The Wyrm was humid from the amount of bodies and all the alcohol. They led FP forcefully to the center of the stage and sat him down. He tried to protest, but all the Serpents were yelling, calling him a traitor. Tall Boy silenced them all and came over to FP.
"Forsythe Pendleton Jones the Second, are you aware of why you have been brought in front of your fellow Serpents tonight? Or do you need a reminder?" He placed a hand on FP's shoulder and gripped down, hard. He winced at the pain. "You've been sending some of our own off to the jailhouse. And now some are dead due to the Black Hood."
"You don't understand!" FP yelled over the noise. "The Black Hood goes after people like you. I'm trying to stop it from happening! I'm keeping you guys safe!" The Serpents booed him.
"That your reason, Jones? You falling more in line with Northsiders? With a shit Sheriff who has you acting like his bitch because you lost your cool with the Ghoulies?"
"I'm not just loyal to Keller. I'm loyal to all of you." he directed out at the crowd, who went dead silent. "Please, if there's a way....I can redo my initiation. Spit out the Serpent laws. Go through the guys beating me up." He looked out at the crowd, hoping to find at least some Serpents that could listen to him. He saw Joaquin, Toni, Sweet Pea, and Fangs sitting by the bar looking remorse. "Joaquin....Toni....you guys know what I'm going through. Please. Do something." His voice sounded desperate, cracking.
"All those in favor of having his skins removed?" Tall Boy turned out to the Serpents. There was nothing at first, then slowly, one by one, the Serpents held up their hands, making fangs. It was almost all of them.
"No." FP turned back to the teens. They shook their heads.
"We're sorry, FP." Toni spoke for them.
"We have to follow Serpent law. There's no other way." Joaquin followed up. Then, the teens raised their hands. His heart raced, he felt trapped. FP tried to leap up and run out of the Wyrm, but Tall Boy directed for a couple of Serpents to come up and hold him back down. They ripped off his Serpent jacket and stripped him of his shirt.
"I warned you, son." Tall Boy flicked out a knife and moved behind him. "But you've made your bed." He made slits into FP's skin, causing him to yelp. Then all at once, his skin felt like it was being torn from his bones. The Serpents began to crowd him, all wanting their piece of him. He cried out for help, feeling weak. He screamed and tried to squirm away, but there were too many of them. In the distance, he heard an alarm go off. The beeping grew louder, pulling back into his senses, drowning out the Serpents around him.
The alarm going off was the alarm he set on his phone the night before. The pulling on his skin was the fabric of his bedsheets that stuck to him. He groaned as he woke up from the nightmare, pushing the sheets off him to go turn off his alarm. He rubbed his eyes and swung his feet to the floor, breathing heavily.
He remembered it was Sunday - when he and Alice would be going to meet the Sisters of Quiet Mercy for information on Joseph Conway. "Fuck." he muttered under his breath and stood up. He felt like shit, but he hadn't put a drink to his lips, not in a long time. He swore he heard knocking on his door, and he groaned. "Hang on, I'm coming." He pulled out a pair of sweatpants and stumbled over to the front door. He opened it to find his crew of younger Serpents waiting outside, freezing their asses off.
"Jones. We need to talk." Joaquin sounded concerned.
"Save it." FP rolled his eyes. "I already got the lecture from Tall Boy last night."
"Can you at least let us in?" Toni threw out.
"Please? It's fucking cold out here." Fangs shivered next to Sweet Pea. FP sighed and let the four younger Serpents into his trailer. He remembered how they behaved in his dream....how they all looked guilty yet they still sided with everyone else.
"The hell's got you all on edge?" Joaquin took noticed in his uneasy stance. He blinked at the teenagers then shook his head.
"Tall Boy thinks I'm no longer loyal to the Serpents because of all the work I'm doing to catch the Black Hood. Kind of set me off, that's all." The kids didn't say anything, causing him to roll his eyes. "You guys don't have to help me, you know."
"Well, too bad." Toni stepped forward. "We want to."
"Yeah, since you're the one who pulled us into this." Sweet Pea snarked. Toni shot him a glare then turned back to FP.
"What we mean is.....you allowed for us to connect with you, and we wouldn't be where we are without you. It's like we kinda all owe you a life debt or some shit."
"We may be loyal to the Serpents, but we're loyal to you too." Joaquin added in. "You're like our father figure, if that doesn't sound too weird." The comment hit him in an emotional sense. He may have lost Jughead and Jellybean all those years ago, but now he had these teens. These younger Serpents who had bright futures ahead of them, and they were so willing to help at whatever cost. They were the closest thing he ever had ot a normal family. He blinked back the tears forming at the corners of his eyes and coughed.
"Get in here. All of you." FP waved at the four young Serpents to huddle in. They formed a circle in his kitchen and threw their arms around in each other.
"In unity, there is strength." he lead them in the last Serpent law.
"IN UNITY, THERE IS STRENGTH." they all repeated, making him smile.
"You better leave before Tall Boy or any of those other assholes snitches." FP pointed at his front door. "You want me to make you guys some breakfast or anything? It'll have to be quick, 'cause I have to head off for work."
"We were just gonna grab some Pop's." Fangs answered. "But thanks." Sweet Pea clapped his smaller friend on the back and the two left the trailer, leaving Joaquin and Toni inside with FP.
"New Black Hood kill?" Joaquin leaned up against the kitchen counter.
"No." FP shook his head, wandering over to shut his door. "Heading out to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy to get information about the Reaper."
"You really that desperate for details?" the pink-haired Serpent raised her brow. "I mean....they probably have something, but they're kind of sketchy....and extremely immoral in their practices. Cheryl told me that her mother used to threaten to send her there while she was growing up." FP nodded at her.
"Point is," Joaquin pushed himself off the counter and joined her side. "Don't be surprised if you don't get the answers you're looking for."
"I know." FP grumbled. "But that's why I've got Alice."
