The Girl Who Knew Too Much: Part 2

Argent's SUV pulls up to the open gate of an isolated power station. He parks it close to the building.

" I smell blood." Astrid says as soon as they step inside.

Allison nods. "So do I"

"Where? What direction?" Chris asks taking out his guns.

"Up ahead," Astrid answers.

They continue forward cautiously. Suddenly, they stop. Ahead, they spot a

figure tied to a column, struggling against bindings.

Astrid and Allison's eyes glow in the darkness, focusing on the wire pulled taught against the victim's neck and the face of the darach right behind him.

Chris starts firing at the ashen face of the creature. Shells dropping to the floor, he keeps pulling the trigger.

The Darach, clothed in black, hurtles into the darkness, appearing to almost be swallowed up by the shadows.

Yanking the empty clip out and reloading, Chris shouts to Allison and Astrid.

"Help him!"

They both charge to the victim while Chris fires more shots.

In the flashes of gunfire, Allison and Astrid both slow to a stop when the victim's body crumbles, slumped against the column, blood pooling at his feet.

"It's Mr. Westover." Allison says.

Rushing to them, Chris sees the looks on their faces and doesn't need to ask.

Astrid sighs. "Now all the Darach needs is one more teacher."

Chris nods. He starts collecting the shells. "We have to get to the recital."

Just then Astrid's phone rings with a text. She looks at it and it's from Derek. "Um, listen I have to go you guys get to the recital."

"What's going on?" Allison asks.

Astrid sighs, "It's Derek. Somethings wrong with Cora."

~~~~~~

The discordant strains of an orchestra preparing for a concert fill the hall. Both students and teachers take their place in front of music stands, a combined effort.

Jennifer helps direct people to seats, saying hellos, shaking hands and giving hugs like a host at a benefit.

Among the other musicians, Danny impatiently waits for Ethan to knot his tie for him.

"I know how to tie my own tie."

"You know how to do it badly. Now it's perfect." He straightens the knotted tie. Then smooths out Danny's hair. Checks his sport coat. Pops a mint into his mouth. Then looks on him with pride. "Still nervous?"

"All good. "

He grabs his instrument case and turns to take his place with the others.

"Listen, if anything happens... find me. Okay? Find me first."

Bewildered, Danny nods. Ethan steps away and notices his brother, Aiden, watching. Not pleased.

At the back a worried Scott glances about the faces, trying to find a suspect within the crowd. He sees the twins. Morrell.

The music swells as the concert begins.

~~~~~

Cora stirs, slowly waking. Her eyes flutter open, fingers tightening around a hand holding hers.

"Derek..."

"I'm here." He moves closer to the bed, his free hand brushing the strands of hair from her forehead.

"What's happening... to me." Cora says with difficulty.

"I don't know. But I'm not leaving. Okay? Not again."

Her breathing labored, she closes her eyes again as Derek leans down to gently kiss her forehead.

"It seems my blood didn't work," Astrid says as she enters the room with 2 cups of coffee. She hands one to Derek.

"Thank you." Derek says as he takes it. "This means it's not something physical then?"

Astrid nods taking a seat on the other side of the bed.

~~~~~

Chris's SUV races into the school lot. Doors flying open, he, and Allison hurry out. But while Allison race toward the recital hall, Chris pauses.

He looks up as a powerful gust of wind blasts about them, shaking the trees and tearing leaves from branches. Unnerved, he turns to follow them to the recital hall.

The conductor whips his wand furiously up and down, guiding the players through a classical piece.

Lydia looks at her phone to see a message from Bella: Need to see you right now.

She glances into the audience to find her. She turns at her seat next to Kathrine and gives her a smile and a nod.

Lydia heads for the exit doors.

Kathrine notices Bella fidgeting, hands searching her pockets.

"What's up?"

"Nothing. Just can't seem to find my phone."

~~~~~~

Lydia steps into the empty room. She pauses, hearing the MUSIC from the recital hall drifting in. A familiar CHANT begins to rise. The same chilling refrain she heard from the Music Teacher's recording.

"You recognize it, don't you?"

Lydia whirls about to face Jennifer. She holds a simple, wooden stick with a wire on it.

A garrote.

As Lydia opens her mouth to scream, Jennifer swings the garrote, bashing it into the back of her head.

