The rental car is stopped in front of the house of their latest suspect. Will popped an Aspirin while he was behind the wheel, having been the one that drove them.
Rana was sitting next to him and she handed him a gun. She always carried two, and she was now giving him one. Will looked at her surprised and Hannibal with curiosity.
"Just in case. You know how to shoot and can't let you go uncovered. Jack approves" she reassured him as he took the gun from her.
He gave a nod as she got hers and placed it inside her pants before they all exited the car, Hannibal the most excited of them all.
Will tried his best to not look uncomfortable as he walked side by side with Rana. She was fully focused and concentrated, something Hannibal observed with silent fascination as he purposefully lagged. Halfway to the door, it opened and a bleeding and wheezing woman, she is shoved down the porch. Rana immediately got her gun and shot once at the door, just as it was slammed shut behind her.
At the same time, Will rushed to the dying woman, who was the wife of their suspect. Her alabaster skin was in sharp contrast to the crimson pouring out of it. She had multiple wounds puncturing her torso and arms. She grasped Will's wrist, streaking him with her blood.
Rana approached him, gun in both hands. She looked at Hannibal above her shoulder, eyes blazing red. "Stay back and wait until it is clear. Call Jack for backup" she said and then turned to Will, who had just pried the woman's slick, red fingers from his wrist, trying not to see the last flickers of pain and fear exciting her face.
"Are you okay? You can stand back if you want" she asked, her eyes never turning back to normal.
Will looked up at her, and for a moment his eyes glowed a bright yellow as he made proper eye contact with her. His breathing and pulse had quickened and he grabbed the gun she had given him, not truly caring about those red eyes that had replaced her blue eyes. Those questions would be answered later.
She immediately understood and gave a nod.
"I will go from the back door. You enter the front" she said and took a few steps away before stopping. "Be careful" she told him and rushed to circle the house.
Rana's pulse was steady but slightly faster, senses were on full alert as she found the back door. She tried and it was locked but that did not stop her. With one strong kick, the hinges fell to the floor and the door followed soon after. She quickly took steps inside with her gun pointed.
"Garret Jacob Hobbs? F.B.I!" she shouted as she walked deeper into the house.
She picked up two new pulses and two distinct new smells, coming from the kitchen. She moved swiftly and quietly, connecting her red eyes with Will's yellows, giving a nod as they both entered the kitchen.
Garrett Jacob Hobbs was behind his daughter, a knife pressed against her neck. When he spotted them, he wasted no time slashing the girl's throat. The wide-eyed girl has her weight against him, chin tucked down, gasping for air. Slowly, the body starts to slip from his grasp and time seems to slow down.
The first shot is heard...BLAM! Jacob's hand is bleeding as the bullet passed right through it, causing the knife to fall to the floor. Then, four more followed. BLAM. BLAM. BLAM. BLAM!
Will shot the first three to the chest in repetitive motions as Rana finished with the fourth one. Each shot hit the man, causing deep injuries and blood to stain his shirt but he tried to dig his nails into the girl's injury, his own eyes glowing a sickening yellow.
This caught Rana off guard, not having expected him to show that he was one of them. She never got his scent, having worked extra height obviously to hide it or he had it too suppressed. But the damage had already happened, the shock caused her to delay her next shots and the girl was bleeding harder.
Will, on the other hand, was too focused to take the monster that hurt all those girls and kept shooting, filling Jacob's body with bullets. Those prove enough, for his grip on the girl fully loosens and his daughter to collapse on the floor.
Jacob follows soon after, yellow eyes never leaving his attackers.
This snapped Rana out of her shock, and she rushed to the little girl. Her knees scrapped the floor as she pulled the girl's head onto her lap and started to apply pressure on the new wound. The girl was hanging for life, barely reacting to the woman standing on top of her even when the red in her irises disappeared.
Will quickly joined her, helping to apply pressure as his own eyes turned back to normal. Both had adrenaline rushing through their veins like wildfire but their main priority was the little girl that was gasping for breath. Will offered her a towel to try and press against the open wound.
Hobbs hissed at them through dying, jagged breaths. "See? See?"
Will's eyes suddenly become glazed as he is shutting down and Rana noticed. She cursed herself for allowing Will to cross that line but she couldn't do much about it now. "Will, focus" she said to him, trying to make him listen but to no avail.
To the rescue comes Hannibal, who gently removes Will's hands and places his own, helping Rana apply proper pressure. He had more experience with the human body and he guided her hands to the right place. The three of them exchanged intense staring contact with one another but no one spoke, as time seemed to have slowed down for all of them.
Backup comes in the form of the Minnesota police and an ambulance as well. One medic checked on the trio while others had already taken care of the young girl and were busy hauling her into the back of their ambulance. Hannibal stayed with the girl, holding her hand as he also climbed into it and chose to ride to the hospital with her.