XXXXXXXXX
The natural sunlight coming into the room woke her up. It was the best sleep Alice had in a while.....well, considering all that sex from the night before helped her rest easy. She stirred awake but the comfort of the bed tempted her to go back to sleep. The arm around her stomach and the heat behind her tempted her too. She tilted her head back to find Hiram peacefully asleep spooning her. She returned to her initial position and smiled. Hiram Lodge could have picked any woman to have as his lover, and yet he chose her. This beautiful, mysterious man picked her to be his companion. How the hell did she get so lucky?
In the distance, someone's phone was buzzing. Shit, was it hers? "Fuck." she muttered, and she peeled herself out of the bed. Behind her, Hiram grumbled in his sleep and stretched out his arm at the space where she was. Alice wandered over to the couch and found her phone going off. FP was calling. Oh crap, she remembered. The Sisters of Quiet Mercy.
"FP?" she answered the call.
"Did I wake you up, Sleeping Beauty?" he teased her from the other end. "Or did you forget we have our trip to the hellmouth today?"
"No." she snarked. "But I don't think my outfit from the night before would be appropriate to wear in front of nuns."
"You want me to call Chic and have him bring a spare set of clothes for you?" She blinked at the question. Chic was now fully aware of her relationship to Hiram, yet....she didn't exactly tell him what she would be doing that weekend. But then, a thought came to her.
"I actually have a spare bag of clothes in my locker back at the station." Alice admitted. When having her rendezvouses with Hal, she made sure to keep some extra clothes in case she ended up spending the night at his Sharebnb and didn't have time to rush home and clean up. Granted, she never used it, but she figured that in that moment, it would be in her best interest. "Do you think you have time to stop over there and get it for me? I'll text you my combo."
"Got you covered. And I'll try to grab something for us to eat before we head out." she could hear FP trying to sound optimistic.
"Thanks."
"I'll be there in like a half hour, forty five minutes maybe. See you then."
The conversation ended. What happened when he got home? Was he having Serpent troubles? She made a mental note to ask him about it later. She let her hand flop to her side, still holding onto her phone, and huffed.
"Duty calling?" Hiram called out from behind her. She turned around to find him sitting on the edge of the bed. She gave him a sad smile and nodded.
"Unfortunately. So no breakfast in bed for us." She walked back over to him and stood at the edge where he sat. He grabbed her free hand and intertwined their fingers.
"Where's Keller sending you two now?"
"Sisters of Quiet Mercy, outside of town. But this has nothing to do with Keller. FP and I are going in alone on this one." she told him, giving him the hint that it had to do with the Riverdale Reaper. "But we can't exactly go in as ourselves......I mean, not going in like cops." Alice let go of his hand to go set her phone down on the dresser. She examined her reflection in the mirror - her hair still held some of its curl but it looked a bit wilder, and the residue of her lipstick had smeared the slightest at the corners of her mouth. She needed a shower. "That's why FP and I have to go in undercover....as Mr. and Mrs. Mullway, a couple looking to adopt."
"Mullway?" his voice sounded concerning. She turned back to him and noticed the expression in his face.
"Yeah. Wait, you know a family that goes by the name of Mullway?" she asked, but he was still quiet. Then, it hit her.
"She was your mistress, wasn't she? Mrs. Mullway?"
He pursed his lips and nodded, looking down at his socks. Becoming consumed by guilt, Alice hurried back over to him and grabbed his hands. She tried to speak, but he looked back up at her.
"You didn't know, it's okay." his voice soothed her worry. "Just haven't heard anyone using that name in a while. But not to worry. It ended a long time ago." He lifted her hands and kissed them. He looked up and slowly pulled her closer into him. "And now I have you. And your fiery personality. And your brilliant brain." His hands escalated up the sides of her body and curled around the middle of her back. "And.....these." he stuttered out as he began to smother his face into her cleavage. She laughed at his comment and sighed in content at his contact.
"If you want, when you come back into town later, you can come to Pembrooke and have dinner with me." He rested his chin on the bone in the center of her chest and gave her the biggest puppy dog eyes. "Only if you don't have plans with Chic, of course."
"I don't think so." she confessed, resting her arms on his shoulders and curling her fingers into his hair. "But I don't think he'd care all that much about what we were doing. I kinda told him about us - he figured it out on his own, but I just filled in the gaps."
"Smart boy. Surprised he took it well." he chuckled. "My Ronnie's gonna be a little tougher to break the news to. I'll try and bring it to her easy the next time I see her."
"And Hermione?" Alice inquired. She knew it'd be a dangerous question, considering that he was still married after all. He lifted his hand and ran it down the side of her face, holding his fingers around her cheek.
"I can handle her. So you don't have to worry about my family, okay?" She could see the sincerity in his eyes, allowing her to form a smile. He sat up straighter and pulled her face slightly downward towards his own. His lips still had the residue of champagne and her scent, but they were soft and warm. She moved her hand to cup his cheek the further they went into the kiss. They broke it to catch their breath, glowing at each other.
"I need to go shower." she whispered and freed herself from his hold. She couldn't exactly show up to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy smelling of raw, blissful sex. She strutted over to the bathroom, giving him a little show. She stopped at the doorway and turned back to Hiram.
"Unless you want to join me. Could save some water." Alice gave him a seductive smile and winked. She turned away to head towards the shower, with him being not so far behind her.
XXXXXXXXX
He showed up at the Five Seasons with two cups of coffee, some pastries, and Alice's bag of clothes almost forty minutes after he called Alice. He felt out of place walking into the fancy hotel and heading up to her room, but at that point, he didn't care. Hiram let FP in and took the bag of clothes from him. He noticed that Hiram was still wearing his shirt and dress pants from the night before. FP sat down on the couch in awkward silence as he waited for Alice to come out of the bathroom. The sheets on the bed were unruly, and her dress was scattered somewhere on the floor. It did seem like a weird scenario in his head to walk into, but nevertheless FP was happy for her. Hiram sat down across from him in one of the loveseats.
