All Shades of Blue

38

CALAVERA COMPOUND

Derek and Peter were still chained to the fence and Severo said, "You see this equipment? Very old. The settings are not quite accurate anymore... So, it's hard to tell just how far to turn the dial..."

Peter grunted. "I think it's a little high.""I've seen some crack their teeth. Others, they just shake and shake, even after their heart stops. Sometimes, we don't even know they're dead!"Severo chuckled. "But nobody wants to play a guessing game. So... Why don't you just tell us-- where is La Loba?""We don't know where La Loba is," Derek replied. "Where are Nora and Mateo?""No? Maybe you need a different method of persuasion? Maybe we cut one of you in half-- the other talks? Don't worry about them."
Derek narrowed his eyes about to retort something, but before he could, Peter said, "I would love to be the volunteer, but we really don't know what you're talking about. And, honestly, isn't bisecting people with a broadsword a little medieval?"Severo chuckled again. "Broadsword? We're not savages! We all wonder how far your little healing trick goes. What do you think? Can you grow back an arm? We're pretty sure you can't grow back your head." He looked at Derek. "And what will that do to the Luna?""Boys..." Araya began. "No tienes ser tan duro..."
[Spanish: "You don't have to be so tough."]Derek said tiredly, "No hablo español..."
["I don't speak Spanish..."]Araya scoffed. "Tu hablas muchos idiomas, Derek Hale."
["You speak many languages, Derek Hale."]Araya continued in English. "You know exactly what I'm saying... And you know what we want. Where is the She-Wolf?""We don't know any She-Wolf.""I know you won't talk, lobito." She turned to Peter. "This one will talk. This one loves the sound of his own voice."
["little wolf."] "You should hear me sing," Peter said."We want to hear you scream," Severo told him.Peter became offended. "No one ever wants to hear me sing...""What could we do to persuade you, hmmm? Where is the She-Wolf?" She cut off one of his right fingers and stabbed the claw into the wooden floor."AHHHHHHHHHHH!""Think about it! I'm only going to ask you... Nine more times."
LATERAs Peter's severed finger bled, he said, "I don't want to make it sound like we don't appreciate your hospitality, but do you think it would be possible to put that on ice? Maybe something for my hand? Extra-large Band-Aid? Perhaps some antibiotic ointment?""No!" Severo cried.
Shadows moved on the floor above the torture chamber. There was the sound of glass breaking. The guard readied his rifle and fired up into the slatted wooden ceiling. Round after round was fired from above as well, the shell casings cascading through gaps in the boards.
Suddenly, the front door crashed inward, and a woman's hand reached for the guard's gun and took it from him. He threw a punch, but she used the butt of the gun to pound him and send him sprawling.
The woman turned towards Derek and Peter.  It was Braeden, the woman who had rescued Isaac, who everyone thought was dead. She had thick scars on her face and neck from her fight with the Alpha Pack.Derek came to a realization and said, "You're the one who saved Isaac.""I'm the one who was hired to save Isaac," Braeden corrected."Someone hired you to get us out of here?" Peter asked."Someone hired me to get Derek out of here. You? I'm totally fine leaving for dead."Peter was appalled. "When did I get this reputation?""Who hired you?" Derek wondered."Deucalion.""Deucalion?" Peter repeated. "The guy who did that to you?"Braeden shrugged. "Girl's gotta eat." She freed the two of them. "All right, let's get the hell out of here."
Peter grabbed his finger from the floor. Placing it against the stump, his healing ability reattached the finger."We're not leaving without it," Derek said. "Or Nora and Mateo.""Without what?"
Derek ran to find Nora and Mateo and when he saw her sitting in a corner, he pulled her up so abruptly she nearly fell back.
'Hey! Be careful!'
'Sorry. Are you okay? Where's Mateo?'
She pointed to a blanket nearby. 
Derek nodded and picked up the sleeping baby, then took Nora's hand, leading her away.
---
Peter, Derek, Braden and Nora, who had taken her still sleeping son from Derek, entered a mansion. They found a chest.
"It's made from a rowan tree. It's Mountain Ash wood," Peter said.

Derek tried to touch it, but his hand was repelled by the wood. Nora looked over Derek's hand to make sure he was okay, and he gave her a nod.
Braeden kicked off the lock and opened the chest to reveal that it was filled with Mountain Ash
"...And that would be just Mountain Ash," Peter stated. "Somebody really doesn't want our hands in there..."
Braden reached in and removed a carved cylinder with the Triple Spiral pattern on the top.