The order was as impossible as it could get. Cole wanted to punch the man in the face for asking someone that was supposed to be grieving to keep it together. It sounded preposterous when he said it. "I'm trying sir…" Katie said. This was a reaction the werewolves did not expect. It came as illogical to them for someone to ask something so heartless when they were faced with such hardship and Katie's reply was all the more peculiar.
"That won't cut it, Chase," he yelled louder at her. Cole started to get angry at the sight of him. This, however, changed when he saw what Katie did next.
Katie closed her eyes and took in three deep breaths allowing her mind to settle, bottling up all thoughts of the death and emotions like a trained hunter was supposed to be capable of. The effects of the anger started to leave her body. The white wolf retreated into the back of her mind clearing the fog that had plagued her since she got the news of the death.
When Katie opened her eyes, they were as clear as they had been that morning before the tragedy. "Yes, sir…" she said once again. Her voice was confident this time and she looked the man in the eye with a newfound determination. The formerly shaky voice and trembling that plagued her body were gone in an instant.
"It's that easy?" Cole asked her. What they were doing was simply trash to him and he did not approve of it.
Katie glanced his way, a small smile showing up on her face, "Yes, Cole, it's that easy," she said before walking out of the room carrying herself as calmly as someone who didn't care one bit about the person that had just been murdered in front of her.
Some of the hunters got to investigating the crime scene while others handled crowd control in the school, trying to heal the commotion that was constantly rising in the vicinity. Sandra got to the ground, slamming her fist onto the ground in an effort to seize her nerves. The director of the Hunters' Agency stayed seated on a desk watching the hunters at work. He noticed Sandra's gesture and smiled a bit, "Keep at it, Cadet. You'll get there."
"Do you lose your humanity when you become a pro hunter?" Cole asked.
The man huffed at the question, "Is that what it looks like to you? Well, the short answer would be yes, but the long one wouldn't be as simple."
"That doesn't make sense," he said. He could only keep his palms balled into fists to help him contain the storm within him and yet Katie was already calm like nothing had happened.
"Well, to put in the easiest and shortest explanation, not everyone has the luxury of giving in to their emotions. The person that I would say is most affected by this tragedy is Katie, but that's just my opinion. After this, the title of safest school will surely move on to the next school in line. If things get even more out of hand when this information spreads, the school will then be shut down for further investigation. Death is death… a murder is a murder… there is no way to justify that. The common report was that werewolf casualties in this school were more than the human casualties. It is also known that this also happened when Katie showed up.
Something that only meant that the hunters here were good at restraining the werewolves was giving the school prestige, but that can easily be flipped into a story much darker… and Katie is at the centre of it. The only way Katie can get out of this is if she finds the truth behind this death, otherwise, she is looking at spending time in the most secure hunter detainment facilities. Her reputation in the hunter society as the one hunter that was granted both gifts stands untarnished, but you can't tell that to the general public now, can you? She will do everything she can to get to the bottom of this… and emotions are merely standing in the way of that," he finished his explanation.
Cole had not thought that far ahead about her situation and neither had Caden and Jason. Sandra, on the other hand, was angry about something completely unrelated. "How can I be so far behind?"
"Calm down, Cadet. That's no way to catch up to your master," Anthony said, lowering his voice for the first time.
"Don't you think I know that? I've been telling myself that for the past thirty minutes, but nothing I'm trying is working. How does someone avoid…"
"By going through the procedures that one is taught without fail. Discipline, Sandra and persistence… Do not falter in your determination…" Sandra struck the ground one more time with her fist, this time drawing blood, an internal battle that was clear to everyone in the room raged on in the junior hunter.
"I will catch up to you, Katie. No matter how far you go," she said before standing up, her anger dissipating all at once.
"That's more like it… You really want to catch up to her that bad, huh?" the director asked.
"We grew up together, training hard. She progressed extraordinarily fast. While I asked her to try and relax, she was driven and determined to get stronger. I couldn't tell where she got her determination from, but it was clear that she was leaving me behind. By the time I even tried to keep up, she was advancing at such a high speed, it was unbelievable. She graduated not long after, we were only fourteen when she graduated with both Prometheus gifts in her possession, something that was almost unheard of."
"Almost?" Cole asked.
"Yes, almost… It's been done before… the head of the Chase family, for example, has both Prometheus gifts. The founder of the Hunter Agency also had both gifts. Hunters with such power strike fear into werewolves just by standing in their presence. The culprit of this crime could not have dared to do this if Katie was nearby. As you must have noticed, she got here before the ambulances even did. She, no doubt ran all the way at astounding speed," Sandra said.
"Your assumption is correct. When she was told of the incident, the steel door of the detainment centre was ripped off its hinges from the sheer force of her pushing it to go through. She was a blur after that… leapt over the gate to avoid the hustle of opening it. All that is possible with the Prometheus gifts though," the director explained, confirming Sandra's story before the hunters came back to him.
He turned his attention to them, "Report."
"There was a lot of wolfsbane mixed in with the blood of the werewolf that was killed and based on what we could trace, you won't believe what it is we found…" he said.
