Chapter 44
Part 3 - updated 06/21/2023
Part 1 - added 05/21/2023
Riley is banging on the door. Questions were asked. Warnings were given. Blake would've used the gun to blow out the door locks if CJ didn't warn her it might alert the neighbors. This is a big house surrounded by acres of land but still, there's no need to use a gun. All Lucy needs is the right person to get her to listen. Apparently, Lucy found Brie's reason more persuasive. Hope needs Doc is a good reason but it doesn't look like Lucy opened the door for that reason. What happened? The last time Lucy got this angry is when she found out what Jehan did.
"Put it down." Amy said while standing in front of Blake to let her know she's disappointed with her choice since Blake is pointing the gun at Lucy and unwilling to leave the room until Doc told her too. There's no need for CJ or anyone else to be here either but there must be a reason for Lucy to allow Brie to stay. Door is now locked. Lucy still won't put the gun down. Instead of explaining, she just asked Doc to which is odd since Doc is looking like she's too tired to speak or has no intention to as if she knows that Lucy wouldn't kill her. Lucy might not but she might just hit her with the gun after she runs out of patience so it's time to interrupt before she does. "Babe, tell me. Tell me what happened." Honey would work too. There's no need to say anymore. She's listening but there's something wrong with her.
"She did this. She made her sick. Shee…killed Brooke."
Whaaat? Those aren't the same 3 words but the tone and her behavior now brought back memories. Ohh Lucyyy. It wasn't because of Jehan. It's because Lucy did the same thing years ago, pointing a gun at the one whom she thought killed her lover. She's not crying here. She's not injured here. But just like that night, she's furious and she has no proof. This is what happens when she didn't get all the information. One assumption leads to another. It's because she heard about Blake's incident. Now she thinks Doc is not only experimenting on the comatose patients but also transforming them into spies like Blake to work for her. It's because she heard about the guy in the hospital. Now she thinks he was trying to kill Doc because he remembered what Doc did to him. As possible as that may seem, that's not true. His last words only prove that he could be one of her patients which Doc didn't deny that he could be and her explanation for his behavior makes sense. It's because drugs affect people differently. In his case, it affected him physically and mentally with and without it. It's unfortunate but that can happen. Finding a cure takes years of trial and error and not just on mice and animals. Testing on patients is necessary but this doesn't prove Doc experimented on Brooke without her consent. Maybe Brooke sought treatment but it didn't work. Her illness might have been a side effect of the treatment or it might not have anything to do with Doc. She's not denying it but she's not admitting to it either. She's looking like she's tired of defending herself more than afraid of being shot since Lucy's explanation is getting more and more ridiculous. The key holds information of the transformation process and everyone who's involved including the patients? That's why the billionaire wants it? Which billionaire? Brooke stole the key from Doc? Doc works for the Russians? The government is involved? Which government? This government? It did seem that way but according to Doc, this government isn't as smart as the Russians and now that the information has been leaked and a new administration will be moving in, it's possible the loser wants a piece of it. It's possible Max was killed because she found proof of his collusion with the Russians, not because of this. It's possible Lucy just realized this because she didn't mention this before and she's clearly not thinking straight.
"Is that what she told you?" Amy regretted asking after getting a very furious response from Lucy and because Lucy has a point. Doc knows hypnosis. Lucy couldn't remember she was put under hypnosis when she was at the house in Molokai so it's possible Doc did the same to Brooke. But if she did, then why doesn't she know where the key is?
"Jack's involved, isn't he? Does he know what you did to her?"
Jack? Why does she still think Jack is alive?
"It's easier to blame someone else, isn't it?"
What is she doing? Anyone in her situation would be denying it or make up a lie, not put the blame on the one with the gun.
"Brooke, Max, Hope, I can understand why you won't help Hope. But what if…it happened to her?"
Her? There's no misunderstanding. She's looking at Brie. Why? Why would she think she can use Brie to threaten Lucy? It worked if her intention is to get Lucy more upset. How is saying 'Don't you fucking touch her' going to work? She must not had coffee yet since she just asked another illogical question. Why does she think Doc already did something to Brie? She's standing right here, looking confused but normal.
"I am not the monster you think I am. I'm not the one who left Hope without making sure she's truly dead."
