HUNT, OR BE HUNTED

CHAPTER 23: THE DEAL

Five days. That was how long I had been imprisoned, along with my mother, the miracle man, my golden-haired partner, and the long-lost father. I was going crazy, and being in the same cell with my mother only made it worse. I had to hold it all in. I couldn’t snap, because if I did, I was sure somebody was going to get hurt.

Bane and Raphael were the ones who helped me through. It seemed as if they were better at handling it. I had passed out many times, too many times until my mother didn’t longer bother to ask me if I was okay when I awoke.

I badly wanted to escape from this place. I badly wanted to make them pay for what they had done.

“Well, well, well,” there was a tall figure approaching us, and his face came into view under the flame of the torch. “You prisoners look pretty darn starved.”

Raphael gripped the bars with both hands, and spat at Seth’s feet. “You betrayer,” he said, his eyes flaming with rage.

“You deserve it, all of you,” Seth simply laughed. “You bring harm to my people, you monsters. Once I have you all under my command, all my troubles would be gone,” he said, and walked over to Bane’s cell. “You, you’re coming with me.”

Seth turned the key in the lock, and the door swung open. Bane stepped out slowly.

“What do you want with me?” Bane cried as Seth took hold of the top of his arm.

“Don’t worry, you’ll find out,” was the only reply, and I could only watch as Bane was dragged away.

Just when they turned a corner, Bane pivoted his head, looked right at me, and nodded. I frowned. What did that mean?

###

“Why should I help you people?” Bane folded his arms in front of him.

“I saved your life,” Jacque said, slurring on the words.

“Yeah, and you locked me up after that. You call that saving my life?”

“Well, yeah,” Jacque fixed his blue eyes on Bane. “I could have killed you when I had the chance, but I didn’t.”

“That’s because you need me, don’t you?”

“Let’s put it as we need your help,” Seth clasped his hands together. “You’re the only one who can help us with this.”

“The only one? Oh, I’m so honoured to hear that,” Bane said sarcastically. “What do you guys want, really?”

“Since we saved your life…” Seth began to say.

“I,” Jacque cut in. “Since I saved your life.”

“Shut up, brother,” Seth growled. “You owe us something, since we saved your life.”

“I,” Jacque said again.

“So, what can I do for you?” Bane raised his dark brows.

“Does that mean you agree?” Jacque seemed a little surprised.

“Just tell me, what can I do for you?”

“You are aware that you are under arrest for murder, right?” Seth leant forward. “Plus, people are beginning to get suspicious about the man who impossibly survived a seven hundred feet fall. Are you aware of that?”

“Yes, I am,” Bane nodded. “Go on.”

“My point is, if you help us, we’ll cover all that up for you. You will live the rest of your life being free of being at the top of a murder suspect list. Plus, people will stop going around searching for you,” Seth explained.

“Look, you’re famous,” Jacque grinned, handing Bane a newspaper.

Bane scanned his eyes over the article, and saw his picture printed in black and white at the bottom left of the page. Under the photograph, the caption read “Man wanted for murder of nurse”. On the right side, there was the photograph of the finance building he had jumped off. The caption read “Murderer believed to be the miracle man who tried to commit suicide”

“How did they manage to...Did they confirm this?” there was an unperturbed look on Bane’s face.

“Guess they processed the blood at the murder scene, plus the blood at the suicide scene. They matched, and it came back to you, the man at the hospital. The man who got hospitalized after being hit by a truck.”

“Dammit,” Bane cursed. “Sh-, I should have died back there. Then all the caption would have said was ‘Man dead’. I didn’t think they would trace it all back to me.”

“Man dead. Are you serious right now? You really have fantastic ideas for captions, Bane,” Jacque teased.

“Those humans aren’t that stupid. Of course they have a way of tracking you down,” Seth added.

“You’re classifying normal people as humans, and I agree with that. You people do agree that you are monsters from hell, don’t you?”

“Now, you shut up, miracle man,” Seth grabbed Bane by the front of his shirt. “We can call anyone whatever we want to, whenever we can.”

“Okay, take it easy,” Bane said, and Seth released his grip. “What do you want me to do?”

“Listen very carefully. This means your freedom, you understand?” Seth sat back down on the armchair opposite Bane.

“Yeah, I get it. So what’s the plan?”

“I want you to lose control, and kill them all,” Seth said, and a chill ran down Bane’s spine.

“What? Who am I supposed to kill? And why the hell do you even want me to kill someone?”

“Whoa, calm down, man,” Jacque took a seat beside him. “What Seth means is that he wants you to side with us, and take those beasts down.”

“Those beasts?”

“Yeah, all of them. Every single one of them. I’m sure Jared has explained to you what is going on with you, am I right?” Jacque smiled, crossed his left leg over his right. “I put you down there so that you would find it all out by yourself. Plus, you do know that once you lose it, you kill, right?”

“Yes, I know that,” Bane hissed, annoyed. This bearded man was pissing him off.

“So it’s that simple. Kill them all, and you’ll get your freedom,” Seth held out a hand. “Deal?”

“But I…How do I lose it? I can’t just…lose control like that.”

“Don’t worry,” Jacque laughed. “You leave that to me. I know just what to do.”

“Deal?” Seth was still holding out his hand.

Bane sighed, and reluctantly took his hand. “Deal.”

###

I woke to the sound of the scraping of feet. Everyone else was asleep. I saw a dark figure approaching, and all at once, I knew who that was.

“Bane?” I squinted at him. “What have they done to you? What did they say to you?”

Bane stepped closer, and I noticed he was holding something in his right hand. “Be quiet, Jared,” he said through the bars of the cell I was in.

“What are you doing?” I whispered, and I watched his hand move up to the lock.

He didn’t have to reply, because the next second, the lock clicked, and he shoved the door open.

“What…what are you doing, Bane?” I asked again, taking a slow step out.

“I’m helping a friend.”