Love Struck Delusion
Chapter 261 - One last chance.
Char's POV.
Diz was on my ass as I chased Hunter outside. When I got out there we saw her heading for the training grounds. She was mad about something and I had every reason to question her intentions after the night I spent with Raptor and Roz. She learned the truth about Black and she was dead set on seeing the man who had him killed with a desert eagle in her back pocket.
I wanted to believe it was all just a mistake and she was just letting emotions get the better of her, but I was still aware that it could be a problem if not handled right. Looking to Diz who watched the hedgehog close as she was set on going into the women's barracks, I ordered him calmly.
"Go get Roz and the others. We need to get her under control. There isn't anyone in those barracks so she'll be isolated. I'll go ahead and see if I can talk her into handing over the weapon. But hurry. Just in case things turn."
"Roger that boss. We'll be there in five."
Nodding my head as Diz broke off, I continued my chase after Hunter who vanished into the barracks. As I entered I asked out loud.
"Hunter?"
I heard nothing back as my voice echoed throughout the halls. What had me worried was the fact that I knew this building was empty. There were barely any troopers on the site of the capital after Raptor gave the order to disband the rebellion. The barracks themselves have been empty for a few days. Only cleaning staff came in here since then and there had to be three floors to search with over eighteen sets of bunks. I had no idea where to even begin looking for one single hedgehog. Looking around to see if I could figure out a way to go, I shouted out again as I decided to tackle the first floor first.
"Hunter!? Come on this is stuipd! We're not trying to hurt you! I just wana talk!"
As I walked towards the first set of bunks and peered inside, I heard from all around me like an echo.
"You know what Raptor did Char?! What he did to Black!?"
My hair was standing on ends as I couldn't pinpoint where her voice was coming from. Yet I had enough sense to at least reply back.
"They were G.U.N! They knew the risks Hunter! It wasn't our call to make! Raptor was just doing what was right for everyone!"
"It wasn't right!" She screamed back as I started to head further down the hallway in hopes it would lead me to her. As I walked on and neared the back of the building, I located the main stairs that connected the first, second, and third floor. I took a look up and called out again in hopes she would listen.
"Hunter!? None of this is on you! It's not your fault what happened to them! Raptor had to make a call and there just wasn't any other way out of it for them! It was either that or they went to jail and rot! No one would have wanted that to be their end!"
"So they just were executed!? Killed like dogs!? Black was a hero! All his friends were heroes! Raptor could have let them live! They could have survived!"
Her voice was coming from above. So when I started my climb up, I replied to her.
"That's not what they wanted! You know they wanted to go home! Think for a second Hunter! The middle east was not their home! If anyone is to blame for what happened to them it would be Linnen! He made the call! Raptor had no other option!"
By that point I reached the second floor and waited a moment as she asked me in anger.
"Who's side are you on Char!? Raptor killed them! He promised them that they would be safe! That they could work something out! How can you stand by a man who lies!"
"We all make mistakes Hunter! Raptor is no exception and we both know he's more important than they could have ever hoped to become! The world needs Raptor and you know that! The middle east needs him! Just come on out and talk to me! I don't want to hurt you!"
Hunter went silent leaving me to look another floor up. Very slowly I took the first step up and listened as I could hear nothing around me. Not a movement being made and not a soul to hear us as I turned the corner to head the rest of the way up. When I got to the top, I looked directly ahead to see the hallway was pitch dark. To my left was a small closet and to my right was a reception desk. I took a quick glance at the closet but decided to look at the reception desk first. Slowly walking over, I saw it was empty inside. Not a single paper moved. Feeling this chill rolling down my back, I widened my eyes and turned to find Hunter in my face swinging at me with her right arm. I dropped under just in time to see she had a knife in her hand. Using all I had, I pushed her back and ordered sensing she was seriously trying to hurt me.
"Hunter stop!"
The girl just came back. I panicked and jumped to the side as she sent the knife forward; stabbing the desk. Her knife got jammed in the wood and once I saw that, I leaped into her body trying to wrestle her down. However she quickly tripped up my legs and I was the one falling down. When my back hit the tile floor, I widened my eyes as she got the knife out and shouted at me from above.
"I told you to leave me alone Char!"
"Hunter don't…!?" She swung down on me with all she had. I managed to roll away just in time to hear her scream.
"You're blind to what he really is Char! Raptor is using you!"
Scrambling to my feet, I panicked when she came running at me again. This time I was ready and flung her back into one of the nearby walls. Her back slammed full force, but the knife was still in her hand. I held her wrists against the wall and struggled to maintain her position as she pushed into me. Losing some control over her hands, I listened as she growled viciously into my ear. I knew I was gonna lose her in a few seconds and sensing it getting close I begged her.
