Chapter 21.1 – Meeting the Hunter’s Squad - part 2

Lucas Dalton sighed, “No, you are not wrong. When we find a Werewolf, we must remove all traces of his existence so that the general public does not find it strange when he disappears. Since the beginning, it has been a Hunter’s duty to be sure the blood mutation that causes a Werewolf to appear in a family doesn’t spread to their descendants.”

“Yes, my father explained that part, but I couldn’t help noticing that, despite all your efforts, I saw a long list of suspects. Either the Hunters are not doing their job properly, or this is not a mere mutation like you think. It could be a contagious virus or the next step in our evolution.”

Lucas slowly shook his head. “I wish that would be the case, an evolution. You have never seen a mindless Werewolf kill a friend of yours and eat his head while looking at you and growling as if to tell you that you are next. Two nights ago, I saw that happening to our friend. The one that you are supposed to replace.”

“What about that rude woman at the edge of Lisa’s sword? She was the administrative of the Hunter that died?”

“Yes, she was, and when that happens, a new Hunter is chosen to join a Squad, and he receives the administrative of the Hunter he is replacing.”

Aniya wrinkled her upper lip. “Well, I kind of already have an administrative assistant and a damn good one that, if needed, can cover my back. I don’t know any of you, and I don’t like that cuntwaffle, as Lisa called her, so I would rather stick with my friend. Unless you decide that there is no place for me, and I wait for the next Hunter that dies.”

Lucas Dalton looked at the other two men next to him, and as they nodded, he spoke, “This will be the first time a woman joins a Squad to work on the front lines, but in times of need, we can’t be picky. Our administratives underwent the same training we did, and they saved our butts more than once, but it’s always better if women don’t go to the front lines so that their bloodline can continue, but if you really wish to go to the field, we won’t oppose.”

“Yes, my father already told me that, but I don’t like the idea of being used as a breeding horse. No offence, ladies, but I prefer my life and who I love to be up to me, not a secret group, because I am sure women are encouraged to marry Hunters’ sons, which I would never agree to. Now, do any of you want to try something weird, or can I tell my faithful bodyguard to relax?”

Lucas Dalton made an awkward smile. “I would appreciate that, but I would also like it if your friend put her sword away.”

“Davis, if you please. You heard the man, Lisa. But if that cuntwaffle moves a finger, take care of her.”

As Lisa was slowly retrieving the sword, the woman gulped and went with her right hand to her neck to check why she felt pain in there, and in the next second, Lisa jumped forward and hit her straight in the mouth with the hilt of the katana, knocking her out and making blood and teeth flying everywhere. She then shrugged at Aniya. “What? She moved!”

Aniya rolled her eyes and pressed the bridge of her nose, taking a deep breath as she spoke. “Sometimes, I don’t know what I do with you. So, Mister Lucas, what is our order of business?”

“Well, since you asked, we want to go this afternoon to that house we went to yesterday to search for some clues about the whereabouts of those Werewolves. They are not in there for sure, but perhaps we can find something. I have some files over that desk if you want to look at our targets.”

Aniya nodded and followed the three men, with her father and Lisa right on her heels, while the women divided between helping the injured bodyguards and taking care of Lucian Davis and the knocked out woman near him, with Davis looking at them, making sure the bodyguards tried nothing.
Over the desk, there were several files, and Aniya glanced at each of them, stopping on one and frowning. Lisa noticed her look and glanced over her shoulder, gulping when she read the name and saw a familiar face in the photo. She disguisedly touched Aniya’s elbow as she snorted.

Aniya understood what was making her friend so angry, and she put the file over the desk and pointed at the photo. “This man was not at that house last night? Or when you got there, they were already Werewolves and you couldn’t tell if he was one of them?”

Lucas shook his head. “We didn’t see him there. We were watching the house from a distance with binoculars during the afternoon, and we are sure there were only two Werewolves in that house. We were covering all the exits, and I think they changed right when we were about to break in, and that caught us by surprise. Among the confusion, our friend died, and even with us four emptying our guns on them, those beasts still escaped. We couldn’t find them, and we brought our friend’s body with us while we were following the beasts’ tracks.”

Aniya stopped to think for a split second and spoke, surprising everyone, “This guy was yesterday at Lisa’s house having a meeting with her father about his work. They argued, and he said he would return and make him regret it. Last night, a Werewolf attacked Lisa’s parents when we were out in a club, and considering this guy is in this file, I bet it was him. Maybe he returned to that house to meet with his friends, and they are there now, healing and getting rid of everything that we could use to find them. I don’t know about you guys, but I want to go to that house right now and cut the balls out of this bloody idiot.”

Dan Rossi grabbed Aniya’s shoulders and made her face him. “What do you mean, a Werewolf attacked Lisa’s parents? You weren’t there?”

“We were in a club, father. None of us would imagine this guy would really fulfil his threats.”

“You were in a club? Are you crazy? Werewolves are still active two nights after the full moon! Do you know how much in danger you were?”