"Sorry," FP indicated to the coffee and food, "I would have gotten you something too...."
"You're fine." Hiram smiled. "I was gonna eat back at Pembrooke anyway and get some work done."
"Cool." FP nodded, grabbing for one of the cups. He sipped his coffee and waited for the caffeine to kick in. A few minutes passed before Alice emerged out of the bathroom in her fresh pair of clothes. She picked up her dress and heels from off the floor and shoved them into her bag.
"I wasn't too long, was I?" she looked up at FP.
"No, you're good." he stood up and handed her the second cup of coffee. She mouthed "thank you" and sipped on her drink. She walked over to Hiram and brought a hand to the side of his face.
"I'll try to come over if I'm not too busy." The other man nodded and kissed her wrist. She dropped her hand and turned back to FP. "You ready?"
"Waiting on you, Coop." he teased, grabbing the pastry bag and heading for the door. Alice went to follow him but Hiram pulled her back in for one last tender kiss.
"Come back to me in one piece, detective." FP heard him mutter. She chuckled and gave him a quick peck before turning on her heel and joining FP's side. He watched as Alice waved goodbye to her lover then shut the door. The two walked over to the elevator in silence, but it didn't bother him that much. When they entered, Alice reached for the bag and grabbed a pastry, nibbled on it quickly.
"So...." he started. She looked up at him and wiped some crumbs off her lips.
"What?" she spat out.
"You have a good time last night? Was it beyond your wildest dreams?" he cooed, knowing it would drive her nuts.
"You are a menace, FP Jones." she scowled and took a violent bite of her pastry. The elevator stopped and the door opened. She glanced back and forth between him and the door. "And yes." she confessed under her breath before hurrying out of the elevator. The response only made him laugh.
XXXXXXXXX
The car ride over to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy was filled with some cheesy 80s playlist FP made weeks ago and him attempting to bombard her with questions about her night with Hiram. She didn't give him much detail in exactly what they were doing, but more so admitting to how she felt about all of it and where their relationship could go.
"So you're saying that his other mistress was a Mrs. Mullway.....talk about freaky coincidental shit." he had to speak louder over the music coming from his speakers. "Surprised Hermione didn't lose her cool over her."
"I just don't know what I'm going to do if his family finds out." she confessed. "I feel.....free with him. And not so anxious all the fucking time. At this point, I would rather get shot by the Black Hood than have Hermione Lodge make my gruesome death look like an accident."
"No offense to her," FP started, "but with me and Hiram protecting your ass, I don't think she'll be so successful." She knew he was probably joking, but the sincerity in his voice made her smile.
"Well, thank you." she squeezed his hand before reaching for the last of her coffee. He stopped at a red light and huffed. Alice was beginning to see the distress in his eyes.
"What?" he noticed her staring at him.
"Did something happen to you last night, FP?" she asked in concern. "You sounded a little uneasy on the phone this morning. Was it something Serpent related?"
The light turned green, allowing for him to go. He pulled over to a gas station on the side of the road and turned off the ignition. What was going on with him. He sat there in silence for a moment before turning to her.
"I think I'm going to lose my skins." he confessed with his voice cracking. She grew panicked....what the hell did this mean? She tried to asked him, but he kept going. "They're starting to catch on that I'm the mole. I don't know how it could have gotten leaked to them....or maybe the Black Hood had something to do with it." He slumped back in his seat and stared out the windshield. "Snakes don't shed their skin so easily. That's what he wrote when he sent that fucking snake to me." She feared for him.
"What are they going to do to you?" her voice went deep. He stayed quiet, not looking at her. His eyes looked dead. His face went pale.
"When a snake gets hurt, or betrayed, it finds a brutal way to make you suffer. I've watched what happens when a Serpent gets excommunicated.....some good people I knew.....it's heart wrenching. Life ruining. Like some wedged a knife in you and left you to bleed out. Last time I remember seeing a Serpent get cut out was a guy named Mustang. He was a good man, loyal Serpent.....but he got involved in the wrong business. Putting all of them in danger. When he had his skins removed.....he dealt with the guilt by medicating himself.....about a month later, I found him dead in some motel outside of town." he paused for a moment, blinking back tears and taking heavy breaths. "Fucking OD'd on heroin. He was lying dead in a bathtub with the needle in his arm." She sat there speechless. His hands gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles becoming white.
"Sometimes.....I get so scared that if the Serpents severed ties with me, if Keller lets me go without a rhyme or reason.....I'll relapse. Drink myself to death because I can't stop, and I won't know how to. Despite all that hard work to stay sober...." He started drumming his fingers to calm himself. He looked back over at her, and she saw his eyes getting red.....and wet.
"I don't want you to get involved, too. I don't think I could ever forgive myself if you had to bare watching me fall apart. Not on top of everything you're going through." He inhaled sharply and rested his forehead on the steering wheel.
She felt so helpless sitting there listening to his fears. She knew that he had been a member since high school, and that he was doing everything he could to keep the Serpents out of jail by his work with the PD. She had no idea that his life and Serpent status was on the line because of everything he'd done. There had to be something she could do.....
That's when Alice took his hand and rotated his face towards her.
"I won't. And I won't let you fall apart on me. If something does happen between you and the Serpents.....you don't have to submit yourself to swallowing up your misery on the Southside......you could stay with me and Chic."
"Alice...."
"Just listen to me." she felt her voice cracking. "You deserve the same amount of happiness as I do. And if the Serpents try to take that from you just because you're doing your damn job.....then screw them. You could move in to my guest bedroom. I could help you find a job. I'll find a way to help you get back to your family." She grabbed both of his hands, her heart beating out of her chest. She never allowed herself to get this close with any of her partners in the past, but FP needed her. Now more than ever, the same way she needed him "I won't let you suffer through this alone, okay? I'm with you FP Jones, whatever happens."
