The Hunted

Your Side of the Story

"Just talk us through everything that happened. Make us understand your side of the story," Dillon said as he stepped behind the camera. I pulled down the hem of my shirt and ran a hand through my hair. I could make television announcements. As an Officer of Justice, I was required to give a weekly report, but this was different. I didn't have a uniform or a script to follow.

"Easy for you to say," I muttered as I took up my formal stance, clasping my hands behind my back and standing with my feet shoulder width apart.

"You've done this hundreds of time, Isabelle," he said as he made sure everything was proper. "I'm sure whatever you say will be good enough."

He didn't know the people I was speaking to. Once you broke their trust, it was next to impossible to regain it.

Dillon and I were the only ones in Servant Hope's office. It was hard enough to do this on my own. I didn't need to have extra eyes watching me and critiquing everything I said.

"How are you getting this out to the people?" I asked softly as he moved some of the lamps around.

"Uh, Rose, the blonde girl, my girlfriend, is going to livestream it," he replied. The safer option.

"With a blocker?"

"I believe so."

"You better know so. If they figure out who put it out there, then they'll know who's behind the rebellion," I replied. He looked up from the camera.

"I think they're going to figure it out after they see the stream."

Right. Because I was going to be putting myself out there for the entire country to see.

"You ready yet?" I asked, shifting my weight to one leg.

He nodded. "Yep. Ready when you are."

I took a deep, shaky breath, and closed my eyes, trying to calm my racing heart. I could do this. It wasn't putting the information out there that terrified me. It was trying to convince everyone of mine and Derek's innocence that terrified me.

I opened my eyes again and looked into the camera lens. "Let's get started."

x.x.x

"My name is Isabelle Marie Linscott. I am the former Head Officer of Justice, a job that I was chosen for at the age of six. Like many people of this country, I have been training for my profession since that age. During the course of my schooling, the majority of my studies were focused on me handling the stress and complications that would come along with my job," I said, staring at the red dot on the camera.

"I was phenomenal. At the age of twelve, I began my field training. At the age of sixteen I was selected to be a part of a high security mission that would take two years to fulfill," I continued. I took a deep, shaky breath, my eyes drifting to Dillon who gave an encouraging nod.

I swallowed hard before I spoke again. "The high security mission was initially a true mission. We were tasked with finding an Agent that was known as the Chameleon Agent. He was a former agent who had been on the run from the Officers and Guardians and other Agents for years, only allowing himself to be spotted when it benefitted him.

"This man was not innocent. He had taken multiple innocent lives throughout the country. His victims appeared to be random people at first, but they were not. He was targeting a specific group of people. A group of people who were blood relation to your Elders. He was attacking the very people who attempt to govern our country. He was to be put to a stop by whatever means were necessary."

I paused. The next words that were to come out of my mouth had to be carefully chosen. I didn't want to turn the people watching away from what I had to say before I could make them see the truth.