Hunter's Prey

Charming Saviour

5 minutes. That’s how long I’ve been awake. At least, I’m pretty sure it has been 5 minutes. I still haven’t been able to process feeling normal yet. Well, normal was a little relative at the moment. I’m sore, but not incapacitated and unlike the freezing temperature I expected to depart from- I felt warm. I knew for certain I hadn’t reached any pleasant afterlife. I just didn’t deserve it.

Slowly, I realized I was lucid enough to sit up, albeit slowly. As my vision focused, I confirmed that no, I hadn’t made it into a pleasant afterlife, but a nice modern bedroom with a large window looking out at a flurry of snow. I hadn’t left the mountain? Then where was I? Who had taken me in and- I quickly looked down.

I was out of my clothes, down to my sports bra and panties. I’d also been given a shabby patch-up with bandages around a lot of the superficial wounds I had gained on her way down the mountain. My right arm and left leg were what hurt the most, but were now numbed and wrapped up with a makeshift splint and bandages like a cast.

Part of me couldn’t believe I was alive, and another part couldn’t believe someone had aided me instead of either finishing the job or leaving me for the elements. I was already at her assignment spot. The attack had occurred so quickly, that there were only a few things I could process before tumble over the side. One, the person was about my size, meaning they were probably female. Two, they were in a parka matching mine. Whoever this woman was, she was from the Organization. That meant someone never meant for me to leave this mountain alive.

A knock snapped my attention to the dark wooded door, which slowly opened and a man stepped in. I made a half-hearted attempt to cover myself to feign modesty. In the Organization, only the top 15 agents get their own rooms, privacy was a rarity to those below and modesty was usually the first to be abandoned.

My attention remained on the unmistakable Richard Baines as he stepped in. The picture in his file did him little justice in person, maybe it was how the formal look in his official picture didn’t compare to the normal nature of the very handsome man in front of me. His strawberry blonde hair was swept back, and his informal plain blue t-shirt, black jeans, and high-brand tennis shoes was much more flattering to his arms and chest.

“Ah good,” Baines gave me a friendly smile, “I’d hoped you’d be awake.” He stayed near the door for the time being, “Excuse my abrupt entry. I’ve had my men keeping an eye on you and they had alerted me that you were awake. How are you feeling?”

I was suddenly aware my reactions may come across as odd if I wasn’t careful. The truth was I wasn’t prepared to act at the moment, I was in shock that I was alive- betrayed by the Organization. Not to mention, in my moment of need, I’d been treated with care. Hospitality was the last thing I’d expected out of my unknowing target. I forced myself to snap out of my thoughts and looked away, “about as well as I could be at the moment.”

“May I?” Baines made a gesture of him moving forward. I nodded and he took a few strides towards me, stopping at a respectable distance from the bed. “Do you remember what happened?”

Given the real story as to why I was there, I figured I’d give him the redacted version. “I was hiking the trail up the mountain. The last I remember was someone pushing me off, but I couldn’t see who.”

Baines nodded along to my story, “I wish I could send my men for any clues, but the storm had already begun when I had found you. Even if there was anything left, they wouldn’t be able to spot it in this weather.”

I waved him off, “I understand.” It wasn’t going to be something that any of his ‘men’ could help me with anyway. I had seen enough to know they were from the organization, which meant I had either been sent on a suicide mission, or there was an intentional act of sabbatoge. Either way, they would have covered up their tracks. As I fell deeper into the rabbit hole, I could feel Baines’s eyes on me. I turned my attention back to him, and he had a look of intrigue.

“Aren’t you curious where you are?” Baines asked, gazing at me intently. He was probably trying to gauge my honesty by listening to my heart rate.

It might’ve worked on anyone less trained and competent. I gestured out the window, “I remember falling off the cliff, and I’m clearly still on the mountain. I suspect you are one of its residents?”

Baines looked at her for a moment, but I held his gaze. He chuckled, smiling brightly, “Clever one, aren’t you? Yes, my name is Richard Baines. I happened to find you lying in my backyard.” He took a few subtle steps towards me. “I was taking a call outside when I smelled your blood. I must say,” he was far closer than he was a moment ago lifting my chin to look up at him. His sapphire eyes glinted brightly as he stared right into my own dull green ones. “I must say your blood smells extraordinary.”

I stared up at him with my signature blank look, “Unfortunately, Mr. Baines, I find myself immune to Domination.” I could tell he was using Domination. Glinting eyes aside, whenever most Vampires use their version of hypnosis- Domination- you feel it in your gut. Like when your intuition is telling you to do something, urging you to act. Though I could feel the urge to lean into him, it was easy to ignore.

Baines blinked in surprise, he let my chin go with a smile. “I see, that is quite a gift. Are you of mixed blood?”

“Not that I’m aware of, does that matter in this situation?” I replied, keeping my eyes trained on him, even as he gave me space. After that little stunt, I didn’t really trust him- and in this state, there was nothing I could do to fight back if he decided to suck me dry.

Baines shrugged, “I suppose not.” He took a few steps back towards the door, and gestured towards a sliding door on the right of the room, “The bathroom is right that way. We did happen to save your clothes you’d had your-” he paused, “tumble, in. They have been torn badly, I’d suggest trying my sister’s old clothes. She is about your size.” He paused just before he exited the room, “Take your time, do whatever you feel you need to do. Please meet me in the kitchen when you’re ready.”

I stood, taking the blanket for cover, “I can’t stay. I need to get off the mountain.”

Baines chuckled, “Sorry love. If I could have gotten you off the mountain I would have done so already. The weather has gotten too bad for it to be safe. You’re going to be stuck with me until the storm passes.” He nodded his head towards the bathroom, “we’ll talk after you get cleaned up.”

With that he left the room, shutting the door behind him. I felt some new emotions bubble up that were unusual. Was I really stuck on a mountain, trapped in the house of the man I was sent to kill? I suppose it meant I technically had another opportunity to finish the mission, but given my state, it might’ve been too risky. Speaking of state, I was well suddenly aware of the pain shooting up my clearly broken leg. I quickly set back down on the bed. Sure, I didn’t exactly deserve miracles, but did this have to happen to me?

I took the moment to stare out the window, and into the static that was the storm outside. I had to play along for now. I also had the feeling my host didn’t have as much trust in me as he’d let on. I had to plan out my story, why was she on the mountain? Why was she hiking instead of driving? At least I had the details of the incident itself covered.

I let the pine smell of air freshener fill my lungs. How ironic, it wasn’t too long ago I had thought I took my last breath. Now here I was, in a mobster’s winter vacation home. I turned my head to the bathroom and pushed myself back up and off the bed. For the time, I was going to play innocent, and not keep my host waiting.