She felt her eyelids and her cheeks become heavy as she tried to hold back tears. A lone tear went down his face, but now he seemed much calmer, more emotional.
"Fuck, I don't deserve you, Coop." he choked out. "I already got this from the kids today, but it's hitting a little harder now. Maybe because it's you." he started to laugh.
"Has it really been all that bad?" she asked him for his opinion. "You think working with Keller and the PD was just.....filled with a bunch of mistakes?" He sniffled before returning his focus to her.
"No....." he admitted. He squeezed her hand, his eyes meeting hers. "They weren't all mistakes." His eyes were soft and his lips formed a lazy smile. Her gaze wandered from his eyes to his wet cheeks....to his lips, staying there.
"Um.....since we're here," FP coughed and looked back out the windshield, remembering where they stopped, "you need a bathroom break or anything? More coffee? I'll fill up on gas." She blinked, then nodded. She let go of his hands then opened the car door.
"I could use some more coffee. And a restroom."
XXXXXXXX
The Sisters of Quiet Mercy was larger than what FP had imagined. The greystone buildings loomed over them, and the woodland area surrounding the place gave him dark fairytale vibes. The two saw some of the Sisters residents in their blue and red attire tending to the garden out front with older nuns standing over.....freaking him out.
"I'll be damned," he commented to her, "this place makes that asylum from the second season of American Horror Story look like a fucking Barbie dreamhouse." He leaned up against his truck and waited for Alice to come out.
"What were you expecting? Professor X's mansion with teenage mutants roaming around?" she shut her door and fixed the collar of her jacket.
"Okay, so going undercover is a little different then just going in regularly," he spoke in a low voice so the nuns and the residents couldn't hear them, "you have to stick to the personality you you create, and you have to be careful about how you phrase your questions. If they catch you in a lie, the mission's pretty much fucked."
"Anything else?" she looked up at him. Her hair looked softer and fluffier than normal. It stood out against her brown petticoat and blue scarf.
"Make it believable. Especially since we're gonna be....husband and wife." he paused for a moment. "Just for this." he tried to clarify.
"I know." she smiled. Out of both their vision, an older woman approached them. When FP and Alice turned to her, they both jumped.
"You must be the Mullways." the woman spoke, her voice eerily familiar to the one who greeted them on the phone earlier in the week. "We were expecting you. My name is Sister Woodhouse. You can follow me." They watched as the nun, Sister Woodhouse, headed towards the entrance of the main complex. They both hesitated before they followed her.
They walked down the corridors of the building, it was all way too ominous. The walls went up too high, with no windows whatsoever, and there was distant screaming from another part of the building. A young girl ran past them with some nurses chasing after all, scaring Alice. FP grabbed onto her hand and kept them moving forward to keep up with Sister Woodhouse.
"So you were looking to adopt from here?" the older woman turned her head to them. He swore that if she turned her head any further, she could practically give Regan from The Exorcist a run for her money.
"Yeah." he responded, still holding Alice's hand. "We figured since this was the only place like an orphanage near town."
"Well, we're always welcome to newcomers." she gave him an evil smile. Part of him wanted to say "fuck it" and get him and Alice out of there. But they needed everything they could about Joseph Conway and that group that came to see him. Their goal was too important to bail out now.
They arrived at her office and they sat down in front of her desk. Along the back were older photographs going back to at least the 70s. He tried to get a good glance to find anyone that looked like Joseph.
"So what made you two decide to adopt?" she asked them. He turned to Alice, not sure what to say. She faced Sister Woodhouse and took over the conversation.
"Well.....we just married recently. We both had trouble in our previous marriages, but when we found each other.....we knew it was right. Only problem is....I've never been able to have children." He started to form a lump in his throat when Alice fabricated their love story. "Believe me, my former husband and I have tried for many years....but nothing." It almost sounded too real. Was she pulling from what happened with her and Hal after they had Chic? She began tearing up as she continued, "It was either miscarriage after miscarriage, or no pregnancy at all...." Alice turned back to FP and held onto his hand tighter. "But I'm lucky to have.....Chandler. He wanted the same things I did. That's what brought us here today." she stopped and gave him a smile. He lifted her hand and kissed it, the emotion of her performance almost too real as well.
"How tragic." Sister Woodhouse responded. "But luckily there are good people like you who want to rescue these poor children in here."
"Good thing we found this place." FP nodded. How the hell were they going to bring Joseph Conway into the conversation without blowing everything. He sat there for a moment, thinking of what words to string together, then redirected his attention at the nun. "Funny, because....we were recommended to come here by our neighbors....the Svensons."
The old woman's face went stern. "The Svensons?"
"We were telling them about our situation when we moved in next door to them." Alice followed up. Damn, FP thought to himself, she was good at this undercover act. "This was the first place they mentioned.....considering this is where they picked up their son, Joseph."
"The Svensons....ah, now I remember them." Sister Woodhouse sat down at her desk and placed her forearms down in front of her. "Poor little Joseph, bless him....he was a troubled child. Dealt with so much pain. But the Svensons.....you two remind me a lot of them. Wanting to do some good in this wicked, sinful world." Her phrasing left him unsettled. He was surprised that she was even providing this information to them.
"Do you.....do you remember what Joseph was like, by chance?" FP tried to sound authentic. "The Svensons were just advising us about children in this program....saying that some deal with....personal troubles. Could you tell us what the kids are like? So we know what we're looking into?"
"Whenever we have a child come into our premise, it is our forsaken duty to cure them and give them....the best treatment we can." she talked slowly. "Joseph Conway was a very troubled child, from the best of my memory, but we did what we could to cleanse his soul before he went home with the Svensons." She stopped, then stood up. She turned behind her and pulled down one of the photos from the wall, handing it to them. The photo read, "Sisters of Quiet Mercy, 1985". There, right front and center of a group of children and nurses, standing in front of Sister Woodhouse herself, was Joseph.
