The Rooftop

[watching_you]

Veronica's still shaken as she steps off the elevator - Aaron Echolls just has that kind of effect on people - but she forces herself to shrug it off. There are more important matters at hand, like making sure Mac is safe, and that Beaver doesn't hurt anyone else.

"Mac!"

Grimly, she realizes that her next hurdle will be convincing Lamb of the truth. It's not going to be easy, especially with her dad away and Woody - such an obvious suspect - already in custody. But Lamb will have to listen, won't he? Especially after she shows him the photograph, and brings in Hart...

"Mac!"

It would be hard to ignore such evidence, even for Lamb. If questioned, with Woody around, maybe a confession would even...

Why...

Why would Mac ask to meet on the roof...?

It's quiet up here, and very dark, and suddenly Veronica feels a chill.

"Mac...?"

Comments

[neptune-npcs.livejournal.com]

"And Dick still thinks I'm a virgin," he answers, calm, and still with the tiniest of smiles.

Veronica's disbelieving laugh goes ignored.

"See, I know how to keep a secret."

[watching_you]

"That's what this is all about, isn't it?" Veronica raises her arms, then drops them again, frustrated. "Keeping your secret? But it's over, it's out, I know!"

[neptune-npcs.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, but -- "

Taser in one hand, gun in the other, he steps closer, gives her a meaningful look.

" -- I have a pretty good feeling that you won't be telling anybody."

[watching_you]

It takes less than half a second for her to create a lie, and to make it sound convincing.

"I already did. I told my dad, he knows."

[neptune-npcs.livejournal.com]

"That's, uh...that's too bad."

He shrugs, casually.

"He's on Woody's plane with him, right? Right now, on his way back? See, because I have no more use for Woody."

Another smile, malicious and proud.

"You heard about the bomb in Woody's car, right? Yeah, 'cause there's one on his plane. And all I have to do..."

Beaver switches the taser to his other hand and pulls out a second cell phone: his own.

"Is dial."

[watching_you]

Veronica just stares. There's no witty answer to that. No quick comeback.

It must be a lie.

It must be.

[neptune-npcs.livejournal.com]

Beaver chuckles.

"You wanna call your dad?"

His thumb curls, poised over the SEND button.

"Say goodbye before I press 'send?' Go ahead, I'll give you a minute."

[watching_you]

"Cass... Cassidy. No."

She's breathless, stunned.

"You can't be serious -"

[neptune-npcs.livejournal.com]

"Fifty-six."

A glance down to the phone.

Fifty-five." A mocking whisper: "Tick-tock."

[watching_you]

Immediately Veronica scrambles, grabbing her phone from her back pocket. The first numbers she dials are wrong, and she's forced to hang up, do it again. Oh god oh god, why didn't she put her dad on speed dial? Vital seconds. Vital seconds. Beaver's watching her, smirking, smug, and she's dailing again, pressing the phone to her ear, getting nothing but dial tone.

"Pick up."

But it's going to be okay, she knows. He'll answer, she'll tell him. They'll find the bomb and - defuse it, throw it out a window, something - land the plane. His plans foiled, Cassidy will run, try to escape: he'll use his father's wealth and name to get as far as possible. But in the end, Keith will track him down. Because that's what Keith does. And Cassidy will go to prison.

Everything's going to be fine.

"Please pick up!"

But in her hand, the phone's still ringing. And Veronica chokes, and lets out a cry despite herself.

"Daddy...!"

[neptune-npcs.livejournal.com]

Three. Two.

One.

Beaver sighs, and even tsks a little as he turns his attention back to the phone. "Oh well," he murmurs.

The traffic's muted by distance, the wind is calm, and the roof is empty, save them. The quiet beep as he places the call carries in the stillness.

Dialing 555-0107, the screen reads.

And then --




BOOM.

A fireball blossoms in the sky behind Veronica. Beaver watches, dispassionate.

"Whaddya know."

[watching_you]

It's like fireworks.

Like the fourth of July.

Bright lights in the sky, in the middle of the night. Loud noises.






"I'll be home late. Don't wait up."





Veronica hiccups, makes short, gasping noises, like a child. Light from the fire in the sky on her face.

Feels herself falling to her knees.

Feels her heart break.

[neptune-npcs.livejournal.com]

Beaver closes the last bit of distance between them and crouches next to her, eyes still on the sky. Bits of shrapnel flare up as they fall, burn out, disappear.

