True North

07

Lena laid on the bed while she, Scott and Stiles listened to the tape. Stiles pressed play, and they heard a male voice. "After entering the IP address, you will be connected through a Darknet portal to an untraceable bank. Once logged in, enter your account number to receive wire transfers. The IP address will deactivate with each transfer. You will be assigned a new IP address if you choose to continue down the list. Remember, visual confirmation is always required for payment."

"Either of you ever made a wire transfer?" Stiles questioned.

Scott shook his head. "Never had enough money."

Lena shook her head. "No. What is it?"

Stiles glanced at her, then back to Scott. "So you didn't understand a word of that either?"

Scott frowned. "I don't understand any of this. Why would someone use all this money just to kill us?"

"Someone wants you two dead, dude. Badly." Scott slid the bag of money under the bed. "Whoa, whoa, what are you doing?"

"It's late," Scott replied. "We've got PSATs in the morning."

Stiles shook his head. "No, I meant the money. $500,000. You know how much money that is?"

"It's $500,000..."

Lena rolled her eyes. "Which is also half a million. What are you going to do with it? Hide it under your bed and hope your mom doesn't find it?"

He turned to her. "I have to talk to Derek. The money's his."

"You mean his and Peter's," Stiles corrected.

"What does that mean? You don't think we should tell Derek?"

Stiles stood and looked out the window. "No. No." He sighed. "No, of course we have to tell him. I'm just... I'm just saying, some of that money's Peter's, right?" He turned away from them.

"Yeah."

"Right? Peter. Homicidal killer? Remember? You want to give $500,000 to him."

Scott frowned. "So we should give Derek his money back. But not Peter?"

"I didn't say that," Stiles said.

Lena let out a huff. "Then what are you saying, Stiles?"

They heard something and panicked. Scott stood, trying to look like he wasn't doing anything. The door opened and Malia entered. "We found Satomi's pack. Derek and I. But they're dead."

"All of them?" Scott asked with a frown.

"All the ones we found."

"Then where's Derek?" Stiles wondered.

The next morning, Lena's alarm woke her up and she shut it off with a slap.

Stiles appeared and pulled her out of bed. "Get up. We have a test to take. You didn't have to take it this year."

She shrugged. "I wanted to do well enough that I never have to take it again."

"You're so weird."

"Get out of my room."

---

When they got out of the car, Kira and Malia joined them and Kira asked, "Where's Lydia? Why is Lena here?"

"She took it freshman year," Stiles replied. "Because my cousin is crazy and wanted to take it to get it over with."

Malia asked hopefully, "Does that mean I could have taken it some other time?"

Scott smiled at her. "Malia, you studied harder for this than any of us."

"Doesn't mean I'm gonna do good."