Back again with some Amanda sass. Meanwhile, Saw 3 begins, Scott Tibbs is up to his usual tricks and Ivy gets a little darker.
Enjoy!
Chapter 24
Amanda's hair was much longer than she had seen it on the tapes from the Nerve Gas House and her features seemed much sharper and more defined with the fringe and iron straight hair. She wore a red top over what looked like a halter neck bra to Ivy and black cargo trouser which led into a pair of equally dark boots. She wasn't dressed to stand out and in her modest pale pink dress and Adam's blazer Ivy felt rather insignificant and helpless against the power radiating out from Amanda. Her eyes were still focused on Lawrence who grimaced on seeing her. "But you just had to ruin my fun by dragging along the decrepit Doctor." She said enunciating every word as her eyes burned into Lawrence.
"We thought it was you who sent Ivy that rather crude text." Lawrence shot back at once.
"Congratulations you win the big prize of 'I don't give a shit about you.' Amanda praised him and Ivy's expression darkened.
"What did you do with Eric Matthews?" She asked Amanda at once and Amanda turned to her in surprise.
"Oh yeah congratulations to you, I guess you lucky little thing. Got away from your second one didn't you although I heard you cut it pretty fine." Amanda said even clapping a couple of times. "I thought you would be more concerned with why I'm here. I mean everyone knows you didn't exactly care about that fucker."
"So I presume 'didn't' means that he's dead?" Ivy asked, wanting to know either way.
"What makes you think I know what happened to him?" Amanda threw back.
"Because of what Daniel told us, we know he convicted you of a crime you didn't commit and you got sent to jail for it. You wanted revenge against him which is fine with me because I still hate the bastard, but I'm also getting sick of looking for him." Ivy told her coldly and Lawrence cast a worried glance as he saw Ivy's tone change to deal better with her adversary. "So, he is dead?"
Amanda paused for a moment and looked at Lawrence before answering, "Yeah he's dead."
Lawrence had an odd gleam in his eyes as Ivy nodded, "Finally the truth, not that I can tell anyone he's alive anyway. Where's the body?"
"Like I'm gonna tell you that." Amanda chuckled, "Though we have moved location now which is what I've been sent to tell you since you missed your weekly meeting with John tonight and he wondered if you knew that we had moved."
"I didn't get time to tell her yet we've been with Adam the whole evening." Lawrence answered and Amanda nodded.
"Yeah it's cute, a perfect little media story by the way, nice job. Almost as good as Romeo and Juliet but there's just one thing missing to make it the perfect tragedy..." Amanda grinned enjoying how she could toy with Ivy.
"And what is that?" Ivy snapped at once, rising to the bait.
"They were both dead." Amanda finished dramatically and Ivy swallowed uncomfortably despite herself.
"Stop it, it's pathetic." Lawrence scolded her laying a hand on Ivy's shoulder again in case she decided to hurt the apprentice before them, and there was a pretty high chance. "Ivy you are in no danger at all. Your games are officially over." He told her with a small smile, "I wanted to get you on your own anyway tonight to fill you in on all this but looks like your Uncle sent his messenger anyway."
"Fuck you, you're just his Doctor." Amanda sneered shoving her hands in her pockets and for a second Ivy expected her to pull out a gun, but her pockets were empty.
"The Doctor who healed these if I remember correctly." Lawrence stated casually dragging Amanda's arm forwards so Ivy could see the needle marks from Xavier's trap still prominent on her arms, "Although you have taken the bandages off, a badge of courage perhaps?"
"Cut anyone up and inserted keys into their eyes lately?" Amanda asked him snatching her arm back as if Lawrence had burnt it. Ivy paused at her question however to look at Lawrence.
"Is that what you do? You cut people open like what happened to Michael?" She asked him as Lawrence looked away back down the alley. He seemed to be ashamed.
"I handle the surgical aspects of John's games that is all. I don't want any bigger part in it than that." Lawrence told her quickly, "And thankfully my services are not required often."
"No they won't be needed in any of my games." Amanda said at once, "I prefer to get the job done quickly."
"And as painfully as possible it would seem." Lawrence remarked and Ivy nodded they were squaring off against the arrogant apprentice.
"Anyway I know you want to get back to your pathetic boyfriend so I'll be brief." Amanda began ignoring Lawrence entirely now so much so that she stood directly in front of him.
"Please do." Ivy answered quickly.
"Operations are now taking place at the Gideon Meat Packing Plant. As you can tell it holds a real significance to John. He wants to see you tomorrow instead, if you want to."