Aniya tapped her father’s right hand and sighed. “Father, I didn’t know about Werewolves last week, and I went to clubs and bars almost every night. Why would this week be any different? I don’t let fear or regret rule my life, you know that!”

She then intertwined her fingers and pushed her hands forward to make them snap, and rolled her head, filling the room with a few more snaps as she spoke, “Are we going or not? I just need to change clothes, but I have my gym bag in my car. I can do a few more stretches during the ride because it’s very dangerous to fight without doing a few stretching exercises first.”

Lucas Dalton opened the drawer of the desk and took from there a holster with a gun and a few extra cartridges that he handed over to Aniya with a slight smile. “Loaded with bullets with a silver tip. According to your father and what our sources told us, you are a good shooter.”

Aniya took the gun out, checked the trigger and the balance of the weapon, and put it back in the holster with a frown, “Probably better than you all combined, but while we are here exchanging pleasantries, those guys are getting ready to disappear, if they haven’t already.”

The men signalled the women to follow them, and they all went out of that room, straight to the corridor that led to the main door, with Davis behind the group.

As the Hunters and the administratives were going to two cars, Davis rushed ahead and opened the door of the limousine to Dan Rossi, who frowned at him, “I hope you have a good damn explanation for barging in like that! We had everything under control. I didn’t need you to embarrass me.”

Without answering, Davis faced Aniya and raised his pinky in his right hand. She, in return, did the same and grabbed his pinky with hers, not understanding why he was doing something so childish until she heard him explain, “Sixteen years ago, you made me make a pinky promise that I would always protect you when your father told you I would be your driver and bodyguard. Never once did I break that promise. There is no way I would fail you today.”

Aniya made a slight smile and hugged him, making Davis smile a bit awkwardly, “As usual, you were amazing, Davis, but we have more to talk about, but let’s do that afterwards, because right now, there is someone I want to beat up.”

As fast as she hugged him, Aniya let go and entered the limousine, with a dumbfounded father entering after her and Lisa entering from the other side. Davis went to his seat and drove the limousine after the other cars that were already on the road that led to the gates.

On the back seat, Aniya opened the secret compartment behind her and took from there two holsters with guns and cartridges. She gave one gun to Lisa and took the other, closing the compartment afterwards. Dan Rossi frowned and asked, “Why do you want those? The weapon that Lucas gave you have silver bullets. These use normal ammunition.”

“You may trust them blindly, father, but I don’t. I am not sure if the gun he gave me works or not, and I don’t want to find that out during a skirmish. This ammunition may be normal, but a shot to the head or the eye of a Werewolf would do the trick. If I need to finish one off, I will try that fancy gun that Mister Lucas gave me, but I trust my weapons way more than what a guy just gave me.”

“Aniya, I told you over and over again, Hunters are honourable people. They don’t resort to dubious schemes!”

After a click of her tongue, Aniya spoke, “Says the one that belongs to a group of xenophobes that kill mindless beasts as easily as they kill women, children, and innocent people! Those Hunters of yours are more like untrusty killers than anything else, and they have to do significantly more than talk about honour and sacred duty to prove to me their cause is just. Killing Werewolves and confiscating their wealth? Yeah, that’s very honourable, all right. What’s next, raping the wife of a Werewolf they killed? Sell their kids to slavery? It’s better if I don’t find out there are Hunters who do that because Werewolves will be the least of their problems!”

“You do not know what you are talking about, Aniya. Hunters don’t do such things. Even if one of us did, he would be found out and executed on the spot. We don’t tolerate deviations or dishonesty. It’s better if you don’t say that you are going after Hunters that are deprived of honour, because that won’t grant you many friends. Unless you intend to apply to the Department of Internal Affairs. That’s the department that investigates Hunter’s actions and analyses the mission reports. They are also the ones that oversee Hunters, and their word is the law. They only answer before the High Council, the ones that make all the decisions about the Hunters Society.”

“Internal Affairs, you say? Interesting… If I join them, I will be able to meet that High Council and learn more about the Hunter’s job…”

Dan Rossi leaned back in his seat and made a slight smile, “Well, you have some possibilities to achieve that, considering you are my daughter and I am in the Internal Affairs. Having you join that branch wouldn’t be strange for any Hunter.”

“You are in the Internal Affairs? You are not just a Hunter, you are more like their boss?”

“Yes, I am. How do you think I found a Hunter Squad willing to accept a woman? I just had to check the latest reports about the death of a Hunter and contact that Squad. Lucas asked some questions, checked your background, and here we are, going on your first mission. I won’t take part unless absolutely necessary, because I am here as a mere observer today. Consider this a test to join the ranks, and depending on how well you manage your first missions, it will be easy or not for you to apply to the Internal Affairs.”

Aniya leaned on her bench, thinking. She made a slight smile with the corner of her lips, and only Lisa noticed it, but she kept it to herself because she understood that Aniya had a crazy idea.
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