Lydia comes out of a blurry haze to discover she's being hauled up into the teacher's chair. Her hand reaches for the back of her head where blood mats her hair down.

"What are you... doing..." Lydia says with difficulty.

"What's necessary." Jennifer tells her. "I'm still surprised none of you seem to get that. You call them sacrifices but you're not understanding the word. It's derived from the Latin sacrificium. An offering to a deity. A sacred rite. A necessary evil."

"Stop..."

"I wish I could. But you don't know the Alphas like I do."

"Please stop..."

"But you, Lydia, you're not a sacrifice. You're just a girl who knows too much. Actually, a girl who knew too much."

Just as the wire of the garrote swings over her neck, Lydia raises her hand into the loop. It closes against her palm.

"Lydia, don't--"

But with every last bit of strength she has, Lydia screams.

The sound pierces the night, nearly sending Scott to his knees.

At the back of the hall, Allison flinches, hands moving to her ears. In the audience, Ethan, Aiden, Kathrine, and Bella have the same pained reaction.

By Cora's side, Derek and Astrid jerk back, eyes widening as Lydia's scream hits them even at this distance.

Lydia's hand falls away tired allowing the wire to tighten around her throat. Through tears, she peers back at Jennifer looking on her in astonishment.

"Unbelievable." Jennifer exclaims. "You have no idea what you are, do you? The wailing woman, a Banshee, right before my eyes. You're just like me, Lydia. Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it."

She binds Lydia's hands with tape at the back of the chair. "Too bad, though. And too late."

She spins the garrote, tightening the wire. From her pocket, she removes a frighteningly sharp knife.

"One last Philosopher..." Jennifer closes her eyes.

~~~~~

Horns blaring, violins shrieking, people begin to wince in the crowd, covering their ears. The piano completely veers off from the rest of the piece and the sudden sound of wires snapping stops the other players.

Danny lowers his horn, turning to watch the teacher at the piano fall back off the bench, blood pouring from her throat, slashed by an errant piano wire.

Screams erupt from the audience, people rising in shock.

Allison starts forward, as does Kathrine, even as the crowd begins to rush in her direction, people racing out in panic. Musicians and singers scatter, pushing past Danny.

"Allison!" Chris calls out.

She doesn't look back, racing to help. The three converging on the teacher who now lies still. White berries gurgle up from her open mouth.

"Mistletoe."

~~~~~~

Jennifer opens her eyes and looks down on Lydia. She brings the knife's edge toward her throat.

"Drop it."

Gun aimed, Stilinski stands just inside the door.

Reacting with a slight smile, Jennifer flings the knife. The blade lands in Stilinski's arm causing him to fire wildly.

The gun drops, clattering in front of Scott's feet. He looks up with fangs bared. Fully transformed. Stilinski's eyes widen as he watches Scott launch toward Jennifer.

She moves fast and with sudden strength. Ducking his claw swipes and grabbing him, she sends Scott hurtling off his feet and smashing through desks all the way to the back of the room.

Bella vamp speeds into the room and picks Jennifer up by the neck. Before she can sink her teeth into her Jennifer reacts fast and snaps her neck.

"That was close."

Stiles rushes to the door. But with the slightest push of Jennifer's hand, the teacher's desk slides across the floor and slams into the door, locking Stiles out.

He watches through the window pane as Jennifer slowly approaches his father. But Stilinski picks up the gun with his other hand and aims it.

"There was a girl. Years ago, we found her in the woods. Her face and body slashed apart. It was you, wasn't it?"

"Maybe I should've started with Philosophers. With knowledge and strategy."

She continues her approach. He fires. A perfect shot to her leg, meant to incapacitate. Both the wound and blood disappear almost instantly.

"Healers."

She charges forward, yanking the gun out of his hand and slamming him up against the wall.

"Warriors."

Ripping his Sheriff's badge from his shirt, she crushes it in her hand.

"Guardians."

Finally, she draws close as if to kiss him.

"Virgins..."

Now she does kiss him, pressing her lips to his. When she pulls back, her face is the torn, teeth rotted visage of the Darach, mouth opening to shriek in fury as--

The teacher's desk pitches forward and Stiles stumbles in. Desks clatter away from the back of the room, revealing a bloodied Scott rising to his feet while Lydia still sits bound to the chair.

"Dad?"

Wind whips in from the open exit door, revealing the answer. Both Jennifer and Stilinski are gone.