Chapter 28

Theo:

Scott and I made it back inside just as the front door opened. Derek came in, followed by Malia, Stiles and ten other people. I recognized Brett and Lori but the others I didn't know. Brett and Lori made their way over to me, Lori giving me a hug and Brett a squeeze of the shoulder. I tried to smile at them but didn't quit succeed.

"Scott. It is good to finally meet you in person. Though I am saddened that it has to be under these circumstances." A small woman said, walking straight up to him.

"Same Satomi. Thank you so much for coming and helping." He said, shaking her proffered hand.

"It is our honor. Thanks to your pack and Corey, a few of mine were saved. Let's figure out a plan so we can bring yours back home." She said. He nodded taking a deep breath.

"Okay." He said reaching for Lydia and pulling her to his side. Everyone sat up straighter. "Peter, did you get anything from Hardgrove?"

"Not anything that would help with this, no. Hardgrove was mostly just stationed here to keep an eye on things and report back to Gerard or Kate with any findings of supernatural activity. It is important some of the things I saw but not at this moment. He has been keeping track of all of us. He has information on every single member of your pack and all known associates."

"So, something for us to discuss after we deal with this."

Peter nodded.

"Okay. Lydia?" Scott looked down at her. She nodded and took a deep breath.

"I was able to see a bit more after we all left, using some of the tips that Peter used early to help me." she said giving him a tentative smile which he returned. "For a brief moment I saw Liam with Corey in the same room or cell."

"You did? Were they okay?" I asked, holding my breath.

"Yes and no. Liam looked rough, but I don't think he was physically hurt, kind of like he was weak and tired." She grimaced.

"Corey?"

"He… had an injury. But I think Liam was helping him. I think he was taking his pain so he could heal better."

My fist clenched thinking of them hurting my brother.

"Gerard and Kate were both there. I think Gerard told him that you and Mason are okay because he tried to get Liam to agree to do something in order to spare you and Mason."

"To do what?"

"I'm not completely sure…" she stopped looking worriedly up at Scott.

"They want him to agree to kill me." Scott knowingly finished.

"No. Liam would never." I said shaking my head. "He could never do that."

"No, he wouldn't. I didn't hear if he agreed or not, but we know he would never do something like that." Lydia went on. "I couldn't hear everything just bits and pieces. But there is more to this then just taking out Scott." Her voice cracked at the end and Scott hugged her tighter.

"But why? Why Liam?"

"Because Liam is Scott's only beta." Satomi explained.

"I don't un-." I started but Scott shook his head.

"That's a topic for another day. Right now, we just need to get him back."

'Right. So, the plan is still to split them up. Corey is going to be at the facility, and they are taking Liam to La Iglesias." Lydia said.

"So, what's our plan?" Allison asked.

"I spoke to the Calaveras; they are going to meet whoever is going at La Iglesias. We just need to let them know when we are close by, and we need to decide who goes where."

"Theo needs to go with whoever is going to get Liam and Mason needs to go with whoever is going after Corey."

"Wait, me? Why?" Mason asked, shocked, and confused. I was torn I did want to be the one to help Liam but I also wanted to be there for my brother.

"I have a strong feeling that they both need to be in those places, I don't know why but it's important."

Everyone nodded, not wanting to go against the banshee.

"Satomi, I don't want to split up your pack and I definitely don't want to put them in direct contact with another hunter group even if they are helping. So, would you all mind taking the facility to get Corey? I hope not but there may be other shifters there that need help. You all would be better equipped to help them."

"Yes, absolutely." She agreed.

"Okay, so in that group with Satomi's pack is Mason, of course, Stiles, Malia, Peter, and the sheriff . Mom, Lydia, you go with them as well. You two please stay outside, out of the line of fire. Try to triage any that may need medical attention. Malia, you, Brett, Lori and… I'm sorry what's your name?" Scott asked the youngest of Satomi's pack.

"Rose." She answered in a soft voice.

"okay, Rose. You all catch any that try to escape, stay together and be careful. Stiles, you're on guard duty for Lydia and my mom and any that may be sent to them for medical help." Scott said.

"I would like to volunteer to be on guard/medical duty with Stiles if I may. I have experience." One of Satomi's said, raising their hands.

"Are you sure…" Scott looked at him.

"It's Will and yes. I'm a general physician by trade."

"Thank you, that would be great."

Will nodded.

