Dangerous Souls

Kumbaya

Chapter 7-Purple Hair?

August Day 5, 1:38 P.M.

The campers were still enjoying their lunch, laughing and talking and loving each other's company. Meanwhile, Naru had the SPR team assembled, along with a grim looking Riku, in their Base. The majority of the group was present, missing two key members. They sat patiently, awaiting their chance to give their input on the happenings, only to have Monk finally show.

"Hey, sorry guys, but I was trying to see if Mai got left behind with activity cleaning or something," he declared, taking a seat. Unbeknownst to them, their boss's eyes widened, only for a second.

"Is she in the kitchen? Maybe she decided to make all of us tea," John offered, Masako seemed a little less than pleased by the comment.

"I was just in there, I didn't see her," Riku replied, you could see the exhaustion on his face.

"I checked in there before I came, no said they haven't seen her so I assumed she just headed here," Monk concluded, crossing his arms.

"No, I haven't seen her since this morning." The priestess shook her head.

"As I, I was surprised she didn't topple out of that bed the way she was tossing." Masako's smug kimono sleeve in its usual position.

"I saw her not too long before lunch, but after that she said she was going to get something to drink. Did she go back to her cabin? She's been having a lot of headaches," Yasuhara suggested.

Monk shook his head. "I checked there too, I knocked. No answer. The door was unlocked. I opened it and no one was inside..."

Naru stood up. "Lin. Camera four."

Everyone stopped their speculations, and simply watched. The wall of monitors easily seen by everyone in the room. Lin pointed to one on the second row. "Same as we found it this morning. Naru?"

Before anyone had time to react, with gritted teeth, the man in black dashed out of the cabin. Not a sound was made as the group stared in shock.

Monk was the first to regain his thought process. "Lin! What just happened?"

The tall Chinese man stood up. "Naru sent Mai to change the battery in Camera four," he explained, closing his laptop. "That was over an hour ago..."

***

By the time the group had run out to the whereabouts of Camera four, Naru was already there, investigating. "Find anything?" Monk questioned, as the narcissist motioned for him to kneel down.

"This is the battery pack Mai took, the other one isn't here," he commented, picking the little black box up.

"How do you know?" Yasuhara cut in. "Couldn't that just be the older battery and Mai realized she lost the other one and went looking for it?"

"That's a little far fetched, don't you think?" Ayako raised a brow.

Naru, feeling no need to reply with words, placed the battery pack on the camera and turned it on. A miniature battery appeared on the screen. Full. "Does that answer your question?"

"Um, guys..." John began, his tone worried.

"You're gonna want to see this," Riku added. The group walked the few paces behind them to where the two had been crouched down.

"This isn't good," Monk shook his head.

"It can't be..." Masako gasped.

"Is that...?" Ayako stepped a little closer.

"Blood." Lin said simply.

Within the middle of the group, on the dirt, lay droplets on crimson. Naru just exhaled.