Ohh. She knows? For whatever reason, Doc previously denied knowing who Will is. This proves she does. How much does she know? Why is she mentioning this now? This isn't going to change Lucy's mind. This is making Lucy very upset because Brie wants to know what happened.
"I saved her. No one else was able to. I gave her a second chance…"
Not again. Amy didn't interrupt this time since Doc's intention just became a little clearer. Lucy won't do it for Hope. It's now clear that Lucy wouldn't do it for Max either if she were still alive and she's no longer letting Doc say anymore by grabbing her throat from behind and now accusing her of killing Max too.
"She's stalling. Get the cars ready. Go get Hope. Go!"
Stalling for what? Hope is still in a coma. Moving Hope again will do more harm than good. No. The word didn't come out fast enough. Lucy wouldn't have listened anyway. She's no longer holding a gun but it wouldn't be a good idea to try to hold her back at this moment since it could cause an accident. The gun wasn't effective but the swiss knife against Doc's face is. Doc didn't continue calling Lucy selfish but what does she mean Max could still be alive? What does she mean Hope said she saw Max?
"She's lying."
It does seem that way. Why didn't she say she has people looking for Max until now?
"One more lie, you'll know how this feels. Tell me what you drugged me with. Is it the same stuff you gave Brooke?"
Whaat? Amy was about to interrupt again until she heard the scream. There was no way to know. The windows are all shut. Now two windows are broken. Lucy is hurt.
"Get down! Get away from the windows!" Amy said to Blake who just barged in. Did she think the scream came from Doc? She must have since she's still pointing the gun at Lucy. "It came from outside." Amy said again while wondering if Lucy might be right about Blake since Blake isn't doing what she should be doing. She's still here, protecting Doc instead of going outside like CJ and Jake just did. Whatever Lucy got hit with, the injury on the arm doesn't seem to be serious since she's looking more furious than before and has the strength to move quickly towards the windows to take a peep outside after closing the curtains, then crawled back to look at Brie. No blood can be seen but it must be painful. Tears can be seen but that's not just a look of pain. She looks annoyed with Lucy touching her wounded back. What is she doing? Did she forget she's still in a male disguise?
She didn't and she didn't forget what she was doing to Doc either after getting downstairs to a safer place with no windows. ZJ doesn't know what happened five minutes ago but must be thinking that Lucy is right since she never wanted to be here. But just because Doc is capable, it doesn't mean she planned this since she's not the only one who wants the key. It could be Petrie who might have suggested to call the cops but that doesn't prove she's not involved. It could be Aria whose look of worry could be just a pretense. They're all looking suspiciously quiet especially Adalyn. Where was she when the shots were fired? She wasn't in the bedroom like others were. She wasn't in the kitchen or the basement so where did she came from?
"There's a van outside." Jake said.
It's a cable van just like the note said. Now it's looking very possible that they've been here before. This house could be bugged. If not inside, then most likely, the outside has been tampered with. If Doc is unaware, then that could mean it's done when she's not here or it's done by one of her own. The question is who's the spy. Now is not the time to find out since Lucy is moving again. "Where're you goin?"
"You have any suggestions?"
It must be the lack of sleep and caffeine. She's not even bothering to lie about it. "They could be bluffing." Amy grabbed hold of Lucy's forearm since she expected Lucy to say more not walk away. "We can all get into the van. You distract them. Then we'll send in the helicopters and trucks. You get inside one of those cars. We'll all drive away from here." If the driveway wasn't blocked by multiple cars, escape would be easier. It's not going to be a smooth ride with all that snow but the driveway is fairly clean and the size of the garage will be big enough to get away from this house.
"They're listening."
"You don't know that." Amy expected Lucy to know that so she's not sure why Lucy is giving up so soon. A deadline is given. The warning is clear. So is the demand but it doesn't mean they can just blow up this house. "Let's just-"
Gasps could be heard. Amy didn't continue since she just realized Lucy might be right. The lights just went out and according to Jake who's on the other end of the phone, Rocko almost got hit when he tried to exit out of the garage side door. The electricity is out in the garage too. Hope doesn't need a ventilator but the sudden outage must have frightened Brie to the point where she had to come out of Hope's room to find out what happened.