"What do you mean if I want to?" Ivy asked at once frowning at Amanda's choice of words.
"Hold on I'm getting to it. Basically he understands if you don't want to help him anymore since your last game. He says he understands that you will still be mad, that you didn't expect it, that you passed and he knows you didn't want to have a huge role in all this stuff, which you don't really anyway...blah blah blah..."
"So?" Lawrence prompted his tone implying how badly he wanted to leave.
"So John says if Ivy wants to carry on reporting for John then she should come and meet him tomorrow at the Gideon Meat Packing Plant and things will carry on like they did before. Or if you don't want to be involved in this business anymore John says he can cope with just Mark in the office, he just asks that you keep an eye on him."
"No more weekly reports?" She asked making sure she had heard Amanda properly.
"No more reports ever. You can have time with Adam and you never have to worry that dolled up little head about Jigsaw ever again, sounds too good to be true doesn't it? I think it is but this is what John wants because... he loves you." It was hard for Amanda to say those three words and Ivy was glad to see the struggle ripple through the other woman. "As long as you keep an eye on Mark for us because he is going to be a problem later, then you're good." Amanda nodded and Ivy glanced at Lawrence once more. "He wants you to come in tomorrow to brief you on a future target."
"That is alright with me, I would have preferred the usual method of contact through John himself however." Lawrence nodded with a frown.
Amanda ignored Lawrence for a final time, "So sweetheart there's your options. You can meet us all at Gideon or you don't have to bother. I don't really care either way though I would prefer it if you stay out of our affairs. I mean I don't think we need the Doctor either but I have to follow John's orders."
"Like you did with Adam?" Ivy challenged.
Amanda's eyes darkened, "I'd watch what you say around me." She threatened and from her back pocket she pulled out a syringe prepped and ready. Lawrence and Ivy instantly back up a little, Ivy nearly stumbling on her heels. "Oh yeah, I still have a say in what goes on around here."
"So this is blackmail?" Lawrence asked holding his hands up in a surrender position. "Get the two of us out of the way so you can carry on with your own twisted games." Seeing Amanda's confusion Lawrence smirked and removed his gun from his pocket. "Two can play at this game Amanda." He warned darkly. "And Ivy told me how you set Adam up to fail."
"Fuck you." She hissed before spinning back to Ivy who had also taken out her pepper spray. "I can still tell Hoffman who you are and what you're really up to. I'm sure he'd love to hear that someone he believes is his friend is really watching his every move." Amanda clicked her tongue in disgust, "He talks about you."
"He does?" Ivy asked somewhat surprised that Mark spoke of her to her Uncle and Amanda, I wonder what he says? However as Amanda's scowl deepened Ivy decided to steer away from any topic involving Mark Hoffman incase Amanda decided to reveal her true identity to the fake homicide Detective regardless. "Well you'll be happy to know that the stress of keeping all this shit secret is driving me insane so I won't be going to Gideon tomorrow."
"Poor Ivy." Amanda mocked pouting her lips for extra emphasis.
Ivy carried on, "I'll keep an eye out on Mark and of course I won't incriminate anybody, but I don't want anymore of a part in this. My life is finally in order and I'm very happy right now so..."
Amanda was no longer listening she had taken out her own phone and was reading a text she had received, "If you want to waffle on about how good your life is then tell John because I'm sure he'd be thrilled to know that his giant plans of rehabilitation are working, because he still wants to keep in contact with you, even though he's not gonna live for much longer..."
"What do you mean?"
Amanda gestured for Lawrence to finish her sentence, "I examined John after Amanda picked him up from the Nerve Gas House location, he has been in a rather critical condition ever since Eric Matthews beat him to a pulp. I believe the beating increased the rate the cancer was spreading throughout his system and John has been getting slowly weaker every day."
"So he's not got long left to live." Ivy said bluntly accepting what will be.
"He's in a wheelchair all the time now." Amanda told her weakly, a hint of her underlying fragility momentarily peeking through her darker exterior. Amanda had come a long way from the woman who had been obediently following Ivy's orders and trying to fight off Xavier Chavez in the bathroom. As if reading Ivy's thoughts Amanda looked up her voice much weaker, "You know he always knew about how we switched Adam with Tapp's body. He knew all along, we could never hide anything from him. Thats why he made sure the game would end in the bathroom again. So I would be reminded of what I'd done." She whispered. Lawrence stared at her looking thoroughly confused but Ivy nodded sadly.
