A/N: As usual, I would recommend putting the video on loop.
Yes, there was the chance that they were talking about someone else, but they mentioned both (f/n) and Nick, who had been the other survivor of the tunnels. It just fit too well together in his mind for him to neglect those pieces of information. Oliver didn't know either the woman or man's relation to both of them exactly, but it sounded like they were all close. If he could find (f/n), he could learn where the creature was ... Wait, that wouldn't make sense.
The creature wouldn't be nearby (f/n) if Nick was with her unless the creature was working with a whole group of people, but that seemed unlikely by what else the pair had said. The phrases "present arrangement" and "won't last forever" pointed towards the fact that they might be hiding from the creature. That possibility only increased more due to the fact that they mentioned Nick being more paranoid than usual, which meant that they might know where the creature was or had been.
His attention snapped back towards them when he heard car doors unlock and open. He didn't have much time to decide. Briefly, he averted his optics to inside of Leon's car. Oliver couldn't sight Mae or the others too well through the tinted glass, but he had a feeling that they still didn't know he was outside of the car. Otherwise, they probably would've gone looking for him already.
Car doors shut, and his heart picked up in speed. He'd lose his chance soon. The car kicked to life. Oliver, without much thought, bolted from his hiding spot but crouched in the process. Oliver sped over to the car's trunk. If it was open, he might be able to sneak in before they took off. Before his hands even could reach the trunk, though, the car raced off.
Stopping dead in his tracks, Oliver clenched his fists and cursed mentally. His brown optics followed the car as it moved closer and closer towards the road. He would've led the group to (f/n)'s location. From there, they could've learned potentially where the creature was. Nearly, he was about to storm back into Leon's car and inform the group, but something else happened.
To his amazement, the grey vehicle halted before it backed up and pulled into a nearby parking space. The driver's door was thrown open, and the woman came running out. Most likely, she had forgotten something, and the male followed her shortly after. Opportunity struck.
Oliver stepped closer to Leon's car as they ran by before he distanced himself from it a little bit. His gaze traveled over the rest of the parking lot. No one else left their cars. From what he could spot through car windows, everyone was preoccupied and was paying him no mind. Now was his chance.
Once again, he lowered himself closer to the ground and used cars when he could as coverage in case anyone peered up and sighted him. As best as he could, he maneuvered his way around the cars. Soon enough, he was at the last car before the grey one. Inside, a woman and child were talking about the various rides they could go on and seemed to be developing a schedule for the day.
Steadily, he peeked up and stared through the back window. Both of them were too wrapped up in their conversation to notice him. With that in mind, he hurried off towards the grey car. He hoped that they hadn't locked it in their rush.
Reaching the back, his hands tried the trunk. A grin spread across his lips. They had left it unlocked. With no hesitation, he opened it just enough to slip inside. Gently, he closed it behind him and pressed himself up close to the backseat so that there wouldn't be a possibility of being seen in the rear view mirror. Since the woman and man were gone, he removed his cell phone from his blue jacket and turned it on since he had left it off while he had been sleeping.
When it loaded up completely, he speedily typed a text to Gretchen. Found a lead on (f/n)'s whereabouts. Nick's too. Even maybe the creature's. Had no time to tell you. I'll send the location once I have it. He sent the message and turned his phone off for the time being so that he wouldn't be caught. While he waited for them to get back, he relaxed in the back and stretched his legs out. It might be a long drive ahead of him, so he should make himself as comfortable as he possibly could.
"Thanks for coming back with me to check," Chris spoke, approaching the car. Her voice somewhat was muffled by the glass before the driver's door opened. "Looks like we found it before anyone managed to take it."
"Thankfully, they hadn't opened the park yet. Otherwise, it might've been stolen," Ren responded, opening the front passenger's door and getting inside. Chris entered the car shortly after, and both closed their doors.
