The Beginning of The End

Part 14

 Months passed as the new games inched closer and closer. This was going to be a big one, two at once. A test for Jeff and Lynn Develon and a test for Rigg, Matthews, and Hoffman. Well, Mark wouldn't really be tested but it would take the heat off of his back for being a Jigsaw accomplice. I was to be in charge of watching both tests on different monitors, staying out of sight as much as I could. I wasn't used to being so uninvolved, I felt useless. And I missed Wesley. Milton was my only company, Wesley loved the little guy the few times they've met. So I know they're supposed to be my best friend, if my cat loves them.

"I still don't like this." Mark and I sat at a table, looking over final blueprints.

"You're just mad because you have to sit around and watch." He teased, handing me another blueprint.

"I don't like...not having control."
"I know." I could hear John hack in the next room, Amanda shushing him.

"He doesn't have long left, does he?" Mark looked at me poker faced, I felt like I was being analized by a psychiatrist.

"No, he doesn't."
I looked down at my hands folded in my lap.

"What am I gonna do then?"
"Well, we'll keep doing what we always do."
"Tests?"
"...Working together."
I looked up at him, biting the inside of my cheek.

"You won't be alone, stop worrying so much." He said, standing up and taking a sip from his coffee. He ruffled my hair silently, going to grab something I suppose. I could hear Amanda wheeling John up at the spot next to me but I didn't look over. I couldn't.

"Thank you Amanda, that will be all."
"Are you sure John?"
"I'm fine, I need to speak to Veronica. Privately." Amanda gave him an unsure look but walked off. I finally looked up at him.

"What's up?"
"I have some information that I think is important to you."
"Is it about Daniel?"
"No, it's not about Matthew's boy."I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms.

"You know, you guys keep calling him that. He has a name-"
"Not the point." John said, cutting me off. He pulled a file out from his robe and handed it to me. I opened it carefully and shuttered away from it. It was the blueprint for my trap. It also had the photographs and police reports from my dad. He'd been reported for child neglect multiple times, but I managed to keep them away.

'Why the fuck are you showing me this?"
"Take a closer look." I begrudgingly read the reports, it was basic stuff done by the school. Nothing really stuck out at me, except the name at the bottom of the report. Signed by Officer Daniel Rigg, Detective Jordon Robertson, and Detective Mark Hoffman.

What. The. Fuck.

"Okay, so Mark was one of the officers looking into my school's neglect reports. Big deal?"
"Veronica, I was not the one who chose you."
I looked up at John, wide eyed.

"What the fuck did you just say?"

"Your case was brought to me by the detective, right after he joined us. You do remember him, don't you?" I looked at him with anger. I did.

I was sitting outside my classroom, tired as all hell. I just wanted nothing more than to go back to class. They had brought Greg in from home, interviewing him. I think it was because I didn't have lunch money or I stopped coming to school in clean clothes. Or because half the time I didn't even show up and when I did, he was hours late to pick me up. I knew we were in trouble, but they couldn't take me away! I won't let them! A man dressed in a police uniform knelt down next to me.

"Hello Veronica, my name is Detective Hoffman. Now, I want to help you but you have to be honest with me. Does your dad take care of you? Why doesn't he take you to school anymore?"
I looked down at my small folded hands and picked at a loose strand on my jeans. I knew why. Mom had died not even 2 a full two years ago. And da- I mean Greg was gone with her. But he was all I had left. I need to protect him.

"It's because I don't wanna go to school!" I yelled, a lie.

"Why don't you want to come to school?"
"B..Because the other kids are mean to me!" The truth.

"So, you're saying your dad lets you stay home...?"
"Yeah, to protect me from the mean kids!" I started to raise my voice. I knew better than to raise my voice at an adult, but I couldn't stop myself.

"Veronica, I need you to tell me the truth." He said more sternly.

"It is! And if you try to say I'm lying I'll run away!" I said, crossing my arms. He tried to ask me a few more questions, but I glared at him and ignored them. Eventually, he went away. The police officer turned to his partner and talked to him in a low voice.

"They're both saying the same thing, there's nothing we can do." His partner said.
"But you and I both know that's not fucking true. That little girl is gonna di-" He cut himself as he realized I was listening. His partner turned to me, he was a tall man with short hair and dark eyes.

"It's okay Veronica, you can go back to class." I happily skipped off, ready to be gone. However, unknown to me, the conversation continued.

"He's neglecting that kid, he doesn't fucking desevre to be a parent-"
"But there's not a thing we can do unless she says something. Or we magically get more evidence than a hunch from the school."
"I know this Rigg, I know this in my gut. That kid needs to be saved-"
"I know Angie's death is taking a lot out of you, but you need to keep that out of your work."
"That's not-"
"Are you sure about that? Because you looked at her like you've seen a ghost." Mark was still faced but angry. He was just trying to do his fucking job! He stormed off angry. There had to be something more he could do. Something more he could do to save her. Or, at least let himself sleep better at night.

"So, he put me in that trap."
"That's correct."
"He's....he's the one who saved me?"

"Mark realized only you could save yourself, but he didn't forget about you. I bet you thought everyone forgot about you." I hate it when he gets inside my head.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Veronica, we both know I don't have much time left. And I need you to trust Detective Hoffman."

"But I do-"

"With your life. With every fiber of your being you need to trust him." I thought for a moment. That trap was what saved me from my horrible life. My life of abuse, neglect and death. I remembered Mark, I thought he was like all the rest of adults. Abandoning me at the drop of the hat. But he didn't, even 6 years later he didn't forget about me. He saved me. He saved me. He's the reason I'm here.

"And, I need you to carry out one final request for me." John places a thick stack of papers in my hands, blue prints. Whatever this trap was, he had a lot of notes for it. It was for a new and improved reverse bear trap. But John never reuses tests.

"What is this?"

"It's for a later game, your next work is going to be very critical. And this is just for you, you are not to speak a word of this to anyone." I nodded.

"I understand John." But no, I really didn't. Why the fuck does he need a new reverse bear trap? I didn't like this one fucking bit. But I need to trust John. I need to trust Mark. If there's one thing I can do, it's that. He's earned it.