Gift of Hope
Chapter 11 of my crossover story, enjoy.
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Now onto the story.
Disclaimer: I don't own Until Dawn, Life is Strange or their characters.
Chapter 11
Having met up at the Price household, Sam, Mike, Chloe and Max were all gathered in Chloe's room. They had collected all the information they had gathered and were now trying to piece it together.
"Okay, let's see...this is all stuff we got from David..." Max said, looking over the various objects before her. "This is what we picked up in the Principal's office..."
Chloe then finished for her. "And this is from Frank; we've covered as much as we can, we just have to hope it's enough."
Mike nodded. "Right, let's get searching then, if answers are here, we'll find them."
Sam agreed and they soon began sifting through everything. As they were searching however, Sam bit her lip, for some reason her mind again wandered.
She was thinking about Ashley. 'I can't stop; seeing her that way, when we found her, and every time I do, it feels like I...I just...God what is the matter with me?'
Shaking her head she tried to focus. She didn't understand the strange fluttering sensation she felt in her stomach, nor why it pained her, thinking of Ashley suffering as she clearly had. It felt stronger than it should have, stronger than any of the others felt for sure.
'Enough Sam, focus, you need to do this, or others are going to suffer too.' She told herself firmly.
So she did just that, prepared to help find out what happened to Ashley, to Kate and to Rachel.
While Chloe worked on her laptop, researching whatever she could, Max started with the information collected from Frank. Deciding to start with the deals Frank made during the week of the party where Kate was drugged. Max knew she needed the account book and anything relating to code names he gave his deals, she could see he was ensuring that, unless someone had both items, they wouldn't be able to tell just what he was doing and with whom.
'Pretty clever move, here me go...this oughta do it, I'll need that list if I'm looking for Nathan...Any deals he did with Nathan, let's see.'
Max continued to look carefully as she set everything out, making another section on the row of Frank's clues set up on the noticeboard they were using.
She sighed and observed carefully. 'Okay Max, concentrate, really gotta get my Nancy Drew head on.'
As she observed the relevant pages from the account book she had tacked to this section of the board, along with the list of names, she began to notice, it seemed Frank codenamed his customers with dog names, Nathan's was Rottweiller, or Rott for short.
Looking through the pages she laid out, Max finally picked out three sheets of paper with that name on them, Nathan was doing some serious business with Frank it seemed. She quickly extracted the info, all the times and places Frank did deals with Nathan. She then attached them to a smaller noticeboard next to the large one. Max was pretty sure she wasn't going to get anything else out of Frank's clues.
She just hoped the others would also be successful. She looked over at Mike who was working on David's.
It was time to use David's own investigation to their advantage, find out what Nathan was doing during that week, see where things tied in. Mike was beyond certain now, whatever happened to Ashley and Kate, was connected to whatever happened to Rachel.
Which was why he was sure, if they solved one mystery, they'd solve the other. So, determined, Mike examined the clues relating to Nathan and any hint David was searching for, or following, something. soon found it, David's list of co-ordinates, a series of pictures showing a red truck, notably its license plates and also, photos of Nathan, all of it fit together, especially as Mike had seen Nathan in that red truck before.
He quickly took them and set them up, ready for the next stage. Mike ran his eyes over the clues critically, determining their value. He soon noted a list of co-ordinates on the fourth page that noted the same license plate as the red truck, He picked that, and the picture of the truck's license plate, as well as spotting a photo of Nathan driving said truck.
'Getting closer, I'm sure of it, these all fit together somehow, we just need to some more evidence.' Mike thought to himself.
But wanting to make sure, he turned and hurried over to Chloe.
"Chloe, let's plug these numbers in and see if they lead to an actual address." He told her, showing her.
She nodded and got to work, replying. "Got it, let's see..."
It lead them to some info which Mike copied out and soon they had more clues on the smaller board, the picture was beginning to form, Mike was sure we were nearly there.
It soon dawned on them exactly what they were picking up here, a location, more than likely the same location Kate was taken after that party and Ashley after the party she was abducted from. Max was willing to bet money it was also where Rachel had been taken when she first disappeared, hopefully there was clues there that would show where she went after that.
'Nearly there, so close, so close...Just Nathan's clues to go.' Sam told herself.
She knelt down and began to examine them. She sighed, she knew she needed to unlock Nathan's hidden phone, which Max and Chloe had somehow 'appropriated'. To do that, Sam knew she needed anything with a relevant number, she grabbed the three items that contained numbers, Nathan's student file, a piece of paper with several numbers scribbled on it and a card which had a PIN code on it and a PUK number. Hopefully one of them would be the actual number. As she set them up on the next part of the board Sam paused and thought for a moment before sadly pulling a blank.
