Archiver Manhunt

Narrow Evasion

Frantically sprinting down the hardly occupied sidewalk, Frails brushes against several passing bystanders as the cry of police sirens fill the air .

Hearing the roar of engines from behind, the blonde fox turns about, finding a trio of dark tinted SUV's hasty pass by.

Slowing down to a walking pace, he places a hand over his chest whispering under his breath, "They're not after me, they're not after me."

Turning his head he watches as the last of the dark tinted vehicles abruptly break from the formation, turning towards the blonde fox.

Continuing his steady pace, Frails attempts to remain calm, as the SUV draws near.

Pulling aside the walking fox, the van halts, as three near identical men in dark and white suits pour from the side door.

"Why are you running, buddy?" the center of the three asks.

Hesitating to answer, Frails begins to stutter, "I... I'm just getting some exercise."

Stepping closer he aggressively inquires, "You won't mind if we have a look at that backpack, will you?"

Intimidated by the man before him, Frails takes several steps back, before taking off in full sprint.

Pulling a handgun from their waist belt, the agents fire upon the fleeing suspect.

Hearing the cracking sound of gunfire, Frails ducks his head as feels the impact of small projectiles striking into his backpack.

Spiking with anxiety, Frails desperately rushes into an adjacent alley. Just before reaching his assumed cover behind the brick corner, the fox succumbs to a puncture wound in his ankle.

Falling to the concrete, he desperately claws at the trash littered ground in his attempt to crawl further into the narrow passage.

Hearing their footsteps slowly grow louder, Frails turns his head, finding the agents within arm's reach.

Accepting the futility in evasion, the blonde fox ceases his attempt to flee.

Looming over their wounded prey, the agents kneel down as they menacingly gaze onto their captured suspect.

From the middle of the trio, Ryan inquires with a subtle grin "You think you can run away from us?"

Briefly turning to his peers at each of his shoulders and softly laughing he begins to taunt "You know why we're here?"

Frails grinds his teeth as he pulls himself up into a semi upright seated posture and peers silently onto them with a violent glare.

Clapping his hands together, in a prayer posture, he offers "Tell you what, I'll let you go home to your friends, if you let me and my friends know where a certain someone is."

He diverts one of his hands to point towards the injured fox adding " That and if you let us look into that bag of yours"

"F... Fuck off", Frails cries under the pain of his punctured ankle.

To the left of the agent his shorter and wider partner retrieves a manila folder from his dark dress jacket, and passes it to Ryan.

Ryan opens the folder and withdraws a large photograph. Turning it around so that the image is facing the bleeding fox, he asks "When was the last time you saw him?"

In front of the blonde fox is held the image of the white feathered owl avian he'd seen the night before.

"Where is he?" the agent asks again, this time in a louder tone.