Hunted

Chapter 2 - Assignment

"Rayna? Glad you came. We have a new assignment for you." Mrs. Strange said. Yeah, that's really her name. Appropriate, I guess. She has the ability to imitate anybody's voice, which was probably useful when she was like, ten.

"Of course, ma'am. I'm always ready for a new mission." I answered her.

"Good. This one is a little... different than your usual missions." She hesitated. "We'll be sending you to Hawthorne Hill, in North Carolina."

"Sorry? What did you say? You can't possibly mean to send me to Hawthorne Hill, for God's sake." I exclaimed, shocked. Hawthorne Hill was a prestigious school for Hunters. Paranormal Hunters. As in, would-kill-me-on-sight Hunters.

You see, over the four years I've been on assignments, I've become pretty famous in the Paranormal and Hunter world. I've offed quite a few Hunters and rebel Paranormals, and I have a lot of enemies. However, every time I go on a mission, I always wear a special mask so nobody can recognize me. I'm pretty sure everyone knows I do this, but as long as they can't recognize me, I don't really care.

"Language, Rayna Swan. Never forget your place. I give the orders around here." Mrs. Strange glared at me.

"Excuse me. But I mean, come on. Going to Hawthorne Hill would be a suicide mission. I'm your best assassin. Do you want to lose me?"

"It would not be a 'suicide mission' as you call it. You'd be well prepared, and you'd be undercover. Besides, you said it yourself, you're our best assassin. You are the best person to go on this crucial mission."

"Why is this so important that you'd be willing to risk my life?" I asked.

"Our spies have informed us that there is a plot to end ParaCo and all Paranormals forever. You have to go in to Hawthorne Hill, and infiltrate the school. Gain their trust, find out what they're planning, then report back to us. Depending on what the plan is, you may have to disable it yourself."

I blew out a sharp breath of air. "Damn. So the future of ParaCo is riding on my shoulders."

Mrs. Strange ignored my language, but she said, "Yes, the future of ParaCo and all Paranormals rests on your shoulders. So no pressure." She gave me a cold smile.

We kinda had a hate-hate relationship. But she was actually pretty close to my age, at 28. Well, not close, but closer than a lot of ParaCo employees. We'd trained together for two years, until she got married and got a high position at ParaCo. We'd never been the best of friends.

She'd been my boss for three years, after my last boss, Mr. Crane, had died. He was killed by an old rival Hunter. His name was Marcus Frost. One day, I'm going to find this Marcus Frost and get him back for what he did to Mr, Crane, who, over the five years I was here before he died, had become a sort of gruff, strict father figure. Or like a meanish uncle, at least.

"So, basically, you want me to go into a secure school for baby hunters and go on a killing spree, while remaining undercover and discovering top secret plans." I asked, a little sarcastic.

"Yes." She said with a completely straight face, but I saw a smile in her eyes. Shit.

"How long until I leave?"

"You have one month to get trained and prepared. On the day before you leave, you will be properly briefed."
A month? Well, that was an unusually long time for mission prep, but it seemed too short to prepare for this mission.

"Your training starts tomorrow. Come to the training room at five a.m., then you will go to Studies after your thirty minute lunch break at exactly midday. Then at five-thirty, you will have Hunter behavioral studies and that will end at eight. Then you will have dinner, and finally night fighting and combat until eleven. You will have this for twenty days. After that, you will have more specialized training. Any questions?" She glared at me, daring me to question her.

"Yeah. I haven't had Studies in like, four years. I'm an assassin, not a kid." I huffed. Oops. That was more childlike than I'd intended. Oh well. I was eighteen, and that was old enough to have a real job at ParaCo, old enough to marry, old enough to not go to school, or Studies, as we called it.

"Are you talking back to me? I told you to go to Studies, and so you'll go to Studies. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Mrs. Strange. I will be at the training room at five a.m."

"Good. Oh, and Rayna?"

"Yes?" I asked.

"If I don't see you again... never mind. Now, off you go. Five a.m. sharp, remember? Dismissed."

I nodded, and turned around to face the heavy doors of Mrs. Strange's office. Her name was Lucy Rowe before she got married.

I stalked out of the room, wondering what the next month would hold.

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Hey guys! It's Roses_Thorns, the author. I'll go by Rose for simplicity's sake, but that isn't my real name. Anyways, I hope you are enjoying this book so far! Also I apologize for this one being short, as compared to Chapter One. I hope that my chapters will be around the same length as we continue farther into the story. Please vote and leave comments! I'm always open to suggestions! Thank you.
-Rose