The Monster's Fury

CHAPTER EIGHT

Hunter’s POV

We landed in Monticello and went straight for the Murphy Mansion. We are driving what looks like a simple black warehouse van on the outside, but the inside looks like the FBI installed it themselves. It is full of different electronics, cabinets and a few chairs. The closer we get to the mansion, the faster my heart starts to race. I know Sandy said this was just a surveillance mission but I can’t shake this feeling that something is going to happen. We pull off the road and onto an open grass patch with trees all around. As we drive deeper in, a gate with a “No Trespassing” sign comes into view.

“Okay, Gentleman, we’re here.” Chase says with a huge grin on his face. He looks more excited than anyone to be surveilling the Murphy Mansion. Apparently, unless it’s stealing credit cards or picking safes, he doesn’t get in on any action.

“Once I get into the mainframe I’ll have access to their cameras and security system.” Patrick announces as he opens his laptop and starts typing away. I’ve never been a computer wiz, so whatever he’s doing is beyond me. The sound of an alarm blares through the laptop speakers. There’s a red security alert that flashes across the screen.

“s**t!” Patrick's shoulders tense up as his fingers frantically smash down on different keys of the keyboard.

“What happened?” I ask, knowing that whatever is happening is not supposed to.

“They have a second security wall. I wasn’t expecting that.”

“We’re done before we even get started.” Alex throws up his hands. Chase starts to look a little nervous.

“Patrick, are we good?” I ask, trying to keep down the anxiousness I’ve been feeling all night. He doesn’t respond.

“Dude! What the hell is going on?” Alex shouts.

“Give me a minute!” A few seconds later, the alarm stops and live streams from inside and outside of the mansion display on the screens above him.

“We’re in.” He takes a deep breath before reaching into one of the drawers next to him.

“Put these on and turn them on.” He pulls out three body cameras and gives one to each of us. We did as we were told.

“Are your earpieces in?” We all nod our heads.

“Remember there are no eyes in the tunnel, so stay alert. Once you find your way in, come back. Sandy made it clear that we are not to engage whatsoever.” He side-eyes me, making sure I heard that part.

“Communicate with me as often as you can. I’ll be your eyes on the outside. Everybody good? Any questions?”

“Want to give me a good luck kiss before we go sweetie?” Chase grins at Alex.

“Give me a reason to shoot you in the face.” Alex raises his gun, pointing it at him.

“Maybe later.” Chase chuckles, raising his hands in defeat. I laugh while opening the van door. Anything that makes Alex feel uncomfortable always brings me joy.

We hop the gate and walk into the night woods. The leaves crunch under our feet until we stop in front of a stoned tunnel. Chase brushes aside the branches and leaves covering a chained gate. He lifts the lock to get a closer look at it. After a while, he takes off his backpack and rummages through it until he pulls out a black case with lock pick tools inside. He sprays lubricant inside the keyhole then inserts the tension wrench and the lock pick. After a small turn, the lock is open.

“Alright Gentlemen, you ready? This is where the fun starts.” He beams as he puts all his tools back into the case and back into his backpack. He pushes the gate open and peeks inside before walking in.

The tunnel is dark and quiet. The only sounds coming from water dripping from the cracks of the stone walls and our feet sloshing through puddles. It doesn’t seem like Cole has any men posted here, but we still have two miles of tunnel to get through, so it’s too early to tell.

“Hey, you okay?” Alex asks as he walks next to me.

“Yeah, why?”

“No reason. I was just checking.” The hesitation in his voice let me know it’s something else and I know exactly what it is. I roll my eyes.

“I don’t need you and Sandy checking on me every five minutes. I’m fine.”

“Yeah, well you see– you said the same thing last time and I’m–”

“Alex, I’m fine.” I cut him off.

“What happened in Santa Monica won’t happen again. Now if you guys can trust me and stop treating me like a child, we’ll be good to go.” He nods his head, knowing that debating with me right now is going to get nowhere.

We stop at a dead end. The only movement we could make is up a flimsy and rusted ladder.

“How are you guys doing down there?” I hear Patrick ask through my earpiece.

“We hit a dead end. The only way is up, so my guess is that we’re here.” Chase replies.

“It’s probably going to lead you to a room in the basement, but I’m not sure which one. It looks pretty quiet right now. Keep your eyes open.”

We take our time ascending the ladder, careful not to fall or make any loud noises on the way up.

“Dammit.” Chase mutters under his breath.

“There’s another lock.”

“Okay, so let’s go sticky fingers. Unlock it.” Alex rushes.

“You try picking a lock with one hand.” Chase begins looking around to see if there is anything that can help him.

“Alex, hold him up.” I speak up.

“What? No!”

“Why not? Just let him sit on your shoulder or something.”

“Oh my God, yes!” Chase excitedly blurts out.

“And that right there is the reason why he won’t be touching any part of me, let alone sit on.”

“Look, stop dicking around. Chase, sit on his back and pick the damn lock. Make it quick.” I order. Alex sucks his teeth and lowers his head, so that his back made somewhat of a table. Chase takes off his backpack and rests it on Alex’s back. I hold it up so that he can unzip it and pull out his lockpick case. Once he gets it, I grab the backpack and Chase stabilizes himself on top of Alex while he quickly picks the lock.

