BURIED

NINE

B E L L E

Every passing minute makes this place feel more and more hopeless; a train ticket to the land of the dead is starting to look pretty appealing. It'll not be better, I know.

But Preyton now feels like a living nightmare. I hate how I'm immune to fear when I see a dead body. I hate how normal it feels. I hate how easy it is for me to pull the fucking trigger. Jenna, Terrance, why do I feel so scared for them? And not me?

Every time I see them, I feel like telling them to run, to hide Jenna so she'll be safe, to give Terrance a weapon, a shield to help them live. I fucking hate how my head works.

And here I am, putting them in more danger than they'll ever be.

My mind was consumed by thoughts as I returned to the chaotic crime scene. Was he the one who had been watching me all this time?

The scene was even more chaotic, more police cars parked upon my return. Jenna and Terrance were engaged in conversation with Harry before they raised their heads to see me walking towards them.

"Belle!" Jenna's voice rang out as she rushed over to pull me in a tight hug.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Jenna's concern was palpable. Her thin hair was in my mouth; it smelled like pineapples but definitely didn't taste like it.

"Of course, I am. Why are you so worried?" I forced a laugh, pulling out of the hug.

"You were gone for too long," Terrance chimed in, adjusting his glasses.

"I thought I had him, but he got away," I admitted.

"Had him?" Jenna questioned, puzzled. "You're bleeding!" Her eyes on the blood on my neck.

"I'm fine. I was just too slow," I confessed. "He escaped."

"Girl, what's surprising is that you actually escaped him," Jenna remarked.

Ignoring Jenna's exclamations, I walked away, heading into the building to deliver my report.

Terrance and Jenna followed me, matching my pace. "Belle... uh, I don't think you understand who you just fought," Terrance cautioned.

"An assassin, of course," I stated, rolling my eyes.

"Not just an assassin. Girl, you're lucky to be alive," Jenna whispered.

"Huh?"

"Come and see for yourself," Terrance urged, leading the way towards the stairway of the victim across the street.

"Captain! Lieutenant Gabin is back," Terrance announced.

"Lieutenant Gabin, finally," Captain Omar acknowledged, his fingers on his forehead clearly exhausted. "Report."

"He escaped. I and two other officers chased him, but they were outpaced. I got close enough to identify his features, inflicting an injury, but it was not enough to slow him down."

"You know how he looks?" Captain Omar inquired.

"Not exactly, he was wearing a mask," I lied, choosing not to reveal his true identity.

"Impressive. I'm surprised," Captain Omar remarked.

We approached the body of the victim, forty-one-year-old Alexei Johnson, who was barely recognizable.

"Ughhh..., smells really bad," I commented in disgust, noting the rapid decomposition of the body.

"He was a rich businessman who had shares in almost every business in Preyton," Jenna explained.

"Just like Lara Grayson from across the street," Terrance said in disgust.

"It's still unusual," I spoke. "Who would want to kill Alexei?"

"They are not politicians," Jenna stated, confused.

"Good assumptions, team," Harry said to us. "But the forensics have found more."

"What is it?" I inquired.

"He was poisoned."

"We thought he was finally gone for good," Terrance said in spite.

"He slipped like always. We were closer than ever to catching him," Jenna said. You hardly hear her speak calmly; it was not her thing, so everyone listens when she does.

"What do you mean? We already know the identity of the assassin?" I asked. I was confused; everyone seemed to know him.

"Of course we know; he signed his murder like he always does," Harry replied.

A member of the forensics team handed me an evidence bag. There was a blood-stained thorn in it.

"Officer Gabin, the assassin you encountered today is none other than The Bane of the East."

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