Hunter

Yes, I know, I'm evil. I have my excuses, though! I had to do three huge projects in the past few weeks. It's Wednesday now, and this is honestly the first time I haven't had homework to do during my spare. Still, I have to do my vocal midterms, which involves singing in front of my entire class. It's cool though. I've done it eight times before already. It's kind of nerve-wracking, and I'm not really sure if I'll be able to hit all the notes without my voice cracking. I'm gonna have to make sure I'm warmed-up.

Oh, I've read how some of you don't like that I'm sending Bella to Phoenix. Let me stress that there is a very important reason for this. It's to aid in the future plot.

Here's chapter fifteen.

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Bella's POV

"Bella, seriously, you're starting to scare me," said Alice. "You don't know if your dream was real. We should keep heading for Phoenix."

I ground my teeth together furiously. "You don't understand, Alice. I know it was real. Whatever this thing is, it takes precedence over two psycho bloodsuckers." I pushed my foot down harder on the gas pedal.

"Slow down, there's a speed cop up ahead," she warned. I obeyed reluctantly.

"Tell us again, what is so important about some gun?" Jasper questioned. "Is it really worth putting yourself in danger?"

"Yes!" I growled in response. "And it is not just some gun. It's The Colt, created by Samuel Colt himself back in 1835. He made it for a Hunter." I risked a glance at Jasper in the backseat. "They say this gun can kill anything, and if that demon gets a hold of it…" I didn't bother to finish my sentence. My car groaned as I pushed it to go faster.

Don't give out on me now, Baby.

"Renée and I found it once a few years back. We never got the chance to try it out, unfortunately. Abby stole it, the little, British bitch. Still, if Abby took it, then it must be worth something. She only steals the best."

Alice looked at me, clearly frustrated. "Who's Abby?"

I bit my lip. "She's a thief, but a damn good Hunter too. I saved her life once. Some vengeful spirit was taking out people who'd committed murder. First you saw this ship, a then a few hours later…" I took one hand off the steering wheel and raked it across my throat.

She blanched, which was pretty impressive considering how pale she was. "Okay, but if Abby was a thief, why would she give the gun to another Hunter?"

"She probably didn't give it for free. Daniel's broke, but he's an old hand. She probably traded for some information. Might've been something to do with her demon deal." I paused. "What I wonder is, why the hell didn't Daniel tell us about it? It's no secret that we've been looking for that thing for ages."

I didn't tell them the second alternative, that Abby gave the gun to a demon. Something like that might be enough to get her out of her deal.

Maybe I was naïve, but I just couldn't see her sinking to that level.

Then again, knowing you're damned made you do crazy things.

"She made a deal?" Alice asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

I nodded. "That's what Jo said. I don't know the details, but I'm guessing she didn't realize what she was doing. She's twenty-three now, but her birthday's coming up soon, so she'd have been about fourteen when she made her deal."

I gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. "I hate it when demons go after kids."

We sat in silence for a few minutes until I saw the sign for Manning, Colorado. My heart sped up as I recognized Daniel's house off in the distance.

No smoke.

Good.

That meant the demon hadn't set the place on fire yet. Maybe there was still a chance to save Daniel.

I pulled up on the driveway and got out, slamming the door behind me. Alice and Jasper followed. Deftly, I opened the trunk and tossed Jasper one of the rifles. He caught it. "You know how to shoot?" I asked.

He raised an eyebrow at me, then nodded.

"Good," I said tersely. "You guys stay out here. It'll be hard enough convincing Daniel not to shoot me. I don't need a couple of vampires making the guy go Terminator on me."

After making sure the coast was clear, I ran up the driveway and pounded on the door.

"Daniel! It's Bella Colt! Open up! This is important!" I paused for a second to listen.

No answer.

I tried the knob, expecting it to be locked. To my surprise, the door opened. "This isn't right," I murmured.

Suddenly, I had the urge to run. Adrenaline pumped through my veins. I broke out in goose bumps, yet sweat poured down my forehead.

No, something was not right.

"I'm coming in!" I shouted. My voice cracked. I shoved the door open and fumbled around for the light switch. The bulb hanging from the ceiling bathed the room in a yellow glow when I finally found it.

The inside of the house was just as bad as the outside. The wooden walls showed clear signs of mould and decay. Water dripped from a tap in the kitchen sink. The furniture was sparse and practical. Daniel's house only had three rooms, a living room/kitchen/dining room, a bathroom, and his study.

