Chapter 13: Operation: Kill Scott McCall, the Sequel
"Getting to that, just take out your laptop," Scott answered, and I put my laptop out on the kitchen table. Kira, Liam, and Stiles all followed my actions, and I quirked my eyebrow at them.
"Is four enough?" Kira asked.
"Depends on how many cameras they have, but I think so," Stiles explained quietly.
"Are we really doing this?" Liam inquired hesitantly.
"We're doing it," Scott responded with an absolute certainty that put me at an unease.
"By 'it' do you mean killing Scott?" I asked no one in particular, "Because even though I am here and you are including me, I still somehow feel like I don't know everything."
"Getting to that as well," Stiles remarked, and I locked eyes with him. Before I could say or do anything I might regret, Liam spoke.
"Isn't it kind of dangerous?" He chimed in.
Stiles broke my stare, "Yeah it's incredibly dangerous, and borderline idiotic."
"Have you guys done something like this before?" Liam looked as if he already knew the answer, and was silently praying for it to not be true.
"Something dangerous or idiotic?" Stiles asked him.
"I think it's a 'yes' to both," I acknowledged Liam and he nodded resignedly.
"You don't have to be a part of it if you don't want to," Scott comforted, but Liam quickly shook his head.
"I'm not scared."
Stiles grabbed his shoulder and winked at him, "Then you're borderline idiotic." He turned back to the rest of us, "If we do this, we don't know what's coming for us. You know that, right?"
"How do we even know something's definitely coming?" Kira requested.
"Because the tape from Garrett's bag said 'visual confirmation required,'" Scott elaborated, and I recalled him saying in passing something about the bag of money.
"Simon said the same thing," I glanced up when Stiles referred to the Chemist that nearly killed him two days ago. "He couldn't get paid by the benefactor until he had proof that you guys were dead."
"So the idea is, what if you kill someone on the dead pool, but you can't send the proof?" I nodded in understanding at Scott's question, realizing where this was headed.
"You don't get paid," I concluded, and Scott nodded at me.
"But how does that get us any closer to the benefactor?" Liam pointed out.
"He still needs to know if the target is really dead," Scott replied.
"Or she," I countered under my breath.
"Especially if it's someone high on the list," Stiles went on.
"So if he wants visual confirmation," Liam started.
"They're gonna have to come get it themself," I finished, and the rest of the group nodded at me. "I still don't understand why we're offering up Scott to die."
"He's not going to die," Kira stated firmly and I had to hold myself back from rolling my eyes.
"Well no, I get that, but why number one on the list? I understand it would have to be someone high up for the benefactor to appear, but why Scott?"
"Whoever we offer up needs to be believably dead," Stiles explained to me and his gaze didn't quite meet my eyes. "The way we're going to do that is a way that only an alpha can survive."
"Which is what way?"
Kira held up her hand, which was now crackling with electricity, "We stop his heart."
My eyes widened considerably, and when the glow emitting from her hand died down, I couldn't help it. I rolled my eyes practically into oblivion.
"You see, had I known about this plan earlier, I definitely could have whipped up some drought or something that was infinitely safer than this plan."
"You didn't talk to us for two days," Scott countered, and my eye twitched.
"Call me stubborn, but I don't think that's my fault. Scott, if we can't restart your heart in a certain time window, you could die."
"That's why we need to work fast."
I shook my head, "We're not doing this without help, right?"
"My mom is going to come and help," Kira explained and I nodded, looking over to Scott.
"And your mom?" I asked him and he scrunched his eyebrows.
"What about my mom?"
I rolled my eyes, "Well when you're dead, they usually notify your immediate family. Your mom is your legal guardian, I think someone will tell her that her only son is dead. You might want to tell her what's going on before she finds out something that isn't actually true."
Scott paused for a moment, "You might be right."
"I'm absolutely right. I don't think we should do this without all the help we can get."
"Well Lydia is up at the lake house looking around for more answers, who else could we get?" Kira asked me.
I pursed my lips, "I definitely think we should talk to Argent. We shouldn't do this without his help."
