Hunter is owned by White Wolf Games. Tracy, Mike, Hope, and Charlie are all characters owned by their respective players (Tracy and Juno-me, Mike-my husband, Hope and Charlie-two friends). Don't steal them, please!
Tracy Browning-Tanner stumbled up the stairs to the bedroom she had, up until recently, shared with her husband Jake. Her head was spinning and she felt like she was going to throw up. That was nothing new. She was always drunk these days, ever since Jake had taken their children and walked out.
"I can't stand it, Tracy," he'd told her. "You aren't the same woman I married. I won't have our children being raised by a bloody whore."
"I ain't a whore," Tracy had protested. "I just dance for a living. You knew I did that before we got married, Jake Tanner. Don't go telling lies just because you got your pride hurt by that jerk at the club."
"You slept with him Tracy," Jake reminded her.
"Yeah, before you and I were together," Tracy protested. "He was my boyfriend and my bodyguard. He went after Lizzie and we broke up. I met you two years later."
"I don't care," Jake said, as he latched his suitcase. "I have a court order saying that I can take the kids. I'm going, and you can't stop me."
"But why are you taking the kids, Jake?" Tracy asked. "I've never done anything to hurt them. Why are you taking them away from me?"
"You're a real piece of work, you know that?" Jake snapped angrily. "You sleep around, you're a damn druggie, and you're as dumb as a rock. I'm sure as hell not going to leave our children with a stupid bitch like you."
Tracy felt as if she'd been slapped in the face. "You lying son of a bitch!" she shrieked. "You're the one who told the cops the heroin was mine. You're the one who got me fired!"
Jack backhanded her as hard as he could. Tracy was knocked back by the force of his blow. "Listen you fat, lay, no-good, two-timing witch, I did what I had to so I could protect the kids. You're dangerous, you're unstable, and you're lucky I don't have your sorry ass committed for the shit you've put me through." He grabbed his suitcase and walked out of the room. She could hear him slapping the children around as he forced them down the stairs. Jenny stumbled and fell and all she could hear was Jack's cruel laugh and him cussing her out for her clumsiness. The door slammed behind them.
Tracy wiped the tears from her eyes. "I never did anything wrong and they still took my babies away from me," she whimpered. Right now the bottle of Southern Comfort in her hand was her best friend. She knew her rent was due in less than a week, her car payment was late, and that her insurance had been canceled. She didn't care.
All she wanted was for the pain to stop and the grief to go away. Jake had taken her three sweet daughters and her one son up to Alaska to live with their grandparents while he worked the oil rigs. The courts had supported him, citing the fact that she was a club stripper as a reason for not being able to keep her kids with her.
"Not even employed anymore," she told her cat, who blinked and yawned. The tiny gray cat curled up and went to sleep. Tracy put her bottle down on the bedside table and crawled under the covers. The cat woke up enough to come and curl up under her ear. Tracy was purred to sleep by the only creature that she felt still loved her.
In the morning, Tracy was awakened by the shrill ringing of her cell phone, the one bill she'd paid that month. She flipped it open. "Hello?"
"Trace? It's Blue." Helen Morris, a.k.a. Blue, was Tracy's oldest friend. She was the lead singer in a "new twist Punk" band called, aptly enough, Blue's Girls. Tracy had been one of their prime draws until she got married, with a silver voice to match a formerly beautiful face. "I need a favor."
"What is it this time, Blue?" Tracy asked.
"You got $500 you can spare? I've got to spring Juno again," Blue replied.
"Blue, I ain't even got the $50 I need to pay the power bill," Tracy sighed. "I sure as hell don't have $500 for you to use to bail that freak out of jail."
"You got money enough for booze, or so I've heard," Blue said in a hurt voice.
Tracy laughed. "I ain't spending money on this shit," she said. "Ol' Jake left it when he left. I've been working on drying out my liquor cabinet. I'm almost done."
"You found a job yet?" Blue wanted to know.
"You know as well as I do that there ain't no one who's going to hire a stripper for anything other than stripping," Tracy said. "I've got to keep out of those joints if I want to see my kids at Christmas."
"Since you can't help me spring Juno, come take her place until we can scrape up the cash," Blue pleaded. "You're still hot, even if that bastard couldn't see past his own gut to notice."
Tracy smiled at that. Blue was a blazing homosexual and made no bones about it. But she could also be counted on to tell the truth. "Ok, ok," Tracy sighed. "But I still have to eat, you know."
"You'll get paid," Blue promised. "I won't make you do this for free like the last time you pulled my ass out of the fire."
"You still playing at Forever?" Tracy asked.
"Yup," Blue replied. "We've got a contract with them until the end of the year. I'm hoping he extends the contract. We've got a good thing going and I don't want to lose it."
"You're a big draw for him," Tracy said. "He ain't that big of an idiot."
"Can you be here in an hour?" Blue asked.
"Make it an hour and a half," Tracy said.
"Right," Blue replied. "See you then!"
