Chapter 27

Liam:

"Water and crackers on the table." The guard who escorted me to my cell/room said as he shoved me into the tiny room, slamming the door closed before disappearing down the hall.

I was wrung out after having test and labs run on me by no other than Simon himself. When I finally woke up after being drugged and kidnapped, I'm starting to think this is a running theme in my group, I was strapped to a table. I just knew it had to be the same table Theo or Corey had been strapped too.

Looking around the room I saw there were two beds and one of them was occupied. His eyes were closed as if sleeping. But I didn't need to see his eyes to know who he was. He was smaller in body type but just as tall. Curly dark brown hair. Just like the picture. There was a blood-soaked bandage on his stomach.

"Corey." I whispered, trying to keep my voice low, going to his side and shaking him gently. At first he didn't respond so I shook him again, calling his name again. He groaned loudly and tried to move causing him to cry out in pain.

"Sshh… don't move." I said, gently holding him to the bed.

"Theo." He murmured.

"No, it's Liam. What happened to you?"

"Liam?" he turned to look at me, I nodded. "Kate caught me as I was trying to get out. I think she heard my heartbeat and made a wild grasp."

"Did she hurt you?"

"No, Gerard. I broke Kate's hold and turned to run, and he was right there. Stabbed me. Where am I?"

"Some kind of holding cell."

"How did you get here?" he asked.

"Hunters caught me outside of the school. Shot me with a couple of darts."

"Is Theo here? Is he okay?" he asked, panicked.

"No, he's not here. And… I don't know if he's okay. I heard gunshots inside the school before I blacked out." I admitted, swallowing hard, feeling the sting in my eyes.

"What? No?" He said trying to sit up, hissing he fell back again.

"Stay still." I said, looking over the bandage that seems even bloodier. "Are you not healing?"

"I don't know. It hurts too much to tell." He moaned. Gripping his hand, I ciphered some of his pain from him and he sighed in relief. "Thanks. That helps."

"It's the least I can do since I have no idea how we can get out of here."

Corey reached over and gripped my arm tightly.

"It's a trap." He said strongly but low.

"What's a trap?"

"The kid that they sent, Gabe. They expect him to get caught. They expected Scott or someone to read his mind. I don't know what exactly they have planned but I know that getting Scott out of the picture is their main goal right now."

"So that's why they want me. To lead Scott straight to them. But I thought they were after Theo for something."

"So did I. I'm starting to think not so much anymore. I mean I am sure Simon wants him back for something and Kate just wants revenge for him getting away from her. But I don't think he's a priority for them."

"Kate's whole persona seems to revolve around some supposed revenge it seems."

"Did Theo finish that book? The one I snuck into his bag. Did he finish reading it?" he asked. I was already shaking my head.

"No, he didn't get a chance. He said it was giving him headaches. But he knows he needs to, that it will help him with his memory."

"Yes. He needs to finish that book, as soon as possible."

"What is it you are hoping he remembers?"

"What they did to him, or what they tried to do to him."

"Who?"

"The Dread Doctors." He said in resignation.

"So, they are still alive." I nodded.

"Yes. Listen because I don't think we have much time." He said pulling me even closer.

"Time for what?"

"Just… Valack, the guy who wrote that book, he's not at Eichen House."

"He escaped?" I asked, wondering how the hell that was even possible.

"More like he just walked out. He can give off the illusion of being someone else. He can appear as a whole other person."

"Wait if he can make himself or make people see him as anyone else then he could be anyone, anywhere?"

"Yes. But right now, he's posing as a scientist working for Gerard and Kate. Has been for years now, ever since Theo and I were taken from Beacon Hills."

Realization dawned on me as I recalled a brief conversation with Simon right before the testing started. The one time I couldn't keep my mouth shut, he had said something about me knowing his son on a more personal level and I yelled at him that he didn't have a son. That he never cared about them only his wife did. He had mistakenly called her the wrong name. I thought it was odd but didn't question him about it.

"Uh, okay. Wow. But why?"

"Gerard. He has grand delusions for… something. I am not completely sure. But he is using Simon to use the dread doctors to get what he wants." He sighs, laying back.

"Okay, I'm not sure how to get that information to everyone. I pretty sure I am not going to be free to go."

"I'm hoping that their plan for you works in our favor."

"What is their plan for me?"

"I really don't know. I just know that they expect Theo to come for me. But they expect Scott to come for you."

"Here? But if they set a trap here and they expected him to read that from Gabe then what would be the point?"

"Yeah I don't think they are keeping you here. I don't even know if they are keeping me here. They might just take us to Kate's lair or something."

"SHE HAS A LAIR?" I yelled.

"Sshh…" he said. I winced listening to make sure no one was coming. My senses still weren't back to where they needed to be yet, but I heard nothing.

"Sorry, but I can't believe she actually has a lair." I sighed, then was confused. "Wait, why her lair?" I asked.

"Because…" Her voice cut in. I turned to see an old man and Kate stopped in front of the cell door. Yeah my senses suck so badly right now. "You're going to do a little favor for us."

"Hello Liam, I've been looking forward to meeting you." he said, smiling, benignly. I may not see the family resemblance, since she was half shifted and seemed unable to shift back, but I knew who it was anyway.