"But Argent's busy with Kate," Stiles argued back.
"All the more reason to tell him."
Scott looked at me skeptically, "I'm failing to see the point."
"Kate kidnapped and murdered Violet because she wanted information on the benefactor," I huffed. "Don't you think that us luring the benefactor out of hiding might interest her in any way? She's on the list too."
"Yeah, but-"
"You guys have only been expecting that assassins might come after us because of this," I interrupted Stiles impatiently, "What about the list of supernatural creatures that have it out for the benefactor as well? I mean the Walcotts were on the list and they were cannibalistic killers. You're only anticipating half the fight. We need a hunter to anticipate the other half."
Scott looked at the others in thought and I tapped my fingers on the table in impatience.
"She's right," He relented, "Argent should know."
"Well that's settled then," I addressed the group, gathering up my computer, "I'll go and talk to Argent. I'll even help him talk to the benefactor for you guys, and meet you at the hospital."
"I'll go with you," Stiles agreed, and he hastily stuffed his computer back into his backpack. Before I could even begin to argue with him, he was at the front door, walking through it. I sighed and gathered up my things, following after him. I was about to walk out when Scott called for me, and I turned around to face him.
"Do you know how to do this stuff? Contact the benefactor and set up a place for the money to supposedly go?"
I almost smiled, "I've made a wire transfer or two in my life, Scott." His eyebrows shot up and I let out a genuine laugh. "It's how we moved money around for the coven without any outsiders asking questions." He nodded in understanding and I walked outside of his house.
Stiles was sitting in the driver's side of his jeep and he gave me an awkward smile. I rolled my eyes and breezed past his car that was sitting in the driveway and made my way down to my car. I unlocked it and was about to hop in when I heard Stiles open his door.
"We're not taking my jeep?" He asked me, puzzled.
"Your car is blocked by Kira's," I explained and he turned his head to see Kira's car indeed boxing the jeep in. I got in my car without further explanation and started it. Stiles practically ran to the passenger's side, and unfortunately tripped on the curb. He straightened up as if to brush off what just happened and slowly got in the car.
We sat in the car for a minute or so, the tension palpable between us. I was still too upset to want any conversation between us, so I opted for the very mature response of rolling down the windows as I drove off. The wind helped to drown out the silence between us, and it also meant that Stiles would have to yell to be heard. It was a win-win for me.
"So you're not even going to give me a chance to explain myself?" Stiles asked me when we stopped at a red light. I grit my teeth and pulled out my phone. Making sure the bluetooth was connected, I opened Spotify.
"June?" He tried again and I huffed.
"Nope," I replied, and I saw Stiles' face fall a bit. "I'm not really ready to talk to you."
"If you would just hear me out-"
"Well since my baby left me, Well I found a new place to dwell..."
"June-" He tried and I just cranked up Elvis even louder.
"Well it's down on the end of Lonely Street, At Heartbreak Hotel..." Thankfully, the light turned green and the wind picked up again. Stiles sat in silence the rest of the car ride.
"You want to kill Scott?" Argent asked in disbelief.
"We want to lure out the benefactor," I explained, narrowing my eyes at Stiles after his poor explanation, "And by doing so we want to convince everyone around us that Scott is dead. We're not going to kill him."
Argent nodded, "How are you going to do that?"
"Well I would have made a sleeping potion or something that could convince everyone he was dead and do so safely, but we opted to electrocute him and lower his heart rate down to something that is only survivable for an alpha. But that's not the point, the point is we need your help."
"What do you need my help for?"
"Look we know you're busy going after Kate," Stiles reasoned, "But we could really use an extra pair of eyes."
"Plus, Kate might even show up tonight, who knows?" I mentioned, and his tired gaze fell to mine.
"Why would you think that?"
"When we hunted down Kate the last time," I recalled, "She had kidnapped an assassin. She wants to know who the benefactor is as much as we do. What if she or any other kind of supernatural creature on that list catches wind that Undesirable Number One is dead and that the benefactor needs to be present for visual proof?"
"So you don't just need an extra pair of eyes..." He trailed off.