"The rest of us are going to La Iglesias. I don't for sure know what they are planning for Liam, but I can guess. Theo, you, and Derek are with me. We find Liam. Allison, Isaac, and Argent cover us but be on the lookout for berserkers. Argent I am leaving Kate up to you and the Calaveras. I'm sure they have their own plan of action when it comes to Kate and the berserkers. You can coordinate with them on that. Doc, you need to stay outside near the cars. I don't want you to get hurt. I will do everything I can to get Liam out of there. Parrish and Braeden you're with him but also look out. Anything or anyone that is not human, or a part of our group comes your way, you blow their asses straight to hell."

Braeden gave him the evilest smile she could muster and nodded.

"Between the Argents and Braeden, we have plenty of weapons. If you need one or think you need one then please use one. Better safe than sorry. Everybody good with this?" he asked looking around.

Everyone nodded.

"Good. Let's go get our people back." he said, his eyes flashing red.

Liam:

I sat in back of a van with Kate, two armed hunters that rode in back with us and one driving. Corey wasn't fully healed before I was taken away, but he said he would be fine and gave me a determined and encouraging smile. I don't think either of us expected to make it out of this alive.

I'm sure by now that my friends have figured out where we are, well at least where the facility is, and they may already be heading there. But if Scott did what Gerard wanted him to do on Gabe, which I seriously hope was as painful as possible, then he's smart enough to figure out it's a trap. He and the rest would have come up with a plan by now. As much as I trusted my friends this didn't seem like a battle they could win.

I wondered how much Gerard and Kate knew about our group. Did they know about Parrish being a hellhound, well a speculated hellhound. Did they know about Lydia being a banshee. I still wasn't sure what all that meant. But I do know she got feelings and premonitions. Was it too much to hope that she got one this time as well? Since this whole thing revolved around getting to Scott, her mate, I would assume she would see something in relation to it all. Would she be able to get enough information with her power for it to be helpful? God I hope so.

"You look deep in thought. Trying to figure out how to get out of this?" Kate asked. I eyed her but kept quiet. "Let me save you some wasted time, there is no way out of this."

I sighed.

"It's almost poetic what's about to happen. Scott's downfall at the hands of his own beta. A monster that he created, that he considered a friend." she asked tilting her head and smiling.

I snorted, shaking my head. I really should have known that was the plan. They want me to kill Scott. How they think I will accomplish that I don't know. They know by now what he is. Do they honestly think I could beat him in a fight?

"How does it feel knowing that you are going to be the reason he dies? That his blood is going to be on your hands."

The thought of it made me sick to my stomach by I kept my expression as neutral as I could manage.

"Makes you sick, doesn't it? Knowing that it will be by your own hand. Knowing that you took a life. That you will no longer be innocent." She sang the last word. She was like the school yard bully taunting and trying to provoke a reaction. Remembering what Stiles said happen when Kate visited him while he was caged and wondered if that would work now.

"Did it make you feel sick when you took innocent lives. Some of them being children and humans when you set them on fire. Were you even remotely bothered by that?" I asked in return. She smiled, seeming unfazed.

"Wait, I forgot psychopaths don't really feel things like remorse or guilt. What about how you felt when Peter practically ripped your throat out. Right in front of your niece, who I hear you were actually close to at one point. You know I heard she never thought of you the same way after she found out what you did. But then I think her feelings for you started to change when you held Scott at gun point that same night. That couldn't have felt good, right?"

Her smile started to drop as she looked at me.

"You know she and Argent know all about how you kidnapped Cora, a nine-year-old little girl, delivering her to your father and how you both had a hand in ripping her heart out. You really should have seen the look of disgust on both their faces when they heard that piece of news. It was a vast difference to when she told us how much she use to idolize you. How she thought of you as a sister until she realized how crazy you actually are. Does that provoke any kind of feeling in you at all or does she no longer matter to you?" I asked her.

She snarled and shifted trying to throw herself at me but was stopped by the hunters that were there.

"You should really work on those control issues. I've been a shifter for a lot less time then you and I have I.E.D. and still I can control myself better than that."

"You know you're not coming out of this alive."

"Never thought I was." I told her, rolling my eyes.

"You don't seem worried about that."

"What good would it do? I feel bad for my family and friends that I will leave behind, but I also know that eventually you will get what is coming to you. As much as I wish I could be there to witness it, I know Karma can be a real bitch and it always catches up to someone."

