V. Hoods in the woods...

Orashi forest...

23:02

"You should have joined when you had the chance, schoolgirl."

"Like I said," She heaved heavily, having been running through the whole day, she is justified to be out of breath.

"Not in this lifetime."

The man in hoods standing before her smiled wickedly, the kind a predator gives its prey. She has seen that smile before, from the same person for the same reason, a long time ago when her parents were murdered — cruelty is evident in his very gaze.

"I should have done this a long time ago. If it hadn't been for your grandfather," He flashed his long fangs while flexing his claws wickedly.

"I would have torn you in pieces a long time ago, you ungrateful cub. But better late than never right? Your Grandpa is finally in his right sense."

"I would rather be dead than be damned!" She stood her ground as he stalked closer to her.

Every ounce of her being yells for her retreat, and she knows very well how overwhelmed she is. She knows with all of her being that she doesn't stand a single chance against him. But she had been running for too long and evading him seemed like a lost cause.

'So why not go down fighting?'

Morenike had left home in the early morning, angry and frustrated, and she hadn't intended to return. She still doesn't. Morenike had only walked a few kilometers when she noticed another presence in the early mornings.

Looking over her shoulder a couple of times rewarded her as she spotted him, one of her grandfather's Omegas. And the first thing she saw was his eerie blue eyes, then his all too familiar physique even with a hood on. He used to hang around the house too often not to be familiar, Benjamin.

"Hello schoolgirl," He had called on her when she finally noticed him, "Grandpa sends his regards."

With that, she took to her heels and fled for her life, she doesn't need a genius to interpret that sentence. After all, Omegas only go on errands that involve killing and Ben is probably her grandfather's favorite.

Besides, how can she hope to defeat an Omega?

So she ran towards the one place where she might evade him and throw her scent off.

Morenike had ran all day playing hide-and-seek with Benjamin. She had been lucky to evade him for more than twelve hours, and even more so, she had played hide and evade through the forest a couple of times in the hope of drawing attention but to no avail.

Then her luck ran out when he caught up with her and drove her into a tree with a vicious punch that could kill any regular man.

Now it's a face off. Frankly, it is going to be a slaughter and Morenike knows that. Even still, she decided to attack first.

<<< Ugh! >>>

With a low groan, Morenike lunged at him, not waiting to be attacked by a seasoned killer. With all the strength she could muster; she dashed at him, going for a spear dive in hopes of driving him to the ground. But Ben saw it coming.

He sidestepped her, allowing her momentum to take her head first into the dirt.

Morenike jumped to her feet with the agility of a wolf, but before she could regain her bearings, cold metallic claws sliced across her face nearly uprooting her left eyeball.

The impact drove her back to the ground as warm blood came gushing out of her scratched open face. And she screamed in pain, kicking about and holding her face in her hands. But it isn't over;

Ben walked around with eyes filled with bloodlust. He delivered a bone-cracking kick to her side; the impact picked her up, and sent her soaring five meters into a Y-shaped tree.

"Gr!" Morenike groaned.

She spitting out blood into the forest ground as she nursed a possible fracture in her spine - courtesy of her impact against the tree - and three broken ribs - thanks to Benjamin's kick.

The pain was mind numbing.

She tried picking herself up but fell right back with a pained grain and teary terrified eyes.

Ben steeped closer to her and picked her up by the neck in one hand; he squeezed and she choked. And all Morenike could do as Ben choked the life out of her was scratch aimlessly at his arm and gagged, fighting for the tiniest molecule of oxygen as life ebbed away from her grasp.

***help!***

***

23:06

Max couldn't believe his eyes, up ahead some fifty yards into the maze of trees and shrubs in a small clearing; a girl hung, almost lifeless, on a hooded man's hand as she scratched weakly and desperately for air.

He knows she isn't dead yet, he could feel her life dangling between the world of the living and death. But he isn't sure how long she can hold onto her life.

'Something must be done, that man must be stopped, somehow.'

Max racked his brain for a way to distract the hooded man long enough so the poor girl wouldn't die before he and his friends got to the clearing.