No words would be able to comfort Brie so Lucy didn't try. "I'm coming out. You don't have to do this." Lucy said even though she's not sure if those outside could hear. This house is too big to look for listening devices. They could be anywhere.
"I'm going with you."
She's willing to die with me but she's not willing to forgive me. How does this even make sense? Amy sometimes doesn't. "What good would that do?" Lucy said, then realized Amy didn't mean it after getting a whisper into her ear. What makes her think the basement would hold? The basement is used to hide from tornadoes not explosions. This place has a gas line. "All they want is the key. I don't know where it is. Once they find out they've been lied to, I'll work with them to find it. They're not going to kill me."
Lucy's intention is understood but even if they are listening, it doesn't mean they'll believe it. Amy pulled Lucy away since a private conversation is needed. The closet would be a good place but Lucy is unwilling and being her old bossy self.
"They might not kill you but they're going to torture you. Then after they find out you're telling the truth, what do you think they're going to do after that?" Amy deliberately said loudly, hoping whoever is listening will know that Lucy doesn't have the key but more importantly change Lucy's mind.
"It's going to be okay." Lucy said as confidently as she could but knew that it would take more than that to convince Amy. Uh. Lucy takes one step backward to balance herself after getting an unexpected hug. It's unexpected because there are others around including Aria who doesn't have a smirk on her face this time. It's unexpected because Amy should still be mad, isn't she? It's unexpected because Amy should know this isn't going to work. The hug feels good though. OWw. The slap on the face doesn't.
"It's going to hurt a thousand times more than that if you go out there! They want the key. Then give it to them but let her find out where it is. It'll be painless."
It will be painless but the brain is too fragile to be messed around with. Amy is desperate. That's why she suggested this.
"Are you listening? You'll have your key. Just give us 20 more minutes."
What? Amy is always logical but not this time. Maybe she's trying to stall but how is she going to find all the explosives in 20 minutes? They're outside and they could be inside. Distraction isn't going to work this time because the note said anyone who steps outside will be shot at. If they see anyone coming, they're going to blow up this place. Whether they can or cannot isn't the question. The warning shots were fired from high tech drones to show what they're capable of. No phone number is on the note. That means they don't want to negotiate. They didn't kill Doc the last time because they need her but this time, they might be willing to kill her and me rather than let someone else get a hold of the key.
"CJ, write this down and put it outside the main door. Tell them we give up, give us 20 more minutes."
It seems that Amy has made up her mind. This isn't a plan to stall. This is her previous plan except this isn't to get my memory back and she's not letting Doc do the hypnosis. She's suggesting herself? What?
"Trust me. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."
Trust? This has nothing to do with trust. This has nothing to do with having experiences either. Whether it's Doc or another experienced hypnotist, it doesn't matter. She should know this isn't the issue yet she has somehow convinced herself to ignore all the risks involved. This situation does look bad but hypnosis isn't the solution.
Lucy continued walking instead of responding while knowing Amy will follow. Amy didn't. What Amy did made her realize that she shouldn't have just walked away because Amy just made Brie aware that Brooke is the cause of their relationship issues. Brooke is dead but no one else needs to know what she said and did. It's disrespectful and Doc have already tried. Amy should know that. Amy is out of ideas. That's why she's not giving up.
"What else don't you want me to know?" Amy asked, aware that her last comment about Brooke caught everyone's attention and now again failed to get Lucy to stay put. Lucy might not be going up yet but she will after she finishes looking at Hope. "You rather trust them with your secrets?" Everyone has secrets but this doesn't make sense. What would make sense is if her secrets won't affect anyone else but me.
"Sorry"
Is that for me or for Hope? Another apology is given to Brie. No explanation is given but the way Lucy promised to tell Brie everything afterwards sounded like she's certain that nothing is going to happen. If she's so certain, then why tell Dr. Hazel to move Hope to the other room? If she's so confident, then why is she threatening to kill Doc again if she finds out Doc deliberately led them here? Is she going out there just to see if Doc did? That's not a plan. That's just stupid. If this is Doc's plan, then why doesn't she want to go out there?
"Jake, get in here. CJ…ughh" Lucy uttered in pain, then realized she made the mistake of turning her back on Amy.