"We need a hunter," Stiles finished, and Argent nodded.
"Okay, where is this taking place?"
"The hospital, we're going to set up a station and watch all the cameras for the benefactor," Stiles further entailed.
Argent crossed his arms and sighed, "I have something that might be able to help speed that up. Give me ten minutes then we'll all go."
"I'm driving," I instructed and Argent nodded, "I don't really like people driving me around."
"I drive you around all the time," Stiles looked at me with a perplexed expression.
"Yeah well, you're different," I mumbled, and his face turned to one of surprise.
"Okay, Melissa understands that there's only forty-five minutes for Scott," Stiles jogged into the room in the hospital basement Argent and I were currently occupying. I set my alarm on my phone for the same amount of time, then turned back to the computer screen I was using.
I typed in a few more things before it came to a familiar screen, "Okay, it's all set up. Remember this IP address in case the benefactor tries to talk to us down the line. All you have to do is type. You're the 'G' which I'm guessing was for Garrett."
Argent took the computer from me and I watched him type out "Scott McCall dead. Payment requested."
"That's your assassin speak?" Stiles asked dubiously.
Argent turned to face him skeptically, "I said he's dead. What more do you want?"
"Well it was a little dry. You could've said something like, 'Target has been neutralized. The crow flies at midnight.' That's always cool."
Argent turned to me, "You're dating him?" Surprised, my eyes widened a bit and I nodded, scratching the back of my neck. I was saved of any response when the computer beeped. We all peered over to see the benefactor's handle appear with a reply.
"Visual confirmation is required."
Stiles eagerly grabbed for the computer at the same time Argent did. Stiles looked back to him, and he gestured to tell Stiles to go on. I rolled my eyes at my boyfriend as he leaned back over my computer.
"Type this," Argent instructed, "'Visual confirmation is not possible. Police coming to claim body in forty minutes.'" Another response came much faster this time around.
"Visual confirmation is required for payment."
Sighing, I looked at Argent, who was very frustrated.
"Type 'Show me the money,'" I suggested before Argent could say anything. Both he and Stiles turned to look at me in annoyance and I blushed, "Sorry, I'm on a Tom Cruise fix."
"Tell him number one on the list is dead. I killed him, and if the wire transfer isn't complete in forty minutes," He grabbed the laptop from Stiles who was frantically typing to keep up with his words. He typed out, "I'm coming after you." Before quitting out of the program.
"What now?" I asked him.
"Go grab Kira and Liam, and head to the room Melissa put aside for you," He told the two of us. "I'm going to the roof, I'll call Stiles when it's all set up." He left without so much as a 'good luck.'
I shut my laptop and tucked it under my arm before heading for the basement doors. I heard Stiles shuffling around behind me, and when I glanced back briefly, he was quickly following behind. We shuffled down the dark hallway that led to the elevators before calling one to our floor. When it arrived, we stepped inside, and were once again drowned by the thick tension.
"June-"
"No."
"No, I just need to know," He stated in a way that kept me silent, "I just - I need to know if you're still my girlfriend."
I raised an eyebrow, "What makes you think I wouldn't be?"
I heard Stiles let out a loud scoff, "Oh, I don't know. Maybe it was the not talking to me for two days, the sending all of my calls to voicemail, drowning me out by means of Elvis Presley... I could go on." This elevator ride was obnoxiously long.
"I don't know what you expected, I'm incredibly furious with you." Out of the corner of my eye I saw him open his mouth, but I beat him to it, "But that doesn't mean I don't still love you."
"Then why-" The elevator doors opened to the fourth floor, and I stepped out. Stiles followed closely by my side, "- Why won't you talk to me?"
I turned to him in a sudden flare of anger, "You mean like how you talked to me? Because you're the master of communication in this relationship? It doesn't feel good when you're significant other won't talk to you about important things, does it?" I continued down the halls in search of the room Melissa mentioned that we could use for this entire operation.
"Well, when you put it like that, I mean-"
"Don't you think," I almost felt a twinge of pity as to how much I had interrupted Stiles, "That if I wanted to rethink our relationship, that I would be justified?"
