Into Your Arms

Chapter 3 - The game

Ayla had entered the back of the museum, it seems easier to get into than it should be. Someone had to be here, or already was. She goes to the security room, and she notices all the cameras were turned off. She did her best to turn them back on, but she wouldn't be able to get it to fully on till morning. She decided it's best to just walk around to search.

As she slowly walks through each room, little things are scattered all over the rooms, indicating someone knocked things over. She passed the one room that was now closed off for investigation, the room the murder was reported. She was tempted to see what it looked like in there, if there was anything she could use, but she figured it's not a good time. She gets close to the main lobby when she hears a small voice reach out.

"Did you miss me sugar? I know it's been way too long."

She takes a moment to sense the direction the voice is coming from, then points herself towards it. She chooses for now not to reply.

"You know, I really thought you had me last time. I guess my fate just wasn't over yet. You should be proud of yourself, Agent." He said with a sympathetic look.

"Why are you here, Hex?" She asks him sternly.

Hex is a bounty hunter, but he's more deadly and kills more then the one person he targets at a time, and he admits it's for pleasure. Sometimes he uses a bow and arrow, others he'll use his swords. He's really a mystery to the people who haven't followed and tried to search him down. But he wasn't a mystery to Ayla.

"On the contrary, someone has sent me to come looking after you." He pauses and looks at her for a reaction. "Oh, don't be too shocked darling, you are very threatening to people. I've thought about it, and I really like this game we've been playing, so I won't kill you just yet." You can see him smiling, taking great pleasure in this.

Ayla was not going to just take it. "So what are you going to do, kill innocent people to get me until you've become bored?"

"Maybe, or perhaps i'll slowly give you clues as to who wanted me to attack you and by the time you figure it out i'll be right behind you, knife in hand stabbing through your chest. You can count on that, Agent".

"Why would I play this game with you and not kill you right here right now?"

"Because sweets, you might actually be surprised to know who it is, and because well, it makes it more fun to kill my sweet enemy after your stunt last time."

Ayla looks at him for a minute, trying to figure out what the smartest move would be. Maybe she needed to do this, to buy herself more time to discover who he truly was.

"Alright, game on Hex. What's the first clue?"

"Ahhhh I thought you'd never ask. It's simple really, I have a code. 192011811. All you have to do is crack it. Don't think too hard on it, i'll give you two days and if you're more clueless then before, you'll get another clue and another innocent life lost."

"This is a cruel game. I am not putting up with this."

Hex laughs for a minute, this amuses him.

"My darling, you don't realize that you don't have a choice. You don't have a chance."

Ayla runs up to him and kicks him off his feet. He doesn't take this lightly and tries to pin her to the ground. However, she can handle him and counters his moves. After a few long minutes, she is able to siphon some of his energy to finally keep him down. He looks at her shocked to see this energy source come out of her hands. She had gained powers ever since he saw her, but how? She continues to hold him on the ground with her hands as she runs to head home. She says one last thing to him.

"Do not threaten me, I have a new advantage in this game." 

"You have two days, My sweet agent.You've been warned." He shouts before she's gone. He wasn't able to get up up til a few minutes after she left.

                      __________________

The next morning, Ayla wakes up to the sound of a text alert going off. She was barely even asleep to be fair, she had spent a lot of the night trying to figure out what Hex meant. The text was from Pierce , the same guy who texted last night.

"Cant call, in a meeting. Did you figure out what was happening? Is this involved with the murder? I hope you cleaned it up on your part."

She wasn't sure if she should tell him, what was fair game for people to know. She also didn't know who to trust.

"Murder scene was already cleaned up for investigation. It looked like someone trying to scare us by knocking things down, but they had already left when I showed up. I think it's fine, not anything threatening."

She was anxious to see how pierce would respond.

"Alright good, make sure it's not becoming a new trend, we don't need anything more"

"Of course, sir, I'll keep my eye on it."

She was relieved. She didn't want him to know that her past was threatening her again, she didn't want help. It was haunting her, but she didn't want to admit it. She become lost in her thoughts for a few minutes when another text popped up. It was Tony.

"Hey sunshine, Cassie gave me your number, I just wanted to catch up with you. Do you have time to swing by?"

She is lost on what to say to this. She hasn't talked to Tony in years besides last night.

"Yeah I have time, but is there a specific reason? I know we got off the wrong foot last time we spoke."

"Understatement of the century, but yes Ayla, I just wanted to catch up. Also, I figured I could interest you in meeting my friend." He sounds so hopeful. What is this?

"I'll be over soon, I don't got anything to lose. You can be matchmaker this time Tony."

"Perfect, thanks Angle!"

Ayla choked a laugh by the crazy nickname Tony just gave her, guess that was going to stick.

And she was off to what she didn't know was meeting her something special.