Post by StoryGirl83 on Nov 9, 2011 12:22:19 GMT -5
Chapter Twenty-Seven – Fitting Things Together
Flashback
Peter was sitting on the couch in Wyatt and Chris’ apartment, remote in hand as he flipped through the channels. Seth was looking out the window, thinking.
“This has got to be a million ways illegal,” Peter announced as he switched off the TV.
Seth looked at him confused. “What does?”
“Entering the apartment like we did,” his brother informed him.
Seth chuckled. “I have permission to enter at anytime.”
“I think they meant through the front door,” Peter retorted.
“I left my key at home.”
“You have a key?” he asked surprised.
Seth looked at him amused. “Yes, I have a key. Wyatt gave it to me a week after they moved in. You know, just in case.”
Peter opened his mouth to respond and froze as the air fluttered and suddenly Chris and Brianna were there. His eyes widened as he looked at his brother. “Did you see that, Seth?”
Seth chuckled. “Yeah, I saw that.” He raised an eyebrow at Brianna. “Why’s she here?”
“She’s helping me out,” Chris informed him. “Some of my . . . he knows, right?”
Seth rolled his eyes. “If he didn’t, he does now. He did know though, so you’re safe.”
“You called and said we needed to talk?” Chris asked, trying to change the subject.
Seth nodded. “Did you read the papers I gave you?”
Chris nodded. “It’s hard to imagine Mr. Hollis and Mr. Lawson as cursed. Neither seems that way. I don’t know the other two, so I can’t say.”
“We talked to Nick,” Seth informed him, “the one of the four who isn’t cursed. He feels guilty about that and he decided to keep track of the Aphrodite Crystal by putting surveillance on it. That means he has magic recorder, because three demons stole it.”
Chris stared at him stunned. “He has magic recorded? I don’t suppose you got the tape.”
Seth shook his head. “I’m afraid not. I did however get last names for his three friends . . . though I guess you already know them.”
“Just Reginald Hollis and Everett Lawson,” Chris corrected. “I don’t know who Jarod is.”
“Jarod Powell is the one in the mental institute.”
Chris frowned and glanced at the papers on the table. “Powell? As in Jody Powell.”
Seth shrugged. “No clue. Who’s Jody?”
“A former co-worker at Centennial,” he informed them. He thought about Jody, about his dealings with her.
“Mom, I am an adult,” Jody Powell’s annoyed voice announced from the other side of the break room door. The door handle turned and she entered the room, her cell phone to her ear. You can’t forbid me from seeing him.” Don’t you even care anymore?”
Chris looked up from his coffee.
Jody didn’t even notice him. “Dad needs us, Mom. You can’t keep me away from him.” She began pacing the room. “I’m not afraid of him,” she protested. “He’s never shown any inclination to hurt either of us. I’m going to go see him today.” Jody slammed closed her phone and finally noticed Chris. She grimaced. “Sorry that you had to hear that.”
“Are you okay?” he asked concerned.
“Yeah,” she assured him. “My mom and I have a difference of opinion. It’s a long story and I really don’t want to go into it.”
He’d just let it go. Now, he wondered if that had been the right choice, but he doubted he would have learned of the curse from her. Chances were that Jody didn’t know anything about that.
Chris walked over to the table and picked up the paper that said “Jarod” on top. He turned to Brianna. “Do we have enough ingredients for three more antidotes?”
“You have an antidote?” Seth asked surprised.
“Not yet,” Brianna informed him. “What have is ingredients and a recipe, but we’ll have an antidote soon. “She looked over at Chris. “We’ll have enough, but let’s get moving.”
The phone in Chris’s pocket began to ring. Startled Chris pulled it out and looked at the caller ID. “Nate Colson?” With a shrug he put the phone to his ear. “Hello?”
“Chris, I’m going crazy here,” Wyatt’s voice announced over the phone.
Chris breathed a sigh of relief. “Wyatt, you’re all right.”
“I am nowhere near all right,” Wyatt disagreed. “I’m going crazy and this whole thing is driving me nuts.”
“I could join you,” Chris suggested.