Off to the side, I saw the bathroom, sink rusted and toilet stained with God knows what, so that left only the door in front of me.

My hands felt like lead as I held my gun up in front of me. "Daniel, if you shoot me, I swear to God I'll come back and haunt your ass!" I yelled, advancing slowly. The floorboards creaked beneath me. I kept an eye out for knotholes and loose boards. I wasn't kidding when I said Daniel was broke. The rent for this place was probably in the double-digits.

Focus, Bella!

I reached for the doorknob with one hand, holding my gun up with the other. The rusted brass knob shrieked as I turned it. I gave the door a kick to open it, then I took two steps back, keeping my gun trained at chest-level.

The room was pitch-black. My eyes struggled to adjust to the darkness, knowing that if anything was inside, I was completely visible to it.

Just as I realized this, the light behind me flickered, and the study went up in flames.

It wasn't like my dream. This fire could burn me. I took another two steps back to get away from the heat, shielding my eyes with one hand.

As I peered through the flames, I could just make out two yellow eyes looking back at me.

A cold knot of fear swelled in my stomach, radiating down my legs and making them tremble.

It was happening again. Only this time, I wouldn't wake up when It tried to shoot me.

I saw It raise one hand, fingers splayed out, and the fire rushed toward me.

No! I'm not going back! Damn you! I'm NOT…GOING…BACK!

I mirrored the demon's posture, holding out my right hand in front of me. My heart pounded and my head throbbed in sync. My blood boiled. Black spots appeared at the edges of my vision. Everything moved in slow motion. I saw the flames coming for me, hungrily licking at the wooden floor and walls. My muscles tensed, braced for impact, and then…

The fire retreated, and the study door slammed shut.

For a second, I stood there in silence, then my headache brought me back to reality. I collapsed, pressing my palms against my eyelids. This was so much worse than usual. How much more could I take?

"Bella?" Alice's fingers touched my temple, and the pain started to ebb away.

"She's in pain," said Jasper. "We need to leave. Now."

The urgency in his voice motivated me to stand up. I clutched at my head with one hand, still squeezing my gun with the other, and allowed Alice to lead me back to the car.

"Should we call Edward?" Alice whispered.

"No," I groaned. "Don't bother him. I'll be fine."

I saw the vampires exchange a look before I collapsed into the backseat. As the darkness took me again, I heard Alice whisper, "How did she hear me?"

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? POV

"Perfect," I hissed. Her abilities had emerged, and grown at such a rapid pace. My favourite soldier exceeded even my own expectations. The Plan was going smoothly.

It would be such a waste if that pitiful little vampire did away with her…Still, if she cannot even handle that, then she is not worthy.

I smiled. "This should be quite the show."

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Bella's POV

We barely made it to Phoenix before dawn. Alice and Jasper hid in the hotel room with the curtains shut, safe from exposure as the sunlight crept over the city. I paced around the room as they sat there motionless. The television was on, but no one was watching it.

I didn't like it. Sitting around like this. Something was out there. Something mean and nasty and scary enough to give me the creeps. The sooner Edward and the others finished off Goldilocks and the redheaded harlot, the sooner I could start tracking down the Colt and that demon.

Anger rolled off me in waves as I thought about that yellow-eyed bastard. I was sure It was the same one that crashed a semi into the Impala, nearly killing Renée. I had to find that Thing, and I had to make It pay.

And yet, here I was, hiding out in some damned hotel room, and all because my new boyfriend was too scared to let me deal with a couple overgrown mosquitoes!

I huffed and collapsed on the couch beside Alice, crossing my arms and tilting my head back. "Are they dead yet?" I whined.

Alice shook her head a little, still staring forward. "Why don't you go take a nap or something?" she suggested.

"As if I could sleep," I muttered, turning my attention to the television. As soon as I looked away, Alice gasped.

"What is it? What do you see?" Jasper prodded anxiously.

"The Tracker," Alice murmured, "He just changed course."

"Where will it take him, Alice?" he continued.

"Mirrors," she said obscurely. "A room full of mirrors."

Deftly, Jasper took out a pencil and paper. Alice scribbled furiously, drawing what looked like a doorway…with a very familiar arch.

"That's Mr Tenma's Martial Arts Studio," I said, shocked.

The vampire couple looked up at me, clearly surprised. "You've been here?" asked Alice.