"I don't know much about what happened at the end with Daniel because that's when the monitors froze and we found out it wasn't live footage. But John did tell me that he knew about what we did, I think it was mainly why I was tested again."
"But you survived it again. Why? How did you manage to come away from it again?" Amanda asked, her voice trembling now.
"How did you?" Ivy shot back.
"With fucking needle holes all over my body." She shrieked nastily. "That's how."
Ivy didn't answer at first, "You should be grateful. It was thanks to me you survived that Gas house at all."
Lawrence turned to look at her in surprise and so did Amanda. "What?" She whispered, "I don't owe you anything."
"Didn't it ever say in your tapes? My reward for passing was the remaining antidotes for the survivors. Without me, you and Daniel still would have been killed because of the gas pumping through your systems. I got you those antidotes so in a manner of speaking I chose who lived and who died." Ivy's voice quaked a little with the new sense of rising power she felt. Lawrence who seemed to be aware of this nodded at Amanda who had dropped the needle she had been holding on the floor.
"That's not true because Daniel and I went back up and got the needle from inside the safe and the one in the bathroom wall where his," She pointed to Lawrence, "X had been from your game."
"Ivy you're forgetting that the Nerve Gas House test took place a day before your own." Lawrence whispered back to her, "John knew you would pass his test and bluffed so the test subjects who survived were always going to get the antidotes."
Ivy paused her mouth opening and closing like a goldfish as Lawrence's words fit into place. "You're right." She admitted, "Because Daniel was in the safe the whole time Eric and I were there. I was the one who found him."
Amanda chuckled, "You've gotta keep up." She chuckled darkly her bravado rising when she realised Ivy held nothing over her. "You liked that power you felt before didn't you? That ambition of yours to be the best was it? Exactly why you should stay out of our business."
Ivy shook her head, "You've got it then haven't you? You don't want me to help John and I don't want to help him either anymore. You and him and Mark are on your own, but you will all slip up one time. And that's when you'll be put behind bars because despite how John's methods do seem to work, you're still torturing and killing people to put them through it. That doesn't sound like people who really care for the preservation of human life."
Ivy began to walk away feeling happy with her little monologue. Lawrence stood with Amanda for a couple of moments before hobbling as fast as he could after her, Amanda who had been shaking her head merely headed the other way and disappeared round the corner. Ivy seeing Lawrence trying to catch her up out of her peripheral vision slowed down, the poor Doctor was panting with the effort. "Sorry Lawrence." She muttered and he shook his head.
"I agree with what you said, I don't think Amanda has an appreciation for life. But I want to make it clear that I do, and I think John does too. I can't stand the idea of actually watching someone go through what they have to to survive. I hope that's what makes me different from the others." He said worriedly.
Ivy sighed buttoning up Adam's jacket. She was angry at how Amanda saw her as weak and unworthy of her Uncle's love. "I don't know Larry. I only agreed to help John out with Mark and the police because I didn't want him to get caught and put in jail; I can't wait to see Amanda in there again. It was family loyalty. But now I'm beginning to wonder if he does deserve to go to prison for what he's done. It's still severely wrong." She let her thoughts influence her lips as they carried on walking. "Maybe I am changing my perspective about this whole affair."
Lawrence did not reply his eyebrows were furrowed. "Have we gone backwards?" He asked when they finally exited the alley and could see the front of the restaurant again.
"What do you mean?" Ivy asked him.
"Well, I'm still a part of the Jigsaw legacy." Lawrence said his voice dropping now they were in public again. "I can't help but feel that the friendship we bridged over dinner has been destroyed."
"But by saying about how you want to set up this survivors group does tell me that you care about the well fare of the survivors and the rehabilitation itself and not the torturous, barbaric side of Jigsaw." Ivy told him her voice softer than when she had been speaking with Amanda. "I would of course prefer it if you stopped being involved all together like I am now, but I also feel that they need someone who is still sane to stop them from going completely out of control."
"You might be in danger from Amanda now though. She'll probably want your head for what you said." Lawrence advised and Ivy laughed.
"Not like I haven't escaped what should have killed me before. I can't keep swapping my principals. I'm not going tomorrow, I want to live my life without living in fear that I'll be kidnapped again every day."
