The Silver Bullet

Chapter Fifteen: My Enemy is my Friend

Rachel felt paralyzed as she watched two men drag her unconscious father away. She turned back to face a confused Riptide. She had no idea where to start ranting, shouting, or explaining.

"Rachel, are you alright?" Riptide questioned. "What happened? Are you hurt at all?"

"No, no, I'm fine. There's just one problem though." Rachel whispered, getting desperately pale. "My dad... he mentioned something about... getting me out of here. He said that I was in danger. It was right after he went from his psycho phase to normal. What's going on?"

"I don't know," Riptide shook his head. "but what I do know is that these are going to be tough times for you. I want you to go back to your room and gather your things. You need sleep. Take any of the guest rooms around. In the meantime, I will be down at the assylum and running texts on your father."

Riptide turned around and tried to rush out of the room. 

"What are hiding from me?" Rachel stood up, eyeing the fear on Riptide's face. "You aren't yourself. What's going on?"

"I, um, well," Riptide stumbled, "there's no polite way of putting this, but your father is in strange conditions right now. I have to deal with him and the damage that has been done tonight. I'm just stressed, alright?"

Rachel nodded suspiciously as she stood up and strolled off. She stepped over the piles of rubble and blood puddles that covered the hallway floors. Nothing else could make the day any worse. 

"Luke, what the heck are you doing in here?" Rachel cried out as she found the sixteen year old scurrying around her floors.

"I could say the same to you!" Luke jumped up. "I don't think your dad trashed your room."

Rachel laughed and was completely awestruck.

"What made you jump to that conclusion?" she chuckled. "I mean, my dad just broke into the CPU and just attacked you!"

"This." Luke frowned as he tossed a piece of black leather in front of her. Hesitantly, Rachel picked it up and examined it cautiously.

"This is from Riptide's jacket." she gasped curiously. "But why would it be in here? He claimed to be at the control room."

"I don't know, but I found this under the remains of your bed." Luke tossed a handsome shield onto the floor. Rachel's eyes widened. This had explained why there was absolutely no blood on the floor.

"Rachel, tell me everything that happened after your dad dragged me away." Luke begged anxiously.

"And why should I? I don't even trust you, you might as well know that." she scolded. "I am even amazed that I'm currently speaking to you."

"Because your father might be proven innocent for all this. If Riptide truly is behind all of this, he might kill him!!!!" Luke spat back.

"Fine." she grumbled. She told him about her dad's sudden change in attitude and how he tried to bail her from the CPU. Afterwards, she mentioned her rescue from Riptide and Sean. 

"Riptide seemed excited to get away from me, like he needed to do something. He just claimed he needed to do tests on my father and that he was stressed." Rachel concluded her tale. 

"I'm not sure if it's true or not," Luke whispered. "but if we're going to find out, you need to put aside your hate for me. We need to figure out if this was your dad framing Riptide *Rachel glared at him for a moment.* or if this was Riptide's doing."

Minutes ticked by, and it seemed Rachel had just stared off into space. She didn't want to believe this.

"What other choice do I have right now?" she sighed to herself.

"Fine. Where do we start?" she mumbled angerily.