"Poor boy kept mumbling on about this....Riverdale Reaper. How he couldn't stop seeing his face." she explained. "None of our remedies worked on him, though. What he needed was a proper family....someone to listen and to care for him. Granted, it was only a little after that photo was taken that the Svensons came to us and adopted him. And there was that group of townies that came in...."
"Wait, what group?" Alice interrupted. "I don't know if this is confidential information.....but, who came to see him?" Sister Woodhouse cocked her head to the side; she reminded FP of an older version of Nurse Ratched.
"What makes you ask that, Mrs. Mullway?"
"It was something the Svensons mentioned to us." FP explained with rushed words. "They said that Joseph couldn't stop talking about them. About how he got a wrong face." She seemed to buy his words, because she nodded and returned her head to a normal position.
"That's reasonable." she smiled at them grimacely, "There were about five or six of them that came....all major family heads in Riverdale at the time. Lead by two men, a Mr. Lodge and the owner of the Register at the time, Thomas Cooper." The name drop cause FP to quickly turn back to Alice. She was frozen in her seat, squeezing his hand with all her might. He turned back to Sister Woodhouse as she continued her story, "They raided the place like a gang of vigilantes, pestering little Joseph about what he saw that night. What they did to the the man who they thought was the Reaper broke out all over the news."
"What exactly did they do?" Alice's voice was monotone.
"Poor dears, you don't know what happened? They buried him alive in Pickens Park. Dug up one heck of a grave and shoved him in there, casket and all. Some say it wasn't him....but to this day we never know. I just hope God had mercy on that man when he died." She glared back and forth between the pair, her eyes cat-like. Was she starting to catch onto their act? Or had she already suspected that they were bluffing from the moment they showed up?
"But enough about Joseph Conway." she sounded calm, "Let's get into why you're here. Tell me, what kind of child are you looking for?"
XXXXXXXXX
The two were able to leave the Sisters of Quiet Mercy after Sister Woodhouse gave them an unofficial tour and had them meet some of the "cured" children. Alice felt so awful for all of those children.....she started to question what the hell those nuns were doing in there, and what immoral practices they were up to. When she and FP left, they stopped by a small diner on the road back to Riverdale. She sat there stunned in silence long after they ordered their food and beverages, her mind racing. She still couldn't get over the fact that Hiram and Hal's father were part of the brigade that killed a potentially innocent man.
"What are you thinking about, Coop?" FP regained her attention. She took a sip of her water and swallowed.
"If Joseph did lie to them about who he saw that night, does this mean the Black Hood could go after him? Lying could be considered a sin in the Black Hood's eyes."
"Maybe." he sighed. "But wouldn't have the Black Hood sent you a poem by now that could tie in to Joseph?" he paused for a moment. He glanced around the diner then returned his gaze. "It's kind of unsettling that we haven't heard anything in a long time. Don't you agree?" She let out a long, shaky breath, then buried her face into her hands.
"I don't know anymore." she muttered, her voice sounding distressed. "It would just be comforting to know that this Riverdale Reaper case isn't leading us into a fucking dead end."
"It's alright, breathe. Shhhh....." he stroked her forearms, calming her down. "When we get back into town, why don't we just take the rest of the day off and come back to it in the morning? Maybe I can hang out with Chic while you go be with Hiram." She looked up at him and nodded.
"That might be good actually.....maybe Hiram knows something about his father's involvement with the Reaper. If not....then, it won't be that big of a deal. I hope." She leaned back up and pulled her phone out of her pocket.
To Hiram - Should be back in town soon. How about we follow up with those dinner plans? ;)
She waited a couple of seconds. No response. She waited a couple more minutes. No response. Then he phone buzzed.
From Hiram - Sounds good, my brave little Nancy Drew. See you soon.
She set her phone down on the table and smiled.
"What?" FP nudged her arm. "Already making plans for round two?"
"Shut up, FP." she looked away from him, blushing.
After their lunch, the two hopped back into FP's truck and headed back into town. They didn't talk much, mostly because they were both slightly in a food coma and FP was trying to focus on not crashing into the side of the road. When they arrived in downtown Riverdale, he pulled over to a spot in the street, a little bit away from Pembrooke. She made sure to text Chic and let him know of her whereabouts, then she pulled up her messages with Hiram.
To Hiram - Outside Pembrooke now. I'm ready when you are, handsome.
The two walked over to the complex building as the cold air hit their faces. Alice observed the scene around her. Something was off.
"You okay?" FP tapped her on the arm.
"I'm fine." she nodded, but she still felt uneasy. The area was unusually quiet. They walked up the steps towards the doors. The closer they got, the more prominent a welp of pain could be heard.
"What the hell?" FP muttered as he pushed open the doors. They walked in to find one of Hiram's men on the floor in a fetal position clutching his stomach. There was a puddle of blood next to him.
"Andre?" Alice rushed over to the man, Andre, as he cried out in pain. "Oh my god, what happened?"
"He was here...." Andre gritted through his teeth. "The Black Hood." Her heart stopped. The Black Hood was in Pembrooke?
"He wanted me to give this to you...." Andre pulled something out of his coat and handed it to her. A letter. FP rushed over next to her and began to help Andre stop the bleeding. Alice stood up and unfolded the letter. She hung her mouth open, not able to gasp for air.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
"Alice? What does it say?" FP called out from behind her, but she couldn't turn to face him. This was the Black Hood alright.....but did that mean.....
Her feet led the way as she bolted to the stairs and rushed up to Hiram's floor. She pushed open the door to the hallway and sprinted for his apartment.
"HIRAM!" she screamed as she ran for her life. His door was slightly opened. She forced herself to push the door all the way open. She felt dizzy. She felt petrified.