They had reached the front of the restaurant. Where Adam was still waiting looking like he belonged in the upper class building, his company however was far more unwelcome. A guy Ivy had never seen before was holding a small hand held camera and was shoving it in Adam's face while a familiar face circled around him like a hawk toying with it's prey. Lawrence sighed deeply when he too recognised the figure. "I still want to keep in contact with you Lawrence because I do really enjoy your company and if you are ever in danger I'll help you. I promised you that much we all survived and I want it to stay that way." Lawrence smiled and returned the sentiment, "But right now I have to deal with this once and for all." She said abandoning her friend and stalking over towards Adam, past the camera guy and Scott Tibbs to cover Adam's lips with her own in a rather forceful, yet passionate kiss. Adam stumbled in the surprise but certainly made no move to escape her grasp as Ivy let him go. Adam stared at her as she removed his blazer from around her form and slung it back over his own shoulders and began straitening his tie, prominently ignoring their little audience.
"Wow." Adam muttered under his breath as his eyes flickered in embarrassment at the camera before refocusing on Ivy. "Hi." He said dumbly and Ivy laughed.
"Come on darling, I've got the information I needed with no harm done. So I was thinking we go back to my apartment and we can carry on with what we started." She flirted making sure her voice sounded as sensual as she could possibly make it, flicking her hair around for extra emphasis.
"I knew it!" Shouted Scott Tibbs making a few cat calls. "Doing pretty damn well for yourself aren't you buddy? Did you steal these fancy fucking threads?" He said to Adam who turned away from the camera and pulled Ivy closer to him. Ivy peered at her boyfriend and he gave her a very weak smile back in return, she glanced at Scott Tibbs who was smiling deliciously at the pair. "Don't you look gorgeous sweet pea? I don't appreciate you lying to me though. I knew you and my buddy here were doing it." He grinned wickedly enjoying every moment as Adam squirmed uncomfortably. Ivy shot Adam a look asking him why he wasn't using his sarcastic wit right now. His intelligence could easily dwarf Scott Tibbs and his pathetic little camera.
"Can I help you?" She asked him snottily turning round and placing a hand over the camera lens.
"Yeah you can definitely help." Scott said at once, pulling a notepad from his jeans pocket.
"That was a rhetorical question." She snapped back before turning back to Adam and leading him over to Lawrence, "Thank you so much for dinner Larry, we'll meet up again this week and do something but for now..." She inclined her head back to Scott Tibbs who was still prodding Adam for an answer about something, Adam seemed to mumble something which caused Scott to laugh nastily before he shoved Adam making him crash into nearby pillar.
"I understand, he's a neanderthal." Lawrence nodded and she kissed him once on the cheek before walking back over to Adam and taking his hand.
"Trust you to let her wear the trousers in the relationship." Scott shouted as Ivy began trying to hail a taxi, the camera being thrust in their faces again. "So did this relationship begin in the bathroom or after? You still gonna stalk people buddy? Or did you stalk this chick and she's into that sort of weird shit because if you are babe then I've got a..."
But what Scott had; no one ever found out for Ivy, already incensed by Amanda seized the camera from Scott's buddy's hand and threw it onto the floor. The two let out a cry of shock as the yellow taxi pulled up and Ivy pulled Adam inside. Adam was staring at the broken camera in shock so much so that Ivy had to lean over and close his door for him herself. "Jesus Christ Ivy." He murmured as he lent back in his seat as Ivy gave the taxi driver the address of her apartment.
"He deserved it and you know it." She told him leaning over so she could wave at Lawrence who was clapping silently while Scott Tibbs and his mate argued over their now broken camera.
"You owe me a new camera bitch! I want answers!" Shouted Scott Tibbs at the top of his voice.
Adam looked slightly panicked at his words and turned to Ivy. "You don't think he will track us down or anything do you?"
Ivy turned to give Adam a good long stare, "Why are you so scared of him?"
"What? I'm not." Adam lied at once. Ivy raised an eyebrow. "He's a friend."
"He stabbed you with a rusty nail." Ivy reminded him her voice indignant.
"Trust you to remember that part." Adam muttered and Ivy glared at him. "He's a buddy." Adam told her with a glare of his own. "Y'know I take the album cover photos for his band and he...oh shit that's what he was on about." Adam's pupils dilated a little and Ivy peered at him.
"You okay Adam?"
"Yeah fine, just Scott was going on about how I missed it and they all turned up like pussies and I wouldn't answer my phone. I didn't get it because, you know why would I but now I remember...I had a photoshoot with Scott's band Wrath of the Gods the day I must have gone missing and they all think I stood them up." Adam told her and Ivy nodded.
"Well I'm sure he should have forgiven you since you very nearly died." Ivy pointed out harshly and Adam winced.
