The Runaway Huntress

"So, you were the hunter." The hard edge in Jethro's voice startled her in what she was doing with the object in her hands, the empty syringe she was examining.

Great, how lucky can she really get?

How would she explain this to the man behind her? He would assume that it was her who killed his friend. How should she escape this without getting herself involved too much or revealing her plans? Groaning, how can she be so careless? Right then and there, she wishes she could stab herself in her stupidity.

The game is still on, she has to get back to it. At least pretend that it is no big deal he caught her red-handed and why she had the murder weapon in her possession. All evident that she was the suspect.

She heard his footsteps closing the distance between them. Turning around with an innocent look on her face and chin up. She had nothing to be guilty about for she hadn't done anything to his friend.

The disappointment, betrayal, and hurt were showing off in his eyes as she met his gaze. Somehow feeling pity for him. She had been through what he felt. She quickly dispersed the hurt she could relate to from him since it wouldn't benefit her much.

"Hunter? What hunter?" Like she didn't have the slightest idea of what he was saying.

His expression turned grim, seems like he wanted to strangle her neck with his bare hands.

"Enough games, Liz. If that is even your name." The strong accusation in his voice was clear enough that he wouldn't just let her go.

"It is my name. So, what are you talking about? Of course, the game earlier had already ended." She retorted back with a solid expression as she looked up at him.

Oh, the real game had just clearly started.

"You distracted us so that your partner in crime can commit her plans with one of us." The daggers in his eyes absolutely mean that he wants to stab her as well.

That made her mouth agape. She did not just hear that.

How dare he accuse her? The nerve of this wolf.

The pity she felt for him earlier melted into anger.

"As I said, I don't have any idea what you were saying."

"You have the evidence right there on your hands."

"This?" She raised her palm with the object. "As I had just walked out of the door and closed it behind me, I saw this on the doorstep and almost tripped on it. So, I picked it up in case anyone might get accidentally hurt by its protruding needle. Then I searched for any garbage area and got here. That's why I'm also about to throw it now but you startled me." Glaring at him for interrupting what she's feigning about to do.

She hadn't bothered to look at the change of expression on his face. His mouth slightly opened and his eyes just struck a sudden realization.

Melisca was about to toss it back in the trash but Jethro held her arm that made her turn back to him. Staring up at him with a questioning look. "What now?" Arching an eyebrow at him.

"Can I have that?" He asked for the syringe with a gentle voice now. An apologetic eye was visible on his face.

He let go of her arm as she replied to him, "Of course." She stepped back from where she stood close to the man.

Jethro put the object in a sealed plastic bag carefully and inserted it in his pocket.

"I'm deeply sorry." He said with a guilty look in his eyes. Guilty of the accusation he threw at her.

"It's alright. How was your friend, by the way?" Stop asking questions now, just get to your business already. Before Jethro and his men find out who the hunter they are referring to is, she has to get to Lorna first.

Maybe it was selfish for her. But it could be her only chance to sooner find the people she's searching for. Even if other wolves were after them, she would not just stand aside, watching her prey taken by the other predators.

The look of stone on his face showed back when she asked the question. "H-he's fine. I need to go, Liz, take care on your way." He then left her without another word, not even waiting for her response.

She just watched his figure turning around the corner then he's gone out of her sight. Her heart melted with a bit of empathy for him. Somehow sorry that she hadn't said anything about the hunter who killed his friend. But she brushed off the feelings instantly.

Sighing, she has to come up with a plan on how to get to Lorna without being suspicious. She moved closer to the wall of the diner and leaned herself there. Ignoring the glare of the afternoon sun.

She groaned, feeling frustrated, she had her chance but she couldn't come up with a plan to proceed. Kicking a pebble on her foot, she pushed herself off the wall and walked back inside the diner. Whatever happens, happened.

When she opened the entrance door, some people glanced at her again. She halted midway to the counter, Jethro and his friends were carrying the lifeless body of their member. Stepping out the back door.

Jethro and the chef were talking and with her sense of hearing, she listened as she stepped up to the counter, pretending to look on the menu board above for something to order.

"I'm really sorry about what happened. As the owner of this diner, I would take responsibility to--" The remorseful tone of the chef reached her ears.

"—No, no, let us handle it. It's not your fault. Just thank you for letting us use the backdoor." Jethro interrupted the chef's sentence. "We have to go." He spared her a glance as he looked at her sideways, and then he shook his head, like dismissing an idea.

She saw him in the corner of her eyes, going to the back door already. Following him by her gaze as he exited the diner. I'm sorry but let me handle this. Her inner self assured her conscience for not telling him who the suspect was.

"I'll have each of all your heavy meals for take-out, please." She ordered. The counter guy nodded. Then, she placed her payment on the top. She excused herself for a minute to get to the washroom.

When she entered the ladies' room, she didn't expect Lorna to be there, facing the mirror above the sink. Damping her short pigtail of hair. Melisca stepped beside her to wash her hands.

"You're back," Lorna exclaimed with a beaming smile at her through the reflection.

She responded with a small smile. "I decided to order a take-out. Your food here is great." Starting a conversation to somehow get to know the criminal. At first, she couldn't believe what Lorna did. She just killed the wolf mercilessly with her poison syringe.

Melisca has to be on her highest alert with the little lady beside her. Who knows what else she can do?

"Yes, exactly! That's why I applied here just two days ago." Her excitement about almost everything can really deceive anyone that she's capable of murder. Even Melisca would have a second thought if she had not witnessed Lorna getting rid of the murder weapon.

Then an idea popped out of her mind. She sighed and looked down, biting her lips to stop the trembling. Sniffing for a few times as she tried to stop the watering of her eyes.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Lorna moved closer to her, she could sense the look of concern on the girl's face. Or at least she's also good at feigning emotions.

Melisca turned away, pretending to wipe her tears that were about to fall, lucky her hands were wet for she just finished washing them, the water could make up for the missing tears in her eyes.

"N-nothing." Her voice was hoarse for the supposed lump in her throat.

Lorna probably took her acting for the frown on her face increased. She even gave her a tissue.

"I just r-remembered my younger sister on you." Melisca quietly says as she accepts the tissue the servant offers. "S-she died a year ago b-by the forest, as we took a night camp. And I-I don't even know what killed her." Now she burst up crying.

Lorna rubbed her back as she continued to sob. "Our parents were dead already, I p-promised to take care of her, b-but I got her k-killed." This time, the tears are for real. She has to up her game. "All I saw was a m-monster that killed her. But no one believed me. That there c-couldn't be as large as human-sized wolf p-possible. Even I couldn't believe it m-myself but I know what I-I witnessed." More tissue she consumed to wipe her tears as she let out her feelings.

The girl now got a stoic face as she pressed her lips, there seemed to be something running on her head.

"Oh, you don't believe me either." Feeling more heartbroken, she wiped her crappy face for the tears she had purposely shed. "I'm sorry for bursting it out on you. You two were just about the same age, she's as lively as you, but then I lost her." Melisca retreated and walked to the door with a sigh of hopelessness.

But for the last time, she said, "It just hurt so much that no one believed me, to not even be able to give justice to my one and only family left." The crack in her facade slipped out as real hurt and a tear flowed down easily on her cheek. She just had her father then, but she had lost him.

Her back on Lorna, she had gripped the door handle to walk out from there.

"I believe you. And I can help."

Just what Melisca waited to hear from Lorna. A triumphant smirk curved her lips.