"If you weren't rethinking this relationship, why are you ignoring me? Why aren't you trying to work this out?"
"Because I am too damn frustrated and hurt to want to try right now. You lied to me, kept something as big as my parents' death warrants under my nose, do you have any idea how that feels?" I saw the room up ahead, and advanced towards it rapidly, hoping that this conversation would finish soon.
"June, there's a reason why I-"
"You have experienced my relationship with my parents firsthand, and yet you still kept them from me. That's not something I can just overlook."
I felt Stiles grab my arm and spin me around to face him, "June, listen to me. I have a reason why I kept it from you, okay?"
"Enlighten me then," I sneered, impatiently tapping my foot. Stiles rubbed at his nose in an irritated manner before opening his mouth.
"I weighed all the pros and cons of this situation before making the choice to not tell you. I did what I thought you would do in this situation."
"You thought I would lie to and keep secrets from you?"
"No, I thought things through. I - I lost sleep over this stuff wondering what you would do."
"And Malia?"
"What about her?" He seemed genuinely confused.
"The fact that you didn't tell her she's adopted? We're trying to help her."
"Telling her that her real father is in fact a serial killer was not going to help her. He's manipulative, and she's curious. He got off scot-free and does whatever he pleases, including worming his little V-neck-wearing self into her mind."
"And what, corrupt her into his devious ways?" I refuted, and Stiles clamped his jaw shut, "You know as well as I do that while she's still learning things, she's far from misguided. Now she's off doing something that might get Peter involved, which could have been prevented had you told her what she was entitled to know in the first place."
"We thought it was best for-"
"Cut the bullshit, Stilinski," I snapped, "You and Scott were keeping secrets you had no business keeping. Those were matters that you didn't get to decide how they played out, and you did so anyway. My parents, while entirely erroneous and horrible as they are, were my parents for seventeen years. You not telling me that they are marked for death means that I can't protect them. And while I don't want them in my life, I don't want them dead either."
"I just thought you would have to go to New York and help there," Stiles confessed.
"And leave you here, in the midst of everyone around us dying? My parents are entirely capable of taking care of themselves, and wouldn't need me to go defend them," I took his silence as submission, "Yeah, you really thought this through. And you know, you were there to hear it for yourself, invitation or not, I'm not technically allowed back in New York."
"I just didn't want to risk you leaving Beacon Hills after everything that's happened between us," He stated quietly, and my patience vanished entirely.
"That is why I am so upset with you, Stiles," I walked away from him and he followed.
"Why then, June? If it's not the secret-keeping, and it's not your parents, then what is it? Why are you so mad?"
"Because I just got you!" I rounded on him, yelling at him just as he uttered the word 'mad.' I blinked away the frustrated tears and walked into the hospital room where Kira and Liam had no doubt been listening in on our argument since the elevators reached the fourth floor.
I threw my laptop on the bed and proceeded to take a seat in the plush recliner in the opposite corner of the room. Stiles trudged in and started moving things around and plugging in wires to all four computers. As he did so, he pulled out his phone from his jean pocket. Upon closer inspection, I could see the screen was lit up with Argent's name.
"I'm here, you ready?" His voice floated over the speakerphone. "Try it now."
Stiles pressed a few buttons on his computer and watched as all four of the laptops laying on the borrowed hospital bed displayed the security camera feeds of the hospital. I saw his face morph into one of satisfaction as well as Kira's and Liam's. Knowing we were now just waiting, I proceeded to pull out my phone and strike up a game of Bejeweled to pass the time while Stiles and company searched for the benefactor to show up.
When I ran out of moves on my fourth game, I exited the app and checked the timer. Scott had about twenty five minutes left to go, and so far there was nothing suspicious about the hospital. I twiddled my thumbs and glanced around the bland hospital room. When my phone buzzed, I was surprised to see Malia's face staring back at me. Opening up my phone, I saw she had texted me something a tad bit alarming.
In the Hale vault with Peter, says he has information on my adoption.
