**David**
Pain crashed through my head and down my spine in waves. I opened my eyes slowly and looked around for the girl. This small movement sent a surge of fresh agony through my entire body. I spit a wad of cloth out of my mouth and groaned aloud. Damn, she knew what she was doing. My phone rang on the bedside table. I rolled to get it but was jerked to a stop by chains wrapped around my arms, legs, and chest.
"Son of a bitch!"
I replayed the events in my head. Her powers were absolutely remarkable. She could actually transform her whole hand, skin, bone, blood, and all, into a functioning weapon. I could use that power to do almost anything. Imagine an army with her gifts. Millions of dollars saved on weapons. Soldiers capable of carrying an entire arsenal of undetectable weapons through even the most stringent of security checks. I felt a slight smile playing on my lips. I could use something like her. I sat up, snapping the chains like they were threads.
"Lex," I whispered softly to myself, savoring the way her name rolls off my tongue. My phone had stopped ringing a while ago but it now renewed its struggle to capture my attention. I snatched it up and answered the call.
"Sir? We've picked up a disturbance."
That immediately got my attention. "You have a trace on her? Where is she?" I asked, hating the almost needy tone of my voice.
"She's on the move, sir. We're having trouble pinpointing her exact location, but we can narrow it down to a five-mile radius," the soldier on the phone responded.
I felt my blood race and my breathing quicken in anticipation of the hunt. "Good. Keep me updated. I'll be there soon. No one, I repeat, no one is to engage or make themselves visible. Is that clear?"
The soldier snapped off a sharp "Yes sir!" then ended the call. I could hardly contain my impatience to start the chase. My entire body practically thrummed with energy. A real hunt! And after I win, I will have the most powerful weapon imaginable at my command. I grabbed Lex's leather jacket and a shirt from the closet, pulled on the shirt, then left the building and walked down the street. I stopped at a closed pawn shop and let myself into the back room.
"You are late," a gruff voice with a slight Russian accent announces as I enter.
I turned to the owner of the voice, "Sergei. Are you and your men ready? She's dangerous."
"Me and my men can handle one little bitch, no problem," Sergei said as he reloaded his gun.
"She's not to be harmed. I want her alive and undamaged, Sergei," I said, growling softly in warning. The Russian's grip on his gun tightened slightly as if he had forgotten what I was capable of. I heard his breathing and heart rate pick up speed as the scent of his fear grew stronger. Sergei nodded silently and quickly left the store.
I smiled slightly to myself, remembering when Sergei first found out what I really was, but then quickly pushed the memories aside. I needed to focus on the hunt. If even the slightest detail was overlooked, the whole plan would fail. The worn leather of her jacket felt silken in my hands. I raised the jacket to my face and took a deep breath, filling my nostrils with her scent. Then, the pain came.
Hope this isn't too much of a cliffhanger for you guys! ~Jo