And like on cue, an object sailed past him with dangerously impossible speed and precision. It waved its way in and through the maze of trees to hit the man behind the ear.

Cecilia must have thrown it, she is the one with archery and darts throwing expertise up her sleeves. She can throw anything from anywhere with bullseye precision.

The stone hit with bullseye precision and it distracted the man for a second. He dropped the girl and she fell to an unconsciousness heap;

'Not dead I hope.'

Max sped up, ducking under a low branch as he breached the clearing. He threw his weight into the man in a spear dive and drove them both to the ground.

He tried to put himself on top of the fight but Max found himself flying off as the man extended his leg in one push. The man rolled to place himself atop Max and would have landed a scratch blow if James hadn't delivered a hard kick to the man's head.

The impact thankfully shook the man away from Max. He rolled to one knee and James attacked him, not allowing breathing space.

Bringing another kick to his head which the man dodged, rolling out of James' striking range and towards Cecilia who hadn't slowed one bit.

She used her running momentum to deliver a double forward kick to the man, who in return, blocked it with too much ease. He didn't give Cecilia any second to settle as he proceeded to give her a blow of his own.

One well-placed heavy punch to her chest and Cecilia went soaring ten feet out of the clearing.

Meanwhile, Max steered himself up as he surveyed how easily the man was thrashing them.

'Who is this man?'

On the norms, if the three friends get into a fight or decide to assault someone, especially by surprise. They would take him down in seconds; unless it's a bar fight. Even still it wouldn't be as humiliating as this.

This man here is putting a dent in their pride. He punched Cecilia without getting as much as a close call from her. And now he's got James on the ground and he didn't hesitate to knock him out cold.

Max wanted to charge in and join the fight, he wanted to give it all he's got but this man was something else. He is confident, strong, and fast and he even showed more viciousness than anything Max has ever seen.

And that's coming from someone who is friends with Cecilia; a mixed martial artist, taekwondo and karate fighter, and an expert in plain ol' rough house fighting.

Cecilia jumped back into the clearing with an enraged absolution, and the hooded man paced towards her with glowing blue eyes and a bloodthirsty smile.

And unlike anything before now, Max saw the man flawlessly deflect Cecilia's advances. He raised and charged headlong to assist Cecilia.

But in that very moment, something flashed before Max's eyes like a vision.

The world on fire, cages and the silent moans of the damned. Then he saw the monstrous-looking man with the same X symbol on his chest as on the Ring.

As fast as it came, the vision ended with Max still charging towards the pair. But something is different. He isn't sure what, but he could feel his physical prowess isn't the same as it is supposed to be.

He looked up just in time to see the man catch Cecilia's spring kick and handle her like a ragdoll. And flinging her to him like she doesn't weigh a hundred and twenty-eight.

Everything seemed in slow motion as Max watched Cecilia soar head over heels about five feet in the air, screaming like the landing would kill — well it probably might.

Max shifted his position and planted himself on the ground. And just like playing catch, he caught Cecilia in mid-air as though she weighed no more than a mannequin.

Cecilia was out of sorts as he set her down on the clearing floor.

'Imma f*ck you up for that.'

As though reading his mind, the man flexed his fingers and flashed an inhumanly long canine, almost like those fangs in vampire movies. The hood that subjects the man's face to darkness makes the glow of his eyes ominous and eerie.

He groaned at Max.

Max took the initiative and charged with a speed that surprised him. This must have surprised the man too as he reacted slower than when he was fighting Cecilia.

Just as Max got into striking range, he attempted a scratch-blow in a wide downward arc. And Max fluidly sidestep the attack with such ease and grace.

Before the man could reposition himself to comeback with another blow; Max leaned in and delivered such a heavy punch that connected with the man's lower jaw. A loud pop and crack complimented the effort as the man staggered four paces back holding his broken jaw in his right...hand?

'Wait, are those claws?'

A groan from the man brought Max out of his thoughts, the man advance with pure rage in his shimmering eyes and he charged like a bull.

Max quickly changed into a suitable fighting stance and waited until the last second before he shifted and delivered a swift backward roundhouse kick. He connected with the man's face and sent him turning once - and then twice - in midair before landing flat on the floor,

unconscious.