"Stop what you're doing Hunter! It's not too late! We can…...we can still…..talk…?!" She broke my grip and I wasn't even aware of how fast she had moved her hands once I lost her. All I felt was the knife enter my stomach as she used her whole body to run me back into the other wall. My hands went to the hand that had stabbed me and I used all my strength to keep her from going any further. During which I groaned in shock that she actually did it.
"Hunter?!"
The hedgehog slammed her head into my skull and forced my grip to break even more. The knife went all the way and the second it reached my back I let out this gasp of air that made me feel like I got hit by a truck. Hunter was snarling in my face and even though I wanted to help her I knew it was too late. So using all I had left I managed to find the power left to slam my right elbow into the side of her skull.
"Aghh!" She shouted as I got her right above the eye. As her hands left the knife, I tried to run back for the stairs. In a matter of seconds she tackled me into the railing and I went to pull out the knife that was in my stomach. The pain didn't matter as I managed to get it out and into my right hand. Hunter wasn't aware of it, but when I swung back with it I caught her right across her right arm which she used to protect her face.
Blood left her in a matter of seconds after it had passed and with my body stunned on what to do I widened my eyes as she kicked me square in the chest. The knife left my hand and went over the railing and not a moment after she pushed me right down after it. I felt weightless from that point on as the ground came in quicker than the air leaving my lungs from screaming.
Roz's POV.
Diz had managed to get Saff, Cooper, and I together to help Char handle Hunter. I had no clue she even got inside the capital. And I was more than worried for him when Diz told us she had a gun and was here to see Raptor. I had my M9 out of its holster as we entered the women's barracks to find no one around. Diz led the charge and shouted out.
"Char! Where are you guys?"
The four of us waited but heard nothing back from the first floor. Looking to see the stairs further down the main hallway, I ordered Diz and my friends.
"Up to the next floor! They got to be here somewhere!"
We broke out into a jog all the way till we neared the main stairs. Then we stopped to hear from above.
"Aghhhhhhhhhh….!?"
All of our eyes looked up just in time to see Char come slamming down onto the tile floor just below our feet. A knife landed just to his right and bounced back towards the stairs as his whole body was flattened from the impact. The four of us jumped back in shock as it became clear Hunter had just broken every rule left to break. My eyes were glued on the wolf as he didn't move an inch from where he landed. Saff was the first to shout out.
"Major!?"
By that point my eyes looked back to the stairs to bark out in anger.
"Up the stairs! Diz! Cooper! On me! Saff! You stay here!"
Saff nodded his head so fast and got out his medical bag. Diz and Cooper charged up the stairs with me as fast as we could. All our weapons were out and ready as we reached the top to find Hunter nowhere to be found. In confusion, I ordered my men to clear out the floor. Shoot on sight was the demand and in less than three minutes we had the floor swept and found out Hunter had made an escape out the back. She climbed onto the roof and made her way down to the street from there. I was fuming and left with rage in my blood as Diz and Cooper spun back around to go check on Saff and Char. I came running after them and once we got down the stairs, I got right above Saff to ask him.
"What's his status!?"
Char wasn't moving. Saff didn't even try to move him. Blood was pooling under his stomach and that was his focus first before anything.
"Hunter must have stabbed him. The blade went right through. I don't have the tools here to patch him up, but it had to have gone through some part of his intestines. He's losing a lot of blood."
"We need to get him to medical!" Cooper stated in fear as I heard from Saff.
"Where's Hunter?"
"She ran. Fucking bitch! I told Raptor she was a goddamn problem!"
"Hey man it's not his fault." Diz told me as I nodded and replied.
"I know! Diz! You and Cooper get Char to medical! Saff your with me! We gotta tell Raptor what happened!"
"Yes sir." Saff replied as he looked to Diz and Cooper to urge them carefully.
"He just fell down three floors. Be fucking gentle when you pick him up."
"We got it. Just get going." Cooper urged us back as I nodded and began to run out of the barracks. Putting my gun back in my belt, I charged right for Raptor's office to find him sitting one on one with another wolf. I didn't know her, but at the same time I didn't care. Their conversation broke as I entered to shout.
"Raptor!"
The man himself stopped what he was doing to question.
"Roz? What is it? I'm busy here."
I nodded my head and Raptor widened his eyes as Saff came in next with blood all over his hands. He proceeded to stand up from his chair as I told him bluntly.
"We have a problem."
Raptor came around his desk to approach us. The girl remained in her seat as he questioned.
"What happened?"
"Hunter man….she fucking stabbed Char. Then threw him off a set of stairs in the women's barracks."
You saw Raptor's whole face change as I told him that. He was shocked and even more concerned about Char. A man I knew was probably one of his only remaining friends. The fucking guy is just a kid and he….? Raptor with a stuttered voice questioned as he looked to Saff.
"Where is he? Is he still alive?"
Unsure Saff replied.
"I don't know sir. He was bleeding bad and that fall did him no good. He wasn't breathing when we got to him."
