Unity [Book 3]

18. Follow Our Fear

LINDSEY DUNBAR

"Hey, it's me again. I, uh, don't know why you can't seem to call me back. Maybe it's because you think you're punishing me. But this is too long. It's too much. And it's not about us. Something's happening in Beacon Hills, to the people here. I just... I just need to know everyone there with you is okay, so can you just, please call me, please? One call, that's all I'm asking for, and if you can't call me back, then... I'm going to get my answer anyway. That means I'm coming up there myself. If I don't get a call from you, I'm coming up there. So, just try... try to remember, it's my pack, too,"

Scott closes the phone, I sat on one the chairs in the waiting room while Theo stood by the front door. Scott, Mason, and Liam were behind the desk. "You pulled this off one of the bodies in the woods?" Theo asks, "Malia did," Liam replied. "Yeah, there were six dead bodies, and one of them had no face," Scott says, Theo walks forward to them. "Okay, so the one with no face, you think that's the woman on the phone?" Theo asks, I get up and stand next to Theo.

"Maybe," Scott replies, "It's the same thing that happened to Aaron. It took over his body, basically stole his face and his DNA. So, that means whoever this woman is, she could be the other half of the Anuk-ite," Mason tells us. "Which means she's just half of the problem. The other half we already know about, Aaron," Theo says, "We don't know where he is, though," Liam tells him. "Okay, hold on. Aren't we supposed to keep both halves apart? If we know about one half, let's go for that one, that's Aaron," Theo says, I nod. "I'm not agreeing with Theo, but I do think it'd be easier to track down Aaron over a voice on the phone," Mason says, "That's agreeing with Theo," Liam tells him.

"Yeah, but I thought I'd try to soften the blow a bit," Mason says, "Well... I'm agreeing with Theo, too," I say. "Of course you are," Liam rolls his eyes, "Is everyone completely shocked that I might be right?" Theo asks.

"No, we just don't like it," Liam says, "Maybe we're all right, maybe we should be looking for both, Aaron and the woman on the phone. And I mean... since you guys agree..." Scott trails off. "Wait, you mean, me and..." Mason trails off, "Him?" Theo finishes, "But, I mean I'm fine if Lin goes," I open my mouth to say something but Liam beats me to it. "She's going. Right, Lin?" I sigh, "I wanted to- well, yeah. Yeah, I'll go with them. I gotta make sure Theo doesn't kill anyone," I say.

"You three find Aaron. Liam and I will try to figure out whose voice is on the phone," Scott tells us, "If we find the other half, maybe we don't have to fight at all. Stop the Anuk-ite..." Liam trails off. "Stop the war," Scott finishes for him.

*****

"That's a pretty egotistical thing to say, don't you think?" Mason says as he steps down from the ladder, we were at the tunnels trying to look for Aaron. "'You'd never be able to find Aaron on your own, you're not smart enough'," Mason quotes, "Almost everything that Theo says is egotistical. You should know that by now," I say to Mason.

Theo turns around to look at us, "Nice to know that my girlfriend has my back," Theo says. And yes, Mason knows. Only because Liam told him, he even asked if it was true on the way over here. And he also kind of questioned my morals and life decisions. I shrug and smile innocently at him, "So if you found him, what were you gonna do? Beat him up with your AP Calculus book?" Theo asks.

Mason gets his bat and puts it over his shoulder, "I can be resourceful," Mason tells him. Theo grabs the bat and throws it behind him, Mason puts his hands on his hips and sighs. "Was that necessary?" Mason asks and goes to pick up his bat, "Come on, Theo work with us here, please?" I plead. "Okay, so you're the smart one. Why are we down here?" Theo asks Mason, "Shouldn't we be looking around the school, or somewhere with better lighting?" Theo asks as we start walking. "Aaron hasn't been in class in days," Mason responds, "The last sighting of the Faceless was in the tunnels. Parrish burned the body, but, you know, none of us have ever been back down here to check," Mason says.