Hunt or Be Hunted

Chapter One

I shot her. Emptied the entire clip into her body. She never blinked, just stop there and examined me curiously as her wounds closed. I never thought my years of detective work would lead me to meet a different species. They live in plain sight with the humans and wizards or witches, whatever you call yourselves. Anyway, she was a different killer than I had expected. Her claws were long, light shining off them. Blood dripping off the ends of each claw. The blood of her newest victim.

"I'm going to need backup here," I say into my Walkie talkie.

"Th-the backu-up...i-it will be too late..." She said twitching her fingers.

"I can last until they get here. I know how to deal with you....the vipers, have stayed hidden long. Where is the rest?"

"It's just me....wizard. H-How have you c-c-controlled your magic so long..."

"Your kind don't hunt alone. What are you? A Stray?" I observed shrugging off her question.

"Y-Yes...k-kicked out from pack..." She hissed. It seemed, she had all the qualities of a vipers. The long black ragged hair, long claws, taller than an average human or a magic user. All and more...all except the pack. I've only encountered this once before, at my other job and that didn't end well for me. She narrowed her already squinting eyes at me. I took note of the color they were an icy blue. Cold just like her soul would always be.

"What? Want something?" I say as my trench coat flutters behind me with the wind.

"You...." She barked.

"Yes. Me. What?" I snapped.

"I didn't kill you last time?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me........you better watch your back..." She warned and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Watch your back....kill you last time.....what does she mean?" I mumble to myself.

"You still need that backup detective?" Someone says over the walkie talkie, cutting into my thoughts.

"N-No, we are too late to help the girl...get the cleanup crew out here to get rid of this body. Also, tell the Sergeant I need him where he and I usually meet." I say flatly.

I turned away from the girl's body and left it where it was. What had she meant to kill me last time? I touch my scar subconsciously, lost in thought. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. My scar. SHE was the one who tried to kill me last time I encountered them. Gah, i need food. I can't think clearly on an empty stomach.

"Detective Smith." Says the Sergeant sitting down in the booth.

"Sargent Jones. Thanks for meeting with me." I replied.

"So about the gi-"

"I know what we're up against."

"Oh?"

"Don't give me that half assed response. It's a viper."

"Didn't we deal with these things before?" Jones asked, leaning back and crossing his arms in the process.

"The station hasn't. I have. And don't sit like that.......it feels like you're closed off to what I have to say. Like you want to leave." I say leaning forward looking into cream colored coffee inside the cup I had in my hands.

"Oh...Is that what your scar...." He said questioningly as he trailed off.

He's the only one that knew about my scar. And those are stories for another time. My past isn't a topic I like talking about often. I try to avoid conversations that bring up my past as much as possible. Although seeing the turn in events here, I'll have no choice but to talk about it. Most of the people at the station who have been there since I started there would know. And they also know not to ask about it unless it's absolutely a concern. We sat there for a while in silence then Jones decides to break it.

"You know for being a woman,you're pretty tough." He compliments.

"I've been through a lot... not just as a child." I say bluntly. Why is he complimenting me? He knows he doesn't need to.

"Anyway. You said we're dealing with what?"

"A stray vipers. I'm surprised that she hasn't gone insane yet. Though come to think of it she was extremely twitchy, so she might be losing her sanity."

"Vipers......" Jones thinks for a moment. "Don't they usually live in tribes... packs... whatever they call them."

"Yes, usually. What I've got from her is that she was kicked out. Most likely she went rogue." I state.

"Or she didn't use the traditional killing thing."

"Ritual? Tecqunece?"

"Second one."

"So? What are you thinking?"I question.

"I'm just thinking that maybe that's why she was kicked out," Jones suggested.

"How would you know about that?"

"I'm the one who saved you from bleeding out the last time you decided to go chasing after these things," Jones stated.

"Yeah, but you've never dealt wi-" I get cut off.

"I saved you from one before. I've dealt with them before." Jones hisses at me.

"I know you did and I'm great full for that! I would be dead if you had decided to leave me there!" I barked, standing up and slamming my hands into the table.

"Jasmine, please sit back down," Jones warned, cooling his own temper.

"No. I'm going outside to smoke."

"Again?"

"You can't tell me what I can and can't do." I hiss as I get out of the booth and walk out of the cafe.