Son of Lazarus

Chapter 17: On the Hunt

December 22nd, 2040
2:32 p.m.

   The snow on the ground was beginning to make his knees cold. He had been waiting outside of the white house for what felt like hours now and was beginning to grow impatient. But he could wait a while longer. Predators were known for being patient on their hunts and he was no different.   He had been tasked with bringing in two runaway Subjects. One was a Telepath and, from what he had been told, the other was extremely dangerous. He planned on being cautious with the second and to do that, he needed the girl.   Something told him she would be instrumental in getting Subject Seven to cooperate without a fight. But he was ready if it came down to it. Movement caught his attention. The door to the white house opened and out stepped a girl.   Matthew shifted his position slightly, forcing himself to stay put. There was no way he was going to let his mission be a bust. If it was, then he would be on his master's bad side for a while. He watched as the girl turned to look back inside the house, talking to someone.

   A smile cracked across his face. She would be alone, making it easier for him to grab her. When she began to move away from the house, Matthew followed a few paces behind, keeping himself hidden from sight. He followed her for a block and a half, his impatience growing the longer he followed her.
   After a while, she veered off and went into the woods, a welcomed change for him. The further he walked, the more his blood began to sing. She was taking the trail that led to the van's location. Too easy. The further she got to the van, the closer Matt drew to her, his heart beating rapidly in his chest.
   The thrill of the hunt sang in his veins and he couldn't take staying away from her for long. The girl was his. He closed the gap between them until he was on top of her. His hand plunged into his pocket and produced a thin sheet of cloth and a small, unnamed bottle.
   Popping off the lid to the bottle, Matthew doused the contents onto the cloth before tossing the bottle carelessly onto the side of the trail. He took one final stride before reaching out his arm and grabbing her by the shoulder.
   As soon as he pulled her into his body, he wrapped an arm around her torso, slamming the cloth against her mouth and nose with his other. With his strength, he held her to him while she screamed into the cloth and began to struggle in his arms.

   But her fighting only made his blood boil and his grip on her tightened. They remained like that for a time until her body fell limp in his arms. When he was certain she was knocked out, he released the cloth.
   Carefully tucking it back into his pocket, Matthew hoisted the girl into the air and flung her over his shoulder before he carried her through the woods toward the van. It came into view after a moment, the barred back window comforting to him somehow, reminding him of his cage back at Section Fifty-Seven.
   Once he had gotten behind the van, he banged on the side until someone opened the door. Inside was one of the scientists who had been put in charge of him. Matthew rolled his eyes when he spotted the man.
   Yes, his master trusted him, but it wasn't enough to allow him complete freedom on these hunts. Growling, Matthew stepped into the van and laid the girl on the floor.
   "Confirm Identification: Subject Six," he rumbled, watching the man pull out a blood scanner. The scientist held it against the girl's hand. All he had to do was get a single drop of blood from her finger to confirm her identification.

   A thin needle popped out of the scanner and plunged into her finger. Matthew's jaw tightened at the smell before he could act.
   "Identity Confirmed," the scientist spouted off, his voice light and airy. "Name: Lily Elizabeth Moore. Variant Type: Telepath."
   A second scientist bound the girl's wrists together before turning toward Matthew and the other scientist.
   "Next Target: Subject Seven."