Runner

Chapter 3

I had hoped to defer this trip to Virginia, considering the argument of letting Amelia search an extra day or so at our old station. But The Resistance would see right through me. We were trained to see through lies. Plus, we all knew that the mission came first, then personal feelings. It was the motto we lived by.

Easing my rage and remembering her kindhearted intentions, I turned around and smiled softly at Elle. "Sorry," I murmured. She gave me a reassuring smile, indicating all was forgiven. 

~oOo~ 

Wind whipped my face, forcing tears out of my eyes as I ran after the fleeing Hunter. Sammi flanked me, our knives and swords drawn. Yeah I said sword. We didn't like guns. They made too much noise. Too much commotion. We liked to keep everything quiet, keep regular mortals out of this paranormal business. Plus, knives and swords let us give the Hunters a slow, excruciating death. It was a win-win for us.  

"Dammit," I cursed suddenly, as the Hunter crossed over a stream. Dropping my knife, I hastily pulled out my bow and arrow that were slung across my back. Notching an arrow, I aimed for the retreating Hunter. His figure had stopped, realizing that we were no longer after him. He had his hands on his knees, bent over and breathing heavily. He thought he had won. Silly bastard. Breathing steadily, I targeted his head, stroking the grey feathers along the tail. 

Steady, I thought. 

The bow strummed as I released the arrow, thus shooting the Hunter directly through his brain. He dropped to the ground like a rock. I reveled in the sight of his blood pooling into the stream, staining the water red. 

"Nice one," Sammi complimented. "I think Elle has his partner." Nodding, we both went off in search of the second Hunter we had spotted. 

It has been two days since we finally arrived in Fairwood. Luckily, we hadn't seen any wolves, much to my content. Maybe Elle was right, and this stop wouldn't be as disastrous as I predicted it to be. Half of me thought so, but the half knew that our group was taboo, and misfortune followed us like a shadow. 

"Hold up," Sammi halted me, her gloved hand grabbing my wrist. I blinked, coming out of my thoughts. 

"What do you sense?" I breathed. My hand fingered my bow, notched just in case. 

"Elle's scent lingers around here. She passed this way at quick speed, but then the scent gathers west." Sammi pointed towards the direction of the stream and I nodded. Vampire senses were far more sensitive than wolves', partially due to their acute awareness of blood. I trusted Sammi's nose more than the accuracy of my shot. She was hardly ever wrong. 

We emerged from brush to see the Hunter and Elle's wolf engrossed in an intense fight. The Hunter had pulled a sword on the blonde, thus leaving her to rely on her wolf skills. Her knife lay about a yard away, and a shuriken was embedded in her thigh. 

"Fuck!" I hissed. I instinctively shot an arrow at the Hunter, hitting him in the chest. The arrow had narrowly missed his heart as Elle kicked him away, throwing off my aim. He pulled away from the werewolf, heading for the stream like his partner had done.

Elle seethed in pain, angrily plucking the shuriken from her thigh before racing after the Hunter. Sammi suddenly tensed, but I was too preoccupied with aiming another arrow at the man. 

"Steady..." I muttered. I could not get a clear shot, there were too many trees. The red headed vampire next to me gasped abruptly, and grabbed her sword.  

"Elle, wait!" Sammi shrieked as she broke out in a vampiric sprint. The blonde ignored her, soaring over the stream. Time slowed down as I watched Sammi chase after the she-wolf. What was wrong with her? Elle was going to make it. She was right on top of the Hunter-