VAMPIRE | SCREAM

CHAPTER TWELVE: Gale.

"So, we're really doing the phone tracing thing that never works in the movies. It'll be all 'keep him talking, Sam. Two more minutes, I've almost got him.' And than he hangs up just before we can get a look."

"I can trace a call in under 15 seconds." Mindy's smirk fell. "Impresive." Ziggy nodded. "Well, you've got them out there as a bait."

"Because the killer ussually calls from somewhere nearby." Kirby argued. "And you think they're safe because it's broad daylight in a public place? "

"Look, I'm here, okay? And so is Bailey." Kirby tried to convince Mindy. "This is exactly how our uncle Randy died. Broad daylight. Public place. Yanked into a van. Stab, stab, stab. No more Randy."

"Hey, Sam? Stay frosty out there, okay?" Kirby talked to Sam. They kept waiting, until Ghostface finally called.

"No, you're gonna die! Choking on your own blood while I hack up your sister and your friend." Ziggy froze.

"For a mastermind, you're not very bright. Waiting for me to call, desperately hoping I'm nearby so the police can grab me? But I'm not nearby. I'm a step ahead. Be seeing you, Samantha."

"Geolocation coming through right now." Kirby announced. "He's on the Upper West Side. He's inside an apartment building halfway across the city."

"Gale."

-

The group sat in the hospital, waiting, after Ghostface attacked Gale. "Hey. Hey. I got here as fast as I could." Danny ran in."Did you?"

"I'm scared, you guys. I really don't wanna get hurt again." Mindy admitted. "Neither do I." Chad agreed. "I don't want you getting hurt again either."

"I know. I know." He placed his head on Mindy's shoulder and Ziggy placed her's on her other shoulder. "So what do we do now?"

"Maybe he gets to win this time." Sam spoke. "He wants to punish me. Me. So maybe I let him. I'll just give myself up. If this is what I have to do, to keep you safe. It's worth it."

"No, we're not doing this. You went back to Woodsboro to protect me. Every single day, you make the decision to protect me. None of us would even be alive if it weren't for you. You have to let us protect you this time."

"No." Sam shook her head. "Yes." Ziggy spoke up. "We're a team, remember?" Tara agreed. "Actually, we're a family."

"Let's go! Core Five! Come on." Ziggy chuckled and put her hand on Mindy's that was on Chad's. Tara soon placed her hand on Ziggy's and Sam on Tara's. "Core what?"

"It's an us thing." Chad told Danny. "He's gonna keep coming after us." Sam said. "Isn't there somewhere safe we could just hole up in?"

"No, he's just gonna keep finding us." Tara shook her head. "But what if we use it?" Ziggy asked.

Sam called Mr. Bailey, who didn't seem really happy about it. "I'm getting my ass chewed out for not dropping the case. And now you want me to do what?"

"We want to lure him to a secure location and trap him inside." Ziggy explained her idea. "And then what?" He asked. "We execute him." Ziggy shrugged.

"Are you gonna help us?" Tara asked. "Let's kill the son of a bitch. Now, I'm stuck here, but Gale gave us the keycards to the theater. It's got heavy surveillance and security cameras, but we can use that againts him. I'll tell Kirby to meet you there. I'll join you as soon as I can."

"Got it." Ziggy nodded. "And remember, travel in public. The more people around you, the less chance he has to take a shot at you before you get there."

-

They walked down the stairs and Ziggy looked around her at all the different Halloween costumes. Some she recognized, some she didn't. "Is this even a good plan?"

"You don't have to come if you don't want to." For the first time in some time, Ziggy spoke to Ethan. "So we just peel off and the killer picks us off one by one? No, thank you."

"Let's just get to the theater. Come on, in here." Tara said and Ziggy took her hand, when she was walking through the crowd, so she wouldn't lose her.