"Wish I could say the same. But I honestly could have lived my whole life without knowing or ever meeting you." I told him. I shielded Corey as much as I could, keeping him somewhat behind me.

"Oh, so you have heard of me."

"More then I care too. You and your crazy daughter."

Kate growled and he held up a hand to halt her.

"What exactly have you heard?"

"Enough." I said simply.

Gerard chuckled.

"What exactly do you want? I'm busy at the moment." I said. My hand holding Corey's visible for him to see.

"Ah, so I see you were able to tap into that little skill." He nodded.

"It's easy to do… when you learn control." I said, looking right at Kate, who even now was struggling. Her eyes were continuously flashing from blue to green and I physically see her skin crawling. Gerard looked at her and gave a slow nod, his frown deepening.

"Theo's still alive." He said, looking back at us. My heart stuttered and Corey gasped behind me. I gripped his hand tighter. "And so is your friend. They made it out."

I said nothing else. There was a reason he was telling me about Mason and Theo surviving.

"What if I can guarantee their safety from me?" he asked, studying me. "All I need is your cooperation in something, and I will spare them."

Spare? I didn't believe him for a second. I may not be able to physically tell if he's lying but I have heard enough about him to not trust a word out of his mouth.

"I trust your promise about as much as I trust her sanity."

He laughed again while Kate growled at me, fully shifting, and leaping forward, slamming into the bars.

"Wow, is her control really still that bad?" I asked.

"More than it should be, by now." He sighed. "So, I take it that's a no, even for your friend's lives. I thought you valued them more than that."

"Go to hell." I spat.

"Oh, I'm sure I'm on my way. But no time soon." he smiled, turning to leave.

Theo:

Sitting on the couch in Lydia's living room I scrolled through pictures on my phone. There were too few of me and my brother or just my brother alone, but there were a lot of me and Liam. Some I took, some he took and sent to me and a few others, Mason, and Doc, took and sent them to us. Mason called us relationship goals. I rolled my eyes when he said that. With all the drama that has surrounded us, I couldn't see it.

Almost all of us were gathered, we were just waiting for Derek, Stiles, and Malia to get here with Satomi's pack. Scott, recovered from the shock of being disconnected from his beta, was watching Lydia pace across the living room. Isaac was standing right next to him, leaning stoically against the wall, his arms around Allison. It was the first time he didn't really seem to notice or pay attention to Argent who was off to the side with Peter, talking quietly.

Braeden was talking to Parrish and Mr. S.. I didn't even know he was coming. Doc and Mason were sitting next to me on the couch. Doc was still looking sick but was holding up. Mason was staring off into space.

The mood was as serious and somber as it could be, and I was slowly losing my mind. Though I had calmed down from earlier I couldn't, not think of what would happen if… I couldn't lose them, either of them. But I was terrified that I would lose at least one. I know Lydia said that we could save them both but that really just seemed like a pipe dream or fairytale that we would get a happily ever after in this situation.

Not able to sit there any longer, waiting, hoping, and praying that we could pull whatever it was we were going to do off, I got up and bypassed the glances thrown my way and made my way to the backyard. Taking a seat on the same seat Liam and I sat on right before we decided to give us a chance, I just went over every moment in my mind.

"I went through the same thing last year when Lydia was taken." Scott said from behind me. I glanced up at him minimally before staring back at the empty fire pit. "I was so close but still too far away to do anything, to help her. No matter how vigilant I had been, all of us really, I couldn't stop her from being taken."

"Did you panic?" I asked him. He took a seat next to me and sighed.

"In a way. I think Liam told you about the time I… went true alpha on everyone." He snorted. I huffed a laugh remembering Liam explaining what had happened. "I was ready to tear this entire town to pieces. All I could think about was the fact that my mate was taken from me, was in danger. And I couldn't help but feel as if I would not be able to get to her in time. That I would lose her."

"Yeah." I whispered.

"In a way, I know what you are feeling. It's different for you because you have two people that you are worried sick about losing. But ultimately it's the same feeling. You trust Lydia and her vision but it's hard for you to fathom that we will actually be able to save them both."

"I don't want to doubt her. But…"

"I know. It is a hope that you don't want to put too much stock into. but I know we can do this. We can find them both and we can save them." he said with so much conviction that it was hard to not trust him.

"I keep thinking that I should have been there. I should have been with him. Maybe if I had I could have prevented this. I could have done something."

"It took a lot of talking with Derek and Lydia after her car accident and her kidnapping to see that it wasn't my fault. That unfortunately I can't be there all the time and I also can't wrap her in bubble wrap." He chuckled. I smiled.

"Yeah, Liam keeps threatening to do that to me. I don't blame him; I seem to be a magnet for stabby things and bullets. Maybe we can get a matching set." I sighed. He laughed clapping me on the shoulder. "If I lose him it will kill me. I can't…"

"Don't lose hope, we'll get them both. You won't lose either of them."

I took a deep breath, trying to do as he said.

'Come on, I hear the others pulling up. Let's get this meeting over with so we can head out."

Nodding I got up and followed him back into the house.