and he fell hard onto the ground. He felt a sharp cutting pain in the palms of his hands before falling completely unconscious.