RECLAIM

Chapter 1. Ordinary Day

This story is copyrighted. I already make it official. Please don't steal them. Thank you and enjoy.

~ Laith ~

Dark musky room highlighted only by holo-board lights. A partially open window lets in a gentle breeze. A chair sits; with a fish tank on top it. In the corner, an upside down weird looking lamp stands. A small, four seated dining table located near the small kitchen was teeming with food. The door that leads to the bedroom was closed. Everything else was either stacked or folded. Nothing was out of place. A very neat and ordinary looking room.

Except for one thing. On the walls, all the way from the entrance to the back, a single trail of a deep red sticky liquid glared. There's no doubt. It's blood all right. There's no way to mask the strong smell of copper.

It's an early evening yet strange things already piling up. There is no dead body here. No visible indication of foul play. The inhabitant of this space can only be declared missing. That or running, as so many usually tried when she visited. No clear indications of the motive and reason for doing all of this. No visible message or mark of any kind. Why take time to spread blood but do nothing else?

Laith sighed. What a spectacular mess. Is it that wrong to wish for one normal day? Yeah right, she should know better.

"Excuse me miss, but this is an active crime scene. You can't come in here," a polite enough voice interrupts her monolog. "Please step out miss."

Laith glance at the second notice. A young male, maybe around sixteen years old, carefully approach her. He's dressed in dark color uniforms. The only visible accessories on his body are a large, state of the art hand blaster gun. The hawk wing removable insignia tattoo on his left neck gives off a faint indigo tint in the dark. Ah, a very junior Enforcer. No wonder he's polite. He had no idea who she is. She was just about to take advantage of the situation when a second, rougher voice interjects.

"Are you kidding me? Who give you permission to barge in? Get out! Now, Wolf!" The second voice growled. The young Enforcer turned and straightened immediately.

"Enlighten me, Wolf. How the heck you get here so fast?" Senior Enforcer James 'Buck' McDermott stands tall, his large body blocking the entrance. His uniforms were missing a lot of things except for the large caliber gun and the ultra light titanium handcuff. The insignia on his neck is crook. A week long untended bush covers almost his entire tired face. As usual, the smell of tobacco and stale coffee immediately filled the air. "Wait, on second thought, don't answer that. Coming from you, it's bound to leave a bitter aftertaste," he gruffly adds.

Laith carefully traces her steps back to the entrance and into the hall. She then plastered the usual half mocking smile before answering anyway.

"A little mouse told me. And just so you know, last week attempt to purge our inside man was useless. When are you guys gonna learnt that?" she said with as much sugar as possible.

"A mouse eh? So that automatically gives you the right to step on my toes how?" the big male glowered.

"My occupation gave me the right," she answered lightly.

Buck gives the scene one quick overall look before focusing back on her. "Somebody rent something?"

"The owner of this room sure did. He rent a heart."

Buck expression darken. His entire body suddenly tensed. "You're here to collect it?"

Laith tilts her head and stare at him. She then gave him an even bigger half mock smile. People's perception of her occupation will never chance. Reclaimers are not butchers. Sure, they came as a harbinger. But not always the bad kind. They are, in reality, work as a mediator.

As the organs and body-parts renting business grew, so does a need to maintain and regulates it. Reclaimers were born as a meeting point for both the provider and the renters. When a renter felt that they been treated unfairly, like a sudden rise in rent price or receive a used organ instead a promised new one, they as Reclaimers have the authority to help the renter reclaim their rights.

For the provider, it goes without saying. When an organ is due then it's their job to reclaim it at any cost. The organs are just a temporary life line until a real donor is available after all. It wasn't meant to be the solution, only a temporary fix, band aid of some sort. When the renters can't no longer pay for the said aid, then it's Reclaimer job to knock on the door. They bag the entire person, alive, and send them back to their provider.

Because contrary to popular believe, they're not gonna cut people up and gouge their organs out. More like play go fetch for two sides. There just a lot of demand and not enough goods. But, there is an exception in some cases though. One that she never wishes to make.

Laith silence stretch for another minute or so, if only to make the Enforcer sweat. "No. I'm come here to check on something. His heart tracker and thermal reading show some anomaly. We're worried," she finally mused. "It's one very pricey object after all. And now it's missing. You know where this is going right, dear sir Enforcer?"

Buck tried, without much success, to hide his relief. "I know. I'm just trying to come up with some argumentative denial." The Enforcer then touched the back of his left ear. He whispered some words back and forth.

Laith paused to receive some directions from her own comm. Only one sentence was passed. Affirmative, proceed as you see fit. She then plastered an even bigger smile when the senior Enforcer grunted. That was fast.

"Understood, ma'am. I reluctantly agreed. As long as I won't be the one assign to investigate this case. I'll recommend someone competent. Yes, ma'am. I'll personally oversee the joint investigation. Buck out."

"I take the negotiations went well?" Laith probe.

Buck pinches the bridge his nose. "You guys have overtaken everything, huh? Well, congratulations. Welcomed to our ten thousand so called join investigations. We all know you Reclaimers will take the lead and leave us to clean up the mess anyway."

"Aw, come on, big guy. It's not so bad. Remember the party at Red Rum? It's a blast."

"You and I have very different memories." The Enforcer shuddered. "I opt to watch from the sidelines this time. Your real partner already been selected and waiting at Central Base."

"Well then, without further due, I'll escort my own self there. Say hi to your wife and son for me. Good day senior." She then stretched her neck to the side. "You to, junior." And just like that, Laith whistles her way out of there.

"That girl always creeps and intrigues me at the same time," Buck said as soon as Laith disappeared from view.

"Is that young woman really the rumored Wolf? The youngest Reclaimer ever to be on the job?" the junior Enforcer question a little further back.

"In the flesh. She may be young, but she never fails to pick up a smell of spilled blood. Anywhere, anytime. Hell, maybe they all did. All of them are a nightmare wrap in a day dream. Damn spooky Reclaimers." Buck shakes his head as he step into the room.

"Maybe that's why we called her Wolf."

"Yes, but we also called her Wolf 'cause it's her name. The one and only Laith Wolf. Convenient, huh?" 

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Photo : Thanos - Waterfront City-state

Video :  System Of A Down - Toxicity