I gave a half-shrug. "I took lessons one summer when I was ten. Mr Tenma turned out to be a shtriga." I shrugged again. "As far as I know, the place has been abandoned ever since."

"A shee-what?" Alice repeated, clearly stunned.

I shook my head a little. "Shtriga," I corrected. "They're kind of like vampires actually, except they feed on spiritus vitae, life essence. They mostly go after children. Only way to kill one is to shoot it with iron rounds while it's feeding."

Jasper flinched. "You mother used you as bait?" he asked as understanding dawned in his eyes.

I gave him a hard look. "Better me than some kid who can't defend himself. It all worked out in the end."

The corners of his mouth turned down in displeasure, but he nodded. "I guess when you're fighting a war, sacrifices must be made," he said sagely.

"This place, " Alice began, looking down at her drawing, "Is it in Phoenix?"

I nodded. "Yeah, it's just a ten minute drive from here." The implications of this struck me and I bit down on the inside of my cheek. "Damn it, he knows where I am."

"He knows you mentioned Phoenix," she corrected. "It could just be a wild guess. Still, we should head out tonight, just to be safe."

I huffed. "I hate this. I feel like such a coward." I turned around and headed for the bedroom.

"You don't know what he's capable of," Jasper insisted. "He's dangerous, Bella."

I paused at the doorway. Quietly, without even sparing them a glance, I countered with, "So am I."

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We sat around all day, waiting for the sun to set. With only half an hour to go, Alice and Jasper went downstairs to check us out and to decide our newest destination. They were thinking Alaska, but I couldn't get caught at the border with a dozen unlicensed weapons. I wanted to go to Lawrence, Kansas. Missouri lived there. She would understand what went on, and she'd do her best to help. Failing that, I could always knock on Bobby's door again, although he might be a little less welcoming when I introduced my new, undead friends.

I sighed and shook my head.

Ugh, my head!

The pain built up behind my eyes, a familiar feeling by now. The world around me blurred as I steadied myself against the dresser. I blinked, leaning my face against my duffle bag.

"You lay one hand on my daughter-"

"You should be more worried about yourself."

"What the hell are you?"

"You'll find out soon. Now, I want you to give Bella a call. She's close by."

"She's not even in this state!"

"Really, are you sure? Well, I guess we'll find out. You'd better hope she's close by, because I'm still hungry."

I groaned as the voices faded. There was no picture that time, only darkness, but I knew that voice. I'd recognize it in my sleep.

"Mom."

I lurched away from the dresser and stumbled toward the window. We were on the fourth floor, but the fire escape was just two windows down.

I leaned against the windowsill, breathing heavily as I tried to gain my balance. I needed to do this carefully. Once I was outside, Alice and Jasper wouldn't be able to get me until the sun went down.

I didn't stop to wonder if that was a bad thing. All I knew was that I needed to get to that studio, and I needed to finish off that cocky bloodsucking son of a bitch before he destroyed my family.

My vision finally cleared, so I pried the window open and climbed out onto the ledge. Luckily, it was dark enough that no one saw me as I crept along the side of the building and climbed onto the fire escape. I took the stairs two at a time and sprinted into the parking lot. I got my keys out and nearly ripped the door off the Impala as I pulled it open. Slamming it shut, I started the engine and tore out of the parking lot. With one hand, I opened the glove box and grabbed my leather gloves. If it came to fisticuffs, at least I wouldn't break my hands. The demon blood soaked into the fabric absorbed any impact they took. I could punch through a two-foot concrete wall with these babies.

I was in a race against time. My visions were unpredictable. Sometimes they showed me something happening hours in the future, sometimes seconds. I wasn't sure, but a sense of urgency made me think that I didn't have much time.

Just as I thought this, my phone rang.

I didn't have to check the number to know who it was. I gripped the steering wheel tightly and reached into my pocket to answer. I pressed the talk button and held it up to my ear, waiting for him to make the first move.

"Bella," my mother's stern voice began, catching me off guard, "No matter what this guy says, you do not listen, understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," I said automatically. I hadn't intended on listening to him anyway. I was armed and pissed off, and I was just about ready to go Carrie on his ass. Goldilocks didn't have a clue who he was messing with.

"I wouldn't agree to that," his slimy voice intoned. "Not if you want to see your mommy alive again."

I refused to answer as I swerved around the corner.

"You're in your car," he stated, sounding curious. "You're not running away, are you?" he jibed.

"You wish, Goldilocks," I retorted. "Colts don't run from monsters. Monsters run from us."

