LOH Comics: The Hunter Chronicles

The Chronicles of "The Hunter"

A series created by: Mr_Fish_

Prologue: Gunpowder and Dead: Pt. 2

(United States, July 4th, 2012)

CRACKLE BANG BANG. As much as Huntington loved this holiday, he could really do without the firecrackers. He had been home for about three months now, after finishing his second tour in Afghanistan. He was glad to be home. Bright lights, loud noises, and children laughing. Those were the things Huntington picked up the most here in this park. It was a public area, filled with people, wearing the proud colors of America, cheering when the fireworks exploded. He smiled at his wife, Lauren, who was hold their 5 year old daughter, Katie. They were both looking awe-inspired at the display, but the real show was watching them. It melted his heart a little, seeing the two most beautiful women on the planet lying next to him.

After the grand finale was over, they all loaded up in his truck, and started the drive home. He turned on the radio just in time to hear "Bad accident on I-40 East Bound, so if you're heading that way, expect delays!" He sighed, and turned off the interstate to go the back way home. Road construction was taking a huge toll on traffic in the city, especially during the holidays. Detour signs were everywhere. His lights reflected off construction workers reflective vests and he turned down the detour road. As he passed the man giving the signal, he noticed the tattoo on the man's arm. It was identical to the brand of the radical group they fought in Afghanistan. He shook his head, Come on Hector, you've got to stop doing this crap to yourself. It was a common pattern, it may have just looked like it. Relax. He tried to, and kept driving on the road. Lauren looked over at him and gave a quizzical look, but didn't say anything. It wasn't the first time his mind played tricks on him, and she learned best to just leave that stuff alone most of the time.

Another construction site?! Of course, right outside the neighborhood. Hector sighed and slowed down while driving by. The construction workers were all standing around with tools in hand, though it didn't seem many were actually doing anything. "Our taxpayer funds at hard work, eh?" He said to no one in particular, though Lauren chuckled. Of course, once mommy started to laugh, so did Katie. They were so alike, he loved it. One of the men stepped in front of the truck with a Stop sign, and Hector stopped. It was a two lane road, this wasn't abnormal.

CRASH. The window on his door shattered as a lead pipe broke through it, opening the door and dragging him out, hitting his head on the pavement, and he felt multiple feet kicking him while he was down. His vision was blurry, though he could hear the screams of his wife and daughter, and he tried to fight to stand up, but it was no use. There were too many of them. The men dragged the two out of the truck, and forced them on the ground. He looked up at them, bandanas and towels covered their heads, all of them. The tattoos were ever present on their forearms, the mark of the group from Afghanistan.

"Daddy!!! Daddy get up!!" Katie screamed at the top of her lungs, before one of the men punched her in the jaw. Hector moved to get up but was hit in the back of the head with the pipe again and fell down. The men laughed, Lauren was crying as Katie laid on the pavement out of her reach.

"Leave them be, it's me you want you bastards. Let them go!" One man walked up to him, and made a tsk tsk sound as he approached, knelling down next to Hector and shaking his head side to side.

"No, you see, you took good men, brothers, friends, fathers, husbands, away from their families. I watched you, 'Hunter,' as you killed my brothers at arms. I'm just glad I killed your pet spotter before I had to leave." Hector looked up at him, and realized that this was the sniper that had killed Anderson. He was feeling both shock and intense anger at the moment, but the man continued. "So, allow me to return that favor, with regards from those who lost their family and friends." The man snarled and stood up, pulling out a pistol and with a BANG, shot Lauren clean through the head.

Hector yelled, louder than he ever had in his life, as she fell to the ground, lifeless, a hole in between the eyes, just like Anderson. The man walked to Katie, and sat behind her, holding her unconscious body up, and putting the gun under her jaw. The other men held him up, and two held his eyes open. "Watch, Mr. Hunter, watch your world die in front of you." He laughed, maniacally, and Hector saw Katie's perfect green eyes open and look at him, for the last time.

"Daddy?"

BANG

The end.