Hunted Predators✔️

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

An officer barges into Katherine's room with a muzzle in his hand. Chains pin Katherine's hands behind her back and a gag is wrapped over her mouth. The blonde girl giggles as the guard drags Katherine away. "La, la, loo," she sings under her breath. "Try to run. La, la, loo. Be the Chosen One."

The guards pushes Katherine into the back of a black suv. She catches one of the officers' eyes to be met with a glare. She looks down at his fingers curling around the gun in his lap then looks at the floor.

Katherine loses track of the turns they take and the minutes that pass, to the point where she couldn't be sure if they were at her trial or execution when the SUV finally pulls to a stop.

An officer yanks open the door and sunlight fills the van. Someone barks an order at Katherine, but it was all background noise. Her eyes fall on the scene before her.

They had pulled up to the front of the steps of a large courthouse. Hundreds of protestors stand on the sides of the steps while tape and police keep them for storming the area. Katherine tried to lean back into the van, but an officer grabs her shoulder, shoving her forward.

"Move," he growls in her ear. The rim of a gun pushes against her back. Katherine climbs out of the van, which was no easy feat with both her hands chained behind her back. 

The officers parade Katherine in front of them, jabbing their guns against her back if she moves too slowly, threatening her if she moves too fast. People are screaming, screaming her name, screaming how she should die and burn in Hell. Out of the corner of her eye, Katherine sees a news truck and a couple dozen cameras pointed at her every move, not to mention the hundreds of cellphones. Katherine wipes her cheeks on her shoulder, trying to keep her head high and jaw set.

'You're Katherine Cruz', she reminds herself, but it doesn't work, not when the name's meaning has flipped on its head

The courtroom is packed. The audience is filled with at least a few hundred people, and their stares follow Katherine as well as a dozen new cameras. A quiet takes ahold of the room, punctuated by a few whispers from the crowd. Lester Crawley smiles when Katherine takes a seat next to him.

"This is a real bitch of a case," he whispers. "The video has gone viral. It's been on the news, tv, plastered all over social media. It's likely anyone brought to the jury has seen the video and formed their opinion before you ever make it to the stand. Maybe I should have mentioned that before you signed the papers agreeing to dismiss the settlement of a lifetime of servitude in exchange for a trail... and a death penalty if you're charged guilty."

Katherine stares at her lawyer with a murderous look in her eyes.

"You know, no vampire has ever been formally charged with a death sentence. That means this case could set the groundwork for any vampire to be killed, maybe even without provocation. This case will go down in the history books. Cruz v. Grimson has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

The judge bangs on her gavel. "Opening statements. Prosecution, you may begin."

As the prosecutor condemn her, Katherine sinks down in her chair. When the prosecutor finishes, the audience claps, as well as the jury and Lester Crawley.

"Defense."

The courthouse is dead silent as Lester stands up. "Despite the video, the boy's body, and all the evidence, my client pleads innocent. She says she did not kill him." Lester sits down.

"Ms. Cruz, I'd advise heavily against your decision," the judge says.

Katherine nods.

The judge raises her eyebrows. "Would you like to plead guilty to the murder of Darcus Grimson?"

Katherine protests through the gag, making muffled, indiscernible noises.

"A yes or no, Miss Cruz."

Katherine still tries to speak.

"A nod of the head will do, Ms. Cruz. Did you murder Darcus Grimson?"

Katherine stills. Then she shakes her head. The judge's lips press together. "Very well, then. Prosecution, call your first witness to the stand."

"I'm calling Miss Adelaide Whicker to the stand."

Adelaide walks across the courtroom. Her hair is pinned in a bun, and makeup is carefully applied to cover every blemish on her skin but bags underneath her eyes.  Adelaide raises her hand, swearing to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

"What was your relationship to Katherine?"

"Darko, my boyfriend at the time, felt bad for the new kid, so he brought her into our friend group. I saw her at group events, but I never got the chance to get to know her past small talk."

"Did you ever suspect what she was?"

"No."

"Did she ever seem feral to you?"

"No. At least, not until the bus crashed and blood was everywhere. I saw her fangs come out, and I..." Adelaide looks at Katherine.  Though her stare is detached, there is a bitter edge to every word. "I thought she had enough. I thought she was going to kill someone."

...

"The prosecution, please say your closing statement."

The prosecutor walks to the center of the room. "Katherine Cruz is a menace to society. This case is a tragedy. They were bright young students with their whole lives ahead of them. Now one of them lies in a nearby hospital, braindead, and the other is an unfeeling predator. We have as much control over Katherine Cruz as she does over herself, which is saying very little. I pity the what Katherine has become, but she has no place in a society of which she will only hurt."

When the prosecution is done, a few people in the jury clap. The judge turns to Lester. "The defense, please make your statement."

Lester stands up. "My client does not wish to be charged guilty." And he sits down. A murmur spreads throughout the courtroom. The judge sinks into a frown. "Well then, let's take a brief recess while the jury decides your sentence."

An officer grabs Katherine's arms, dragging her out of the chair. People boo as she passes. Katherine closes her eyes and bites the inside of her cheek, grimacing when she draws blood. She swallows, welcoming the bitter taste of iron in her mouth. It burns down her throat like cough syrup then sends a spike of adrenaline through her veins. It's instantaneous; it feels like she stuck a wet finger through an electrical socket or jumped into an icy river. Like she's lighter than air, like her heart could pound out of her chest.

A foot away from the door, Katherine opens her eyes, snapping back into focus.

Katherine yanks the chains in two and grabs the officer holding her arm, throwing him into another. A third officer runs at her. She grabs the front of his gun, shoving it away from her face. The officer fires, blowing a hole through her hand.

She barley feels it. Katherine yanks the gun out his grasp, swinging and hitting the guards nearest to her in the head, then she takes off running. She runs out the door, down the court steps, taking three or four at a time. Heads whip in her direction, and the police officers turn to see her flash past. The crowd screams, running away and giving her a wide berth as she jumps over the police tape.

Katherine sprints on to the road, stopping right in front of a car. The car screeches to a halt, the driver's eyes going wide when she sees the gun in Katherine's hand. Keeping her eyes and the gun aimed at the driver, Katherine walks around the car and steps into the passenger seat. She tears off the gag, revealing a set of fangs stained pink. "Take me to the nearest hospital, please."

The woman stares at her.

"That is," Katherine says, making it up as she goes along, "Only if you like having your head attached to your body!"

The woman steps on the gas.