"You are so sure that karma is coming after me and not Scott."

"Oh my God, you have a real obsession with Scott. Do you have a crush or something? Were you jealous of the fact that he dated your niece? is that why you hate him so much? I don't get it. Because this sounds a lot like the monster's version of pulling ponytails."

"He ruined my life and my fathers."

"No, you ruined your life, and your father did the same to his own. Scott didn't even know you before you came to town. He wasn't even a wolf until like a week or so before you got to town. He didn't kill you, Peter did." I reminded her. "as for your father. He threatened Allison's life and Scott's mother. What? Did you think he would just take that sitting down? Your father beat up a human kid as a message to Scott, just because they happen to be friends. Your father drowned another kid so he could have control over a supernatural creature that he then used as a weapon to force Scott's hand to get Derek to bite him so he could beat cancer." I told her. she sneered. The hunters who I didn't think was paying attention to us looked shocked at what I was saying. I guess they didn't know that particular history.

"You and your father only want Scott out of the way because he outsmarted you, every single time. This plan of yours, whatever it is, may or may not work. But it won't make either of you any less stupid then you were before all of this." I told her then laughed.

"You know what's really funny? If, after you shifted, you had come back to Beacon Hills and went to him, he probably would have helped you. Not because he cares at all for you but because he cares about Allison, and he knew how much you meant to her. But you screwed that up when you supplied Greenberg with those bullets and almost got Lydia taken and Stiles and I killed in the process. If there is one solid thing about Scott is that he will do anything to protect the people he cares about. But your so blinded by a hatred that honestly isn't even yours that you can't even see that." I said shaking my head.

"So, what did he do to protect you, since you are right here in front of me?"

"He has already saved my life on more than one occasion. He's always gone out of his way to be there not just for me but for all of us. But even he can't be everywhere at once and he can't always protect everyone even though he tries his hardest. I don't know what it is that makes you think he's superman or some all-powerful being, but he's only 17 and despite being a wolf he's only human. Just because he's an alpha doesn't mean he's infallible. He may not be able to save me, but I would never fault him for that. My death will never be his fault. You think his blood will be on my hands? No, my blood, his blood, and every other innocent person you have and will kill, along with your father, will always be on your hands. I would ask if you feel bad about that, but we have already established you don't have feelings."

Sighing, I sat back and closed my eyes. I hope we get there soon. Not that I am in a rush to do whatever it is they have planned but because I was tired of being in her space. The quiet stretched on, and I was not inclined to break it. my mind was back to wondering about my family and friends, Corey, and Theo. I missed him and I hoped Gerard was telling the truth and he was okay. well as okay as he could be with this happening. I know he was going out of his mind with worry.

I felt the van slow to a stop and finally opened my eyes. The back doors opened and standing just outside of them were two berserkers. Dread started to fill me knowing what was coming. Taking a deep breath, I climbed out behind Kate.

"Well, let's get this over with." I said.

"If you are trying to pretend you're not scared, it's not working. I can hear your heartbeat, remember?"

"At least it sounds better than the bullshit you've been spouting."

Growling, she gripped my arm, and marched me into the decrepit, old building. The berserkers followed behind us as I heard the van speed off again. Inside was no better than the outside. The walls were crumbling and there was broken pieces of furniture all around. We went through one of the many carved out doorways down a long tunnel that slopped downward and exited to another large, cavernous room that had animal bones littering the floor. There were a few different exits spread around and on a wall further away, there was a symbol drawn. I had no clue what it was, but it was the only thing that looked well maintained.

"Get him on the slab." She directed, letting me go, only for me to be grabbed up by the berserkers and put on a large stone slab in the center of the room. They both held me down as Kate went somewhere out of my view.

"Tell me, Liam… they ever teach you the myth of Artemis and Actaeon in school?" she said coming back with a bone mask in her hands.

"Yes." I admitted watching her closer, feeling panic set in.

"They did. hmm… interesting. But let me go over it again in case you missed something. Artemis was a goddess, and Actaeon was a hunter that happened to see Artemis bathing naked one day. This did not make the goddess too happy. In fact, she was so angry, Artemis turned Actaeon into a deer." She smirked, standing just over my head. "I think the deer is too mild for you. it's not fierce enough for what we need you to do. So, I chose this one especially for you. Hope you're not claustrophobic." She said as she placed the bones of a lion over my head.