"Clarisse, do you have a moment?" Reyna asked as she stepped into Clarisse's office. A shiver ran down Reyna's spine, and she could feel the hair on the back of her neck standing up. It had been like that ever since she started her shift. Her paranoia was at an all time high.
"What is it?" Clarisse muttered as stared at her laptop. She had been messing with the cameras all day.
"I've had this bad feeling all week," Reyna began. She felt her shoulders tensing up on her. "And, I think I'm being watched."
Clarisse instantly looked up from the laptop and studied Reyna in concern. She motioned for her to sit, and Reyna slowly did. Clarisse spoke, "What makes you think that?"
"I keep seeing this car. It's black with tinted windows, but I can hear the engine running. The radio is always playing this classic rock station, and I can hear some guy taking phone calls and getting chewed out by his angry wife," Reyna explained.
"Holy shit. You can hear all of that?" Clarisse asked.
"He's not exactly quiet. Or good at watching people. Come here," Reyna gestured. She walked towards the window that Clarisse had and moved part of the blind. She peeked out and studied the car. "Do you see it? He has the interior light on."
Clarisse peeked out the window and scowled, "Who do you think it is?"
"I don't know," Reyna admitted. "Could be a cop keeping an eye on me. Might also be a member of Exterminata."
"Well, we should call Thalia," Clarisse said as she stepped away from the window. Reyna glared, and she felt a low growl escape her voice box. Clarisse chuckled. "I'm fucking with you."
Clarisse gently grabbed Reyna's shoulder and led her back to the desk, where she sat the woman down. Reyna tried to relax her muscles, but she just knew this was going to happen. She got comfortable, and it was biting her in the ass. Because of course it was.
"Calm down," Clarisse ordered. She sat across from Reyna. "How do you want to handle this?"
"I don't want Thalia to get involved," Reyna answered, and her coworker nodded. "I don't want the cops to get involved either."
"This is your call. I'll do whatever you want," Clarisse promised. Reyna sat back and tried to think. She needed to know who this man was, and she needed to know if he was tailing her or planning on doing more.
"After work, I'll walk home. We'll see if he follows me or if he tries to do something else," Reyna decided.
"I'll keep a very close eye on him," Clarisse said. Reyna exhaled and hung her head. She watched her foot tap nervously against the ground. "You're going to be fine."
"I know," Reyna muttered. A million scenarios ran through her head. None of them were good. That was why she went to Clarisse, though. Reyna knew she shouldn't face this alone, and that was why she was extending trust. Hopefully, that trust wasn't misplaced.
Reyna stuck her hands in her pockets after she pulled her hood over her head. Every fiber of her being was screaming at her to look around for the man that was tailing her. Instead, she did her best to keep her ears open for any sign of him. She kept her gaze on the ground as she walked down the street.
Reyna turned a corner and heard the car following close to her. She resisted the urge to look behind her and stepped into an alleyway that would normally act as a shortcut. Before she could even make it down the alley, she heard the car come to a stop. The door opened and then quickly closed.
Footsteps quickly closed the gap between the two of them. Reyna turned and slammed her fist into the face of the man raising a knife. He collapsed to the ground, and Reyna winced as pain shot through her still injured hand.
Before the man could stand, Reyna pinned him. She grabbed the knife that he had been holding. The hilt was black, but the blade was made of silver, "Very sloppy for a member of Exterminata. Are you just a spy, or some amateur hunter?"
Reyna studied the man she had pinned. He was a good decade or two older than her, and his hair was long and gray. The hatred in his brown eyes matched the sneer on his face. Reyna placed the knife to his neck and watched as his eyes widened. She could hear his heart double in its rhythm.
"Look, I am really not in the mood for this shit today," Reyna began. She cut a shallow line into his neck. "So answer my question, or I'll slit your throat. Got it?"
"You're a monster," the man spat. Reyna cut deeper, almost pushing past the threshold of no return. That shut the man up quickly.