“No, absolutely no,” Wyatt informed Chris over the phone. “I will not risk your life, too. It’s bad enough that I have suicidal co-workers to watch out for. I don’t want to have a suicidal brother, too.”
“Wy, think,” Chris implored him. “It’d be the other way. I’d be affected the same way you are; I’d stay sane after you were losing it. I could protect you.”
“No,” Wyatt returned flatly thinking of Andrew’s anguish over what he had done to Nathan. “If there is no cure, this is staying with us. I’m not adding another person to the potential dead.”
“No one’s going to die,” Chris argued. “There is a cure. We just have to find it.”
A confused look from Brianna caused Chris to mentally amend that. Or rather we have to mix it together.
“That’s another thing,” Wyatt responded, unaware of his brother’s thoughts. “You have to be able to look at sources I can’t. You have to be able to contact people.”
Chris scowled and slammed a book into the apartment wall.
Seth looked up from the laptop and over at the book falling onto the couch next to him.
From the doorway, Peter’s eyes grew wide as he looked from the book to Chris.
Brianna actually had the nerve to watch him amused. This was mild compared to some of the arguments her friends had at times. CT and Max sometimes seemed like they were trying to end each other when they tried to let off some steam.
Seth was not so nonchalant as he looked from the book to Chris, suspicion in his eyes. “You aren’t trying to off me, are you?”
Chris glared at him, not bothering to answer. “Seth’s here. He could do outside recon.” As if much was needed anymore. They just had to find those three demons behind this and they knew where one of them was.
“There answer is no, Christopher.” There was a pause before he added, “Besides, you can’t get in. I think there’s some sort of magical barrier around the building. We can’t leave.”
Chris didn’t like the sound of that. “You can’t leave?”
“Why do you think I told your friend’s brother to lock himself in Lauren’s office?” Wyatt threw back.
Chris frowned. “So you’re saying you can’t orb out?”
Brianna looked at him, curiosity on her face.
“Exactly,” he confirmed. “I can’t orb out and I can’t walk out. I’ve tried the doors. Someone’s planned this out well.” Chris could hear a shaky breath being drawn in on the other end.
“Wyatt? What aren’t you telling me?” he didn’t know what it was, but there was definitely something not being said.
“It’s enough to drive a person mad,” Wyatt mumbled mostly to himself.
“Wy, we will find a way to get in there,” Chris announced with more conviction than he felt. Oh, he knew they’d find a way in there, but would they find it in time.”
“Bye,” Wyatt said suddenly without explanation and then the phone went dead.
Chris looked at the phone in his hand with concern. “Something’s wrong.”
“More than before?” Seth retorted.
Chris sighed. “I don’t know. Let’s just hurry.” He turned and looked at Brianna. “Can you bring me to the manor?”
Brianna nodded. “Yeah, but then I have to go.”
Chris looked at her surprised. “You didn’t seem to be in a hurry earlier. You should have said something.”
She shook her head. “Something came up.”
“Would you rather Seth took me?”
Brianna glanced over at the two brothers and shook her head. “No, he has other things to worry about. Besides, I’m the one who knows the recipe. You’ll need that to put these together, so let’s get going. I’ll be back if I can.”
Chris looked at her suspiciously. “What are you up to?”
“Nothing you need worry about,” she hedged. “It shouldn’t take long, but we’d better get started. Besides, didn’t you’re mom say she had good news?”
“Good news?” Seth asked, looking interested.
Chris nodded. “About my powers, I hope.
“Then, you’d better get going,” Seth decided.
“Seth, did you find out where Jody’s dad is?”
Seth shook his head. “Sorry, Nick didn’t mention it.”
“See if you can find that out,” Chris suggested. “We’ll need that info it we are going to give him the cure once it’s made.”
Seth looked over at his little brother. “How about it? Should we return and talk to Nick?”
Peter nodded quickly. “Nick will be expecting that.” With a mischievous grin he added, “He did ask us to help them after all.”
Seth chuckled. “Good thing I brought you along,” he teased. “I’d forget all these things if I didn’t.”
“We’re all set then?” Chris asked looking between the other three. After receiving nods all around, he walked over to Brianna. “We’re going to my mom. Try to make it look like I’m not about to fall over. She tends to worry.”