"Stop it. You know I hate being reminded of it." He snapped back quickly and Ivy sighed leaning her head against the taxi.
"Why did he stab you with that nail?" She asked.
Adam turned away from her, "I don't want to talk about it. And now Scott has a video of us kissing forever which he's probably going to be getting off on."
Ivy shuddered, "Please do not go there."
"Probably the truth."
The sound of something hitting the back of the taxi made the two turn round at once. Scott Tibbs was on the sidewalk with his buddy, filming once again, running to keep up with the taxi, which considering the amount of traffic, was not hard. The taxi driver however, seeing he was not moving any time soon climbed out and began stomping towards the 'rockstar'. Ivy rolled down her window and watched the taxi driver pick up the empty beer can which had struck the side of the taxi. Horns were being blown and voices could be heard, Adam cringed into the corner as Scott Tibbs, ignoring the taxi driver completely went to shove the camera in her face once more, "So how did Eric Matthews escape with Jiggy Jigsaw huh? Did you help them being blood and all. That is so awesome to be related to that guy."
"Are you out of your fucking mind?" Ivy asked them staring directly down the camera, Adam was shielding his face from view. "Leave us alone."
"Not until I get my answers chick I've got nowhere else to turn to for them." Scott spat back passionately leaning against the taxi door and winking at the camera. "So how'd you get my buddy there out of that bathroom? Did you come back for him? How come you didn't have to chop your legs off too?"
Ivy began rolling the taxi window back up again rolling her eyes as Scott's face pressed against the glass. His voice became muffled and Ivy turned away so she was facing Adam who shot her a look telling her he was more embarrassed than he had ever been in his whole life before. He pointed with his mouth open, his expression caught in one of stupefied happiness. The taxi driver it seems had finally given the Wrath of the Gods star what Ivy had wanted to so badly and punched him with an uppercut right in the face. Scott was on the road holding his nose and rocking back and forth. His buddy had completely forgotten about Adam and Ivy and was happily laughing himself stupid at his friend's misfortune. The taxi driver got back in his vehicle and set off again feeling much more content than before. "You're getting an extra ten percent for that my friend." Ivy told him warmly and he saluted her, Adam groaned.
"I wish my blazer was bigger so I could hide my face with it." He moaned eying Ivy.
"Oh stop it he deserved that and more for everything he's done to us...in fact if he's trying to make some kind of sick documentary about Jigsaw then I think we ought to alert people about it." She mused taking her phone out once more.
"Come on he just got his nose broken isn't that enough?"
"If I knew he'd stop then yes, but he won't Adam he's one of those types of people. I can tell he's been using you for years. You are so much better off without him."
"I only had him before." Adam whispered thinking Ivy hadn't heard him. She glanced at him when she was sure he was looking the other way and shot him a look full of sympathy. However she still pressed the call button on her phone.
"Detective Hoffman."
"Mark you're still at the station right?" Ivy asked him liking his consistent reliability.
"Ivy? Listen people here were really pissed off at how you and Allison left an hour early today, I know you probably needed to get away after Gibson but Jill was looking for you when she was finished. Gibson interrupted my interview with her to take over and he was pretty harsh so have a talk with her." Mark advised and Ivy swore under her breath, he chuckled.
"I'm sorry we were both angry and will make it up tomorrow, but could you do me a huge favour?" She asked instantly switching her voice to one which sounded needy and sugary.
"What is it?" He caved in far quicker than Ivy had expected, Adam was shaking his head at her but she stuck her tongue out and rolled her eyes. Giving up once more Adam threw his hands up in the air and began playing with her bag.
"Could you see about a restraining order for me and Adam against a guy called Scott Tibbs if you've heard of him." Ivy asked with a sly smile.
"No I haven't. Why what's he doing?" Mark's sounded much more interested and protective now.
"I think he's making some kinda Jigsaw Documentary but he's pretty ruthless and dangerous to get the information he wants." Ivy explained.
"Want me to go a step further and book him for harassment?" Mark asked and Ivy's eyes widened considering it for a minute. This was the sort of thing John wanted Ivy to be aware of surely, a sign of Mark's brutality.
"I don't think so but thank you. I think a warning and a restraining order will be enough for now, if anything else happens then I'll consider it." Ivy thanked him.
"Alright, I'll get that done for you." Mark's voice rang through and Ivy smiled.
"Thanks Mark, I appreciate it."
She hung up feeling slightly happier than before.
"And you said Scott was ruthless." Adam said with a frown, Ivy chose to ignore his words.