Tracy rolled out of bed and staggered into the bathroom. Her mouth tasted like old shoe leather and her head felt like someone was playing Glitter's drums just behind her eyeballs. She hopped into the shower, hoping that she could get the money put together to pay her rent and her utilities out of this gig. She brushed her teeth and pulled on a pair of tight leather pants and a faded green top. Even though she'd had two babies, and adopted two others, she was still as lean as she'd been in high school.
Tracy took a good look at her reflection. She was 28, but looked maybe 21. Long red hair hung down to six inches above her knees. She had dark green eyes and ivory skin that was looking a little pale at the moment. Her chest was slightly larger, but that was only to be expected after having children. Her hips were a little wider, but that just added to her good looks. She smiled, and it lit up her entire face. Blue was right. Now if she could just keep her head out of the bottle, life might just improve. A cup of strong, black coffee and a bagel took care of the most immediate problems. She grabbed a bottle of water and hopped into her car.
Tracy walked into the club exactly an hour and a half from the time Blue had called her. Blue whistled shrilly from the stage. "Damn, girl, I didn't think you could still fit into that stuff," she said appreciatively.
Tracy laughed for the first time in several months. "I didn't either," she admitted. "You look same as always, Blue. Hey Glitter. I don't see Hummingbird. Did she split?"
"Got a solo contract for some upshot record label," Blue said in disgust. "Took off about three months ago. Juno's behind bars again for some crazy ass shit."
"Yeah, you told me," Tracy reminded her. "What'd she do this time?"
"Grabbed a bottle and smashed it into some rich guy's head claiming he was a monster," Blue replied. "She kept saying that he was a wolf man, straight out of one of those old Hollywood horror flicks, you know?"
Tracy shook her head. "Someone must have spiked her drink again," she sighed.
"Nah, that's just Juno," Glitter said. "Hey, you met our new girl yet?"
"New girl?" Tracy asked.
"We replaced Hummingbird," Blue said. "Yo, Fury, get out here, will you? You need to meet Trace."
"Fury" was a slim, dark-haired girl with chocolate brown eyes. She smiled and held out her hand. "The name's Jessica," Fury said. "Jessica Tate. Fury's the stage name these gals gave me."
"Tracy Browning. Trace is my old stage name," Tracy said, taking Fury's hand. As they touched, all hell broke loose in Tracy's mind.
"MONSTERS ARE REAL!" a voice her own and yet not her own shrieked into her mind. "SEE THE TRUTH!"
Tracy blinked and fought hard to bite back a scream. Fury wasn't human. Long, shaggy fur covered her limbs and hideously pointed teeth gleamed in a wolf's face. Tracy shook her head and the vision was gone. "Sorry," she muttered. "I guess I ain't over the hangover yet."
Fury laughed. "Blue warned me you were a hard drinker these days," she replied.
"Let's get set up and start practicing," Blue interjected. "Trace, you're going to want to familiarize yourself with our new stuff."
"Right," Tracy said. She took up Juno's position on the keyboard and flipped open the music. "You've been busy."
"Yeah, well, life sure as hell gives us enough to right about," Blue replied. "Let's start with 'Dreamscape'." Tracy settled down to the arduous task of learning a dozen new songs in the course of an afternoon.
Tracy slumped in a seat in the corner, her face dripping with sweat. She'd forgotten how hard it was to keep up with Blue and the girls when they really got going. The bartender brought her a drink and a damp towel. "Thanks."
"You girls are a big hit tonight," he commented. "Usually that crackpot Juno has a meltdown right about now."
"I ain't Juno, so as long as Fury doesn't have a meltdown, we're safe," Tracy told him with a grin.
"Fury doesn't have meltdowns," the bartender said. "Fury has cop calls."
"Ouch," Tracy said. She downed her drink quickly as she noticed Blue getting back onstage. "Got to run." Tracy got up and started over, but Blue waved her off. Glitter and Fury came over to join Tracy as Blue smiled at the crowd.
"We've got a problem here, folks," Blue said with a laugh. "My friends and I are a bit hungry. We're going to take a break while we fix that problem. We'll be back soon."
Blue joined the girls. "How 'bout it?" she asked Tracy. "Want to come grab a bite to eat with us?"
"I haven't eaten much today," Tracy admitted. "Might be a good time to grab something."
The same voice entered her mind again. "DO NOT TRUST HER! SHE IS ONE OF THEM!" Tracy blinked. Blue was now no longer human. Long, pointed fangs glistened like strangely shaped pearls in her mouth. Her skin was as white as baby powder and her nails were long and sharp. Tracy turned to look at Fury and Glitter. Fury looked like the monster she'd seen earlier. Glitter was another pale creature like Blue. Tracy inadvertently took a step back, her eyes wide with fear.
"What's wrong, honey?" Glitter asked. She put a hand on Tracy's arm. Tracy whimpered in fear as she tried to pull away from her one-time friend's cold grip. Something inside her snapped and incredible warmth flowed out of her. Glitter hissed and pulled away, looking at a badly burned hand. Fury growled and reached for Tracy's throat.
