For once, Stiles found himself sitting perfectly still. The only movement in his body was the steady rise and fall of his chest. His eyes weren't even moving. They were set on a point in between Lydia and Scott, refusing to move. Lydia had just finished explaining what she had seen, and now Scott was doing his best to be positive. "But this is good Stiles, we're one step closer to finding out where he is! Let's get the list, mark off the places he can't be. We can still do this." Scott moved to stand in front of Stiles, trying to catch his eye. "Stiles?"

The boy in the chair blinked, before sighing heavily. Rubbing his face he focused on Scott, studying his friends encouraging expression. He wanted so badly to be encouraged by Scott's attitude, but there was a nagging voice in the back of his head. It's pointless. Stiles told the voice to shut up. He's given up, Stiles. He denied the fact to the voice. He's going to die. What's the point. To his surprise, Lydia answered him. "How can you say that?" Snapping out of his stupor he turned to look at her.

"What?"

Her face was a dangerous cocktail of rage and heartbreak. "How can you even dream of asking what the point of this is? He's your father Stiles! You should be doing everything you can to save him!" Her sudden outburst of anger had shocked him into action. He jumped up, running around the desk to her side. Moving to touch her arm comfortingly, he suddenly thought better, leaving his arms wavering awkwardly in the air around her.

"Shh, Lyds, Lydia, I didn't mean to say that. I- I- Lyds would you just listen for a sec?"

He was saved from her wrath by a highly confused Scott. "Uhh, guys? Sorry but what's going on? I didn't hear anything. Stiles had his mouths closed. He wasn't speaking."

The pair turned to look at him, asking "What?" in unison.

"Stiles, you never said anything. Lydia, how did you do that? How could you hear what he was thinking?"

Stiles and Lydia turned to look at one another once more. Clearly they were both thinking the same thing. Their connection. She must have been able to pick up on his thoughts because of his heightened emotions, or their close proximity, or something. Stiles was the first to speak up. "Wow."

Lydia blinked, "Yeah." They must have been staring at each other for too long, because Scott coughed awkwardly from the side. Lydia spun to face him, clearing her throat before she spoke. "Right, sorry. Ummm, here, I have the list." She moved to the desk and spread it out flat. The three of them crowded round it, studying it intently. "So the place was abandoned, and damp. Near some sort of lake or river, because there was running water outside."

Stiles frowned, "Okay... but the only bodies of water are in the south of Beacon Hills, that doesn't make any sense."

Scott pointed at a small blue line on the map, "What about this, isn't this a river?"

Nodding, Stiles replied, "Yeah, that's the one where Theo's sister died. But there aren't any abandoned buildings around there that I can see." He looked at Lydia who had been silent the entire time. He was getting a weird vibe off of her. It felt as though he could hear an idea forming in her head. "Lyds? What is it?"

She glanced up at him, biting her lip when she met his gaze. "I think, I think that we were underground. So what if the place is like a bunker, or a basement, and not a building at all."

Scott spoke up, "That does make sense. Liam said he lost the scent after crossing a little river, which is probably this one. The only reason I can think as to why he wouldn't pick it up on the other side, would be because they went along the river, or inside it." Once he had finished his statement he looked between his friends, waiting for their response.

Rubbing his chin, with his other arm folder across his chest, Stiles scrutinised the theory, "So your saying that the just disappeared inside the river, into some sort of secret underground bunker?"

"Well... when you say it like that it sounds stupid, look Stiles, I'm just trying to help." Scott was holding up his hands, trying to keep his friend calm.

Before Stiles could reply, his phone buzzed in his pocket. It caused all three of them to jump. He quickly reached down and pulled it out of his pocket, looking at the caller ID on the screen. "Malia". Stiles looked up at Scott before running out of the room, answering the phone as he did so. "Malia? Malia what the hell is going on?"

He was met with frantic breathing, and a quiet voice. "Stiles? Stiles please don't be mad. I messed up."

"Malia, calm down. Where are you?"

"Stiles, I was wrong about these people, about my mother."

"Would you tell me what's going on?"

"I messed up so bad," she sounded as though she were on the verge of tears, her voice nothing more than a quaking whisper, "these people are insane."

"Well tell me where you are then, and I'll come get you."

"No! You don't get it. Me even calling you is putting you in danger. Oh Stiles please don't hate me."

His heart was growing heavier with each word she said. "Hate you? Why would I hate you? Malia, what did you do?"

There was a deep breath on the other end of the phone. After a moment, her voice returned, stronger than before. "I- I made a deal with the Dread Doctors. They're going to leave you and me, the whole pack out of what they're doing."

It sounded too good to be true. "Well, hold on, what's the catch?"

"Stiles," she was back to whispering, "they want me to kill your dad."

His throat tightened up and he found it difficult to breathe. "No, no deal. We'll just handle them when we get there. Tell me where you are and I'll bring the whole pack. Both of you are getting out alive."

"You don't understand. I've already agreed. And I can't go back on what I said or they'll kill me. Stiles, I have to do it. Please understand."

Now he was shouting, not caring that the officers were staring at him through the windows of the building. "Malia no! Tell me where you are. I'm getting in the Jeep right now. Where the hell are you?!" There was silence on the phone. "MALIA!"

"Alright! Okay, we're in the basement underneath where the Hale house used to be. The entrance is by the bridge over a little river."

"Okay, yeah, I know where that is. I'll be right there. Malia, promise me you won't do anything until I get there."

"Stiles I have to go." She hung up.

He stared at his phone, shouting her name over and over, until he eventually gave up. Wasting no more time, he jumped into the Jeep and started it up. He thought about getting Scott and Lydia, but there was no time. It was like he could feel his dad's life slipping away. Shaking his head, he pulled out onto the road and sped off toward the forest. He was hitting the wheel, begging the old machine to move faster. Beating frantically in his chest, his heart urged him onwards. He had to get there in time. He would. He would save his dad and worry about Malia when he got there. That was the plan. Taking steadying breaths, he began to feel slightly more at ease, focusing more on his driving. He was just approaching a particularly tight corner when he heard it. The sound consumed every part of him, echoing in the jeep, in his head, even in his lungs. It filled his entire being and completely disabled him for a few moments.

Lydia's scream.

His eyes were screwed shut and he jerked at the sound, swerving the wheel. The jeep flew off the road, hitting a large boulder before flipping, landing with a crunch on its roof. Stiles hadn't put on his seatbelt in the rush, and was thrown out of the side window. He lay sprawled unconscious face up on the ground, still half inside the car. A trickle of blood ran from his forehead as a fire stared in the debris around him.