Hunt

Chapter 16: Must Come Down

I stand in the entryway dumbfounded as I stare at the now closed front door. My heart is racing and I can't take a full breath. It was like we were sitting in the back seat of my car again, but... happier. Less panicked than it was like then.

After an awkwardly long pause I finally snap out of my daze. Shaking my head clear before rushing back to the car. Fumbling with the key briefly before backing out from the driveway. I begin to catch the full moon begin to crest over the hills to the east in my rear view mirror. Catching the glint of silver light in my eye I'm quickly reminded what night it was tonight. Shit, forgot about what Nick said... Turning my phone on leads to a slew of texts from various numbers and three missed calls each from Paul and Nick.

"Oh shit..." I mutter under the roar of the engine as I frantically slam on the brakes, squealing to a stop in the middle of the empty road. I hastily find Nick number and press call. It doesn't even fully ring once before he's yelling loudly in my ear.

"Kyle! What the hell?! We've been trying to reach you for hours! You said you'd keep your phone on you."

"Ni—" I try to get out between his brief pauses to breathe.

"No! Don't even try to argue, there's no time. Get to Paul's. Shit, the moons already coming up. Kyle we have a development. Get here now!" He hangs up before I can even begin to get a word in edgewise.

"Shit..." I grumble as I start driving towards Paul's place. It would maybe be a ten minute drive from where I am on a good day, but I'd have to make it there in five if I wanted to not be scolded even more than I know I already would. "So much for a quiet Friday night..."

I don't have time to grab my gear from home before rushing off to Paul's. Which meant I'd have to be supplied by someone with something I'm not used to using. It's a massive gamble, like 'spinning the wheel of chance with your life' as Nick likes to put it. Plus, I was already in trouble with the others for being late. I'd be surprised if I would be given anything at all now.

Turning off the road I tear down the gravel driveway that leads to Paul's 'complex.' Skidding to a stop in an open stretch of gravel before sprinting inside. Barging straight through the front door without even knocking, I find myself in what could be described as a 'war room.' A large wooden table was covered in maps that are heavily marked. But more importantly I find myself looking down the barrel of about four hastily drawn guns.

"Whoa! Hey guys, it's just me. Sorry I'm late." I put my hands up in surrender as the group of hunters slowly lower their guns. A quick scan around the group reveals four others: Paul and Nick, along with two hunters I recognize from the Bravepelt Hunt. The only other survivors to make it out of that mess: Natasha and Vincent. It's all of the remaining hunters sitting in one spot, something really important must really be going on.

"You're well beyond late. And you don't have your equipment. Figures..." Paul sighs, "Well I guess we're all here now, so let's finally get this started."

We all gather around the table, the map of the immediate area had a few new marks that still smelt of fresh expo marker. "Vince here came to me sayin that he's caught wind of a lycan pack having moved into the area recently..." Paul points him out. "...Why don't you fill the rest of us in."

Vince clears his throat and runs his hand through his short spiky black hair before pointing to three areas on the map laid out on the table. "I've had my ears to the ground the last couple nights after hearing some whispering through the system of strange sounds coming from a couple different properties recently purchased in the last couple weeks. I've narrowed it down to a couple of places that I haven't had time to investigate yet. I still haven't gotten addresses on all of them yet so we're stuck with general areas and nothing is confirmed yet." As I take a look around the map I have to take a double take. One of the circles was in Reyna's neighborhood. I had just come from there. I could feel my heart beginning to pound in my chest.