"Thank you for getting along with Lawrence." She began taking his hand in her own again, she didn't want the nice evening to be ruined by Scott Tibbs and Amanda. "I really enjoyed tonight, Lawrence wants it to carry on."
"If he keeps paying to take us to places like that then sure I'm in." Adam answered and Ivy squeezed his hand, "No I'm joking, it was nice, I would have liked slightly bigger portions but I'd go there again."
"Well when you get on this new photography agency and are making the money because your handling such big clients then you can take me." Ivy grinned and Adam laughed.
"It'll probably still be a la carte McDonalds, maybe Nandos if you're very lucky."
"Moonlight dinner at Nandos." Ivy mused.
"It sounds amazing doesn't it." Adam grinned back his eyes becoming slightly misty as if he was genuinely considering it. "Can we do it now please?"
"Maybe tomorrow." Ivy placated and Adam gave a naughty smirk and leaned in so he could whisper in her ear.
"Can I have something else tonight instead then?" He asked with a impish smirk his eyes lighting up at the very thought.
"Are you thinking what I think you are thinking?" She whispered back to him and Adam nodded eagerly.
"I hope to God you are."
She had the unmistakable impression that she wasn't going to be getting much sleep that night at all.
"Oh guess who is calling for you once again." Allison dramatically gestured to the phone in her office and Ivy sighed.
"Agent Strahm." They both said simultaneously.
"Bingo!" Allison cried monotonously. "I am so glad he is bugging you all the time now and not me."
"He's a keen bean isn't he? It must be quiet at the FBI or something." Ivy joked and Allison snorted.
"It must be since we're still handling most aspects of the Jigsaw Case, though if he's not caught soon then they will get very involved." There was a pause for a while where Allison put her curly hair up and Ivy rubbed her tired eyes and stretched. "Why does he keep ringing us so much?"
"He has a new theory about the Jigsaw accomplices." Ivy revealed, "He's not saying much just keeps calling back to ask me about the weight of some of the survivors both dead and alive. I don't really understand it yet."
"Maybe if you answer it he'll shine some light on it." Allison suggested and Ivy nodded.
"Detective Reeves."
"Detective I'm glad it's you, if I got that Hoffman guy again I'd force him to go looking for you." Peter Strahm's sleek voice echoed down the line.
"Sorry I've been quite busy today." Ivy lied and Allison gave her a look of comradeship.
"I was just calling you back to ask about the weight of Adam Stanheight I have a theory concerning an accomplice to Jigsaw."
It's Adam Faulker, he no longer goes by Stanheight, it's his families name and he weighs roughly 140 pounds." Ivy answered at once. "Do you mean someone other than Amanda Young? A second accomplice?" She allowed her surprise to colour her voice. Is someone onto Mark already? If so that was incredibly fast after Amanda was revealed as an accomplice. Her blood chilled, what if they suspect Lawrence, or Jill, or me?
"I do, I promise I'll clue you in on it the second my suspicions are confirmed. I may also need the weight of Dr Lawrence Gordon and Xavier Chavez if you could keep that information on hand."
"Alright." Ivy assented.
"And thank you Agent Reeves." Strahm continued, "I know you may not feel like it right now but you are one of us and it won't be long before you are working more intimately with me on this case. Just remember that please."
"I will." Ivy smiled as she hung up and Allison flitted by her side.
"Don't tell me you've managed to melt ice off of Strahm's heart too. First Hoffman and now Strahm can I have these powers of yours please?"
Ivy laughed, "I don't think either of them are too bad once you get to know them, both have a sense of humour it's just lurking underneath that work work work attitude they both have."
"Thank you for the compliment." Came a deep voice from the hallway. Ivy wheeled round to see Mark standing in the doorway smirking at her, her cheeks flushed and she nodded to him as he moved on. "Oh I got that restraining order all sorted for you, they are gonna go round to his place tonight and issue it."
Ivy sent him another smile and glanced at Allison who was staring between the two of them. "Thank you for doing that for me Mark."
"It's alright, you owe me." He told her but moved on down the hallway to his own office.
"Since when is Mark doing favours for you and since when do you need a restraining order against someone, and please tell me it's for your Uncle."
"Ha ha as if they would be able to find him he's like Houdini right now." Ivy answered despite knowing precisely where John and his cronies were now stationed, she had made sure to avoid Gideon at all costs on her way to work this morning as it was a normal road to pass in the taxi. "I needed one against that Scott Tibbs who I told you about, he was harassing Adam and I after dinner last night."
