Ashes

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Mac's POV

Scott and I were at the police station, waiting for our dad as he made a report in his assigned office. It was shocking at how close to death Stiles was for a moment. If my dad hadn't gotten into the school, Stiles wouldn't have survived, and neither would we.

"He's talking about the shooting," Scott told me, listening to the conversation. I closed my eyes and listened, focusing all my attention on my hearing.

"Preliminary notes on firearm discharge incident. Assailant armed with sound-suppressor equipped Walther P88... Having heard the perpetrator's threat and countdown, I made visual confirmation of the barrel of the weapon pressed to the potential victim's head. Determining the danger to be imminent, I felt no other choice but to respond with the use of deadly force." I heard him say into a voice recorder. I pulled my attention off of my hearing and looked at Scott. How crazy have our lives gotten?

I don't use my advanced hearing much because unlike my werewolf comrades, it doesn't come naturally for me. I don't have the same distance they do either. I have to focus to advance my hearing and it takes away my awareness around me. I've tried to work on it with my aunt but I'm just no good at it. Speaking of Helena, she's lucky she was currently out of town. She went out of town to visit her adoptive family. Her name was on the list too and she was lucky she wasn't in town for the recent massacres.

"Thanks for waiting. I know it's late." Dad said, walking out of the office to Scott and me.

"It's okay. It's not like we're going to be going to school tomorrow anyway." Scott said. With the shooting and the disease-scare, they are doing a deep, deep clean of the school.

"Unfortunately, I'm going to have to drive back to San Francisco tonight. I'll need to do a review at the field office. But I'll be back as soon as I can. I might have to miss the first game of the season." Dad said.

"It's no big deal," Scott said.

"It is to me. I'm keeping my promises this time." Dad said, looking at both of us. I gave him a half-smile. Scott looked down at the gun and bullets in separate bags in his hands. "What I did, it was necessary. Justifiable. You know that, right?"

"Have you done it before?" Scott asked him.

"Two other times. It's not easy, taking a man's life, even someone who forces you to do it." Our father said and I scoffed.

"Even when the person deserves that and so much more," I said thinking back to my mother. I can still remember that night like it was yesterday. The night was ingrained in my brain for the rest of my life.

"How do you deal with it?" Scott asked Dad, giving me a sympathetic look.

"They locked me up in a mental institution for six months and put me through rigorous therapy," I said, looking at a nearby door.

"You know, you don't talk about that time much," Scott said.

"There's nothing really to talk about," I said with a shrug.

"If you ever do want to talk about it, I'm here to listen." My dad said. I gave him a fake smile.

"Thanks, but probably not. When I think too much about that time. My emotions get out of control." I said. When I think too deeply about my childhood, I tend to lose control of my Phoenix powers. Something I learned the hard way. "Anyway enough about me. How do you deal with it, dad?"

"You look at it logically. Without emotion. You compartmentalize." He responded.

"How do you do that?" Scott asked.

"I used to do it by drinking." He said with a humorless chuckle. Scott's eyes glazed over and he looked down. Our dad pulled us both into a tight hug. He pulled away and patted Scott on his shoulder. "One more thing. When I do come back, we have to talk about some stuff. You two and your friends, the way you guys handle things, it doesn't seem to faze you like it should. It's like you guys know something I don't. When I come back, I'd like to be in the know."

Scott and I shared a look of shock and both nodded at him, completely speechless. He put his arms around us and led us out of the precinct. How were we gonna explain everything to him?

~

"Is three enough?" Kira asked. Scott, Liam, Stiles, Kira, Isaac, and I were all in Scott and Isaac's kitchen. We were about to do something so, so stupid.

"Depends on how many cameras they have. But I think so." Stiles said.

"Are we really doing this?" Liam asked.

"We're doing it. Tonight." Scott clarified.

"But isn't it kind of dangerous?" Liam asked.

"It's incredibly dangerous. And borderline idiotic." Stiles responded.

"Have you guys done something like this before?" Liam asked.

"Something dangerous? Or something idiotic?" Stiles asked.

"I think it's yes to both," Kira said.

"We do dangerous and idiotic things frequently," I added. Liam looks down.

"You don't have to be part of it if you don't want to," Scott told him.

"I'm not scared," Liam argues.

"Then you're borderline idiotic," Stiles said, patting Liam on the shoulder.

"Welcome to the pack," Isaac said with a smirk.

"If we do this, we don't know what's coming for us. You know that, right?" Stiles said looking at our dear Alpha.

"How do we even know something's definitely coming?" Kira asked.

"Because the tape from Garrett's bag said visual confirmation required," Scott said.

"Simon said the same thing. He couldn't get paid by The Benefactor until he had proof that you guys were dead." Stiles added on.

"So the idea is, what if you kill someone on the dead pool, but you can't send the proof?" Scott asked.

"You don't get paid," Kira said.

"But how does that get us any closer to The Benefactor?" Liam asked.

"He still needs to know if the target is really dead," Scott said.

"Especially if it's someone high on the list." Stiles pointed out.

"So, if he wants visual confirmation-" Liam started.

"He's going to have to come get it himself." Scott finished.

"I still think it's a bad idea." I pointed it out for the fifth time.

"You got a better one?" Isaac asked. I shook my head.

"Then we go with this one," Stiles said and I sighed. Oh god, this is so stupid.

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