Forum
Chapter 6: Child's Slay
"This institution is fucked up at every level! Jesus Christ, can we trust you to do anything?!" Leslie yelled over everybody else.
Nicodemus was trying his best to keep them separate. "The blame game only has losers, friend! Please, stop this!"
"Drat the girl!" Fitz cried, "The miserable little minx is half the reason my son is dead in the first place!"
He rounded on the tiny doe-eyed creature huddled in the corner.
"Her lies and deceptions are the sole reason that maniac loosed from the toilet wasn't locked up long ago! She enabled him by her silence, and better men than her hypocrite of a father are dead because of it! No way in Hades shall I ever shed a tear for you, little Audrey Jensen."
Audrey flinched at the words.
"You can say what you want to me, Smith," Teague growled, approaching him, "But I won't permit you to go after one of my students. Back off."
"So selective, aren't you? If the girl's father wasn't your friend, you'd turn the other cheek sure as Jesus Christ!" Fitz spat derisively, "The girl is complicit in half a dozen murders, including the mayor of this town, but no, let's coddle her, and hold her close, and let her cry her insipid puppydog tears, but I am a joke and a hypocrite, and a stuffed man who knows nothing! Pfah, I say, pfah! This girl out to have been shut up in prison along with him, and it's only on account of her near death that she isn't."
He leered at her, "The truth is bound to sting somewhat, dear heart. But best stomach it now than never."
Teague was silent as he contemplated what he should do next.
He could do a lot of things right now, to the Dandy. None of which would end in Fitz Smith's favor. All of which would end in Fitz on the ground, crying like a baby. Begging for mercy.
"You seem to forget my youngest was kidnapped as a result of her silence. No, I haven't forgotten. At all."
Teague turned to walk away. If he didn't...if he didn't, this would not end well. And they would be in a world of shit.
"I...I think I saw him," A voice spoke up. Teague turned to see Ted Harris, hand raised.
"He left...maybe a few minutes before. He slipped out right as VPK noticed he was gone. I was about to say something."
"You did?" Theodora prompted, "Well...that's something."
She sighed, "And he was alone?"
Fitz rubbed his hands together, "Good riddance to bad rubbish either way," he shirked his eyes at Teague, "I hope little James has her door locked at home."
"Smith...shut up," Teague said, in barely a whisper.
"No, he wasn't alone. He had Deanna with him."
"When did the girl even get back?" demanded Theodora, "And without her..."
"What the fuck's all this about?"
Heads turned throughout the room as Tina Hudson staggered through the doors, lathered in mud from head to toe.
"Ms. Hudson, where in God's name have you been?"
Tina tossed her hair out of her face, "Finding my good for nothing niece, what else? Don't stop to thank me..."
"You've only one shoe!" pointed Fitz.
"And you've got only one eye," said Tina, "Life's tough."
"If you found your niece, why didn't you take her back here with you?"
Tina shrugged, "Dumb bitch didn't care for the pleasure of my company."
"No, she's sought out her brother's."
"Her brother?"
"He's escaped," said Theodora flatly, "And she's either his captive or his accomplice."
-Tina, Fitz and Theodora
"How many times does this make it that she's run off?" asked Audrey, "Last I counted, it was 3 or 4, right?"
"Sounds about right," commented Teague, "Where's your son?"
"Getting cleaned up," said Tina lightly, "I'd have done the same, but I didn't want no murderers seeing my tits."
Teague declined to comment about that. Instead, he nodded to Theodora to speak with her in the kitchen.
Theodora obliged, "To what do I owe the private audience?"
"I had those talks with Hendricks and Acosta," explained Teague.
"Edward, quite frankly, I think we've more pressing matters!" Theodora sighed, "And I did find a map. I also found some coffee, but I guess that was a pipe dream."
She turned back to him, "Did you learn anything from them?"
"Acosta found a second body, a girl, he believes, before he found Sawyer," explained Teague, sighing, "He doesn't remember where though."
He glanced out, at Phyllis, "And she has two dozen tapes. Assuming they're still in the cabin."
"Another girl?" Theodora paused, "Well God. As for the tapes, Edward, I should hardly think that's a concern when a murderer is on the loose. Two now."
Teague leaned forward against the counter.
"What are we going to do about the Wilcox siblings?"
"Well, if he leaves, he leaves, but damn it all, the girl is still our responsibility, expulsion or not. And whether she left willingly or not, I determine to find her. And..." she paused, "I don't understand why he chose now. In the rain, in daylight. He sat pretty in that bathroom all night. There must be some reason he took his leave now."
She sighed, "And all that blood..."
"And there's also the issue of Emma Duvall," continued Teague, "Where is she in all this?"
"No place good. Whatever they say's become of the girl's sanity...she's lost her mother, and her tormentor is running wild. I don't like the idea of the two crossing paths."
Theodora considered, "Call me mad, but we must find them. I won't have another girl's blood on my hands. I know you feel the same way."
"I do. We have to find them, right now," Teague sighed, "Did Brooke tell you where she was?"
"Oh, without hesitation," Theodora said shortly, "The same place as those automatic rifles," she folded her arms, "Our friend Mr. Sanchez's secret digs. Not-so-secret anymore."
"Alright then," Teague took a deep breath and asked, "Personally I think we should get that talk with Mr. Sanchez over with. What say you?"
"Oh, certainly," nodded Theodora, "And if doesn't offer to show us this damned hideout of his, I've got 12 hours of outrage stored away and ripe for using. Come."
Teague followed her out, and approached Sanchez, putting himself between him and Theodora.
"Mr. Sanchez. We'd like to have a talk with you."
Pedro shook his head, waking up from his catnap.
"How may Pedro help you?"
"You can start by not referring to yourself in the third person," said Theodora shortly, "There are a few things...most pertinently, to start, I think, is that your little hideout has been discovered."
"Force of habit," Pedro explained, arms crossed, "And it's not surprising. They always are found, aren't they?"
"Yes, well, the girl that's found the place isn't quite in her right mind, and I don't know if I like the idea of her stumbling upon those automatic weapons the existence of which you so delicately downplayed."
"You didn't ask for specifics. You asked if there were anymore," Pedro shrugged, "And let me guess...you want me to show you my hideout, don't you?"
"Oh no. That's another guy. His name is'Shit, Sherlock'!" Teague deadpanned, "First name 'No'."