“All done.” He announces as he lifts himself off of Alex. I pass Alex the backpack and Chase put the case back inside before putting the bag back on his back.

“You guys are clear to go.” Patrick says through the earpiece.

Chase pushes the door slightly so his eyes can peek through. When he felt it was safe, he stepped up the ladder and out the door. Alex and I follow suit. As I look around, I can tell no one has been in this room for years, maybe even decades. The amount of dust and cobwebs on everything is proof enough. There’s a small twin bed and an old dresser. The rest of the room is empty.

I look under the bed and see a small aluminum container. I bend down to grab it and blow on it to remove some of the dust on top. There’s a picture of little toy soldiers with parachutes falling from the sky in the front of it. I open it and a bunch of little notes fall out.

“What’s that?” Alex asks me.

“I don’t know.” I grab one and open it as I sit on the bed to read them.

January 17th

My Little Soldier,

It’s been a few days since I’ve seen that cute little button face. Mom misses you so much. Your birthday is coming up soon. Make sure you’re a good boy so Dad will let Mommy see you soon.

Love,

Mom

“Looks like they’re notes from Cole’s mother– there’s so many.” Alex bends down and grabs the notes that fall on the floor and starts reading them.

“Guys, we have to get out of here. The mission is to find a way in and leave.” Chase starts to pace around the room when he notices we aren’t listening to him.

January 30th

My Little Soldier,

I’m sorry we couldn’t spend your birthday together. I’ll make it up to you, I promise. Did you like the present I got you? Mommy can’t wait to see you. I miss you so much it hurts.

Love,

Mom

“My Little Soldier…doesn’t that sound like an asshole we know?” Alex says after reading another note.

“You three need to get out of there now!” Patrick’s voice blares through the earpiece.

“Okay, okay, we’re going.” Alex grabs the aluminum container from me and starts to put the notes back inside.

“Let’s go dude.”

April 22nd

My Little Soldier,

I saw a yellow butterfly today and thought of you. I looked at it for hours. I don’t know why, but I couldn’t take my eyes off it and it made me happy. Look to the sky, my Little Soldier, and find your butterfly.

Love,

Mom

‘Find your butterfly?’ Is that why he called Adrienne that? My mind is reeling with this information. His mommy issues run a little deeper than I thought.

“f**k! Listen, do not move! Do not make a sound!” Patrick warns. Soon after, we hear frantic footsteps outside the room.

“How could you let this happen?” A woman’s voice sounds from the other side of the door.

“Where’s the doctor? Didn’t I tell you to call him?” A man’s voice replies and I can tell he’s nervous.

“Yes, of course I called. I called six times and left three voicemails.”

“What about Boss?”

“Same thing.”

“s**t. I’m taking her in. Have a crew on standby and get a car ready.” As I listen closer I can hear their footsteps getting further and further away from the door.

“You guys need to leave now! Now! Now!” Patrick screams and, without hesitation, we race back down the ladder and into the tunnel.

“Oh my God, this can’t be right.”

“What is it Patrick?” I probe as we continue to run.

“That was Ryan, Cole’s right hand. I don’t know who the woman was but Hunter– they have Adrienne.” My body came to a complete stop after hearing her name.

“What did you just say?” Alex questions. My legs feel like jello. I can’t move.

“It’s Adrienne and she’s in bad shape.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I saw her clear as day but there was a lot of blood.”

It can’t be her. I saw her die. I know I did. It can’t be her. Nothing is making sense. My heart pounds in my eardrums as I try to bring logic into my mind of chaos. No, it can’t be. She burned in that car. Memories of that night play in my head.

“Hunter!” Alex grabs my shoulder, bringing me back to the present.

“Dude, whether it’s her or not, we need to move. Let’s go.” I nod my head and the three of us dash through the tunnel as fast as we can. When we get to the van, Patrick already has it running with the door open for us to jump in.

“They already left the mansion but I'm tracking them. So we need to be quick.” Before I even realize what’s happening, I grab Patrick by the neck causing him to fall back in his chair.

“What the hell Hunter?!” He tries to push me off of him but I’m like a boulder.

“Are you trying to f**k with me?” I tighten my grip around his neck. “I saw her f*****g die! Are you trying to f**k with me?! I will snap your f*****g neck if you’re f*****g with me. Do you hear me?!”

“Hunter! Stop! Let him go!” Alex tries to grab me but I push him off with my free hand.

“You’re wasting ti–time.” Patrick gasps out. Chase wraps his hands behind my neck while locking my arms in. Alex quickly moves Patrick out the way, knowing that Chase wouldn’t be able to hold me for long.

“Dude! Calm down, he’s telling the truth. Just look, he’s telling the truth.” Alex points at the screens.

“Just look.” His eyes are begging me to listen to him. I turn my head to look at the screens. My heart drops to my stomach when I see her. My feet drag as I try to get closer. This can’t be right. It can’t be. I trace the outline of her face, her lips. It’s really her.

