Fighting with Fire #2 ✔

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟒 - 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐨

"In other news, the old, abandoned mining town, near Elevation Mountain, called Coloma burned down as of yesterday afternoon," the news presenter read, "The ten teenagers that disappeared from that area late last June are suspected of arson, though they still haven't been found. Missing person reports have been—"

"Turn that crap off," Jade spat.

I flicked it off, avoiding her stare.

It was evening, and we were in Ryder's ranch, sitting in the lounge, staring at the TV. Thankfully, it hadn't been too hard to break into.

They suspect us.

"We have to sort that out somehow." Jason folded his arms.

"It'll sort out by itself," Storm observed blankly, inspecting her fingernails.

"So, we just gonna lounge around here all day, or are we actually gonna do something?" Jade rolled her eyes.

"Maybe we'll do something when you lot decide we're gonna talk about what actually happened. We're not missing four people out of our pack because they're just hiding around the corner!" I exclaimed, finally getting it off my chest.

Goddamn it.

"Fine." Jason sighed. "You're right, we should talk about it. The more we wait, the more painful it'll get."

"I don't think it gets more painful than this." Ryder shifted and fixed his gaze on the floor's wood panelling.

"Okay, well we still have to talk," I insisted, "C'mon guys. We're a pack, we're supposed to talk to each other. What happened?"

"Ryan... betrayed us," Storm spat out like the words tasted sour in her mouth. "He betrayed us, and they killed him anyway. His 'powers' were some sort of hoax. God knows how long those bastards had been planning this..."

Okay, now we're getting somewhere.

"Why the hell did the hunters do all of this?" I frowned. "I mean, why didn't they kill all of us whilst we were sleeping if they knew where we were?"

"It was all part of some elaborate scheme," Jason began explaining, "The hunters decided that they needed to take matters into their own hands — the sort of matters that God alone should control." He shook his head. "They decided that no matter how many supernaturals they killed, there would always be more out there..."

"They're trying to commit genocide." Jade stood up and started pacing the room, "Fucking genocide."

"They're trying to make a cure — a cure for each type of supernatural being." Jason continued, "They captured our pack because of how diverse we were — are; we're not just werewolves." He swallowed. "Sienna, Ryan, Hayden... They were all test subjects. Failed test subjects. The 'cure' killed them in a number of hours, though not until the hunters had run several tests on them..."

I looked down; now I knew.

"Zack?" I asked, looking at Abi.

She shook her head. "Alive; they didn't take him. We don't know where he is."

"I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry for all of you," I said, but somehow, my words came out awkward and unemotional.

"We know. Thank you for coming for us." Jason put his hand on my shoulder. "But there's something else. These hunters... They were organised, and logical, they were like scientists, and doctors — they knew what they were doing. It's crazy how organised they were. They were like a... a—"

"Like an agency?" I offered, feeling dread rush over my body.

"Exactly like an agency," he replied.