Chapter 15
"Fuck," Beth groaned, throwing her phone carelessly onto the passenger seat of her car.
After her and Sarah's impromptu meeting with Aldous Leekie, they had heard from both Alison and Cosima informing them that the Dyad director had made his rounds on them as well. They all gathered at Felix's loft for a tense meeting discussing their options with really not much progress or agreement reached.
That was three days ago and now she had just finished listening to a voicemail from Alison. She was taking the deal. It wasn't even that Beth was pissed off with Alison's decision – okay maybe she was a little pissed off. But that wasn't the whole of it at all. Deep down, she was happy that Alison was making a decision for her life and her family that would hopefully work out well. What angered her was that Alison actually had the freedom to make such a choice.
From the second Dr. Leekie made an offer, Beth never once had a choice in it. Cosima had a choice. Alison had a choice. But she didn't and Sarah didn't and it pissed her off. It wasn't fair that she had to be the one to get pulled so deep into their bloody conspiracy that there was never any getting out. She couldn't just blindly throw her trust into her shady multinational corporate creators. She knew she would never be able to align herself with Dyad no matter how badly she wanted to just let go of the quest for answers. Leekie and the Dyad institute was just another enemy she had to fight off. She was so goddamn tired of the fighting though, it would be so easy to give in to their demands at this point.
Throwing her head back against the headrest, she slapped her cheek several times to regain her calm. She couldn't afford to get lost in her jealousy of Alison's much simpler suburban lifestyle. Things were only going to ramp up in intensity and she needed to be focussed on her goal.
Beth slid out of her car slowly, not exactly excited about her arrival home. She'd only be facing her monitor boyfriend alone. She didn't make it two steps out of the underground parking before a large body pressed up behind her and an arm wrapped tightly around her throat. Before her instinct to fight back even kicked in, Beth had a needle in the side of her throat and her eyes surrendered shut.
"Welcome back, Detective Childs," a cold voice spoke as Beth's groggy eye lids began fluttering open.
On instinct, Beth moved forward. The voice was like a beacon but as soon as she attempted to get closer to it, she realized she was constrained. Seated on an uncomfortable interrogation chair, her arms were positioned behind her, locked in zip ties. Her feet were similarly rendered immobile with zip ties attaching them to the legs of the chair. The restraints only caused her to struggle more intensely to move to the ominous voice she had heard moments ago.
She whipped her head around, trying to survey her surroundings despite the poor lighting. She froze when she spotted a dark figure positioned in the corner ominously, arms crossed authoritatively.
"What the hell do you want?" she demanded once she had spotted her attacker.
Before the woman responded, the lights in the small room flicked on. They were blinding, industrial fluorescent. Beth blinked to get used to the harsh light and took in her surroundings once more when she could see again. The room was a small, perfect square with one metal door leading out. The only furniture in it was the chair she was uncomfortably strapped too.
The woman in the corner took a step forward. Beth strained her neck around to watch her every move. She steeled herself over at the realization that she was looking straight into the eyes of another clone, one she recognized well from her research. This couldn't mean anything good coming for her.
"My name is Rachel Duncan," she said as she rounded from behind Beth.
Beth snorted at the revelation and shook her head as anger began to course violently through her. Rachel Duncan AKA darling of the Dyad institute. Raised as some corporate brainwashed bitch that could do all the institute's bidding. Of course the fucking Dyad was behind her being black bagged and tied up like a prisoner. Pretty par for the course for a multinational behind an illegal human cloning program she'd have to guess.
"What the hell do you want?" she repeated her earlier question, this time with much more venom behind it.
"We have a problem, Ms. Childs," she stated calmly despite her menacing stance.
"Oh yeah? And what's that?"
"It has become clear that both you and Sarah Manning have no plans to sign the contracts presented to you to co-operate with our organization. As such, the research you have conducted on your origins are problematic."
Beth laughed humourlessly and raised her brow tauntingly at the proclone. "Is that so? I guess it can't be too good for you guys to have someone like me digging up all your dirty secrets. Not to mention I have no problem sharing all those secrets with the entire world and bringing your entire organization crashing down."
"I would advise against that," Rachel said.
"Oh you would?" Beth asked sarcastically and kicked her feet out as much as she could against the restraints. "Is that why you've got me strapped to this chair like some sort of prisoner? You guys sure aren't subtle, are ya?"
"Remember Elizabeth, this isn't about only you. You're forgetting you also have Sarah and Kira Manning to worry about in all this. It would be a shame if something were to happen to either of them because you went looking into things that don't concern you."
Beth clenched her jaw and glared harshly up at her clone. She shook her head menacingly at the suggestion that the Dyad would make a move against Sarah or Kira if Beth didn't comply with their demands. No one would get away with making idle threats against her family – Helena was buried in a shallow grave because of that.
"You leave my family out of this, you bitch."
Rachel clicked her tongue in disapproval and smiled condescendingly at Beth. "You are not in a position to be making demands, Elizabeth. The sooner you realize we hold all the cards, the better it will be for both you and Sarah."
Rachel turned her back on Beth and began to walk circles around the restrained clone. The click of her stilettoes on the floor echoed through the small room as both women remained silent.
"The contracts that have been presented to you and Sarah are reasonable, Elizabeth. It is in your best interests to sign them and work with us."