Sighing, I rubbed at my forehead before replying:
Just be careful please.
"Is that supposed to look like that?" I glanced up from my conversation to see Liam pointing at something on a laptop. I sat up straighter to hear what was going on better.
"No, no it's not," Stiles confirmed, forehead creased in worry.
"Where is that?" Kira wondered.
"It's the roof, someone's gonna have to go check it out," Stiles replied. I was ready to volunteer to get away from the tension Stiles practically radiated, but Kira beat me to it.
"I'll go," She explained and we all looked to her.
"Uh, this might not just be a malfunction, okay?" I cautioned and she nodded.
"I know, that's why I brought this," She held up her katana for everyone to see, unsheathing it partially. I sat back and nodded in approval, and she headed to the door.
"I'm coming with you," Liam called out, eyes skirting between Stiles and I in a way that reminiscent of a child not wanting to be in between their parents while they were having a fight. Stiles skirted around the bed and to the middle of the room to call out to the pair.
"Okay, and you're both coming right back. Immediately," When he was met with no response, he sighed, "Kids."
He must have realized that we were again the only two in the room, for his gaze fell upon me once more. His eyes shone with hurt and frustration before blinking back into focus.
"What are you still doing here," He questioned me in a tone that was trying to convey casual. He retreated back into the corner with the computers and locked his gaze on them.
"Liam and Kira are capable of taking care of whatever's going on," I informed him, keeping my own stare fixated on my newly-painted nails, as well as pulling at the strands in my braids to make them appear bigger.
"No, I mean, why are you here with me?"
Not glancing up, I replied, "Because the last time you left my sight under these kinds of circumstances, someone nearly put a bullet in your head. I'm not going to let that happen again."
When he turned to look at me, the strangest feeling overcame me, and I imagined it was close to that of what Lydia must feel when a premonition overtakes her. One second, I was in the hospital room, looking at Stiles as he turned to me, the next I was standing in the main hallway at school.
I heard a bang echo around me, growing louder and louder each time it rang out. Eventually it grew so loud I almost had to cover my ears, until further down the hallway a locker slammed open. As it opened, out toppled Scott McCall, and my eyes widened.
He was quick to get up, as if something at the opposite end of the hallway caught his eye. He traipsed away from me, and I hesitantly followed behind him. I didn't know what was going on, but it felt like impending doom was about to rain down on the high school we were situated in.
"Catch," I flinched, but Scott caught the ball that was thrown our way. Peering around Scott's well-built back, I saw Liam standing at the end of the hall, decked out in full lacrosse gear. The lights started flickering as Liam gave a satisfied smile.
"That's why you're team captain," He complimented, before jogging down the intersecting hall. Scott paced to the corner and I was quickly behind him as we both watched Liam enter an empty classroom. The lights flickered around us again, and the feeling of something horrible arriving tugged at my gut.
"Scott," I whispered in his ear, "Scott, this isn't a good idea."
Scott's head glanced around, his stare going right through me, as if I wasn't there at all to him. He could hear me, but he couldn't see me. He peered down the hallway to where Liam disappeared off to and purposefully headed down it, dropping the lacrosse ball in the process.
My boots were silent as I followed behind Scott and Liam. When I rounded the door into the classroom, I saw Scott hunched over the teacher's desk and looking at a laptop. Peeking just a little over his shoulder when I reached him, I saw the computer spit out a list of three names: The Mute, The Orphans, and The Chemist. Scott's name was the name that broke the cipher.
"I can't do that, I can't kill them," Scott denied quietly.
"Someone has to," I lifted my head up to see Liam on the other side of Scott, all playfulness removed from his features. I sighed and walked to the back of the classroom, pacing anxiously when I saw the lights continue to flicker.
"Why me?" I heard Scott ask him.
"Because you're the alpha."
"You're not a murderer, Scott," I reminded him. Scott's head twitched in my direction in recognition.
"I'm not a murderer," He repeated my words to Liam.
"But you are a predator," Liam countered, and I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion as to why Liam wanted everybody dead.