The Lodge's residence was ransacked. The chairs by the dinner table were scattered and broken all over the floor, pillows were ripped open over by the couch, and the blood.....whose blood was it.....and where was Hiram? What happened to him?
"HIRAM!" she called out again, her voice wavering in despair. She stumbled over to his bedroom, following the trail of smeared blood, and prayed that his dead body wasn't flayed across his bed like what happened to Hal. She entered the bedroom and found no dead bodies. No body parts even. But there was that blood that trailed from the entrance of the bedroom to the closet and the bathroom.....did Hiram put up a fight against the Black Hood and try to hide? Was he dead? She ran for the closet, nothing. She ran into the bathroom, still nothing. What did the Black Hood do to Hiram?
Alice fell to her knees next to the bed. She threw the letter to the ground and slammed the floor with her fists. "NO! DAMMIT!" she wailed and let out a scream. She felt lost, helpless.....She finally had someone who made her happy and he was ripped away from her. The Black Hood took Hiram away and who knew what tortures the Black Hood could ensue. She continued to scream until her lungs gave out. She crawled over to the edge of the bed and rested her back against it, uncontrollably sobbing. Her nails dug straight into her palms, something she hadn't thought about doing in a while. Why did it have to be him?
She heard the thud of footsteps coming towards her, but she didn't open her eyes. If it was the Black Hood coming to finish his job, let him. She didn't care anymore.
"Alice?" FP held her face in his hands. She opened her eyes, more tears flowing out of her. FP tried to read her face to see what happened, but he must have figured it out.
"He took Hiram." she choked out, blubbering. She sat up straight and clung to him. She wailed against his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her, holding on for dear life.
XXXXXXXX
Keller and the others showed up when FP called for backup and 911 after he aided Andre. When the crew finished examining the disastrous scene in Pembrooke, Keller brought the, back to the station for questioning while the ambulance brought Andre to the hospital. Alice remained motionless on the ride back. FP felt so helpless. He felt awful for her. First Hal, then Chic, now Hiram. What did Alice do to spark the Black Hood into behaving so ruthless and cruel in his ways against her?
The two were brought into separate rooms, no matter how hard FP tried to convince Keller to let them be in the same room. He didn't want the others to pick at her; she already has enough as it was. When he was asked about his whereabouts, he explained that the two had decided to take a trip out of town just to get "a fresh change of scenery" then had decided to pay a visit to Hiram to thank him for the invitation to SoDale. He worried that his story wouldn't match to hers, but at that point, he didn't care. He wanted to get back to her. He wanted to hold her. He.....he didn't know what he wanted exactly, but he knew he just wanted to keep her safe.
After a few minutes, they let him go. FP immediately rushed out of the interrogation room and waited for the other guards to let Alice out of hers. A couple of minutes passed before she walks out, wiping away tears. She looked up at him, then without hesitation, the two embraced.
"What did you tell them?" she whispered in his ear.
"Just told them we were taking a road trip for fresh air. You?"
"Something like that...." he felt a tear on his cheek as she answered. They both pulled back slightly to look at each other. She reached for his hand, then the two headed back out to the main area of the station, only to stop in their tracks. They found Keller at their desk space, peering over the Howard file.
"Figured you two couldn't get enough of this case." Keller closed the file and turned to them. "Tell me.....did you get everything that you were looking for?"
"We think the Riverdale Reaper is tied to the Black Hood." Alice justified. "He may be going after the sole survivor, Joseph Svenson---"
"Oh I know." Keller pushed himself away from the desk and walked over to them. "Got a call from the Sisters of Quiet Mercy. Sister Woodhouse said that she felt some of my cops were going undercover to ask her about the Reaper. Well, I don't really know of any other people doing that.....besides you two."
"Tom," FP started, "we can explain---"
"I don't want to hear about this anymore!" Keller yelled, gesturing for him to stop talking. "Damnit, this is what I was worried about." his voice escalated as he started pointing his finger at them. "You two spiralling down a rabbit hole you wouldn't get yourselves out of, some permanent limbo! Do you have any idea what this case did to Howard?"
"We're well aware of what happened, Tom." FP interjected, letting go of Alice's hand. He stepped in closer to Keller and stared him down "But we're not him! We actually have a good lead, one that Howard couldn't even get to---"
"THAT'S ENOUGH, FP!" Keller barked at him, getting closer to him. "It doesn't matter what happened to the Riverdale Reaper or the fate of the Conways, or Joseph! What's done is done!"
"That doesn't give you a fucking right to chastise him over it!" Alice yelled. She stepped in between the men.
"Alice...." FP tried to stop her, but she held an arm to his torso, holding him back.
"I'm the one who decided to look into this." she explained. "I'm the one who went to the house and found that file." Her voice was slowing cracking as she stood up to Keller. "Punish me all you want! Strip me of my title. Take away my badge! I don't care." she inhaled sharply. "But don't you dare blame him for this! Don't blame FP! He's a good person.....he's a good partner...." she paused, struggling to speak while crying. She stood up straight and gave Keller a death glare.
"He's the best partner I've ever had."
The comment stunned both him and Keller. FP wanted to reach out for her and.....well, he wasn't sure. But before he could do anything, Keller sighed and threw his hands down.
"Normally, this would be the part where I strip you both of your badges and tell you to get the hell out of my sight.....but there's still the Black Hood running around. And who knows where the hell he's going or what he'll do next." he paused, letting out an angry breath. "So you better do something to stop him. And when it's all over.....then we'll talk." He said nothing more. He turned his back to them and grabbed Howard's file, then he moved past them, heading back towards his office.
FP watched his boss leave the room, then he turned back to Alice. She gave him a mournful look with tears in her eyes.