"sorry but you need to listen to me" Reasoning with her won't get her to stay. Riley's tazer did. "Tie him up. Get him in the other room." Amy said, expecting ZJ to do as told. Aria should be willing to too so why are they still standing there looking shocked? Blake is moving without being asked but it's not meant for her. "Don't touch him." Amy said while pointing to Blake before asking everyone to get out. This room will have to do. Hope will need to be moved. "Just calm down, okay?" The voltage wasn't high enough to immobilize Lucy. Another shot might knock her out. "What're you waiting for!" Doc seems as surprised as everyone else. This isn't her idea but this is what she wanted. Without her, there is no way to do this.
"We need to calm him down first." Doc said before giving the signal to Adalyn.
What can calm Lucy down without knocking her out? Whatever it is, it seems to have caused Adalyn to disagree.
"It's going to be fine. It's just going to calm him down. Now go get it."
"No, we can't."
"He was sleeping. It's normal."
"He almost died!" Adalyn said loudly since Doc isn't listening.
"He's alive. Isn't he? If we go out there, we will die. All those patients will die. Your friend will die. Is that what you want?"
Adalyn's motive is now clear. She wants the key to save her friend. Does Lucy know? Does Lucy know what happened the last time? It seems to have changed Adalyn's mind. She's no longer willing to take a risk on Lucy's life. She's repeatedly saying 'Don't do this' as she was reluctantly escorted out by Blake. She's crying, possibly to show the severity from the last time so it would change my mind. If that is her intention, it worked. "What happened?" Doc didn't explain but she's no longer forcing Lucy, not that she could but she's able to convince Lucy to have a private conversation which is odd. Whatever they're planning to do, they better hurry. The deadline is almost up. Blake is getting anxious, putting her ear against the door as if she's afraid that Doc would get hurt. ZJ is still wearing the confused look as if she wants to ask 'Why did you do that?' CJ would approve if she knew. Adalyn doesn't and has now decided to go up to get away from all the questions especially from Aria who just doesn't know when to shut up.
"I mean it. I'm starting to like you more and more. You surprised me. I think we can be friends."
That's not offensive but nothing Aria says can be taken seriously.
"So, you're still planning to stay with him? If you are, then you should know there could be other things he's hiding from you. He's complicated. You know what they say about complicated ones. They have lots and lots of secrets..."
She's as annoying as loud music with incomprehensible lyrics and cuss words and as distracting as Petrie's continuous walking back and forth but distraction might not be Aria's motive. Why is she talking about Brie at a time like this? Brie is young and sexy. So what? Why is she talking about last night again when there are people outside trying to kill us? That's suspicious behavior. Who also seems suspicious but wasn't before is Brie. Brie isn't here but Aria is right. Not much is known about Brie other than she's a friend of Hope's. Her behavior does seem calmer than a normal civilian should be. She never suggested calling the cops. She had the guts to go into a man's room alone. Does she know Lucy is a she? "Where is she?" Amy asked since she had thought Brie was in the bathroom. Bathroom breaks shouldn't take this long. She went upstairs? Why? There's no reason for her to go upstairs unless she's hungry or got sick of Aria's questions too.
Amy decided to go upstairs to find out where Brie is and also to get away from Aria. Aria's intention is obvious but she still could be wrong. Just because she saw Lucy coming out of Brie's room this morning, it doesn't prove they know each other. The incident from last night doesn't either. That slap was because Lucy won't agree to the hypnosis process to help Hope. That's what Lucy said. It's not because she's Lucy's ex. But it is strange how Lucy suddenly became so protective of her.
"Have you seen Brie?" Adalyn isn't in the kitchen either. CJ is but hasn't seen Brie or Adalyn. What the hell is going on? None of them should be up here and no one should be calling for me either. It's not loud but that voice sounds like it belongs to…"Blake"
Amy quickly went back downstairs with CJ following.
"KRISTINN!"
That is Blake's voice. No one is in the hallway. That means they're all inside. Ohh Lucy. What now? Both of them wanted to talk privately. Obviously, it didn't work out. This time, Lucy is not using a knife. She has Doc locked into a position with her bare hands and she's not holding back this time. Doc is in pain.
"Tell me where Brooke is or I'll break it!"
What!
