The Loss Within: Stalia

Chapter 24

"You sure this is what we gotta do?" Scott asks me unsure as if to laugh or cry about the horrible plan Ive come up with. I shake my head.
"No, but it is the only option that a) has a chance of succeding, although a little below 15 percent and b)has a a strategy." I respond. Liam grunts in dissapointement.
"I think its better to let that bomb blow my brains than follow your "strategy"." Liam remarks.
"Oh, that doesent seem like a bad idea not taking into account the high probability of not seeing the love of my life ever again!" I shout at him. Hes is as annoyed as I am. I feel the anger again, that consuming rage but I keep my thoughts on Malia to keep it out.
"You think you're the only one who can lose someone her, Stiles!" Liam screams at me and gets close to me. He's talking about Hayden.
"Both of you, cut it out. Now." Kira steps in and draws Liam back. I just sigh in frustration.
"Stiles can I talk to you?" Lydia ask me. Her jaw clenching and posture straight. I just nod and follow her when she pulls away from the group. She stops and turns around, her face lighten up by the fire's light.
"What the hell are you doing?" She asks me.
"I want to get Malia back." I respond taking a step closer.
"We know, but breaking into The Calaveras lair and kidnapping the old woman and offering her to the skin walkers is just ridiculous! Who will deactivate the bomb in Liam and Hayden's head?" When she says it it does sound stupid but the thing is that the Skin Walkers are known for holding grudges for eternity and I'm sure they'll be pissed when they meet the woman who probably took every supernatural creature they wanted to kill or was in their possession. The hard part is a) kidnapping the old woman and b)making the skin walkers trade her for Malia. I know it's insane but it's the best we've got for now, two hours ago the only thing we had was broken hearts, spirits and dreams.
"Argent, Lydia." I tell her. I know she's going to go ballistic and she does as expected.
"You think Argent will agree to cut open two underage kids to deactivate a freaking bomb! How do you even know he can do that?" She snaps at me. I grab her shoulders, she rolls her eyes.
"I know. But he also knows that he must try. I'm sure Argent will agree, after a lot of convincing but he will, Lydia. Trust me." I tell her. She takes a deep breath, closing her eyes and then opening them again, looking at me.
"Stiles, I'm just scared. I'm scared I'm gonna lose my friends again.I can't stand the thought of it and I've been focusing on that so much that I got distracted and the voice of insecurity was too loud over the banshee. I couldn't hear the banshee inside me. I couldn't-" she chokes on her tears and I hug her.
"Lydia, did you really think that we only needed you to predict death? We need you because we know that through it all, you'll stay with us. We need you because you keep us together. You make sense when the world around us doesn't." I explain, she sobs on my shoulder and after calming her down we head back to the bonfire. I know Scott was listening because he gives me a small nod and a smile. He's already trying to convince Argent.
I start summarizing the last few days. Well to be exact the last week.
"Guys! Listen...the old lady said that the bomb was placed on Liam and Hayden, but they told us that they were knocked out cold the whole time, however she said her people were torturing them. We thought  it was true but maybe it wasn't. Maybe she outsmarted us...." I start thinking and thought rush against my head. Equations with too much variables to be precise or even true.
"What are you saying?" Hayden asks, frowning.
"I mean...we thought that there were no marks or anything because you can heal fast but what if we were wrong. What if she made us believe she placed a bomb on your heads. She knew we would infer you healed fast enough for us not to see any wound. What if she lied to us, just to do her dirty work." I rationalize. It all makes sense now. But the thing is I may not be right. And if I'm not, it can cost my friend's life.
"How can we know if it's really in there?" Kira asks as Liam swears and Hayden just stands there.
"We need to have a magnet or a metal detector, but if the bomb is in there then there are high risks." I explain. Lydia seems to understand. I gesture for her to explain, I know what I want to say but Lydia's a better teacher. She's about to explain when Liam cuts her off.
"Of course it's a big risk! The metal detector sends a surge of an electromagnetic pulse that will results in the changes of magnetic fields and that will send a surge of voltages that will cause the bomb to detonate just like in 1945 when Enrico Fermi did the first nuclear test causing the signal lines to black out and the bomb to go...kaboom." He explains and everyone is staring at him. He look s at us and just realizes how incredibly smart he sounded just now.
"I'm so glad I read that article." He sighs.
"You can read?" Kira asks. We laugh but then return to the subject.
"So, theres two options. Or we don't risk the metal detector test and risk the bomb detonating or we risk the metal detectors and risk the bomb detonating." I say.
"Wow, that sounds messed up. But I'm in. Hayden?" Liam asks. He looks at Hayden. She looks at Liam unsure.
"Wait no, let me to the test first. Therefore if something goes wrong, you'll figure another way ." Liam grabs Hayden first.
"No way in hell, Liam." She start but he cuts her off.
"Think about your sister." He says. Oh, that card is hard to beat she just nods and then we get to the cars heading for the next store we see.
---
After stopping for gasoline several times we reach a Target. We are tired and it's already noon. We haven't slept. Even if we had the chance I don't think we would've anyway. We look at each other as were standing in front of the big building. We walk towards the entrance. It's not really crowded, but there's still people. If the bomb detonates, these people will die. But there's no other option. We need to do this. For Malia, for Liam and for Hayden. Malia. My heart aches. I want her. I need her. She would be making a remark about how pretty it would be to see the skin walkers tear apart the old woman. I miss her. Badly.
"Okay, let's do this." Liam says but he's pushing himself not us. We all stand still.