Once in a Lifetime

41

ARGENT BUNKER

The entrances were sealed and Lydia said, "The tunnel gate's locked. Everything's locked."

"Think it'll hold them off?" Malia wondered.

"Probably not," Scott said.

"Definitely not," Lydia replied.

Malia looked to them in panic. "You guys aren't hoping I'm gonna be the optimist, are you?"

Scott walked toward the human-sized machine in the room. "So, how cold does this thing get?"

"Cold enough for a Hellhound. It's not the ice bath you gave Isaac, but it can lower your core temperature past anything a human can survive."

Malia frowned. "So what does freezing our asses off have to do with our memories?"

"It'll slow your heart rate, and put you in a trance-like state."

"Like hypnosis," Scott and Stiles realized.

"Hypnotic regression," Lydia corrected. "If we can figure out how to work it."

Malia reached her hand forward and brushed a hand down the machine, stopping below a bright green button. "This says "start", so, maybe it's not that complicated."

Scott noticed the other knobs. "...It's complicated."

Malia sighed. "So, optimistically, how much time do you think we need to do this?"

Scott shrugged. "As much time as Stilinski can buy us."

BEACON COUNTY SHERIFF'S STATION

"Look, I'm not saying you have to like him," Liam said. "I'm just saying... maybe he can help us."

"Liam, I'll consider asking Theo for help when I don't have a station full of armed deputies to back me up," Sheriff Stilinski replied. He said into his radio, "Any available units -- this is Sheriff Stilinski, do you copy?" No answer. "I repeat -- any and all units, this is Sheriff Stilinski. Respond immediately with your twenty." There was still no answer. "All units-"

"They're gone."

The sheriff stuttered, "That-that-that's not possible. That's-they couldn't have taken everyone."

"They didn't," Theo said as the sheriff and Liam walked up to his cell. "Please, please tell me that you brought the key card."

"I also brought my gun."

"And your sense of humor. That is great. But, if we're the only ones left in Beacon Hills, then we need each other. Which means you need me out of this cell."

"We need to trust you," Liam told him.

"Then you need to get realistic, because trust is not important right now. It is us against them, and you want a lot more of us, considering how many of them there are."

"I hate to say he's right, but... he's kind of right."

"If I let you out, and I see any behavior that I find remotely suspicious, I'll put so many bullets in your head, God won't even recognize you," Sheriff Stilinski warned.

Theo smirked and said, "I'm an atheist. Fire at will." He sighed. "You're gonna need to be a bit closer than that, Sheriff. Wave it over the card reader. Come on. Right here. Up and down. You can do it!"

"Sheriff, we need him," Liam told him.

"Tell me something," the sheriff said.

"Tell you what?" Theo asked. "What are you talking about?"