Fractured Bonds [Book Three]

20: Chimeras

"Chimeras," Sheriff Stilinski states, almost in disbelief whilst he crosses out Tracy's picture on the board in his office, alongside Lucas.

"Two dead Chimeras --" Stiles corrects.

" -- And eight new ones," Malia adds.

Stiles nods, "So, that's ten in all," he sums up.

Stilinski shakes his head, picking up a picture to pin on the board, and Sky squints to see it, "Who is . . ." she trails off, eyes widening slightly at the familiar face. "Oh."

"I'm thinking maybe eleven," Stilinski tells them.

The Sheriff steps back, letting them get a clear view of Donovan's face, and Sky instantly shares a glance with Stiles. He was dead, and his body was missing. But Stiles wasn't ready to explain how.

"Our station tech guys confirmed something for me," Stilinski starts to explain. "They said both the holding cell lock and cameras could have malfunctioned because of something electromagnetic. You said that, uh, these guys --"

"Dread Doctors," Malia informs him.

Stilinski sighs, "Are we really calling them that?"

"We haven't exactly been able to ask them for their names," Sky points out, dryly.

"So, they broke Donovan out?" Malia asks.

The Sheriff nods, "It's how they got into Eichen, isn't it?"

"Donovan's a Chimera," Malia realizes, stepping forward to take a closer look at the board, and Sky notices Stiles taking a step back, his heart beating rapidly in her ears.

"Yeah, but -- Is he a failure like Lucas and Tracy?" Stilinski wonders.

"If he is, he's probably dead."

Stiles stops in his tracks, facing away from them and Sky watches worriedly. She had no idea what to do, not without raising suspicion.

"Not until I've seen a body," Stilinski disagrees. He then glances back at Stiles and Sky curiously. "You're uncharacteristically quiet."

"I thought you preferred me that way?" Sky asks sweetly.

Stiles clears his throat, "Yeah -- sorry, I'm, uh --" he stutters. "I'm just trying to think about it. These are all teenagers, right? So, now shouldn't we be trying to figure out why these teenagers? If the Dread Doctors, if they went through all that -- burying them, killing them, breaking one of them out of jail."

"They couldn't have been chosen at random," The Sheriff catches on.

"They had to have something in common."

Sky frowns, "But what makes them right for it? They didn't exactly seem to have any outstanding qualities."

Stiles shrugs, "Something that made them special."

***

When she gets to school, Sky is given her copy of The Dread Doctors with strict instructions from Lydia to try and get a start on reading it -- as if Sky had so much spare time during class. Luckily, they were arranging a time to get together tonight, hoping to read it all and see if anything happens.