"I meant it, FP." she said quietly. "You're the only partner I've gotten close to, and....the only one who's helped me with......everything. You are my best friend." She looked down at her feet and let out silent tears. He came closer to her and held her face again. Their eyes met, her face was wet and hot in his hands. But her gaze was soft. Loving.
He rested his forehead against hers, their breathing becoming synced up. She placed her hands on his forearms, stroking her thumb along his wrist. They stayed like that for a while.
XXXXXXXXX
Chic pulled up to Pop's in his mom's convertible about a half hour after FP called him to get his mom. He shivered as he stepped out of the car and walked up to the diner. The door chimed as he entered, the warmth of the diner coming to him. Chic glanced around the diner for any signs of his mom and her partner. Then, he found FP and Alice in a booth by the back of the diner huddled into one another. Her head rested against his shoulder and her arm was around his stomach as he stroked her back. She looked completely distraught, and he looked exhausted.
"Mom?" Chic rushed over to the pair. "What happened? Are you okay?" Alice sat up straight gave him a sad expression. She didn't have to explain what happened, for he starting to put the pieces together.
"Did something happen between you and Mr. Lodge?"
"Not quite, boy." FP responded. "More between Hiram and the Black Hood." Chic stood there as FP climbed out of the booth with Alice going after him. She held onto FP's hand as she turned back to Chic.
"He's not dead." his mom spoke. She sounded hoarse. Her eyes were all red and puffy. "But it's only a matter of time."
"I'm sorry, mom." Chic replied, his heart breaking for her. "I know you cared about him." He watched as she blinked back tears. She looked up at FP and squeezed his hand one last time before letting it go. She walked over to Chic and hugged him. He returned her touch and held onto his mom. He glanced up at FP in worry, waiting for some direction.
"You two better get home." FP spoke. "It's gonna be a long week for all of us." Chic nodded and led his mom out of the diner. He helped Alice into the car and he took the driver's seat, starting up the convertible's ignition.
The car ride back to Elm Street was brutally silent. Chic didn't know if he could bare watching his mom fall apart again, the way she did with his father. Out of all the people and their families the Black Hood could have targeted, why did he pick them? Why did he pick Alice?
XXXXXXX
When her son made the turn onto Elm Street, Alice couldn't help but notice how unusually dark their street was, especially this late at night. There would have been street lamps on, or something. Chic pulled into the driveway and turned off the car. He turned to her and noticed the concern in her face.
"What's wrong?" Chic asked.
"I don't know." she shook her head. The two got out of the car and examined the outside of their home. They both turned out to the street to see if their neighbors were picking up on the strangeness of the situation. Was there a blackout on Elm Street, she wondered. But this was more than just a random blackout. Something wasn't right.
"Mom...." Chic grabbed onto her arm. She glanced over at Chic, then she turned to where she was looking. A few houses away, coming into the scene wielding a rifle, was no one other than the Black Hood.
"MOM." Chic began backing away. Alice stood there, paralyzed. The Black Hood cocked the rifle and aimed it at the Coopers.
"CHIC, RUN!" Alice pushed Chic towards their house. A shot rang out in the air as the two made a sprint for the front door. Chic fumbled with the keys for a bit before he was able to twist the door handle and push the door open. The two hurried inside and slammed the door shut as another shot rang out. Alice locked and deadbolted the door and slowly backed away. What the hell was she going to do? She couldn't trust Keller to come help her? Was FP nearby? What are you going to do, Alice?
"Grab the fire poker." she commanded her son. Chic ran towards their fireplace and picked up the metal rod. She threw off her coat and scarf and let them fall to her feet, kicking them aside. He brought it over to her as she dug through her purse. She pulled out her pistol and held it out to him.
"You remember how to use this thing?" she spoke to him calmly. He grabbed hold of it and nodded. "Good, now get behind me." The two moved behind the pillars separating the entryway of the house and the living room. They waited there, Alice gripping the metal tighter in her hands. They heard the Black Hood approaching the house, his footsteps sounding like thunder.
"What do we do?" Chic muttered. She needed to think of a strategy, and fast. Then, an idea came to her.
"When I get to him, you go out the back door and go next door. To Mr. Andrews. Then you call FP and tell him to get his ass over here."
"What, MOM NO!" Chic stepped out from behind her. Outside the house, the Black Hood body slammed into the door. The two jumped at the noise, but the door was still bolted shut.
"You're taking him on by yourself?" Chic spoke over the slamming.
"I almost lost you to this bastard once, I'm not risking it again!" Alice kept her focus on the door, the rage flowing through her. "So do as I say and get yourself somewhere safe!" She could her Chic starting to cry.
"Mom, why are you doing this?" Alice whipped her head towards him.
"It's because I love you, Chic!" she yelled. They both went silent, the slamming become louder. The deadbolt was starting to lose tact with the door.
"On my cue." she stroked his face then returned to her place behind the pillar, Chic shaking behind her. Everything went silent.
The door flew open with a violent thrash. The Black Hood stormed into the house and raised his rifle, not aware of where Alice and Chic were hiding. She waited a moment, then she striked. She swung the fire poker at his head and had him stumbling. She aimed her next blow at the back of his neck, causing him to groan in pain and drop his rifle. Alice turned back up to Chic, waiting for him to make his great escape. He stood there in fear.
"GO!" she yelled, and Chic made a run for the back door. As her son left the house, the Black Hood grabbed his rifle and got back up to his feet. His eyes were angry.....pissed. She backed away to give herself space from him. He aimed the rifle at her, but she smacked the rifle out of his hand with the rod. The rifle fell to the floor in a thud, and she kicked it away. She twisted the rod in her hand, her confidence growing.