"And if I tell you shove those contracts up your ass?" she questioned with a self-satisfied smirk.
"We don't take kindly to being told no, Detective," Rachel replied smoothly.
"You or the Dyad don't like it?" Beth prodded.
"Both."
Beth sneered at the woman as she rounded in front of her again. She had encountered her fair share of ice queens over the years but this proclone bitch for sure took the cake. It was gonna be Rachel's way or the highway it seemed, but of course Rachel had never gone head to head with Beth Childs. She wasn't about to give in to any threats or scare tactics as the Dyad's last resorts to get her and Sarah into their palms.
"A word of advice, Elizabeth: stop digging into your history and this corporation. It will not end well for you. Everyone will be better off if you and Sarah come to heel and cooperate peacefully."
"And if I don't?"
Rachel flashed a menacing smirk at her double. The corporate power woman wordlessly walked to the door and opened it slowly. A stalky brunette man appeared and made his way into the room in front of Rachel. He was clutching a straight razor in his hand, running it back and forth along a leather sharpener.
Beth swallowed thickly at the sight of the man but did the best she could to keep her face stoic. She wasn't about to let either them see any of the emotions she felt running through her at the moment.
"This is Daniel, Elizabeth. He's here to show you what happens when you don't do as you're told."
Daniel took a single stride across the room before he was standing right in front of Beth. He tucked the sharpener into his pocket and knelt down so he was eye level with her. He lifted the razor behind her ear and cleanly sliced several inches, the blood immediately gushing out of the fresh wound.
Beth screamed at the blinding pain of the razor in her skin and thrashed her head side to side to get the man away from her. He backed off with a chuckle and wiped his blade clean of her blood, readying for another go around. Beth glared at him as he knelt down and aimed for the other side of her head. Without a second thought she swished her saliva through her mouth and spat it directly onto the man's face.
It was enough to get him to back off for a moment. She watched him wipe it away and noticed Rachel take a step toward them both. Daniel turned back to Beth when he was spit free and kicked her chair, causing it to go tumbling on its side. Not expecting the movement, Beth felt her head smack harshly against the hard floor as a result and groaned at the pain.
Rachel still stood above her watching the scene and Beth forced her eyes to meet her clones. "You'd do well to think about our conversation for the rest of your night, Elizabeth."
Beth breathed out harshly as she watched Rachel turn around once again and exit the room completely, the door closely ominously behind her. Now it was just Beth, Daniel, and the razor blade to keep her company. All she could do was close her eyes and wait for the torture to be over.
The knock sounded on the door had Sarah glancing curiously up at Mrs S. It was early for anyone to be stopping by, and admittedly Sarah would still be dead to the world if she hadn't been woken up by her much too early rising daughter.
Siobhan rose from her spot at the kitchen table to answer the door. She passed Sarah and Kira on the floor on her way and smiled at the way the little girl was animatedly talking and playing with Sarah. She peeked through the curtains on the door when she approached and frowned at what she saw.
She swung up the door with a frown. "Beth isn't here, Arthur."
Art grimaced at her and nodded. "Yeah, we know. There's something we have to discuss with you though, Siobhan. Do you mind if we come in?"
Siobhan raised her brows curiously. The 'we' Art referred to was a women standing slightly behind him and Siobhan recognized her as Angela DeAngelis, having heard some of Beth's none too kind words about the detective. Nevertheless she held the door open wider to allow both of them entrance and led them into the sitting room that Sarah and Kira were still occupying.
Sarah looked up upon their arrival and grimaced at the sight of the two detectives. It felt like a lifetime since the two cops had busted her for possession but she still had the same ill feelings towards them both. Typical hyper-aggressive cops that couldn't dare give anyone the benefit of the doubt.
"Hey Sarah," Art greeted her and she managed to grunt out a reply only to avoid S chewing her out for being rude.
"Kira love, why don't you go up to your room and play for a bit," S instructed lightly and the girl obediently scampered out of the room.
Sarah watched her leave and stood from the floor, brushing away imaginary dirt from her pants as the two detectives stood awkwardly staring at her. Siobhan gestured for them all to sit and they did so in silence until the older woman finally cleared her throat.
"So what brings you both here so early?"
"It's about Beth," Art spoke in his typical gruff fashion.
"What about her?" Sarah asked harshly, making sure to keep a firm glare fixed on both the cops across from her.
Art scratched the top of his head uncomfortably, obviously not enjoying the conversation at hand or what he was about to tell them. "We found her body."
"What?" Sarah demanded immediately, a sinking feeling swirling in the pit of her stomach at the words.
She felt Mrs S place a hand on her knee as if to signal to remain calm for a moment. Sarah clenched her fists tightly but didn't lash out any further at the man and allowed him to to answer her.
"We got a call about someone jumping in front of a train at Huxley Station. It's Beth."
"Are you sure?" Siobhan asked slowly, shaking her head in disbelief.
Art nodded grimly and swallowed thickly, still very much disturbed by the news himself. "I saw for myself. It's her. We found her purse with her wallet and ID in it still on the platform."
"No, that's impossible," Sarah denied with a vicious shake of her head. She stood up harshly and got as close to Art's face as she could. "Beth would not kill herself, okay? That's just not ever gonna happen. You've got it wrong."
"I'm sorry, Sarah" he shook his head regretfully, not letting her anger or closeness get to him. "Beth is dead."