Part 2 - added 06/10/2023
Meanwhile
She said this place is safe. She said no one else can save Hope except her doctor. There was no reason not to trust her. But now there is. An accusation might not be proof but as ridiculous as it sounds, it doesn't seem all that impossible. It's the pain in his eyes that looked familiar. There was regret. Christian was the same way but Christian blamed himself. Would he believe a doctor could be responsible for Brooke's death? Riley does and is behaving like David did. First came anger. Then there's cursing. Now she's blaming herself. If Doc is here, would she kill her?
"She told me not to trust anyone. I'm so stupid. I trusted her…"
Oh Rileey. Nothing has been proven yet. For some reason, Riley thinks Hope's doctor is capable of doing everything she was accused of. There must be something else she knows. Why else would she call her a manipulative bitch? The speech Doc gave was to make everyone feel guilty but she should know it was her choice to be here. Unless Doc has another motive other than to save Hope, then she is manipulative but what other motive would she have? "Do you think Hope knows where the key is?" Oh. Riley must think it's possible since her eyes and jaws just widened. It's just a guess.
"no wonder she's willing to" Riley immediately stopped herself from continuing after realizing the mistake she almost made. No one else can know about the Instagram model. "No wonder she's so good to Hope and Hope listens to her…"
Well, she is her doctor. There's nothing wrong with that. Brie thought to herself then later realized what Riley is getting at after she used the same words that David did. Brainwashed. Transformed. Mind control? Doc turned Hope into her slave? What! If she meant Doc is manipulative, that would make sense but that's not what she meant since she just called Doc Dr. Frankenstein which is absolutely absurd. Hope has scars not body parts and no one knows what happened to Hope. It's he said, she said and what he said doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Why did he say he doesn't know Hope when he does? If he loves Brooke, then why is he with someone else? If Brooke loves him, why was she with Christian? Only Christian knows. Why isn't he calling back?
"What can we do?"
And why is she asking when she knows nothing can be done? "c'mon" The basement would be safer than this closet. It's almost time so hopefully they found a way.
"I'm sorry."
This is her fault. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her but blaming her at this moment would be a waste of time and energy. Besides, there are others who can't be trusted. Brie signaled with her hand since she's not sure if Riley noticed.
"What?"
She didn't and apparently, she doesn't understand the meaning of the finger over the lips gesture and why we were whispering inside the closet earlier. This hallway is a big open space but like David said, there still could be listening devices. If there are cameras inside the recessed lights, then those behind the cameras will know who's inside the bathroom. It must be her first time or she's doing this on purpose because why would she think it's a good idea to press her ear against the door? Doesn't she know there is a space between the door and the lock even when it's closed? Pressing against it will move it.
Brie quickly led the way back without explaining since there's no need to stay and because she knows who the spy is. That is until she got down to the basement and saw the one who knows a lot about David, the one who subtly made a suggestion last night on how to get David to change his mind, the one whom she didn't realize was using her for her own purpose until this morning when she found out that the tall blonde is David's lover. It's not the manipulative bitch Aria.
"I know who it is." Brie said instead of asking why David is stepping on Doc whose arm is being pulled back into a painful position. David never trusted Doc but David trusted her assistant. "I heard her talking on the phone. She said it didn't work. I already tried. She was talking to them." She had thought it was Aria but now the words she overheard made more sense. "She's...it's her." Brie pointed to the one who just came in. No one is moving. Why? If Rocko is here, he would. "Check her phone." Brie said to the tall blonde whom she found to be more trustworthy than everyone else by the way she cares for Hope and because she doesn't seem to be fond of Aria either.
"Give me your phone." Amy said to Adalyn after giving ZJ the signal.
"She wouldn't be here if she is!"
As logical as that sounds, that makes no sense. Doc is here. He doesn't trust Doc yet he trusts her assistant? There's only one reason why he would. He hooked up with her. Is this why Brooke never mentioned him? She must have caught him with another woman. "Why are you so sure? Is she your ex? Did you"
"AHH!"
Brie had more to say if Doc didn't suddenly screamed in pain. That's one way to avoid answering the questions. He's torturing Doc to get her to admit it. That's one way to prove it. This is getting out of control. Everyone is yelling. Even Adalyn is telling him to stop. Isn't that enough proof?