"Come at me, you son of a bitch." she growled at him. "What else do I have to lose?" The Black Hood rolled his shoulders forward and lunged at her, swinging a fist. She dodged the blow with ease. While he was hunched over, Alice gave him a swift kick in the side of his ribcage, knocking him to the ground. She re-positioned her hold on the fire poker, ready to throw it down on him like a spear. He leaned up and tossed her arm to the side, knocking the rod out of her hand. She tried to run for the rod, but the Black Hood ran into her and knocked her into the corner of the table. She yelped in pain as he curled his fingers into her hair. He yanked her head back, ready to smash it into the table, but she stomped violently on his foot and sent an elbow into his abdomen. He let go of his hold on her, stumbling back slightly. She whipped around and socked him in the eye. He began losing balance, gripping onto the edge of the table. Alice remembered his rifle on the ground and ran for it. She held the gun in her hands, checking for any ammunition. The Black Hood tried to stand up all the way but the chair he held onto fell underneath him, causing him to fall down. She cocked the rifle and pointed it at him.
"What's wrong? Karma finally biting you in the ass?" she loomed over him. "You deserve it......after what you did to Hal. What do tried to do to my son. And now what you're doing with Hiram. Whatever game you have me playing....it's over." He tried to move, but she wouldn't let him. "No more secrets. No more lies." her voice escalated. "TAKE OFF THE FUCKING MASK. NOW!"
The Black Hood didn't respond. Instead, he reached for the fire poker and jabbed her with it straight into her ribcage. Alice groaned in pain, her stomach rounding, but she still had a firm grip on the rifle. He regained his balance and now wielded the rod in his hands. He swung it up in the air and prepared to slam it down on her. She was starting to get weak, but she still had enough strength to deflect his movement by blocking the rod with the rifle. She held onto each end of the rifle with both hands, lunging back to support her stance. His strength was overpowering her, the metal rod coming down further. As a last minute resort, Alice moved her back leg up and kneed the Black Hood in the groin. The pain was enough for him to lose hold of the rod, letting it fall to the ground. She swung the back end of the rifle at his head and sent him down.
With the Black Hood on the ground, Alice made a headstart for the staircase, limping all the way up. She had to hold her hand against the wall to keep herself from folding over from the pain on the side of her stomach. She turned her head behind her, fearing that the Black Hood was following her up, but there was no sign of him. She hustled over to her bedroom and slammed the door shut. She rested the rifle on her dresser then headed for her closet. Hal had bought a gun at one point when they were living in Boston, fearing of someone breaking into their small apartment. She remembered him still having it when they moved to Riverdale. Did he still own one? Would she be able to find any ammo? Maybe under the bed? She limped over to the bed and knelt down, the pain taking over her body. Alice winced as she patted all over the floor. She felt a small cardboard box that rattled. Could she be in luck? She pulled out the small box and sighed in relief. There was enough ammunition to fend herself from her intruder. But what about Chic? Oh god.....what if he went after Chic again? Or Fred Andrews?
A rattle outside her bedroom window startled her. She could hear something shaking from the outside. Was the Black Hood climbing up to her window? Did she lock her window? Too late to go run and lock it now. Alice limped back over to her dresser and grabbed the rifle. She placed fresh new ammo inside then backed herself against the wall near her closet door. She cocked the rifle back and waited, the noise becoming louder and louder the closer whoever it was out there became. Maybe it was Chic getting back into the house, but she couldn't risk her chances. A dark figure appeared out her window, pushing the curtains to the side. Alice lifted the rifle and began to aim.
"Woah, hey! It's just me!" FP held up his hands in front of him. She lowered the rifle slowly, taking in his features despite the darkness. It was him. Alice let out a cry of relief and stumbled over to FP. The two embraced, the cold air blowing in through the open window.
"I got worried about you, so I decided to come over and I see if I could spend the night here with you." he admitted as he pulled away to look down at her. "But when I was pulling into Elm Street, Chic called and said something was happening."
"He's in the house, FP. The Black Hood is here." Another wave of pain hit her and she winced. He held her steady in his arms to keep her from falling over.
"Hey, I got you. It's okay." he spoke calmly. The two stared at each other in the darkness, FP's brown eyes more prominent. He had only been in for a few seconds, but she was already starting to feel.....
Something crashed downstairs. FP and Alice both turned to the door in panic.
"Please tell me you have that damn thing loaded." he hurried around her and grabbed for a bedside lamp. She walked over to the door, waiting for the right moment to go. There was no other noise coming from downstairs. FP nodded, giving her the cue. She opened the door and let it glide away from her. She turned back to FP and tilted her head outward. The two left her bedroom, moving down the hallway as slow as they could go. FP gripped onto the lamp behind her as she began making her way down the stairs. She raised the rifle in case the Black Hood appeared. But nothing. She stopped at the bottom stair, absorbing the scene around her.
The Black Hood didn't ransack her living room or her kitchen, but where did that crash come from. She noticed the unusual light coming from one of the windows over her couch. There was shattered glass on that one section of the couch glowing in the moonlight. On the floor in front of the couch was a book of some kind.
"Alice...." FP voiced in concern. She held a hand up to him and moved forward towards the book. She picked it up and glared down at it. The cover was black with nothing written on it. She turned it over to examine every angle, then she saw the red ribbon in the middle of the book. Alice set the rifle down and opened the book, flipping through the pages. They were all filled with writing......poetry. All poems that she knew of.....some the Black Hood used in his game. She skipped to the page where the ribbon was held and looked down at the poem.
I love you as one loves certain obscure things,
secretly, between the shadow and the soul.
What the hell did this mean? He went after her and Chic, but who would he be going after next? Where was the connection? What did any of it mean? Why her?
Why her.....
Her spine straightened. Her eyes widened. Her body was on the verge of going numb. The Black Hood's killings and attacks weren't random. Every person the Black Hood went after so far were all connected.....not by a common personality trait, or a pattern of "sinful behaviors", but by a person. Someone they all knew.
"Alice? What is it?" FP approached her. She turned to him, tears forming in her eyes, the book shaking in her hands.
"I figured out his pattern." she answered in a low, broken voice. "He's doing it for me."