Hunter

Hunter

"Get back here and take your beating like the pussy you are, boy!"

I whipped around with blood dripping down my eyebrow, nose, and a split lip. My dad charged at me and slammed his fist into my face. I dropped to the filthy carpet floor—a steel-toed boot connected with my ribs.

Before the piece of shit kicked me again, I grabbed his ankle and yanked it. He hit the floor with a thud. I got to my feet, jumped on him, and slammed my fists into his face. Then I grabbed his hair and slammed the back of his head into the floor repeatedly.

Blood pooled onto the floor as I unleashed my rage. When the asshole stopped moving, I got up from him and ran from the house. I refused to let the cops catch me.

I knew the drill. The cops would pick me up, and social services would return me to that fucker. I refused to return to that hell.

After a while, my legs slowed to a walk. I walked the empty streets in a ripped tee shirt, blue jeans, and sneakers. The street lights illuminated the streets from the dark sky. I shivered from the night air as it blasted my arms.

It took me an hour before I saw a sign with the name Saintwood. I walked along the deserted street with darkened stores. I darted toward the back and checked doors and windows, searching for one particular store.

When I found what I needed, I pulled my tee shirt over my head, wrapped it around my hand, and slammed my hand into a glass pane in a door. The glass broke and fell to the ground. I reached in and unlocked the door, tripping the alarm.

I hurried inside, located the alarm, and disarmed it. I rushed to the front, grabbed medical supplies, and searched for a bathroom. After locating one, I flipped the switch. I cleaned my wounds, sewed the lacerations, and applied antibiotic ointment and bandages to my cuts.

I discarded the trash into a garbage can, then searched for clothes. I grabbed whatever clothing I could find and changed, tearing off the tags.

Blue and red lights flashed from a window, alerting me to the cops. I rushed to the back door, exited, and ran.

*******
Mason

My phone rang, waking me. I grabbed it and answered it. "Hello?"

"Sorry to bother you, Mason. We received a call that someone broke into a store," an officer said.

"God Dammit!" I threw the covers from me and got out of bed. "I'll be right there." I snapped my phone shut.

Luci stirred and sat up. "Mason? Is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine, my dear. I need to take care of an issue. Go back to sleep."

"Okay."

I kissed Luci's head as she rolled over and went to sleep. I padded to the closet, turned on the light, and got dressed in a pair of black slacks, a sweater, and loafers. I pulled on a black peacock coat and left.

I exited the house, walked to a black sedan, and climbed inside. My driver drove me to Fifth Street. We arrived with four cop cars parked in front of Hayman's store. I exited the vehicle and walked toward an officer and the owner.

"Sorry to bother you, Mason," the officer told me.

I raised my hand and turned to Harry. "What is the damage, Harry?"

"I found some first aid supplies used and a few articles of clothing missing."

"Is that it?"

Harry nodded.