Bang!
If not, the warning shot should. Brie immediately followed Riley to the side after being pulled away from the chaos that could potentially turn into a crossfire. She didn't expect this happen but at least now she knows that Riley has nothing to do with this. Riley's not interfering and not protecting Doc like she was before. Aria still looks suspicious. She's not doing anything, just standing, watching and waiting to see how this will unfold.
"just stop…please" Adalyn said.
Those tears look genuine. The apology seems to be too. She's not pointing the gun at him or anyone but this proves it.
"for what?" Lucy asked after letting go of Doc's arm.
For what? You've been lied to. You creep. What else could she be apologizing for? Brie wondered what she would say until a call came in. An explanation is no longer needed since David just proved himself to be wrong but he could be right about the hidden listening devices because why would there be someone outside now? Either that or they know their plan is not working since it's almost time or they heard the shot.
"How many?" Lucy spoke into the phone.
"Just one" Jake responded. "No guns but I'm not sure. Arms up, face covered, he's coming."
"Don't let him in!" Lucy said before telling Amy to look after Doc which is a waste of time because Amy doesn't like to be told what to do especially when others can do that.
"What do you think they're going to do if we don't let him in?" Amy quickly followed up the stairs while wondering what Lucy is planning to do. She must know they can blow up this place. But if they can, why would they send someone here? A negotiation doesn't require face to face. They could drop off a note via the drone like they did earlier. She's not thinking of surrendering herself, is she?
"Stand back!" Lucy said after realizing that Amy isn't the only one who ignored her previous command.
Brie did as told, staying far away from the main door and waiting to see what David would do. There's no way he would be able to protect himself if the one behind the door has a fully automatic weapon. He's too close to the door. His lover is too. Two handguns won't help much and this isn't the time to have an argument. That's what it looks when his lover stopped him from approaching the door. Now they're not talking, just standing there like they're in that moment where couples just want to look at each other when they think death is near. Or maybe she just asked if he cheated on her and he's thinking if he should tell her the truth. Whatever it is, this isn't the time. That guy is here, knocking on the door and begging to be let in. It could be a trick.
"We're all going to die if you don't let me in. Pleeease…"
He could be telling the truth. It is possible he is being forced. What is he doing? Don't open it without asking who he is. He could be lying. He could be…Christian?
Part 3
It is him. He looks different but even with the full beard and the buzz cut would not be enough to prevent those who hate him from recognizing him especially not from Lucy who seems to have let him in just so she can hit him since she didn't even let him finish explaining. Jesus Lucy. One punch is enough. Amy signaled Jake to pull Lucy away, then realized there's no need to.
"Stop it!"
Just who the heck is she? Lucy said Schaeffer could be involved. Lucy said she knows about Schaeffer. She never said they're this close.
"You knew about this?"
Oh Lucy. Isn't it obvious? She's using her body to protect him. Those tears are for him. The apology is because of him.
"Is this your idea or his?"
What does it matter? Lucy is obviously pissed about being lied to and still trying to find a reason to believe in Adalyn who's behaving like his lover since she's still defending him.
"It's not his fault. They found him." Adalyn said.
"He's lying! He's manipulating you. He's-" What the hell. Lucy immediately pulled Amy to stand behind her before yelling "Get back!" That's for Jake and anyone who's hiding in the next room. It's also for Adalyn but she's not moving. She looks surprised though. Is it fake? Lucy took a few steps back until she was told to stop moving because moving away from him will set off the bomb on his chest since it's also remote controlled and they can see and hear. "You bastard."
Amy quickly held onto Lucy while wondering why she would still want to hit him when she was trying to get away from him a moment ago. Does she think that's not real? The fact that he came alone without a gun shows that he too is taking a risk. It might not prove that he's telling the truth but it would be too risky to take a chance. Planting explosives around the house without anyone knowing isn't difficult to do. And now those outside are making sure that we know there's at least one inside. He's not lying. But apparently Lucy still thinks he is since she's asking for details of his capture. How did he get captured, how many are there, and who are they are all good questions. 'Where is Brooke?' is not. Isn't she dead? Why does she still think Jack is behind this?
"We're all going to die if you keep talking. She's…going to die."