"Get away from her!" A tall, dark-skinned man swung his chair at Fury. Fury ducked and lunged for the man. He pulled out a gun and calmly put five bullets into her. She shrieked, her body smoldering from where the bullets entered. The man grabbed Tracy's arm while everyone was screaming. "Let's go."
Tracy allowed herself to be hauled out of the club and into a van. Inside there were two others, a young man and an older woman. "What the hell? She's part of the band!" the young man said.
"She's one of us," the man said calmly. "She burned the leech called Glitter."
"She looks more like some chicken shit slut to me," the young man sneered.
Tracy snapped back into reality. "And you look like some punk wrestler who only thinks with his muscles," she replied. "Who the hell are you and what in God's name just happened?"
"I'm Mike," the black man said. "That's Hope and Charlie. We're hunters."
"What do you hunt?" Tracy asked in confusion. Then it dawned on her. "You mean there's more of them?"
"A lot more, dear," Hope said. "Mike's the one who dragged us all together. His wife was some cat-monster. Charlie's girlfriend was a leech. I was in a subway and shoved two men out in front of a train as it passed by when they turned out to be something inhuman."
Tracy sat down hard in one of the seats. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Fury and Glitter come tearing out of the club. Without thinking about it, Tracy ducked out of sight. Charlie snorted in disgust and turned to see what she was hiding from about the time Fury stuck her claws in through the window. She raked him from shoulder to crotch. He screamed and fell back. Hope tossed Tracy a gun before turning to help the fallen youth.
Tracy slipped the safety off and pulled the trigger. Fury gasped and staggered back. Glitter ripped the door off its hinges and grabbed for her. Mike shot her but it didn't do any good. She managed to get a grip on Tracy's throat. "You'll pay for burning me bitch," she hissed.
Once again, as terror set in, the warmth flowed out of Tracy and into Glitter. Glitter shrieked and writhed in pain. She released Tracy's throat, but Tracy grabbed onto her arm. Glitter screamed once more before turning into a pile of ash on the roadside. "Buckle up!" Mike ordered. Tracy snapped her seat belt on. Hope helped Charlie into a seat and fastened him in before getting into her own.
Mike sped away from Forever. "We don't have much time. We have to dump the van and hope the cops won't find it," he muttered.
"Head to Travis Auto Wreckers," Tracy said suddenly. "I know the owner. He owes me a favor. He'll get rid of the van without anyone the wiser."
Mike nodded and took every twisted shortcut he could come up with to get them to the wrecker's yard. Tracy hopped out of the van and ran over to the shack. "Hank, it's Tracy! Open the damn door, you bastard!"
"Tracy! What the hell are you doing here so late?" Hank Travis, Tracy's one-time boyfriend and long-time partner in crime, stumbled out of the house.
"Hank, no questions, but I need something destroyed in a hurry," Tracy replied.
"You know I'm always up for a bit of work," Hank replied. "But you ain't got the cash for my usual fees."
"Yes I do," Tracy said. She pulled a drawstring bag out of her cleavage and shook out $600. "I swiped this from Blue earlier tonight. Will it be enough?"
Hank handed her back $500. "Keep it," he said gruffly, noticing the three people standing behind her. "You'll need it."
"Thanks," Tracy said. They got the van over into the crusher and watched as it was reduced to a pile of scrap metal in less than a minute.
Charlie was doing better as they staggered out of the wrecking yard. His wounds were healing fast, and with Mike's trench coat hiding the worst of the injuries, he just looked like a beat up punk kid. "Where to now?" Hope asked worriedly. "We don't have a car and we can't get any place safe at this time of night."
"Tracy, do those things know where you live?" Mike asked.
Tracy nodded grimly. "Blue helped me move into my place," she said. She sighed. It looked like her rather shady past was going to come in useful after all. "Look, I know a crash pad we can use. I used to pass out there when I was in high school. The owner got busted and no one goes there now. But I know a way in."
"You seem awfully trusting all of a sudden," Charlie said suspiciously.
Tracy grabbed Charlie's face and lifted it so she could look him in the eye. "My ex-husband jacked my kids and most of my life's savings and took them to Alaska," she snarled. "My best friend turns out to be some freaking monster, and the rest of her band ain't any better. Some big ass guy pulls out a frickin' gun and saves me from them. Damn it, I just turned one of my old bridesmaids into a frickin' pile of ash! So don't talk to me about being too trusting, kid. I don't trust you. But I also know that if we don't get off the street, we'll have to talk to the cops. I trust them even less. So shut that hole you call a mouth and lets get moving!"
"She's got the right attitude all right," Hope said with a snort.
"Yeah, and Charlie won't be able to bully her like he does you," Mike commented.
"Shut up," Charlie growled. Tracy ignored their banter and led them through a dark alley and into the abandoned building.
"Ok, so why don't we start from the beginning?" Tracy said after they got Charlie settled. "What the hell are we and why the frickin' hell am I hearing voices and seeing my friends turn into monsters?"
"Well, to begin with, we're hunters," Hope began. "We've been given special gifts that allow us to protect humanity from these predators. As for the voices, well, some of us call them the Messengers…"