"Yeah, and I wouldn't have felt right asking Nick for a replacement." The key didn't turn in the ignition yet. Chris fanned out her right hand some and admired the ring on her right ring finger. "It just doesn't feel right anymore not to be wearing it." She released a sigh and leaned her head on the steering wheel. "I can't believe that I almost had left it in an amusement park restroom."
"Yeah, Nick might've not appreciated that reason too much," Ren remarked, earning a slight glare from Chris before she hit him playfully in the upper arm. They both shared a smile before his green-hazel eyes turned towards his own ring, which was on his right ring finger too. "It was nice of him to buy us each one." The ruby shone delicately in the pale, yet still dark morning light. Black stainless steel wrapped around the stone. It was to signify that they valued each other's lives over any case they took up and that they would protect each other's blood in the process.
"But, it makes sense." Chris smiled fondly at the ring before her expression saddened. "After what had happened back then to him ... All three of them and in that place." A heavy sigh parted from her. "We're lucky to have him as our leader." Steadily, a smile worked its way back onto her lips, though; exhaustion began to take over too.
"And, that's why we need to ensure his happiness and," Ren grinned, "tease him when we get back." Chris's smile widened before she nodded. "First, though, are you sure you don't want me to drive? You look beat." A slight laugh left her before she glanced down to the keys momentarily. She was incredibly tired, and if an emergency occurred, it would be better if the more awake of them was driving.
Handing the keys over to him, Chris got off of the driver's seat and switched places with him. Doors opened and closed again before the key turned in the ignition. The engine woke, and Ren began to drive off towards their destination. Oliver wanted to peek out of the back window of the trunk, but he didn't wish to give himself away, but he wondered if Gretchen had woken up from his text message. Most likely, none of them would mind him going off. If anything, they probably were grinning and were looking forward to when he'd send them his location.
Focus switching back to Chris and Ren, he recognized that they were mentioning the diner and missing teen. Maybe, they knew more given their information so far on Nick and (f/n). "No new word has happened yet on the diner or that teen, right?" Chris questioned as she relaxed on the seat.
"No. Last I checked, it was still cold. They're continuing to search the woods around the diner and the park." Ren settled into driving, and his arms slacked a little into more comfortable positions. "It's frustrating that we can't say anything, but I understand that it would cause more trouble than good at this point."
"Even if we did say it was the creature, it's not like we know where he hid the bodies exactly. Just for the diner people alone, it could take months to find them buried in the woods, especially with all of the snow," Chris pointed out while her light blue orbs stared out the window at the current woods. Meanwhile, Oliver's eyes were wide open. Their theory about the creature's attacks had been correct. Everything was falling into place at such an unbelievable rate, he could laugh, but he withheld it due to the circumstances.
Noting a frown falling upon her lips, Ren questioned, "Are you thinking about where he is?"
"Yeah." Her eyes scanned over the trees as they passed them by. "He could be anywhere out there, and we don't know. We're only safe right now because he doesn't know who we are. But, he could find out."
"That's why if things turn sour, Nick's informed (f/n) that she'll need to get out of there as soon as possible so that we don't get caught up in this mess anymore." Ren reached out his right hand and squeezed her left shoulder reassuringly. "He won't let us down. If things get too dangerous, he'll pull us out, and we'll make sure that he gets out too."
Lifting up her shoulder, she touched his hand to her cheek. "Thanks, Flo." He raised a brow and pulled his hand back, which placed a playful pout on her lips. "You didn't have to move your hand that fast."
Optics on the road now, Ren shook his head and momentarily met her eyes. "And, you didn't have to call me Flo. You know that I don't like that nickname."
Chris now shook her head and rested her hands at the back of her head. "Well, you won't let me call you by your full name, and I don't want to call you Ren all the time. I need my own name for you." He didn't make any comment, and she pursed her lips a little bit. "You can call me Tina if you let me call you Flo."
"Tina doesn't fit you, and you don't like that name either. Let me use your full name, and it's a deal." She crossed her arms and frowned before she muttered a word almost inaudibly, but a smile hit his lips.