"Are you with Exterminata? Yes or no," Reyna ordered. "Don't play with me."
"Yes," the man whispered. He looked terrified as his eyes moved to stare at the blade.
"How do you know about me?" Reyna questioned. She glanced up and saw Clarisse was standing at the edge of the alley. Close enough to help, but far enough that she didn't have to be an accomplice.
"The eyes of Exterminata are everywhere," the man spat. He grinned coldly, even though he couldn't hide that his heart was still racing from being at death's door. "And, your sister was very forthcoming."
"Bull. Shit. Hylla wouldn't tell you bastards about me."
"Oh, she did. She squealed like a pig when Otrera learned of her failure," the man chuckled. It sounded forced, and Reyna felt her hands tighten as anger swelled in her chest.
"How did this Otrera lady find out about it?" Clarisse questioned as she walked over. She crossed her arms. "Unless you're bullshitting."
"I speak true," the man hissed. "Exterminata learned that Hylla failed, and we've had so much fun punishing the stupid bitch."
"Don't," Clarisse warned as she grabbed Reyna's wrist. Reyna had been a second away from plunging the knife into the man's jugular. "I know it's tempting, but we need answers from him."
Reyna let go of the knife and stood. She walked towards the opposite wall and leaned against it. Her entire body was tense, and she wanted to tear the man apart. Clarisse grabbed his shirt with one hand and lifted him up.
"If you're not bluffing, then how did Exterminata learn that Hylla didn't kill Reyna? That's not info she would just offer up. Especially since she knows the consequences. And, I don't think you just took the chance and tortured her. So, who told you?" Clarisse questioned.
"Fuck you," the man seethed in defiance. A fist slammed into his face, shattering his nose. Clarisse slammed him into the wall shoulder first and punched him in the gut. The man doubled over, and Clarisse punched him in the ear. "Fuck! Stop!"
"Then tell me what I want to know," Clarisse snarled. She grabbed the man and threw him hard to the ground. "Or else."
"Captain McDough!" the man cried. He coughed miserably and wheezed for breath.
"Who the fuck is that?" Reyna asked. She looked at Clarisse who just gave her a shrug. Reyna looked down. "Fuck. Is that the name of the police captain? He was really interested in me after Thalia arrested me."
Reyna hated Thalia even more. Now, Exterminata knew she was here. They knew Hylla had failed. And Hylla...
Exterminata did not accept failure.
"Where the fuck is my sister?" Reyna demanded. She didn't care that Hylla tried to kill her. She didn't care that Hylla walked out on her after saying she never wanted to see Reyna again. Reyna knew how Exterminata acted, and they would torture and maim Hylla before killing her in a horrific way.
"I'm not saying anything else," the man defied once more as he tried to squirm away. Clarisse grabbed him again and looked at Reyna.
"Why don't you take a minute or two to calm down. I'll find out where Hylla is," Clarisse said, tightening her grip on the hunter's shirt. Reyna glared and shook her head. Clarisse sighed and looked down. "Fine. I don't want to hear any shit from you about how this isn't clean. I haven't done this in a long time."
"Done what?" the man demanded. Clarisse dropped him, and a feral grin twisted her features as she glared at him.
"Ripped a man limb from limb," Clarisse answered as she stepped on his chest. She grabbed his arm and started to pull. His screams echoed off the walls of the alley.
"Stop! I'll tell you!" the man begged. He whimpered miserably as Clarisse lifted her foot. "I'll give you the address! Just let me go!"
"Yeah, yeah, just tell me already," Clarisse remarked, sounding bored. Her gaze moved to Reyna as the man recited the address. Clarisse stomped down on his temple and let his arm fall. She turned towards Reyna. "If the police captain is involved with this, we have to let the Hunters know."
"Fuck that!" Reyna snapped. Clarisse held her hands up.
"After we rescue your sister," Clarisse promised. "We'll put those Exterminate bastards to sleep and leave them for the Hunters. Now, we should hurry."