Manhunt

Chapter 44

Silence filled the room once the door shut behind Zane, leaving Julia with her remaining captor. Matthew stood in the middle of the room like a statue, looking at Julia with clouded eyes. His breathing sounded labored, and she realized that he was desperately trying to calm himself down. She watched him like a hawk as he ran his hand through his hair, revealing the piercings that lined his ears along with a comms unit. He cursed silently before his gaze crept over to where she stood.

"Come here."

"No." She immediately declined, staying where she was. He was unstable, that much she was sure of, and it wasn't safe for her to be anywhere near him.

"Come here, Julia." He repeated, his voice much firmer. She hesitated before inching her way around him, assessing the distance between him and the exit. Seemingly reading her mind, he tried again. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"I've heard that one before." That didn't seem like the correct response, for he turned on his heel and met her halfway quickly, grabbing her and pulling his arms back. Not expecting the force, she slammed into his chest, her nose throbbing from the impact. Out of reflex, she attacked him, conceiving an awkward struggle that only fueled their anxieties.

"Stop fighting, Julia!" He commanded, gripping her arms tightly. "Just calm down."

"Why should I listen to you?"

"Because what I'm about to say affects you," he stated in disbelief, his eyes swirling pools of raw emotion. "Now, listen to me—"

"No—"

"Julia—"

"I don't want to—"

"Julia!" Matthew stated a bit louder, shaking her a few times. "Just listen for two seconds!"

"What could you possibly tell me?"

"There's a lot that I can tell you," he admitted with a look of exasperation, his face morphing to that of determination. "Like how Zane is a hopeless cause, or how infuriating you are. But that's not the point. The point, sweetheart, is that Samil doesn't need you anymore." Her heart thudded against her chest as she took in his words.

"What—"

"You've been called for termination." Matthew's cold words hit her like a freezing tsunami, shocking her to the bone. "You'll be killed at any time, Julia. We all received the order." Her breath hitched in her throat as she processed his words, arriving to one conclusion as resolve swirled in Matthew's eyes.

He was going to kill her.

She stared back at him in shock, holding her breath as she molded her body into a readied stance. His eyebrows furrowed as he noted the look in her eyes. "Julia—"

She brought her knee straight to his groin.

A loud groan escaped his lips before he released her, clutching onto his lower body as he doubled over. Heart racing, she twisted around and barreled through the door, running down the hallway opposite of where they entered. She checked through each door quickly, looking for some way out. Precious time was being wasted, and by the time she made it through the first few hallways, she caught a glimpse of Matthew advancing to her.

She cut through different rooms, completely losing herself in the unknown space of Mortifer headquarters. She was beginning to think that she had better chances being with Matthew than out on her own, but she clung onto the idea of meeting her fellow agents. She dashed faster, bringing herself into another hallway. She heard Matthew call out to her, his voice echoing down the winding space. There was an opening a few feet away from her, and by the sound of Matthew's footsteps, he was gaining on her.