Will leaned against the rental car, hands and face stained by blood...her blood. Rana was not that far away, talking on the phone and by the loud sound coming from the other end, she was not receiving any praise. Jack was not happy about it but they would deal with it when they would return.
Eventually, she hang up and passed a bloody red hand through her hair, the blood now dry and not straining anymore. She walked towards Will, who looked up at her without breaking any contact but she could see his gaze was glossy.
"I will take you home, Will. You and I talk to do as well" The man did not say anything and he walked around the car, allowing her to enter and sit behind the wheel.
Back home, Rana had taken her car and was driving to Will's house. They had washed but they needed more than just some hand soap and some clear water on their faces. They needed a good shower, sleep and at least some alcohol for Rana.
Upon reaching the lonely house by the woods that Will had chosen to live in, the sound of multiple barking reached their ears. She killed the engine and turned to face Will. "Yeah...I have dogs...they are fine though..."
They both exited the car and the dogs immediately rushed to Will. They smelled and rubbed against his hanging hands and tired legs, welcoming him home. All but one. The so-called Alpha Dog had stopped halfway and was growling at Rana, head lowered and body muscles stiff.
Will was about to say something but Rana lifted her hand, signalling for him to wait. He stood to the side and watched his silent fascination as she lowered her head slightly and connected her eyes with the dog. Her irises flashed red and immediately, the growls turned into whimpers as the dog lowered its whole body on the floor.
"Wow...that's...unexpected..." Will said and Rana formed the tiniest of smirks as her eyes turned back to normal.
"I know you have questions, that's why I am here. Got anything to drink and I will let you know everything you want and need to know" she said and he gave a nod, letting him lead her into the house.
It was about an hour since they had arrived. They sat on the porch, under the night sky. All the dogs lay around them, some having taken a liking to Rana and occasionally asking to be petted or simply choosing to be close to her.
Will had a mug of tea in his hands, letting them warm him against the night chill as he stared at the half-consumed liquid inside it. Rana leaned against the fence of the porch, her mug already empty and placed next to her.
She had spent the time explaining to Will and answering his questions, taking her time for him to process everything.
"Deep down...it all feels so odd...I mean...I don't even know how..." he muttered, eyes never leaving the liquid inside his mug.
"It takes a while to get used to it if you are not familiar with it. It is the reason why I never approached you in the Academy or didn't try to tell you so suddenly" Rana explained, leaving a sigh and letting her head fall back as she stared at the stars above them. "If this case had taken a different turn... I don't think I would have told you everything from now..."
Will remained silent for almost a full minute. Eventually, another question popped into his mind. "So Garret Jacob Hobbs...he was..."
Rana closed her eyes for a moment and gave a faint hum. "Yeah...he was one of us. I didn't sense it in time and it caught me off guard...it was stupid of me" she muttered the last part but he still heard her.
"Does that mean...that girl...Abigail..."
Rana opened her eyes and looked at him, knuckles white from the force she was gripping the railing, all while trying hard not to break it. "...most likely...we don't know her parents...but there is a possibility...I will check up on her...and keep doing that...if she wasn't already, there a chance she will be after the incident" she admitted, having already told Will before how one's nature is unlocked by Age or strong trauma.
As the images of Abigail flashed into his mind, one more person seemed to be in them...Hannibal.
Will took a sip from his tea and went back to staring at it. Eventually, he found the courage to ask. "Hannibal...is he..." It still felt odd, the idea of something unexplained and supernatural existing right under everyone's nose.
"...Yes...he is like me...but he won't do anything. He made it clear and I made sure of it as well" she said, making his eyebrows frown.
"Because...I am in your pack...?" he asked, connecting the pieces.
He looked above the trim of his glasses at her, his tone calm but there was uncertainty behind his words. She picked them up and took a deep breath herself. "You don't have to be if you don't want to. You are your own person Will, and he snoops a lot. No matter what, I won't let him psycho-analyse you without your permission"
Will remained quiet, yet her words offered some odd comfort to everything. He always felt the odd one out, since he was a child. His father never truly explained things to him and when it was time...things were too late. He always felt alone, and complicated and he could never truly understand why.
At least now, things made a little more sense. It was still a new concept for him, but it offered some comfort. Especially on the fact that he was not alone anymore. He barely knew Rana, but he could already feel the security she offered and the comfort behind her words. Her presence helped with his inner tension of his and he started to appreciate that.
"It's getting late. I better get going. Jack has a lot to tell me in the morning and it won't be pleasant" she said and pushed herself off the railing, a few faint cracks having formed on the wood from how strongly she held on to it.
His words made Will snap from his inner thoughts and focus more on reality. He went to stand up but she placed her hand on his shoulder, keeping him down. "Whatever you need, my phone is on your speed dial. Don't hesitate, Will" with those words, she walked past the dogs and headed for her cars.
Will remained silent, watching her walk further and further away. He didn't say anything else, and he kept staring, even as she drove away. His thoughts were too confusing and overwhelming at that moment.