"You know that I don't like being kept in the dark," Anthony said.
"The wolfsbane that we tested from the blood came from a batch that was issued to the last hunter that you would expect," he said.
"Let me take a wild guess…" Anthony facepalmed, "Katie Chase."
"Y-yes, sir," this struck fear into all those that heard the information. The hunters could account for Katie's whereabouts at the time of the murder, but there was no saying what had happened for sure.
"Chase, what did you get yourself into this time?" the man said partially to himself and for the first time since the man had arrived, the students saw his face turn to that of worry.
"So it was one of her blades that were used to kill Ash…" Cole spoke up.
"Seems so… situation is not looking good for her," Anthony said, "someone who would have access to her weapons, I would presume if she was more careful with who she gave her jacket."
"I agree it isn't hard for someone to get their hands on the bag that contains her jacket, but again, there isn't that big a list of people that would dare to touch it," Sandra said.
"Yes, but still, be it as it may, someone can still choose to send someone else or could simply pay someone to take it from her. There is also the issue of the time they had to take it from her. In the end, there are just too many suspects and there would be panic if we chose to point fingers," the issues that kept this case difficult to investigate seemed to be many. "However, if there are rules that must be set aside in order to solve this mystery, we shall do it."
This breathed some new hope into the quiet werewolves. For the three of them, there was nothing that they could really do when their comrade had only been killed. For werewolves, the time of death was not the same as the time to pick yourself up. The alpha was nearly incapacitated by the feeling of loss and the rest of those in the pack had to stay with him during the time of grief. This, however, didn't mean that they were unable to take revenge on the culprit. In fact, aside from the grieving, the only other thing they could do in this state was to kill the murderer of their comrade.
"Where has she gone now?" Cole asked.
"I have no idea where she…"
"Director Anthony, I found something…" he was cut off by the same person that they had just asked for.
"Speak of the devil."
"You guys were talking about me?" she asked on hearing that.
"The Royal was just trying to know what it is that you were doing at the time at least," he said, "What is it that you said you found?"
Katie put her hand into her pockets and from it she procured a sharp tool, a dagger. The werewolves covered their noses in an effort to block the stench of wolfsbane that ravaged their nostrils… the acrid sickening smell from the dagger was thicker than the one that came from the cut on Ash's neck was. "Nice job… where did you find it?"
"A few feet from the classroom window out there," she said pointing out the windows of the classroom that looked to the forest and away from the school. "The murderer did not want to be detected by the werewolves so they ditched the dagger."
The director took the weapon out of Katie's hands and took a good look at it, "Let's have the owner of this revealed now, shall we?" he yelled to one of the hunters that stood guard, having them take the dagger of his hands. The hunter timidly ran out of the room to investigate and find out who the dagger belonged to. "That dagger…"
"You suspect that it could be mine, don't you?" Katie asked him, keeping her voice as neutral as she could even though this would be implying that she was to take full responsibility for the death of a werewolf in the school.
"Let's not jump to that conclusion just yet. But if we do, will you come quietly?" tension soared in the room as the two hunters stared at each other. There was no doubt that both of them was remarkably powerful, Katie with raw power and the Director with experience to top it up.
"I do not intend to be detained by the Agency," Katie spoke, her voice clear as a bell and her will of iron coming off her in waves. The Director didn't look like someone who took kindly to insubordination and yet, Katie did nothing to show a chance of her backing down.
"Does that also mean you are aware of the possibility of that dagger being yours and are ready to resist detainment if it comes to it?" he asked her.
"Did I stutter, sir? I will find the culprit behind this murder and Prometheus be with them because it will take everything I have to hold back from killing them, but I can't do that while I'm detained," she spoke.
"We don't let our emotions get the better of us, that's one of the rules we hunters go by. Surely you know by now that a decision made based on emotion rather than fact is nothing more than wishful thinking. The facts are in alignment right now. There have been more werewolf casualties than human ones. Rogues attacked the school and it was found that one of them was a student at the school. Furthermore, that student has been killed.
You must know what we are facing right now. People are questioning the system. They think there are rogues working undercover in the school and that the hunters are helping them. After what Shaemus pulled that put hundreds of lives at risk, the murder of a werewolf by the school's best hunter might just be the tipping point of society. Resisting detainment would be something you have to rethink," he said.
Katie kept silent for a moment before speaking, "Detainment… will only make this situation worse. This perpetrator would not have done this if I was present at the time. If I'm detained, what stops him from killing another student at the school? If there is another death, the school might just be shut down. I can't even tell if it will even survive after just this one death," Katie said.
"The one who died was a werewolf and not to mention, a former rogue. The school will continue with caution after this. If it was an innocent human, the school would be shut down at once," he said.
"Sir Anthony, the results came back…" the hunter that had been sent called from the door, raising the tension in the room. Katie's heart threatened to leap from her chest. She was getting her Prometheus gifts ready for the worst-case scenario. If there was a chance that she could avoid detainment, she was ready to do what it would take. This killer was hers to catch and no one else's.
"Who's is it?" Director Anthony asked the man, his hands folded across his chest while he paid attention to the hunter at the door. The hunter looked between Katie and the Director nervously before speaking, "Katie Chase."