"And Hunter?" Raptor asked next as I replied.
"Ran."
Raptor was stuck between a new set of issues. As he looked back at the wolf in front of his desk, Raptor's two other guards came walking in to see what was going on. The one in the blue mask asked us.
"What's going on?"
With Raptor stuck between words, I saw his eyes and body jolt forward as Diz and Cooper could be heard coming in from the front door with Char. He broke through and out of the office at a speed I nearly couldn't follow. Running to them, Raptor ordered in a commanding voice.
"Get him down! Diz! Cooper!"
The two men stopped their movement and in confusion everyone began to gather around the attention being given. Raptor had Diz at a standstill as he again was ordered.
"Down! Lay him down!"
"Sir?" Diz replied in confusion as Raptor took over for his side and had Cooper gently lower Char down to the floor. In confusion, I got right behind Raptor as he quickly urged us all.
"Give me space!"
A few feet was all that was given as Raptor took a good look at Char's face. Then his hands went to his stomach where he covered the stab wound. My eyes were on Char's face as in seconds he could be seen breathing through his nose. Raptor leaned up to his face to whisper to him.
"Breathe Char…..shhhhhh…..just breathe brother."
I was speechless as I watched. Very slowly that wolf from his office came up behind me to see what was going on. Her face red and blushed as she watched what Raptor was doing. Char tried to move his right arm, but his whole body was broken and shattered. I don't even want to know how many bones he could have broken from that fall he took. God even knows how he's alive now. In a few seconds, Raptor took his hands off where the wound was and moved up to his head where he urged Char calmly.
"Open your eyes Char. Can you hear me?"
I got down the second I saw him obey. Raptor glanced over at me for a moment before asking the Major.
"Did Hunter do this to you?"
Unable to move Char replied in a voice so full of pain I struggled to listen to it straight.
"I gave her…...every…...every chance Raptor! I begged her…..aghhhh!"
Char's voice jumped up a spike and his body tried to move. Raptor instantly held him down as I begged the man who was in probably the worst pain of his whole life.
"Don't move! Jesus!"
Raptor shook his head and with his hands still on each side of Char's face he whispered.
"Breathe! Breathe Char! Shhhhh…..close your eyes and breathe for me...shhhhh...it's okay!"
Char's whole body was shaking but in a matter of thirty seconds he stopped moving and shut his eyes till he passed out. From there Raptor took his hands away to check back on the wound on the stomach. My eyes widened when he lifted up his shirt to expose the fact that it was now gone. From behind I heard that girl question to herself out loud.
"What the…..fuck?"
Raptor calmly covered it back up and began to feel around his limbs one at a time. After he was done he looked back at me to order.
"Get a stretcher and move him to medical." Then he looked back at everyone else addressing them one at a time.
"Rest of 2-7 you guys go with Roz and keep the Major company till I'm ready. Security? I need all of you to fan out and make sure Hunter isn't still somewhere in the capital." Then his eyes looked to his two masked guards to order.
"I don't care how long it takes….actually Roz? Escort these two to where you last saw Hunter. Diz, you get a stretcher. Once he shows you where; you two have permission to track and pursue. Figure out where she could have gone. And yes before you ask….you have permission to engage if found. Am I clear?"
The two nodded and sensing my time was now, I got up to urge them both.
"Follow me."
Raptor's POV.
Zeta and Pepper ran with Roz out the front door leaving me to stand back up and look down at Char who I was about to cry over. I couldn't describe to you the anger in my heart and the disappointment I felt for Hunter. I was a believer like he was. I was going to give her every chance to turn it around. But this? She attacked a man I consider family. I can't let that slide. Not for anyone.
As I got up, I looked back at Vetra who I knew saw what just happened. She was lost much like everyone else to what I did. As I went to grab her by the arm and guide her back to the stairs, she asked me in disbelief.
"What did you do? Did you heal him?"
I got her to my office and shut the door before replying.
"What you saw needs to be kept quiet. What I did doesn't matter. Now I have another problem to fucking deal with and it's gotten personal."
"What are you?" She asked me next as I went to my desk to reply.
"I'm pissed off. That's what I am Vetra. Let me ask you a question now. You told me your company is reliable. Zandro claims his operators are the best. That you can take any contract, at any time, at any price. Assuming Zeta and Pepper can't track her down and handle it….how soon can you work?"
Her eyes widened and with my mind set she asked me.
"Are you serious?"
Nodding I replied.
"I need to put a foot down and Fort Drake needs to prove something to me. So make it happen if they come back without any results. I can't afford to pay you much, but I'll make you a deal. You find her…...name your reward. It'll be yours."
Her eyes took a moment to look me over. I then stuck out my hand and waited. Slowly but surely the wolf took my hand and once we shook I knew I had a deal.
mT Shadow.