Amy again held firmly onto Lucy's forearm in case Lucy can't control herself from hitting him again. She must want to. The tightness of her forearm shows. She must be cursing at him in her mind right now. The silence shows. She must be thinking they could be bluffing. She's not moving. Is she waiting for me? She should already know I'm not leaving. Where can I run to? Where can I hide? They can see us. They can hear us. They might not care about the others but that's only an assumption. Amy quickly moved to pull Lucy back from the main door after noticing she's not following and instead going the opposite direction. "You are not going out there."
"They just want me." Lucy said.
"They don't want you. They want the key. They're not going to wait anymore. Can't you see why they sent him not someone else?"
She should unless she still thinks Schaeffer works for them. Maybe he did at one point but not now. Maybe he was forced to work with Delmonte after Delmonte derailed his plan. That doesn't seem impossible since he wouldn't have sent Doc and Adalyn in that house in Molokai if he knew about it. Delmonte would because he doesn't trust anyone, not even the ones he made a deal with. It is possible Delmonte led them there intentionally because of the incident in the Underground chamber. He's the type that would sacrifice his own people just to get revenge. Maybe they were involved, not just Jack. So he planned ahead and set up that house to terminate them, terminate her. Everything Schaeffer said is possible including Delmonte's death. If they did it, then it's because they no longer needed him. He will be next. Then us. There's no other way. Hiding isn't a solution. Even Brie is unwilling to leave Hope behind. The only thing that can be done now, like Petrie said, is negotiate.
"Tell them to let them go." Amy said to Doc even though Doc is not in charge but she has the knowledge. She has the skills. That's why they wanted her too so she should be able to persuade them.
"They just want the key...sss..uhh"
Amy was about to respond before getting interrupted by Doc's helper. Whatever she's being injected with must be pain reliever. Her arm is not broken but something must have been over-stretched or torn. She's lucky Lucy didn't break it. It seems that she knows that too since she's no longer talking like she's in charge but her request (tell them to be quiet) still sounds like a command. No noise? No distraction? That sounds like a warning. What will happen if there is? This is an entertainment room in the basement not a sound proof room. No worries? There's a lot to be worried about but Doc is right. Anxiety and stress are factors that will lead to failure. Lucy obviously is worried since she can no longer sit on the couch. No amount of head and neck massage from Dr. Hazel is going to help her relax. Everyone is depending on her but that's probably not what she's thinking about. First Will, now Brooke. She didn't think it's possible but Schaeffer's explanation seems possible. She didn't know who Doc was then so it is possible Doc was there in Paris when Brooke went into a coma. She wasn't with Brooke every second so they could've done a lot of things to Brooke without her knowing. She did make a mistake with Will. But as possible as he made it out to be, she should know it might not be true.
"Don't" Amy hugged her from behind to stop her from banging her head against the wall. "I need you to focus right now, okay?" That is difficult but this isn't the time for regret or blame.
"I do love you" Lucy said.
An apology is expected, not that. Does she think that I would be jealous at a time like this? A kiss will let her know that she's been forgiven even though that's not true but that's not important now. What she needs now is comfort and understanding. Talking isn't going to help. Another kiss won't take her mind off everything else but continuing will get her to focus on what's important. Me. Nothing is going to put her mind at ease but this should lessen her worry. One less worry is one step closer to success. This will give her strength. This will make her feel better. It seems to be working. In fact, it's working so well it seems that Lucy has forgotten where she is. She's moaning and her hands and mouth are not where it should be. This corner with the opened closet door is blocking others from seeing but it can't prevent them from hearing. "Later okay? Not now." Pushing her away would work too but there's no need to. Lucy stopped but why does she look like that? That's not a look of disappointment. That's a look of realization. Does she remember? It would be a miracle if she does. "You okay?" Definitely not. Lucy didn't continue but she's back at it again, cursing at Doc except this time it's for another reason. She drugged her? With what?
"you motherf...shit"
Oh no. It's now obvious Doc is expecting this to happen since she just asked everybody to leave the room.
"It's okay. It's just to help you relax."
Help her relax or to make sure she doesn't change her mind?
"It's normal."