The room was plunged into a deep silence while everyone contemplated the news about the owner of the murder weapon. Cole knew Katie was not a fan of using those weapons and that she could have silenced Ash in a less messy manner if she'd wanted to. And for that reason, he believed she was innocent. Nonetheless, this did not help her situation.
The two hunters stared each other down for a brief moment of silence, right before all hell broke loose. The Director rushed forward at threatening speed, his bulky arms spread out so he could grab Katie. Katie, on the other hand, leapt out of reach just a moment before she was caught, avoiding Anthony at the last moment before she vanished.
Anthony was at the doorway in no time barring her way out. "You aren't escaping, Chase. You might come from a prestigious family. You might have scored highest on the Hunter exam for even experienced hunters and you might possess two Prometheus gifts, but you are not above the law."
"I am not above the law indeed, but I am the best chance you've got at catching Ash's killer. Grant me that opportunity. I won't let you down and you know that," Katie said, her body visibly relaxing. This was the opening Anthony must have been looking for as he lunged for her faster some of the eyes in the room could see. His speed was incredible, but alas it was without the enhancement of a Prometheus gift.
Katie grabbed his hand and twisted around him, going through the strokes of a judo flip at a speed the director couldn't match. The action flung the bulky man into an aerial barrel roll that was going to get him down on his back. Katie had virtually won for the few people in the room that could still tell what was happening, Cole included although Jason, Caden and Sandra remained clueless to what was happening in the blur of motion that occurred before them.
The director yanked his arm free in mid-air and twisted so that he landed on his feet, a movement that raised numerous alarms within Katie's mind forcing her to leap back and avoid the kick that came straight for her face. The two warriors glared at each other. The door was now behind Katie and she could leave when she wanted, but that would have only led to a manhunt. If she was to peacefully carry out her investigation, she was going to have to clear her charges here and now or at least get an extension on the time it would take to have her detained.
"What are you waiting for? The door is wide open and none of these hunters has the power to stop you from leaving if you run at your top speed," Director Anthony spoke.
"I am not leaving until you let me lead this investigation. I want the chance to deliver the killer. Running away won't help me achieve that," Katie spoke up.
"I already told you…"
"What's going on here?" someone's voice butted into the conversation from behind Katie, "Anthony, a boy is dead and the best thing you can think of is finding someone to blame instead of finding the killer."
It was a man Katie knew so well as her foster father. "Mr Chase, what brings you here? You're retired and this has nothing to do with you."
"That's not a way to speak to your former superior, Anthony," he replied, sizing up the hulking man who seemed adamant to let Katie off the hook.
"It is if you are here to defy me. Look me in the eye and tell me you wouldn't do the exact same thing," this resistance seemed complicated to solve. It was obvious to Anthony that Katie was to be detained with no further question.
"You and I both know that Katie doesn't let emotions get the best of her, otherwise that score in the hunter exam would have been impossible to attain. Why do you refuse to hear her out? Is violence the way you have decided to solve things at the Agency now?" he asked him.
"What's there for me to know? I received evidence that makes her the centre of attention of the crime. It won't be long before word gets out about this incident and everything points towards her. I am only doing this for her own good. Knowing she has been detained will put the werewolves at ease and won't cause a panic," she said.
"The werewolves that should concern themselves with this matter are in this same room with you. You don't see them attacking Katie. The other werewolves in this school also know of the way she handles things in this school as well as her policies. All you are worried about is the publicity of the Hunter's Agency.
And while you are worrying about that and detaining her, you are giving the killer free rein to roam about the school and get more chances to kill others. So what happens if the public knows about this? That has never mattered to the Agency, but if you do detain her and another person in the school is killed, that will be a whole different story. No one doubts Katie's ability to protect this school and that is what matters right now," Anthony gritted his teeth while the former hunter spelt out the whole situation for him.
Rushed footsteps got Katie's attention before her mother appeared in the doorway, pushing past the hunters that blocked her to give her daughter a hug, "Oh dear, I heard what happened."
"I'm okay… You had nothing to worry about," Katie replied, hugging her back.
"I had everything to worry about… You've protected this place since you came here and the first time you leave it didn't take long for everything to be overturned. That not something I can just brush off," she said to her.
Katie sighed, not letting her façade falter and hugged her mother back. This did matter to her, but as her hunter, she was not at liberty to let emotions get the best of her and so the emotions of rage, sorrow and grief for the dead werewolf ravaged deep within her where no one could tell they existed. No one except for the half sleepy white wolf within her that stayed locked up by the constraints of the drugs that kept it hidden.
ความคิดเห็นย่อย
คุณลักษณะความคิดเห็นย่อหน้าอยู่ในขณะนี้บนเว็บ! เลื่อนเมาส์ไปที่ย่อหน้าใดก็ได้แล้วคลิกไอคอนเพื่อเพิ่มความคิดเห็นของคุณ
นอกจากนี้คุณสามารถปิด / เปิดได้ตลอดเวลาในการตั้งค่า
เข้าใจแล้ว