Immortality - Stiles Stilinski [3]

sixteen

"Guys! Lydia just texted me," I said, trying to get the attention from anyone.

"I got a text from Kira. This sounds serious," Scott said, holding his phone up.

"So does mine. Lydia knows who the Benefactor is! The Benefactor is in custody!" I exclaimed and showed him the message she had sent me.

"Wait what?" Malia asked and looked at me shocked. "Then why are standing here?"

"I think we have to split right here. Because Kira just found Brett and his pack. They were being attacked, too. They're seeking protection at the vet clinic right now," Scott said.

"Okay, Amber, go to Lydia. If the Benefactor is really in custody, then there's not so much we can do. The rest of us will head to the clinic. Let's go!" Derek suggested and walked out of the school. Everyone followed him until we had to split our paths. Scott took Liam with him on his bike, Derek and Braeden gave me ride to the station before they drove to the vet clinic a few streets down the road. On the way to the station, Braeden rummaged through a bag that she had kept on the backseat of Derek's car and handed me a fresh shirt. "I've got no pants, but at least you can wear a new shirt."

I thanked her and yanked my shirt over my head, replacing it with Braeden's one, before Derek drove onto the driveway of the police station. I hopped out, immediately and ran to the entrance and pushed the door open, Lydia was already waiting there for me. Parrish and Noah were right next to her, looking through the window of Noah's office.

"Lydia!" I shouted and ran straight to her, hugging her tightly. Lydia hugged me back, but shoved me away as she smelled the gasoline. "Gosh, what the hell happened to you!"

"We were almost put of fire, but we're fine. We're fine," I assured her and tried to get a look at the Benefactor.

"Wait, you were what?" Noah raised his voice and looked at me.

"There were those security guards and they manipulated the music at the bonfire. We had no power, just like the last time when we took the PSAT's. They dragged us into school and covered us in gasoline. Luckily, the music stopped and Derek and Braeden just came in time," I tried to explain it as fast as I could. All I wanted to know was who the Benefactor was. "But what did I miss. How did you find out!"

"It's Meredith," Lydia said simply.

I part my lips and stared at her in disbelief. "But she's dead!"

"She faked her own death. We went to Eichen House again, because we cracked the code my grandmother left for me. It was a dead pool, filled with already dead people. And every one on that list, died in Eichen House. It was Brunski," Lydia began and had to stop as her voice was trembling. "He killed them all. He killed my grandmother."

"I'm so sorry, Lydia," I mumbled and rubbed her arm, trying to give her some comfort. "But how did she do it? I mean, she's not really the most stable person right?"

"If Meredith is the Benefactor, then that means she was competent enough to trick Kate into opening the Hale Vault, competent enough to blackmail Brunski into helping her and competent enough to create a hit list and pay money for its completion. This girl's practically a criminal mastermind," Noah said, answering my question.

"There's got to be a reason why she would do this," Lydia muttered.

"I'm only interested in the why if it wells me the how," Noah replied to her.

"You mean how to stop it."

"After what happened to Amber tonight, this thing's still going. The payments could be automatic. And as long as the killers are getting paid, and paid very well, that list is going to keep getting smaller," Noah said and looked back to his office. Meredith must've been inside, waiting for someone to talk to her in there.