Cecilia couldn't believe her eyes. She watched dumbfounded as Max knocked the man out with such ease that she almost questioned her martial arts skills and efficiency.

She reflexively burst out a proud laugh and started clapping;

"Bravo, just bravo!" She said.

Not in a million years would she have thought Max could last two seconds against the strength of that man, it was almost monstrous.

"Ugh...!" James groaned, steering himself back consciousness.

"What...?" He paused when he saw Max standing over the hooded man; "what did I miss?"

"The most amazing knockout session ever!" Cecilia said with pride, truly excited and surprised at the same time.

She had been sure the man is an ex military special forces on steroids or something. She had been sure there was no way on earth they would defeat him. Here she stands corrected.

"Erm! Guys!?" Max called, sounding not so excited about his victory.

"Was it just me or is this some movie CGI stuff?" He said with a spooked-out tone.

James and Cecilia make their way towards Max and they see what spooled Max even before he points it out;

The man had looked unnaturally hairy with fang-like canines, claw-like nails, and glowing blue eyes. Now, he is perfectly normal. Although they can't see his eyes, his face is clean-shaven and his nails are perfectly clipped, just a regular average man's. Very normal.

"Did...?" James started.

"Don't jinx it James," Cecilia said, weirdly undisturbed about the change in the man's facials.

"We all missed dinner remember?"

***

Triumph Hotel, Ikodi, Ahoada...

23:05

"Detective Silas George," Silas said with his phone on his ear and a pizza box on the table before him.

He and Godwin, his partner, had arrived at Ahoada West hours ago, they had taken a quick tour of the crime scene and checked in with the local police station.

They are lodged in a guest house nearest to the Orashi forest — not because they were expecting to find any lead that could help the investigation - just protocol.

"Is...i-is this the police?" A shaking voice said on the other end of the call.

This got Silas on alert as the call was an automatic redirect from the Operator and he is already guessing the call has to do with the damned claw-mark case;

'Maybe another body has been found?'

"Yes, I need you to calm down and tell me what is going on," He said reciting the words he has used one too many times over the past months.

"I... I am in Orashi forest " Silas jerked up from his seat in a mixture of emotions.

Fear for what might be happening to the caller in that damned evil forest; two, optimism for the possibility of rescuing an escaped victim or a witness, and lastly, surprise. He never, in a million years, expected a call like this.

"What? Where did you just say you are?"

"Orashi forest. And...and I just saw...I saw..."

"Hey, hey you need to calm down okay!" Silas said.

He picked up his car keys and signaled for Godwin to follow him, completely forgetting his late dinner.

"Now don't panic and tell me exactly what you saw." He said, stepping out of the Guest house's cafeteria and towards his car.

"I. I saw a girl, and...and a man, the man...he ...he...h-he…he has glowing eyes and ...h-he was chasing the girl..." The caller stuttered through as though he had just seen a horror movie, and Silas was pretty sure he would break down soon.

"Okay, that is very good. Are you safe?" Silas said, using his most reassuring tone as he threw the car keys to Godwin silently asking him to drive.

"Y-you don't understand," The caller stated, "I tried to follow them but I couldn't, they were too fast. Then three other people raced by and I followed them," He paused, "now...now they are...they...I...I'm hearing weird sounds, like...like .."

"Okay stop right there," Silas said as Godwin taxied out of the guest house and raced in the general direction of Orashi forest.

Even without hearing the phone conversation or being told where to, it was the only logical location.

"You don't have to say anymore okay? Now I need you to take a deep breath and walk a safe distance away from the sounds, can you do that for me?" Silas waited for a response, he could hear the heavy breaths of the caller followed by shuffling and scratches from the other end.

"Okay!" The caller said.

"Good, very good. Now I am going to direct your call back to a nice lady, she will track your phone's GPS location and send me your location so I can come over to you, don't hang up okay?"

"O...okay,"

Silas directed the call back to the operator who connected him, giving her instructions to send an RRS team to the location. He switched on the car's GPS locator and within a minute he got a pin on the caller's location.

"So where are we going exactly?" Godwin asked as he overtook a Ford Jeep.