"How did that go, okay?" Allison asked and Ivy nodded.
"Really well in fact it was exciting. But Scott started kicking up trouble again and threw a beer can at our taxi and the driver punched him, it was all very dramatic."
"That little shit. Why didn't you call me I would have loved to issue that on his arse." Allison whined.
"Because I knew Mark was still at the station." Was her simple reply and Allison pouted. "And then later I was a little preoccupied with Adam for the rest of the evening." Ivy allowed her voice to deepen with implications and Allison's eyebrows shot up so fast it was as if someone had attached strings and pulled them into place.
Her mouth formed an 'o' shape and her eyes widened at the gossip. "You mean you did it?"
"For lack of a better word...yes." She admitted and Allison couldn't contain the tiny squeal that issued from her lips, Ivy had to clamp a hand over the woman's mouth. "Shut up will you I get enough teasing as it is in this place."
"I'm so happy for you two." She squealed bouncing up and down a little, "That's why you've been extra tired today and stretching."
"You don't miss much do you? And I'm always tired." Ivy said at once making Allison giggle.
"But not physically tired." Allison prodded and Ivy nodded.
"That is true."
"He must have been good." Allison mused and Ivy wondered vaguely what was going through Allison's mind at that moment.
"I don't mean to pry Allison, but did you and Eric ever..."
"I think we were going to yes, if things had progressed even for one more day but, no. We didn't get that far. For what it ended up being, the whole affair was pretty innocent." Allison admitted and Ivy frowned feeling sorry for her friend. "I don't really seem to have long term relationships just one night stands or week long ones. I blame my job to be honest but I love doing what I do. But it's the same men day in and day out and you start to act and become them so that interacting with someone outside the force becomes completely foreign."
"Well I was outside the force and had no idea about what I was doing, and we got on pretty well." Ivy said touching Allison's arm. "Doesn't seem like you're that hopeless."
"Oh I'm fine with women, it's other men. I don't think I could ever charm anyone like Adam, Mark or Agent Strahm the way you can it's not in my nature. And yet you are the more innocent out of the two of us." Allison sighed allowing Ivy to keep her hand there.
"I don't know about that." Ivy mumbled glancing at the door Mark had been standing in.
"So I resorted to an already married man with kids." Allison sighed. "What if that's the reason Eric was tested, if it was my fault. Looks like the rumours about this department are true."
"What do you mean?" Ivy asked curiously trying her hardest to ignore her friend's blatant self loathing.
"That we're all corrupt in someway and Jigsaw only goes after the morally corrupt. I went after a married man, Eric has falsely arrested god knows how many people, Tapp became obsessed with solving this damn case, Mark has some black spots no one really knows about and he's as brutal as Eric and Rigg at times. Rigg nearly got fired for punching this man he claims was a child molester and Fisk stepped on his friend to get his promotion. We all deserve to be put in his games and I don't think it will be too long till we all are." Allison suddenly grabbed Ivy's hand and clenched it so tightly it hurt. "Get out of here while you still can, while you're still clean because any of us could be the one to corrupt you. Go and work for Strahm before Jigsaw hunts you down for a third time and you can't escape. I know Jigsaw's going to target me soon. I can feel it, like the films say you can sense it in your bones."
"This isn't Final Destination Allison." Ivy argued back, "Everyone makes mistakes and you're speaking as if Jigsaw is just going to kill you. If it ever happens and god forbid it ever does happen then you are strong enough to beat him. If I did it you can. You can't live your life in fear of him."
And while Ivy hoped her argument had reached her friend, Allison did not speak to her for the rest of the day going about her business in a dreamy sort of fashion which got her told off once by Rigg and twice by Mark. The rest of the day was awkward for Ivy and Allison and they seemed to tip toe around each other like two ballet dancers who were just out of time. All Ivy could think of was getting home to Adam and snuggling under the sheets with him and repeating last night all over again. Coming into the office was becoming a thorn in her side and she kept glancing at the phone wondering whether or not to call Strahm and demand she come and work with him from then on. Then she would catch a glimpse of Allison, Fisk, Mark or any of the others and realise that despite their faults and how they didn't always get on, that she was a vital part of the team now and that to lose her would cause nothing but pandemonium.
The phone call came right as Ivy was popping her head into all the offices and saying goodbye. The last person on her list was Fisk who was in the middle of an important phone call by the looks of things and as she waved in goodbye he held his finger up and told her to wait. Frowning Ivy leaned against the door with her arms folded and waited for him to finish.
