Devil's Prey

{chapter 7, part 4} - Risk

"Make sure to bring your flashlights, boys. We're staying in that forest until we find something," Captain Mendez said. He sighed as he fixed his police uniform and stared at his desk. It was full of papers and notes about their wanted criminal, the Smiling Man. He planned a search through the secluded forest, wondering if the Smiling Man used it as his hideout. He gathered a team for the search. Now, they were getting ready to head out. It was eight PM, the usual time that the Smiling Man was out and about.

Knock, knock. "Partner, are you ready?" Captain asked.

Jackson Armstrong walked in, hoisting his gun into his belt. "Yeah. Do you think we have enough men if the Smiling Man attacks?" the man asked, placing his hands on his hips. Captain Mendez nodded, pulling a piece of gum from a packet underneath a stack of papers. "Yes, of course! Hey, why don't you check in with your family? Make sure they stay inside."

Jackson nodded, leaving Captain's office. Mendez scratched the back of his neck, looking out of the window. The moon was shining bright. It was a full moon. He took a deep breath before turning to his door and leaving his office. "Mendez!" General Stanely smiled, opening his arms wide. Captain Mendez chuckled, "Stan! What brings you here?"

"Ah, just checking in—What are you up to? You have a whole group of your men outside," Stanely asked.

"We're heading out on a search. We think the Smiling Man might be hiding in that secluded forest nearby," Mendez said. Stanely nodded, ticking his tongue. "Why don't I come with you? My troops and I have brought out weapons. We'll be useful if the man in the mask shows up."

Mendez nodded, "Yeah, that'd be great. We could cover more ground."

Stanely smiled, watching as the Captain left the office. He frowned, following the man out. "What the hell did you do, kid? They would've never suspected you to be in that forest." He thought. Stanely put on a smile as Mendez turned to look at him. He continued to follow, stepping into his own car with his troops. Mendez stuck his hand out of his window, signaling the General to follow on the road as they began to drive.

General Stanely drove in silence, tapping the steering wheel with impatience. He had to warn Dream. He knew the blonde was in his cabin, making sure the hostages weren't dying of hunger and dehydration. "Boss, what's wrong?" a troop asked.

"Text Dream. He and Punz are in trouble," Stanely said. "Tell them they have to start moving the hostages out. We'll be there in a few minutes."

"Yes, sir."

General Stanely sighed as he sped up. He gritted his teeth, feeling worry and anger surge through his body. He gripped the wheel, feeling sweat build up in his palms. Before he could notice, he was already in the forest. Mendez stepped out of his car, knocking against General Stanely's door. "Hey, man—Do you guys need flashlights? We've got extras."

Stanely turned to look at his troops, "Yeah. We could use some lights."

>>

Jackson sighed as he stared at his phone. He had been texting his son, ensuring he didn't sneak off with his friends to another forest. It was the reason they were searching every forest they could think of. The secluded forest was the only one left. That night, Sapnap returned home with his friends. The boy had told his father that he saw the Smiling Man in the forest. However, he didn't tell his father that he saw the man without his mask.

"Hey, what's up?" Mendez asked.

"Nothing... just trying to convince my kid to not leave the house. Abigail is trying to trick him into binging movies all night until I return," Jackson said. Mendez chuckled, patting the raven's back. "Man, that woman. She sure is good at tricking your kid into doing things so he doesn't go out doing things he's not supposed to."