To be defeated by a name

Chapter 13

Stan Hurley

The moment Mitch stood up to leave he went to protest, knowing that the guy was wasting time by going to get his friend. For all they knew the Black Fox was already in town and Mitch driving around on his own was a sitting duck. They needed a plan and fast.

He was about to go after him when he was stopped by a voice.

"Don't."

Turning around he saw the owner of the voice was the redhead who told Mitch where to go to start with, the woman levelling him with a glare that he knew must have intimidated many before.

"You know sitting around here is wasting time to stop the Black Fox. For all you know you just played your friend into their hands, sending him out there alone." He stated, noting how the girls' expression barely changed as he spoke.

"Mr Hurley, do you truly think that I would have sent one of my oldest friends out alone and unprotected just a week after I found out he wasn't dead. We know what's coming but I assure you, this town has its own defences that make it one of the safest places this fight could take place."

Stan looked disbelievingly at the people in the room. They all wore similar expressions of determination in the face of the impending threat on their lives.

"You want to fight?" He asked, surprised at how willing Mitch's friends were to risk their lives against an unknown threat. He had met trained agents before more scared than this group of people.

"I've been fighting for my life since my sophomore year of high school. We've lost and gained friends along the way but we're no stranger to threats, not in a town like Beacon Hills." Lydia stated, staring him right in the eye as though asking him to challenge her words.

"You'd be willing to put yourselves on the line like that?"

"Stiles may have betrayed us by leaving but he's our friend and I would kill for him. He's changed but not completely and I know he would die for us like we would for him." Another girl spoke up before glancing towards the door as the sound of a car pulling up could be heard.

Stan could tell that being around his friends had lightened Mitch slightly. He seemed calmer and more relaxed than he'd ever seen him and he couldn't help but be pleased that coming home had this effect on the man, god knows he'd been through enough to deserve it in such a short time.

"Scott this is my mentor Stan Hurley and agents Williams and Hill." Mitch was saying as he entered the room. The man he'd walked in with looked fit, much like many of the other people in the room and he could tell from the way he held himself that he knew how to hold his own in a fight, although how well was yet to be seen.

"Rapp. A word." Stan said as soon as the introduction was over. He needed to know why Mitch was so keen on getting his friends involved, even when it would put them in imminent danger.

Nodding his consent, Mitch led him towards the back of the house, out of earshot of the others (or to Stan's knowledge it was).

"What is it?" He asked, looking at his mentor in anticipation.

"Your friends. You've dragged them into this and you're going to get them killed. They don't belong in our world, not like us and I don't want you to have to watch someone else you love die." Stan stated, showing the first signs of compassion Mitch had seen.

"I refuse to leave them ignorant when they're in danger because of me. They can hold their own Sir, I know they can. We went through a lot together in the years before I left and my friends aren't ones to back down from a fight, especially if it threatens someone they care for."

"You can't drag civilians into something like this Rapp, it's too dangerous."

"Look we both know we need the numbers. Black Fox has a small army at his disposal and however much we might wish it, 4 agents is not enough to take him down. We need numbers to fight his men since he's not going to show his face to a fight and those numbers are my friends, no matter how much you might hate the idea."

"You're right, I do hate it. God Rapp, we were trained for this, we know what we're doing and you want to involve innocents into this mess just to add up numbers so you can use them as a distraction while you go after the real target?"

"It's their choice, Sir." Was all Mitch said in response before turning and leaving the room, his former mentor watching him retreat with an exasperated expression on his face.