The Whitechapel Project

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Previously on Whitechapel

While under the influence of Jack, Six murdered Liz, the mysterious woman who helped him back in the hotel. In searching the house that Liz brought him to, Six discovered that Liz was working for Lacuna, the secretive government organization that had some connection with the Whitechapel Project. Six discovered Liz’s cell phone in her pocket, which still had a line open to someone named Zachary McPhearson. Someone had heard everything that happened during the murder. Just as Six discovered this, he heard a door open, giving him only moments to make a decision.

Episode Sixteen – Under Her Skin

I glance at the front door, but it’s locked. They must be coming in through a back door. The creak of the hinges is long and low – they know someone’s here, and they’re coming in carefully. That gives me a few extra seconds. I look for a place to hide, somewhere I can see who’s after me before they notice me. The coat closet is the only place that makes any sense, but that’s the first place they’ll look. Still, I don’t have much time – I dive into the closet and leave the door open just a crack to look through. I pull one of the pistols from my jeans and carefully put it against the opening to the door.

Liz’s body is directly in my sight. I’m still disgusted at seeing what Jack has done to her, but the urge to vomit isn’t nearly as strong. I’ve been dealing with a lot of corpses since I woke up in that cell, and I guess I’m getting used to it. Liz, the false Lacuna cops, Dr. Tucci…

An idea leaps into my head. It’s crazy, but I don’t have a lot of options, and no time to think of anything better. I try to imagine what it’s like to be Liz, to move like her and talk like her and think like her. I’m just a young woman who’s trying to do what she thinks is best. The axe is in my hand again, and I can feel Jack’s breath on the back of my neck, ready to take over. He’s ready to go, ready to murder a whole lot of people and revel in the feel of their blood. I push him back and focus, using the axe to hack away at my identity. I imagine wearing her skin.

I open my eyes, and I can see Liz again. Where her clothes don’t cover her, I can see that her skin is gone. Her insides are already starting to ooze a little, mixing with her blood.

Just at that moment, a man steps in front of me, blocking my view of Liz. I instinctively step back, stumbling further into the closet, but he’s facing away from me as he studies Jack’s handiwork. He takes a step forward, and I can see more of him – black coat, gloves, dark hair, the uniform of the men in the black van. He puts his hand to his ear and says, “We found a skinned corpse, sir.”

I take a deep breath. This hiding space won’t last – the only way I might get out of this is if I can bluff this guy long enough to get away. I push open the door and point the gun at the man. “Get out of here, Jack, or I’ll put a bullet in your fucking head.”

The man spins around, pointing his pistol at me in turn. I don’t recognize him, but he seems to recognize me. “Parks?” he asks, the barrel of his gun not moving from my chest.

“Don’t bullshit me, Jack. I can see the skinned corpse. I know it’s you.”

A moment passes, then another. I put a little pressure on the trigger, ready to shoot. Jack whispers in the back of my head, urging me on, telling me how good it would be to feel the splatter of blood over my face. I’m ready to pull the trigger when the man suddenly puts his hands up and relaxes his grip on his pistol, letting it dangle in his hand.

“Relax, Parks. It’s me. We got your phone call, and we’re here to help.”

I ease off the trigger, but keep the gun pointed at his chest. “Prove it. Prove to me that you’re not that fucking psycho.”

He carefully sets the pistol on the ground. “I’m going to reach into my jacket and pull out my ID,” he says.

“Slowly,” I caution. “Very slowly.”

He eases his hand into his coat and pulls out a wallet. With one gloved hand he fumbles with the wallet and flips open a plastic-covered ID card. I don’t recognize the badge, but I can make out the words “Department of Homeland Security” and a name – Matthew Timm.

I take the badge from his hand and look at it before putting it on my pocket. “You could have taken this from Timm’s corpse. This doesn’t prove anything.”

“Call it in. They can vouch for me.”

Fuck. I have no idea what he’s talking about. I can’t tell if he’s testing me in return, or if he’s just trying to prove his identity. I decide to push the bluff. “Jack took my phone after the murder, and I’ve been in here since. You call it in and hand me the phone.”

Another pause before Timm speaks. “I’m going to reach into my coat again, same as before, to get my phone.” He waits until I nod, and he slowly reaches into his coat again, this time pulling out a cell phone. He turns it to face toward me and show that it’s already connected to Zachary McPhearson. “Did you catch that, boss?” he says, but it looks like he’s talking to the open air, not to me. He pauses for a moment, and then touches his ear again. “He wants to talk to you,” he says to me.

I carefully take the phone and put it to my ear. “Parks,” I say.

“We were worried about you.” The voice reminds me of bleak Virginia winters – cold, Southern, and harsh. Zachary McPhearson is the man from my dream, the one who claimed to be my owner.

I swallow my fear and focus on keeping my mask in place. “Prove to me that Timm is who he says he is.”

“He’s been in constant contact with me, Parks. Unlike you.”

“That’s why I left my cell phone call open. Jack was looking for me, but instead he killed someone else, took their face and my phone, and left.”

There was a long pause. Finally, McPhearson says, “Come out to the car. I want to make sure you’re okay.”

I look back at Timm, who’s looking at me expectantly. I don’t know if he overheard the phone call or not. Is McPhearson on to me? Should I try to make a break for it?

What should I do?

Play along and follow Timm out to the car?

Hang up, and convince Timm to leave?

Shoot Timm and run while I have the chance?

Try to kill Timm with my mind, and take his skin?

The choice is yours.

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