"Really?" he replied, and I could almost see the smile on his face. "Then where are you going?"

I felt my mouth form into a strange smile. "Right now, I'm about a five-minute drive away from you. You should've listened to Laurent, James, about not playing with your food. If you'd have left, I probably wouldn't have come after you, but now…" My smile vanished as I caught my reflection in the rear-view mirror. The look on my face was eager, bloodthirsty, malicious. I recognized it from somewhere, but I couldn't quite remember. Whatever it was, I didn't like it. It made me want to hurt somebody.

But, I needed that desire now, if I was going to save Renée.

"You made a big mistake messing with my family, so I'm gonna have to make you pay."

There was a quick pause. "You think quite highly of yourself for a human."

"I'm not a human," I said. "I'm a Hunter. And you, Blondie, are gonna find out exactly what happens to leeches who threaten the people I care about."

With that, I hung up and pushed down harder on the gas pedal. I let my mouth run away from me again, but damn, that felt good.

The old Martial Arts Studio finally appeared. The tires squealed as I sped into the parking lot and got out of the car. In seconds, I had my weapons out. I reached down into the trunk and pulled out the vial of demon blood, ignoring the burning smell. The matches and the accelerant came next, as well as a lighter, just in case. I took out my knife, comforted by the familiar weight.

Get in, kill him, get out. There's no need to put Renée in any more danger.

I found the side entrance and kicked the door in. It broke in two, weakened by rot and the effects of my demon blood-drenched shoes. I slipped in through the hole and looked around.

Damn it! Should've brought a flashlight. Well, no going back now.

I couldn't risk using my lighter. I didn't want James to know I was armed. Luckily, there was still enough light from outside to see the outlines in the room. My eyes would adjust in a minute.

The vampire definitely knew I was here, so there was no point in being subtle.

"Renée, where are you?" I called.

Alice and Jasper were probably still waiting for the sun to go down. I hoped I could finish this before they arrived.

I took a step forward and stumbled over something. It made a hollow thumping noise as I did so. I looked down, straining to see in the growing darkness. Dread filled me as I recognized the shape.

I'd know it anywhere. I'd spent a good potion of my life looking at them. I'd seen enough of them even in pitch-black to identify what it was.

A body.

Not just any body either.

I knew that jacket.

I knew those jeans.

I knew that hair.

"Mom."

My voice didn't sound like my own. It sounded distant, weak. The only other time I'd ever sounded like that was when I was chained up in hell, praying that someone would get me out before Alastair came back with his knives.

For a moment, the hurt was too much. I felt numb. I leaned down slowly and rolled her over. Her skin was still warm. Her eyes were open. Her nails were all torn up. She'd fought.

Of course. Colts always go down fighting, except for me.

I slid her eyelids shut and bowed my head.

"Never again," I murmured, and then the anger flooded in.

I stood up and slammed my hand into the mirror beside me. The glass broke into a thousand pieces. Without a thought, I popped the cork off the vial and splashed the demon blood against the shards. It hissed as if it was acid. The smell was unbearable. Still, I refused to gag, to show any sign of weakness. Instead, I pulled out my knife and held it out threateningly.

"That does it!" I yelled. I pulled up my sleeve and scraped my knife against the bare skin of my arm. "Smell that? You want some white meat, bitch? I'm right here! It's chow time, you freaky bastard! Bring it on, baby! I taste goood!"

A low chuckle alerted me to his presence. He appeared, standing in the middle of the room. He still wore Waylon's jacket. His blond hair was tied back in a ponytail.

I felt a headache start to build at the sight of him. My hand clenched around the hilt of my blade. I wanted, so badly, to plunge it into his smirking face again, and again, and again…

"Sorry about that," he said, indicating to my mother. "She smelled very good. Not as good as you, but still…" He lifted his head and sniffed the air like an animal. "The man wasn't enough to abate my hunger. I must admit, your mother took his death in stride. She was quite brave."

"Don't flatter yourself," I spat. "We've faced things a lot scarier than you, Goldilocks."

He chuckled again. "And yet, I'll be the one that kills you."

I felt The Smile grow on my face again. "Oh…I don't think so."

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I gotta make this quick. I only have five minutes until class starts. I've already started the next chapter, though, so don't you worry about waiting another month. It's tough, though, making it to 3700 words. I can only hope that you'll be patient enough to stick with this.

Adieu, my faithful readers.