THE LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS - BWS

six

I had been sitting in my new rental car in the hospital parking lot for so long my butt had started to feel numb. I had switched my Honda for a Toyota first thing in the morning before making my way to the hospital and parking in a discreet area where I had eyes on Dr. Stoker's car. I needed to be able to blend in without raising suspicions, and it would have been hard to do so with a car he might have seen me get in a couple of days ago.

    Surveillance duty was not something I enjoyed when out on a job. While it was the first time I surveilled and tracked a Hunter and not a creature, the task was just as boring and sleep-inducing. But Hunters were a lot more alert and aware of their surroundings than creatures, so I had to be extra careful. Following William without being noticed would not be easy.

    His car hadn't moved from the parking lot the whole day. It was now past ten at night, and I was starting to wonder if he was going to spend the night at the hospital again. I looked at Dee who lay on the passenger seat. She seemed as bored as I was. She lifted her head up from her paws when she noticed I was looking at her, as if expecting some action.

    "It's going to be a long night," I told her as I scratched her head. "Hungry?"

    A single bark resonated in the car and I smiled as I reached down for the sandwich I had brought with us. I cut it in half and handed a piece to her that she grabbed with a lick of her tongue. I was grateful to have her by my side. She was the best companion and hunting partner anyone could ask for. Somehow, she knew when to be quiet and seemed to always detect danger before even I could. And despite her age– she was as old as me–, she was as alert and full of energy as a puppy.

    It was close to eleven when I saw a silhouette walking towards William's car. The parking lot had emptied quite significantly, but not enough for me to stand out.

William.

I leaned back on my seat so that he wouldn't see me. It might have been pitch black outside, I couldn't take any chances.

When his car left the parking lot, I followed. I had enough experience to know what to do and not to do when following someone. Putting a lot of distance between us, I kept my eyes on his black Jaguar. The car itself probably cost more than what I could save in ten years. That was if I actually could save. Living on the road, chasing nightmare-worthy monsters didn't really allow for any other job. I was dependent on Rick to survive, and was thankful he hadn't threatened to cut me off in order to make me stop hunting. Not that it would have worked, I would have found a way to earn my own money. It was just easier to not have to worry about it and be able to focus on the cases instead.

The fact that my body seemed to hold the ability to heal quicker than the average human being also helped with him letting me hunt, as I was sure I would be locked in a room with padded walls if it wasn't the case. That was how overprotective Rick was, and I was very surprised he wasn't already here to drag me back home himself.

When William's car slowed down and pulled over the side of the street, I kept going and stopped a few feet away. Following someone at night was a lot easier than during the day, the darkness being a real blessing when trying to go unnoticed.

I sat straight in my seat as I looked at him leaving his car and entering a fast food chain restaurant open 24/7 through the mirror at the top of the windshield. The grace of his movements never ceased to amaze me. He was wearing a white shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows and dark pants. Despite the distance, I could tell how stretched the fabric of his shirt was around his biceps, and I found myself biting my lower lip. When I noticed it, I quickly shook my head to gather my thoughts once more. I couldn't possibly let my stupid hormones turn against me.