"Looks like the southwestern part of the forest."

"Isn't that the same part as the last crime scene?"

"Yeah, just go!"

The drive only took about ten minutes but Silas wouldn't help but feel like it took hours. Like they are already too late and they will find nothing but another torn-up dead body.

They reached the innermost part of the forest attainable to vehicles, the car barely stopped when Silas jumped out of the car.

"Wait!" Godwin called; just getting out of the car while Silas was already about thirty yards into the darkened forest.

"What!" He snapped at Godwin, "Let's go, we've got no time."

Silas kept charging deeper into the forest, not slowing for a reply nor waiting for Godwin.

"What about backup?" Godwin yelled.

"You are back up, let's go!" Silas yelled back already deep into the forest.

Moving even deeper into the forest, he used his phone's navigation system as a guide. Silas ran as fast as he could manage in the thick darkness of the forest. He was moving too slowly for his liking, and there was no way he could go any faster.

His flashlight could barely see through the maze of trees and the shrubs, tree trunks, and uneven grounds were not making his progress any faster.

Silas ducked and waved his way through the maze of trees with all the speed he could manage, vaguely noticing Godwin falling further behind.

Even still, Silas couldn't help but feel the futility of the attempt and all he could do was pray they were not too late to at least save the caller's life. And probably get a description of the suspect.

'Greedy optimism.' He thought in between huffs and puffs of breath.

Silas' phone beeped, indicating his arrival and he immediately secured his phone and drew his pistol in the same bit. He looked around for signs of activity but found none. Even the forest was surprisingly quiet.

All he could hear was his ragged breaths, thumping heart, and Godwin's slow approach, so he resorted to calling out;

"Hello!" Silas called in a not-so-loud voice, "Anybody here? This is the police, we received your call a while ago, if you can hear me I need you to come out slowly with your hands up."

The ruffling of leaves behind him made him turn. A figure raised slowly into view from behind thick shrubs. The figure stepped closer with his hands up and Silas could guess who he was;

A young guy in jeans and a navy blue tee shirt with a camera around his neck, most likely a blogger looking for a scoop on the latest body.

"Come on," Silas said, still training his gun at him, "what's your name, boy?"

He doesn't need to ask or even make confirmation because the person before him is the perfect example of a terrified person. But common sense is to make sure you are not walking into a trap.

"Badmus..."

"Alright, where did you hear those sounds you talked about?" He said lowering his gun as Badmus pointed east of their position.

"My partner is coming right behind me, he will take you to safety." He said.

"But...but..." Silas didn't wait, he already knew how much danger he was getting himself into.

He ran as fast as the forest could allow with his gun stretched out before him. He covered a good hundred yards before he heard it;

"Shit!" It was a voice he found oddly familiar but the adrenaline and excitement pushed it off his mind before he could pinpoint it.

"Where did he go?" A feminine voice said - which also sounded too familiar - and Silas could dare hope that these spiral killers were talking about an escaped victim.

As he got closer, he slowed to a trudge and switched off his flashlight not wanting any attention to himself.

He waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness and also to listen to the conversation of the killers that had become harder to make out. Silas evaluated that he was either too far away or they suspected an invader and they were getting away.

He stalked forward with as much stealth as he could manage, carefully placing his steps so as not to step on dried twigs or leaves. Then a small clearing opened up, and he saw three figures standing over one, his heart skipped and adrenaline pumped through his veins. Silas got so excited that he didn't notice the blood-red hair and he wanted to charge in to apprehend them.

But he was still too far and they had a hostage so he stalked closer.

One of the figures snapped his head in his direction so fast that the speed Silas used to duck behind a tree seemed futile in his attempts to stay hidden. He peeped seconds later only to see the girl who was sitting on the floor deeper in the woods, running away with breathtaking speed; surprisingly, none of the three killers were going after her.

Silas decided he had waited enough so he rushed forward with his gun and flashlight trained on the killers;

"Police, freeze!" He yelled with his most commanding voice with his gun and light shining brightly on the killers.

The first thing that registered was the blood-red hair that shone bristly in the white light;

"Max?"

"Hey, Dad."