"No. We're predators... But w-we don't have to-"
"June!" I whirled around to see Stiles grabbing onto my hand.
"Stiles? What - what's going on?"
"June what are you doing? Why are we at the school?"
"I don't know," I responded fearfully, tears gathering in my eyes, "I thought I was supposed to be...?"
"June, we're not even in reality," Stiles explained, "We're at the hospital, remember? We're trying to protect Scott."
My breathing hitched, "But Scott's right there." I turned around to see Scott hunched over the desk and staring at the computer, but that was not what grabbed my attention. Liam was on the floor, and the Mute was standing over him, pulling a tomahawk out of his back.
"Scott!" I screeched, and finally, his attention was on me. He could finally see me.
"June? What are you-"
"Scott, Scott help me," Liam begged from the floor, and the Mute was now looking at Scott, placing a finger where his mouth should be in a silencing motion. I looked frightfully at the Mute, then at Scott, then back to the Mute. His gaze fell on Stiles, and his arm launched backwards.
"No, Stiles!" I shouted, lunging in front of him when I felt a blunt force strike me in my chest. The blow was so strong I fell back into Stiles' arms. Glancing down, I saw the tomahawk lodged in the middle of my chest. My eyes glanced up to Scott's wide ones, and I heard Stiles shout my name before I slipped into a sudden darkness.
I gasped for air before propelling myself out of the hospital chair I where I was seated. I fell onto my knees, clawing at my chest for either air or confirmation that I had no axe protruding from it. My breaths came out in wheezes as I tried to recall what the hell had just happened. I flinched when I felt Stiles' arms encompass me in an effort to stand me up. I pushed him off of me in fear and scrambled to my feet, backing away from him swiftly.
"How did you do that?" I asked him, still breathing heavily.
"Do what? I should be fucking asking you that? What even was that?" His breathing was just as heavy as mine, and his eyes were wide with worry.
"It's - it's a new thing. I told you, I was developing a new ability. Ginny - Ginny and I think it has to do with my empathy and being in Scott's pack. That's why - that's why I was in your dreams a few months ago. It's like, me being in this pack means I'm also able to be in your guys' heads."
"So you're saying we were in Scott's head? That that is what he's seeing right now?" I nodded hesitantly.
"I have to assume. I mean, I don't know anyone else who's having visions of Scott and Liam and the assassins we've gone up against."
"So you can just slip into our thoughts? Or our subconscious because of your empathetic connection to us? You can do that by will?"
"You think what just happened was done willfully?" I argued, "I don't know how that fucking just happened. I also don't have any idea how you were there. I don't know how that's even possible."
"You started spacing, and muttering under your breath. The lights in this room started flickering on and off, and I had to assume it was because of your magic. You kept saying 'Scott, this isn't a good idea.' You weren't here at all."
"Okay," I responded, "But that doesn't explain how you entered Scott's head with me."
"I grabbed your hands when the lights started flickering in here. The - the next thing I know, we're at school, and you have a tomahawk sticking out of you."
"I don't know how you were there merely by contact. I'll have to ask Ginny about it," I murmured, still recalling vividly how it felt to have an axe thrown at me.
"Maybe it's just between the pack," Stiles suggested, "Like how you can only connect yourself to people in Scott's pack, maybe other people can connect with you who are also in Scott's pack."
I sighed, "I am honestly too exhausted with my magic to want to know at this point," I complained, "I'm just gonna write down what happens and let Ginny do all the work."
Suddenly above us, the lights shut off. Sounds of distress outside the room signaled that this power outage wasn't just isolated, it was the entire hospital. We both heard the loud sound that turned on the back-up generators, flooding the room with an eerie green light. Stiles' eyes landed to me, and I threw up my hands in defense.
"I swear to God, I did not do this," I assured and Stiles glanced back over to the computers that were on the bed. His expression grew tense, and I peered around to see the computer screens myself. All four screens displayed static, except for the one in the middle, counting down that Scott had a mere twenty minutes left.
"You're right," Stiles admitted, "You did not do this."
"The benefactor did," I stated, my stomach twisting in knots for my friend down in the morgue.