'Guess I'm doing it the old fashioned way, I swear, if this works, I'll believe anything.' Sam thought to herself, going for the first and most commonly used PIN code.
She inputed the date of birth, given on Nathan's student file, 0829. and almost laughed out loud when, lo and behold, that was the right answer. Sam quickly checked through Nathan's messages, also showing them to Max. Everything they read had all the answers they needed. She quickly made copies of what she needed and set them on the smaller board. This was it, the final step.
They quickly got to work analysing the final clues, putting everything together. It took a while, having to carefully read and re-read everything, but finally, all three of them found what they needed. It was a strange barn, which matched David's co-ordinates, Nathan was saying he'd give Frank exact directions and Frank's transaction that day all fitted, Max knew they needed to find out more about this place. So she brought the clues over to Chloe.
"Chloe, this is definitely the place." She told her.
She nodded. "Let me dig up some more clues here."
The others gathered around as Chloe did some checking on her laptop and shook her head. "Nope, nothing Max. There's nothing there, just some shitty old barn."
But Sam and Mike could tell Max was sure there was something, something which would confirm her thoughts, their thoughts, that this was the place.
"Let's keep searching and find out who owns this haunted barn." Sam suggested.
Chloe sighed but obliged. "I am on this, hold on...Somebody named...Harry Aaron Prescott."
They all grinned. Bingo, there was the paydirt.
"I'm shocked." Max replied nonchalantly, before worry seeped into her gut again. "Should we call the police?"
Chloe shook her head vehemently. "Fuck that, you know the police here are like Nathan's private security, we have to do this ourselves guys. We have to go out and check that old barn by ourselves."
Mike nodded. "Alright, let's go."
Chloe needed no encouragement and she and Max soon were in her truck, Sam and Mike getting in Mike's car, they all began making their way to the location.
It was a good job they had the co-ordinates, Sam noted. Nathan wasn't kidding about giving Frank directions. This place was was well hidden, right in the middle of nowhere. Nevertheless they finally arrived, while she and Mike got out of the car at once, Max looked carefully at the building and shook her head.
"Well, certainly fits the bill, creepy barn in the middle of nowhere." She muttered.
Chloe just nodded. "Yeah, c'mon, we've gotta find Rachel, let's go."
Together they exited the truck and made their way to the doors of the barn with the other two. Unfortunately, although old, the doors were closed and secured with a heavy duty padlock.
"No dice, we're not getting through here." Chloe said sadly.
Max and Sam however was more interested in something they just saw on the ground, beneath the doors. "Chloe, Mike, look at these."
They knelt down too and their eyes widened, they were looking at a fresh set of tire tracks, going into and coming out of the barn.
Chloe looked up at Max, determination rock solid in her eyes again. "Someone has been here, recently. We're definitely on the right trail. We need to find a way in."
Max nodded. "Let's get looking."
So they split up, searching for a way inside. Sam had gone along the side of the barn and found that parts of the wall were reinforced with corrugated iron; one of the sheets seemed loose. she bit her lip; praying her strength would be sufficient. It took some effort but she slowly managed to pull the sheet away from the wall, revealing a hole; big enough for all four of them to fit through.
"Guys over here, I found the entrance." She called out.
They hurried over and Sam climbed in through the space.
"Yes, nice work." Chloe quipped as she followed Sam.
Max just laughed and also followed, with Mike coming in behind her, soon they were all inside.
The interior was musty, creepy and on the whole, a bit of a let down. There was nothing any of them could see except things people would normally see in a barn, a rusted old tractor, wooden beams and platforms leading to higher parts, a few ropes attached to pulleys, for pulling up hay bales. The floor was covered in hay as well. Here and there were old worn wooden chests, the one nearest them opened easily as Chloe lifted the lid.
"Junk." She muttered. "Vintage junk. Still, might be something hidden around it, I'll check this out right away."
The others nodded and began to explore the rest of the barn. But it was all for naught, in the end they slipped back out, frustrated and disappointed.
"Urgh, I thought for sure…?" Chloe growled.
Mike shook his head. "We can't waste any more time here...Maybe we, maybe we were too late?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Chloe asked, desperation seeping into her voice.
"Mike just means, maybe this was the place, but whoever is behind this has moved elsewhere..." Max replied. "But we didn't find anything hinting where that might be."
But, left with no other choice they began to return to the town. Sam however looked carefully at the barn as they drove away. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing. Something very important was staring them right in the face, but they just couldn't see it.
End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.