This can't be normal. A relaxing drug shouldn't affect the heart so why is she holding her heart like it hurts? Her face is warm. Her hands are warm. This room is cold so how can this be normal? She's breathing but the heart's beating faster than normal. Her eyes are opening and closing and it's not because of the light from the retinoscope. "Say something. Where does it hurt?" Lucy did but it's not what she was expecting. She's making threats and cursing again. That's a good sign but why doesn't she have the energy to keep her eyes opened for a few seconds or even get her hands up.
"Get out! Now!"
Amy didn't think Doc was talking to her until she told Adalyn to get the cushion. "I'm not leaving." If anyone should leave, it should be Adalyn and Schaeffer but he can't because he was instructed not to. "nno" Amy said again but this time it's toward Lucy who told her too.
"You need to go. You're a distraction." Doc said.
I'm the distraction? She had previously thought Doc meant noises not her. Doc isn't wrong though. Lucy doesn't want anyone to know about Brooke especially me.
"We're running out of time."
"Okay" Amy said in frustration, then repeated the same word in a gentle tone towards Lucy along 3 words of love to keep her calm. One less distraction is one less chance of failing. It should help.
All the phone sounds are off. All circuit breakers have been switched off. A small amount of lighting from one cell phone should be enough. Doc seems more confident than before. The door is closed. Hopefully, it will work this time.
"Listen to my voice…"
Meanwhile
No noises. Keep quiet. That's difficult to do under this darkness. Someone is breathing very loudly. It could be Rocko. It's definitely not Hope. It's not Riley but she is making noises. It is hard to sit still on this hard floor. She herself couldn't either nor could she stop thinking of what she learned.
Is it true, Christian? There are so many questions she wanted to ask but didn't because she was told numerous times he has enemies so pretend not to know him. At that moment, she almost couldn't control herself from going out there to stop David from hitting him until Riley held onto her. There was no need to. Riley was right. All she had to do was let the others know. But at that moment when she saw who came up to stop David, it sent her to a state of shock especially with the way that woman was protecting him. It was like seeing Brooke except that's not Brooke.
Is she your new girlfriend? That's what it looked like but it also looked like Christian isn't the only one she's in love with.
Is the key that important? He said it himself. They can see us. They can hear us. Then why? Why didn't he show himself last night if he can see me and David? Why now?
Brie let out a long deep breath, then slowly and gently lie down and tried not to think about him because everything she heard, everything she learned, and everything she was told to do all lead to only one possibility. He never did love Brooke. He was using me because of the key.
There's no one she can trust anymore. The only one she feels she can is the one lying silently, lifelessly next to her. Hope.
Meanwhile
The sun is out. It's freezing. Snow is everywhere including the streets but it's cleaner than the sidewalk. Everyone looks tired. No one wants to be here especially this early in the morning. It's necessary but using this rental truck now seems like a very bad idea. So is having this rookie along. Failure is hard to deal with but it seems that, for him, fear is harder to overcome. His face and hands are covered but the way he's holding his heart is a sign of fear. Was he tortured? He didn't say he was. There are no visible bruises. That scared shitless look is embarrassing.
"Almost there" Said the driver.
That's good to hear. Besides the long drive, it's looking very good. No vehicles are in sight. There is so much land, it could fit a few tennis courts. The houses are huge but it's far apart. The abundance of snow and trees will be able to prevent others from noticing. But if they start shooting, oh well.
"All right, listen up! This-" This better be good. He picked up the call while holding the urge to say 'What!' to the caller and instead asked "Why?" after getting the order. Sometimes, plans change in the last minute but this, he's not expecting. He's also not expecting to see a van near the destination, not at this early hour. The plan was to cut off their power first. It would make sense to get a cable van but that wasn't the plan. There's a helicopter coming too.
"What do we do?" Asked the driver.
The van is leaving. The helicopter noise is getting louder. No explanation is provided so "Keep going. I want to know what the hell is going on." It's the same order as the last time but this time, it's not a change of destination. "Wait, go slower" The helicopter is getting closer but even with the binoculars, the brightness from the sun along with the white sky is making it difficult to see who is inside. "Stop" Stopping doesn't help but getting closer to the destination did. "Go...Move! Step on it!"
The second blast is so loud, the truck shook. There it is again. He now understood what Agent Drew is afraid of and why the caller cancelled the plan.