"There is a huge disturbance over at a guy called Scott Tibbs house." The colour began to drain from Ivy's face. "It's weird the call was from some guys in uniform who said that you had issued a restraining order against the guy and they were coming over to deliver it when the neighbours all called them complaining about the racket that was being made in his apartment and how they were sick of it blah blah blah, and they could hear what sounded like a power drill coming from the apartment and the sounds of screaming." Ivy's whole body seemed to tremble slightly as she ran her fingers through her hair bringing it over one shoulder to comb at it with her nails. "Since you know the guy will you come over with me to check it out?"
"Yeah of course." Ivy said at once knowing they were both on the same page as she followed Fisk quickly out of his office and down the corridor where she nearly knocked Mark's coffee all over himself.
"Hey what's going on?" He called seeing them fly down the corridor.
"Possible Jigsaw trap." Fisk shouted back over his shoulder as they exited the building. They were so focused Ivy didn't hear the voice calling for her until Fisk tapped her shoulder. Adam was standing there looking very confused.
"I thought we were gonna have a look at that new giant Mac computer for me?" He asked his eyebrows knitted together with concern. Fisk carried on to his car, put up his siren and began to climb in waiting for her.
"I'm sorry Adam. We have a potential Jigsaw trap and it's at Scott Tibbs' address." Ivy told him. Adam's eyes widened in shock and he grabbed her hand.
"Is he okay?"
"We don't know yet I think it's still going on thats why we need to hurry."
"I'm coming with you." Adam decided walking purposefully over to the car.
"Like hell you are." Ivy reasoned as Adam opened the back door and climbed in. "Adam."
"I know him better than you do, I know what he's like and it's personal." Adam said resolutely closing the door and strapping himself in. "Hi." He directed to Fisk who gave him a surprised glance and returning the greeting.
Ivy glanced around in a state of inertia. She didn't want Adam mixing with her work, she liked them being completely separate. And right now she thought she would be quite happy to see Scott Tibbs in a bloody pile on his bedroom floor. The car hurtled out of the station a law unto its own, the siren blaring away above all the city traffic. Ivy sat back in her seat as Fisk began typing in the address into the sat nav.
"No need he lives two blocks away from me." Adam said quickly and Fisk nodded as Adam began to give directions. Ivy wanted nothing more than to tune the two of them out as Adam began asking why Scott would be tested.
"Could be for a number of reasons, habits, past record..." Fisk began.
"He's a dickhead." Ivy interrupted and Fisk smirked.
"That's sometimes a good enough reason too."
Ivy sighed, it seemed to be all she ever did. She couldn't help but think that Mark had played a role in this somehow. Did he really do all this because I asked for a restraining order against the guy? I don't want him dead no matter how much I hate him. She was being selfish thinking Mark acted only for her and for her alone. There had to be another reason, maybe he didn't like the idea of a Jigsaw Documentary hitting the world. However she was not going to be allowed her moment alone with her own frenzied mind as Mark's name flashed up on her phone.
"Reeves." She said briskly in no mood to talk to the murderer.
"It's Mark, another disturbance was called in at an abandoned school that's not where your heading is it?"
"No we're going to Scott Tibb's apartment where the call came from." She replied and Fisk gave her a look of worry.
"Well I'm at the school now, it was called in the moment you two left, it wasn't far from the station at all. There is no sign of anyone alive and the person who reported it said they had heard screaming. But there is a door in front of me, I've got some of the SWAT team with me and we've tried everything to open it but can't get through."
"You mean the door's been sealed shut?" Ivy asked.
"It might be yeah." Mark answered, "I'll call you if I manage to get through."
"And I'll call you once we find out what's going on here." She hung up as Fisk pulled up outside the address. There were neighbours already hurrying towards them and banging on the windows.
"What was that about?" Fisk asked refusing to get out of the car till she asked. "We'd better not be at the wrong location."
"No. There's two Jigsaw games, both played at the same time."
Oooooh more double games... I've always loved the spin-off documentary of Scott Tibbs it makes me laugh in the weirdest ways and therefore it simply had to be included. If you haven't watch it then go and do it! I've managed to slip it in the canon haha!
Saw 3/4 is a bloody long one and takes a lot of set-up, what with the various traps before the main game[s] so it'll be a while before we get into the thick of them. I'll try to keep it interesting in the mean time!
Read and review please One-Step-From-Hell and Kimberly Gaugh get special Billy Puppets for their consistency! xoxo