Hunters ≫ H.S (Sequel to Runners) DISCONTINUED

Prologue

[Harry Styles]
*

I was counting the stars that weren't there in my cell. They were imaginary with my eyes closed and my head spinning with insanity. My arms were rested forward against the brick surface of the surrounding walls. I hummed a pathetic tune between my lips before peeling my eyes open to watch the shaking movement of my hand slide down the textured wall with a loose rock. This is where I kept the tallies of my imprisonment and today was my anniversary.

It's been exactly twenty one months since I've been captured. I was never given a trial or a chance to defend myself from my crimes. They already knew I was guilty; there was no point in fighting against it. I had no money left on my side; it's all gone and tossed to my men who soon ran for cover after the word got out that I was finally taken into custody. They've given up on me and I don't blame them.

Facilities have moved me around America to each top notch prison. Their demand was to have high security at all times while I'm inside the building. They act like I have plans scribbled on the backs of my hands for breaking out. The truth is, I know I can't do all of this on my own anymore. Right now I believe my transfer unit is somewhere in Milwaukee. It's certainly colder in this cell with no visible light between my grated windows. At each new prison that I arrive to I stop and make my mark right at home. It's been almost two years since I've come across a familiar face or warmed up meal. I'm rotting, waiting every single fucking day until a miracle comes across this prison.

I look up towards the skylight. The sun was on the right side, slightly 30 degrees from the edge. That means in five minutes a guard will walk in with a tray of cold meatloaf and orange juice they like to call dinner. This means the end of another unheard day.

I tap my fingers across my thigh as I sit in the lonely dark and look ahead at the back wall across from me. The tallies among that wall turned into white ridged lines as the sun went down completely from behind the skylight.

Where's my bloody food?

There were no sounds outside my walls. I got up to check the peephole between the concrete door and the outer cell halls. As I leaned into the cold rock, my eye caught sight of two guards hurrying down the left. There was something off about these two, they were covered head to toe in black suits with blacked out masks covering their faces. One was headed straight for my cell's unit as the other lugged behind with a heavy looking box. I couldn't hear what they were saying as they ran up to the concrete and set the box down beneath the door. Then the two scattered immediately after pressing down the handle that plunged into the top of the box.

Oh shit!

I pressed off the cell's door and launched myself towards my sleeping mat, crouching down for cover. I braced myself against the thin mat and then boom! The concrete exploded, shooting my cell's door all the way across the room and into the back wall near my tallies. I gasped, watching the rocks turn into rubble right before my eyes. Then the dusty smoke washed into the air. I was immediately engulfed by it as it caused me to cough into my hands against my sleeping mat.

I had no time to rest or see what the hell was going on as two arms pulled me up on either side. I was in a coughing fit, waving my hands at whoever had a hold of me. Then I was dropped to the ground, lights flickering around me and sirens ringing like no tomorrow. A pair of black boots stomped in front of me until a gloved hand pulled my chin up towards the blinking lights. The lights were blinding and I still had a faint ring in my ears from the explosion. There were these annoying bells going off as soon as the above lights switched to an emergency red.

"What the hell?" My voice was only a murmur underneath the chaos.

The guard squatted in front of me before slowly sliding his mask off his face. My eyes went wide with unbelievable excitement. A pair of bright blue eyes sparked down at me, reviling a famously familiar crooked grin, "Good to see you're doing well Boss."