"Eeeyeah, sorry about that," he says with no remorse, dropping the phone back into his pocket and switching the taser into his free hand. "I know this might be, uh -- " he giggles, "a bad time to ask for a favor, but how would you feel, now that you've got...."

He considers, then shrugs.

"Nothing left to live for, about just...rolling yourself off?" A twirling gesture with the taser, in the direction of the rooftop's edge. "I just -- I really don't want your DNA all over my shirt."

[watching_you]

He's gloating. Taunting.




But she's Veronica Mars.

Which means that in between tears and shuddering breaths, she's already dialing one-handed, and forwarding on a text message.

She's not done yet.

[neptune-npcs.livejournal.com]

He doesn't notice what she's doing. He's too busy examining the taser, twisting his hand back in forth.

Thoughtfully, "You sure like this thing." He looks at Veronica. "You ever wonder what it feels like to the people you actually taser?"

The smirk creeps back into place.

"Let's give it a whirl, whaddya say?"

Blue electricity crackles, and he jabs the fired-up weapon against her shoulder.

[watching_you]

(As if he hasn't hurt her enough already.)

It's like fire across every nerve, white-hot pain, and she's screaming out before she can stop herself. It muddles her mind and her reflexes, and forces her, like a hand on her spine, bending her body in on itself.

The taser only touches her for a moment, but it feels like hours.

[neptune-npcs.livejournal.com]

"Y'know what I was just thinking?" says Beaver as he yanks the taser back and throws both hands into the air. He's grinning the same nearly-goofy grin he had at the party. "We're Neptune Pirates, right? And this is like I'm making you walk the plank! Except...instead of jabbing you with a sword, I'm sending three hundred thousand volts through you."

The smile drops away as if it never existed.

"Now jump."

He punches the lit taser against her again.

[watching_you]

It's worse, the second time. She hasn't recovered and she isn't expecting it.

When it's all over she lies prone on the rooftop, face contorted in pain. Her heart feels like a bird trying to escape her ribcage; it's beating too fast, too strong. Any more of this and she feels it will simply break free of her.

"Please don't..."

[neptune-npcs.livejournal.com]

Beaver sighs. He pulls himself to his feet and sights along the barrel of the gun, waiting.

When she still doesn't move, he rolls his eyes in irritation.

"You couldn't do this the easy way?" he asks her. A pause, and then he continues, "You know, Aaron Echolls is staying here. What do you want to bet that I can get him convicted for the death of this teenage girl?"

[obligatoryass]

Logan's been in his suite, pondering imponderables, but mostly wondering why there wasn't any food in his fridge. Not even the eternal block of cheese.

He doesn't have much time to ponder this because his phone vibrates, letting him know someone has texted him. He picks it up, flips it open, sees "Meet me on the roof now" on the screen.

Suddenly alarmed, he makes for the roof, where he sees Cassidy holding a gun at Veronica's head.

"NO!" he shouts, and it's an utter negation of the possibility that Veronica will be taken from him.

[neptune-npcs.livejournal.com]

Startled, Beaver's head snaps around.

The rest of him follows suit as he takes aim at Logan -- Veronica forgotten for the time being -- and fires.

Bang!

The bullet misses. It kicks up sparks as it scrapes along a grating.

[obligatoryass]

Logan ducks behind a skylight, suddenly realizing how stupid he was to show up, as docile as a lamb at a slaughterhouse.

He looks up - he's not sure why, it's certainly not a bright move on his part. Maybe it's just to make sure Beaver is watching him, not Veronica.

[neptune-npcs.livejournal.com]

Beaver's still watching him.

And he's aiming --

Bang!

-- and this one only misses by inches, striking the metal frame of the skylight in another rain of sparks.

[obligatoryass]

Logan ducks again, thanking...well, whoever that Beav's a lousy shot.

That's why he kinda misses what comes next.

[watching_you]

Veronica Mars is not very big: she's short, and small enough to still wear t-shirts from the kids' section every now and then. She's not the kind of person you'd expect to tackle you.

Which is probably why it works so well. Beaver never sees it coming.

Veronica uses all of her weight to knock beaver to the ground, and then struggles forwards: both of her hands around his wrist, trying to take the gun.

It was stupid, stupid to call Logan up here. How many people she cares about are going to die tonight?