“Oh, Gorgeous.” I sigh as I close my eyes. The sound of the van door closing snaps me awake. I turn around and look at Patrick.

“I’m sorry man. I don’t know what came over me.” I hold out my hand.

“It’s fine.” He replies, grabbing it.

“We’re all pretty mind-blown right now, so no harm, no foul. Next time though, I’m gonna kick your ass.” His tone is humorous, but I know he’s serious.

“Let’s go get your girl.” Chase is already in the driver's seat, pulling the van out of the woods.

“The nearest hospital is twenty miles north from here. The only way to get there is from this road. We need to get her now because if she gets to that hospital they’ll have it surrounded and we won’t be able to get her out. I called Sandy already and she gave me the location of a safehouse out here with a doctor already on the way there.”

“Okay, so what’s the plan?” Alex asks.

“There are three SUVs. Adrienne is in the first one with Ryan. We take out the two in the back and disable the first one to get Adrienne out quickly and safely.”

“Okay and how are we going to do that?” Alex asks the question we are all thinking. His face lights up when Patrick pulls out a drone from the bottom drawer.

“It’s about time I get to use it!” Alex cheers.

“Sorry man, maybe another time. You two need to be out there to take care of whoever the drone doesn’t get.” He says, pointing at Alex and Chase.

“Hunter, I'll leave Ryan and Adrienne to you.”

We all agree to the plan and assume our positions in the woods. As I wait crouched down hidden by a high patch of grass and bushes, I’m still trying to process the fact that she’s still alive. She’s the reason he went into hiding. He’s had her this whole time. My heart clenches as I think about her in his arms for a month. The pain she probably went through, how scared she must have been. My grip tightens on my gun as my anger begins to surface.

“They’re closing in. Eyes up.” Patrick announces through the earpiece, pulling me away from my thoughts.

Moments later, three black SUV’s round the corner. I can hear the buzzing of the drone flying above us. Soon after, two grenades launch out of it. One after the other, blowing up the last two SUVs. The car Adrienne is in slams on the brakes and I take the opportunity to shoot out two driver-side tires. Three men burst open the car doors and use them to shield themselves from the bullets Alex and Chase are firing.

One man tries to run into the woods but a bullet goes straight through his skull. The other two are trying to shoot back, but with the two car explosions, it’s hard for them to see what they’re shooting at. I make sure not to make myself known because I still haven’t seen Ryan come out yet.

The two men start to inch away from the SUV, knowing that staying there will only leave them with a bullet in their head. They are sitting ducks and they know it.

“Come out, come out little piggies. The big bad wolf is ready to play.” Alex hums loudly, drawing their attention to him.

Gunshots light up the night sky but my focus is on getting Adrienne away from Ryan and out of that car. I look through the scope of my gun and another door opens. Ryan crouches down as he tries to get to the driver's side of the SUV. Seeing his face resurfaced all the anger I’ve been trying to suppress. All of Adrienne’s suffering– her pain, he caused it. Yes, under someone else’s orders, but his hands are dirty nonetheless.

I aim at his leg and pull the trigger. I shoot again and the other bullet hits him in the stomach. His screams charge my adrenaline as I sprint towards the SUV. I’m going to end anyone who hurt Adrienne and Ryan is at the top of my list, right under Cole. He almost makes it to the driver's seat but I pull him out before he can take off. I punch him over and over again, not giving him a chance to figure out what’s going on. Punch after punch until I see blood and feel his bones crack under my fist.

Every tear she shed, every scar on her body, I’m going to make him feel tenfold. I throw him to the ground and my gun along with it. I don’t need it to deal with this prick. I kick him, shoving my boot into the gun wound on his stomach. Blood spurts out of his mouth and onto his face and the street.

His eyes are wild with panic as he scrambles trying to get away. I’m blind with rage as I hover over him. I want him to suffer. I grab the sides of his head and bash it into the ground as hard as I can again and again. The sound of his skull cracking fuels my wrath, making me knock his head down harder and harder.

“HUNTER!” Two pairs of hands grab me and yank me off of him.

“Hunter, stop! He’s dead.” Alex’s voice pierces through the red cloud that’s fogging my vision.

“He’s dead. We have to get Adrienne.” When I hear her name I instantly, stop struggling and run to the backseat.

There she is, lying on the seat, still as a board. A tear falls from my eye as I climb into the car, closer to her. I brush the back of my hand down her cheek. Her skin is cold to the touch. I can’t believe it’s her. It’s really her.

“Hunter, we gotta get her to the doctor dude.” Alex warns. I look down and see bloody bandages wrapped around her wrist. Blood stains all over her clothes and body.

‘What happened to her?’

Unknown POV

“Did everything go as planned?”

“Yes, they found the tunnel. Adrienne is with them now.”

“Good. Any casualties?”

“Ryan and three guards.”

“Cole?”

“Carmen is keeping him distracted just like you asked her to.” I smile knowing my plan is finally coming together. Everything I lost I’m going to get back and then some.

“What next?”

“Next, we just sit and watch. Cole, Sandy, Hunter– they all show their weaknesses when Adrienne is involved. They lose focus. They miss things, and that’s exactly how we’ll come out on top.