Xavier

“Psych.” Message bank again.

“Damien, I swear to god dude, I’m so over your bullshit! When I get my hands on you, you’re dead, man. I’m going to kill you in ways you cannot even imagine, if you’re not already dead, that is. Of course, you should know even then I’ll find a way. Remember, just because you’re dead, it doesn’t mean you can’t still die,” I snapped and threw the phone. The phone smashed into the wall with so much force, it shattered the phone and the plaster simultaneously. Great, there goes the security deposit! Justifying that to sheer frustration would be a damned injustice; I was so beyond the point of that by now. Somehow I knew finding this place wouldn’t mean I would find him, but I hadn’t expected to find what I had.

I upended his abandoned duffle bag and tipped its contents on the floor. This was the last place he could have been. All his stuff was here, and the hunt left unfinished. Something Damien never did. I was getting tired of chasing him, tired of hearing his stupid voice say the same thirty-two words over and over again every time I tried to reach him. Sure, Damien can be a dick, so not answering my calls was something I was to expect, but running out on a hunt and leaving it for another hunter to clean up wasn’t like him.

I rifled through the stuff on the floor. It all looked to be there, from what I could tell. So why would he leave it all behind? I had a very bad feeling about this. I picked up the photograph that was on the top of the pile and looked at it. I had seen this photo a number of times; it was of him and his sister when they were in their teens. From what I could tell, they were really close once. I knew for a fact that she meant more to him than life itself, and I also knew she was my last shot at getting to him. If anyone knew where he was going, it would be her. Removing the sim card from the wreckage of the phone, I headed downstairs. Much to the desk clerk’s surprise, I paid the room out for another month and walked outside.

I had to ditch the car I had used to get here. It had most likely been reported stolen by now. So I needed a ride, and at the moment anything would do. It was slim pickings in a cheap motel parking lot. Most of the vehicles were occupied, or I knew they were alarmed and would be too much trouble. I couldn’t help but smile as my ticket out of here pulled up. I watched as the young couple got out of the big black Hummer and walked into the reception area. Thanking my lucky stars, I ran to the driver’s side and hoped for the best. I looked in the window to see the keys in the ignition still. I was so happy I threw my fist into the air before ripping open the door and jumping in. Quickly starting the thing, I was out of the drive before the owners would have even noticed it was gone.

Yeah okay, so I know as far as rides go it wasn’t the most inconspicuous car known to man. And yeah, if you’re going to steal something it’s usually best to keep a low profile, but I was on a deadline and it would do for now. The inside of the Hummer was every bit as flashy as the outside. I guess they don’t call them luxury SUVs for nothing. It had that new feeling to it, even the new car smell. The poor guy I jacked it from must have been loaded, and seeing that was most likely the case, I was teaching him a valuable life lesson. One should not brag, especially around guys like me. It was a five-hour drive to the town Damien’s family lived in, but I knew that maybe, if I was lucky, I could do it in four.

The old house looked a little run-down compared to last time I’d seen it. The lawns were overgrown, the roof needed re-tiling and the house itself could use a coat of paint. I knew I had no right to judge, seeing how I hadn’t seen the place in years, but it really needed a man’s touch. I straightened out the wrinkles in the straight-cut black suit I was still wearing from my last con as a federal agent (which, by the way, had gotten me nowhere). I needed information and I was going to get it the only way I knew how. I grabbed the dark sunglasses I’d found in the dash and slipped them on. I knew they were redundant at eleven o’clock at night, but I wanted to look the part. The fact that I could see in the dark helped my decision. I slicked my long dark hair back with my hands and tucked it behind my ears. I had often considered tying it back at the times I’d found it annoying, but there were two problems with that. One, I wasn’t sure it was quite long enough to tie back and two, I wasn’t really the ponytail type of guy. It was a clear night. I could see the top of an old oak tree behind the house as I pushed open the broken gate and walked toward the front door. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and just listened. The house was quiet and the only sounds I could hear were creatures scurrying through the forest behind it. I knocked loudly on the door and waited, just in case I was wrong. It wouldn’t be the first time I hadn’t heard a hunter. Unfortunately, patience was never one of my stronger virtues, so I knocked again, making the door rattle on its hinges, and added, “Police, open up!”

The porch light on their next-door neighbour’s house turned on. After a few seconds, an elderly woman walked out and made her way toward the fence. I did the same. I had met this lady before, but had to pretend I was indeed the police in order to get the information I wanted. I just hoped it was dark enough that she couldn’t make out my features or the fact that the badge said CDC. Despite that, I had to take the chance anyway.

“Can I help you, dear?” she asked as she stopped next to the fence.

I pulled out my badge while flipping it open quickly, just long enough for her to see it was a badge of some sort, then said, “Yes, ma’am, maybe you can. I’m Agent Crow, FBI. I’m looking for Misty West. Can you tell me where she is?” In order to increase the feeling that we had never met, I faked a southern drawl as I spoke and put the badge back in my shirt pocket.

“Oh dear, she’s isn’t in any trouble, is she?” Her aged eyes were full of concern and it wasn’t hard to tell she was fond of these kids. I know Damien had spoken fondly of her.

“I’m not at liberty to supply that information, ma’am, but I’m going to need her whereabouts.” I tried to sound as formal as I could while faking an accent I had really only ever heard on TV.

“Of course, Officer. She’s at work; she works at Danny’s bar in town. They’re good kids, they’ve just had it hard, that’s all, they’re misunderstood.” I gave a slight smile and a nodded before walking back toward the Hummer.

Well, that was the understatement of the century, I thought as I removed the sunglasses and got in the car, placing them where I’d found them inside the dash compartment.

“Danny’s bar,” I repeated to myself as I pulled away from the curb. I knew that bar. It was less than a five-minute drive from their house, on the outskirts of the town centre.

The parking lot was crowded for a small-town bar, which was a good thing because the Hummer might not stick out as much that way. I parked in the back of the lot and cut the engine. Looking up into the rear-view mirror, I caught a glimpse of my own reflection and then looked down at the suit I was wearing. All of it looked a little too formal for a hick town bar. Can’t go in looking like this, can I? I thought, while climbing over into the back of the Hummer to see what I could find.

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Genre - Young Adult

Rating – PG13

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