Benefactors

Chapter 27: Always Something

August 16; 0442 HRS

Binghamton, New York

Time was slipping away from me, now I had about an hour left. I wanted to get to Crypt before the sun rose. With so much happening, I didn't know if I could save Carla and the civilian. "We're here." Officer Spencer announced. "Thank you for the ride." I said and practically hopped out of the car. "Excited much?" He asked, looking suddenly suspicious. "Well yeah, I'm an officer too. I just haven't gone on a call in a while." I informed him. The suspicious look left his face to be replaced by interest, "What station?" he questioned. "JCPD, Jetstream City Police Department." I answered. 

"Isn't that on the other side of the state?" He grabbed the radio and gave them the code to stand by. 

"It is, but I'm on a vacation with family down here." I lied. 

"Nice." he nodded and took out his flashlight. I grabbed my backpack from the trunk and we headed out to where I found Shari Rose. (I had my Naginata stored in my backpack. I played with it and found it could be resized.) We found the spot alright. The blood dried to the concrete like dirt. "Poor Ms. Rose." he muttered, shining his light to the red mess. "I wonder who got her."

I remembered Shari pointing to a tunnel of sorts in the woods nearby. I looked over there, nothing but trees. "There's no evidence to suggest who did it." Dash sighed, after doing a sweep of the place. The area was practically deserted surrounded by nothing but trees. The first house was a good walk away, too far for the person to have witnessed anything. "When I found her, she pointed over to the opening in the woods over there." I pointed to it. "Maybe her attacker went through there." I suggested. Dash nodded, "I'll call it in and we'll head towards it." 

We stepped in front of the woods, the winds swishing branches around calmly. We both had our flashlights out, shining it at the path ahead of us. "Ladies first." Dash smirked. "I thought you'd never ask." I smiled, leading him into the forest. "Got your walkie-talkie?" I asked him. "Sure do." he responded quietly. We walked for about five minutes, never coming up with anything to suggest who the attacker was. Maybe the cabin was down here. "Hey Dash." I called to him. "Yeah?" he asked. "Do you know where 6015 Lasinine Boulevard is?" I questioned. "Uhm... It should be a couple'a houses down. Why do you want to know where a burned down cabin is?" it was his turn to ask. 

"Oh well, I had some relatives staying there a while back. Guess I need to find their new address." I lied. This lying thing to keep my powers hidden is gonna suck. 

A creaking noise sounded in the distance, like metal grinding against itself. "Natasha!" it screeched. I covered my ears because it was so high pitched. "Why does that thing know your name?" Dash asked frantically. "I don't know." I stepped back and shined my light where the noise came from. "Horkos." I whispered, dropping the light. "Dash, run!" I turned to him, pushing him toward his squad car. "Go! Get out of here before he sees you!". I turned back to Horkos, he was closer than before. Dash kept to his name and ran out of sight before I could say another word. Anger and fear rose up inside me, if there was a word for it, I'd love to know what it was. "I'm here. Let my Carla Ramirez and the citizen go." I demanded. 

"Why, you're no fun." Horkos growled, stepping closer. I looked at him, trying to hide my fear "Why don't you show me what you really look like. I've always wanted to know what hideous face lied beneath your metal helmet." I snapped. He stopped and stood there, for a good amount of time. So long that he might as well not even have been there. Slowly, he reached for his helmet and took it off. For the first time, I saw what he really was. Not some tech genius wearing an over-sized suit, but a mutated ape/human creature. "What the heck happened to you?" I asked, my nerves unraveling at the sight of the villainous mutant.