Hunt

Chapter 82: Up in Flames

<<Getting into position now... Standby.>>

Creeping slowly through the underbrush I can just begin to see my target appearing through the leaves. I had been on my stomach for what felt close to an hour now, slowly and tediously crawling through the leaves and dirt. The process of keeping myself silent had slowed me down to a snails pace as I come to a stop near the fence line of my target. So far there haven't been any problems. No contact from any of the Silverlock pack, so there haven't been any obvious missteps on our end. The porch light of the house was still on. The warm glow of the bulb is a promising sign as I spot it easily at a distance. My earpiece clicks in my ear, two distinct -pops- that serve as a signal from the others that everyone else was now in position. Now it was just up to me to get it done.

My heart hasn't stopped racing since we left Paul's place. The anticipation of finally putting this persistent problem to rest had been sending adrenaline coursing through my body long before we had even hit the edge of the forest. My hands tremble in the dirt under me as I begin to push myself up into a low crouch. We were so close. Just a little longer and we'd not have to worry about any of this anymore. Finally put all these restless ghosts to bed.

I do my best to avoid the glow cast by the porch light. Sticking to the shadows as I try to peer through a darkened window. The quiet interior of the house appears still and unmoving, shrouded in darkness. Just my luck that David wasn't out in the open like I had hoped for. Now I'd for sure have to risk going inside and scour the place to verify David's location. If he was even here. Circling around to the front of the house I try the front door, tentatively reaching out for the knob I find it locked. This minor setback only added to the sinking feeling growing in my stomach as I'm forced to creep back around to the rear of the house, hiding in the shadows that gather at the edge of the porch light. A small sigh escapes my lips as I try to steady my shaking hands.

<<Take your time Julie. Slow and steady. No need to rush it.>> Nick's calm voice chimes in my ear over the radio. I couldn't see the other hunters from where I was positioned, but I know that they can see me. A gentle reminder that I'm not going to be alone should things take a turn for the worse. They would have my back, and I would have theirs.

Taking a brief moment to take a deep breath I step out of the dark and into the light. Slowly and quietly crossing the back porch as I reach out for the doorknob. I felt too exposed. I couldn't seem to shake the feeling that this was all just a setup. A trap that I was just about to knowingly walk face first into. My paranoia causes my hand to hesitate on the doorknob, scared to even touch it.

The doorknob turns. The door clicking open and swinging inward like it had been expecting me. The black void of the interior greets me, seemingly inviting me further inside with unassuming silence. But it wasn't the darkness itself that causes me to hesitate on the back porch. It was what I knew could be waiting for me in the darkness just out of sight that gives me pause. I don't dare turn on the lights, opting to slowly stumble around in the dark rather than give away my only advantage, the element of surprise. My boots feel heavy on the hardwood floors as I slowly creep inside past the kitchen, the low thudding with each step seeming to reverberate through the house like a heartbeat. But my own racing heart pounding in my ears threatens to drown it all out. 

With each empty room explored my anxiety grows. Every dark corner I check causes my adrenaline to spike, as if I was instinctually anticipating something to lunge out at me from the unknown. Getting spooked by a few potted plants in corners. But the house remains eerily silent as I verify that the entire first floor is empty, leading me to the last place I ever wanted to be. I begin my ascent up the stairs to the second floor.

Tonight was beginning to feel like the first time we tried to take David out, parallels between that night and now are drawn in my head unconsciously with each slow step I take. The night everything got flipped on it's head and Vince was killed, then Kyle being attacked shortly after that... That damned night marked the turning point in all of this. Where true intentions were brought to the light... But this time I was the one hunting David down. I would be the one to show him what happens when you fuck with the Parker family.