TWIN HOWLS: A Tale Of Vengeance

Chapter 3

Another night, finding out this city and Xander was roaming the woods in search of a prey for dinner. He doesn't know a lot about this city and so has no idea where to find lunch. In fact, he had no money on him to start with. The shabby looking house he was living in was even made by him. He and his brother had learnt a lot of survival skills out there together when they were still little. Well, until Xavier left. Great hunting skills were among these survival skills.

Xander marched on casually wielding an axe which he hung by his shoulder. Although his steps were so casual and careless, they were as silent as the night itself. He had learned to walk stealthily over the years. He could even walk by a sleeping dog without knowing someone was there. It wasn't just bluff, it was what he had done before. He continued to stroll casually between the shrubs and trees until his ears suddenly twitched, and he halted in his tracks. He crouches immediately, hiding behind the thick shrubs. He easily blended in with the darkness as he was putting on a black dress. A colour he had deliberately picked. He narrowed his eyes as he looked closely at the bushes ahead. There was an animal there and he was sure of it. His nose twitched as he perceived the scent of the animal. -A boar! He muttered within and a smile crept up his lips. He loved that specific animal and had always loved to hunt it. From his supernatural smelling ability, he could tell that the boar was exactly ten meters away from where he was. He instantly thought that the best way to attack this animal was from the top, as boars possess a bit of speed. His eyes instantly had a momentary glint of blue, very sharp and short-lived. Then his fingers grew into claws and his teeth became all sharp. With an effortless leap, he was hanging on the bark of a nearby tree. Silently, he made his way to the top with his axe still strapped behind him. As soon as he got to the top, he glanced down towards where the boar was. And there was the animal, silently resting on its own. Another smile crept up Xander's lips as he unstrapped his axe from his back, wielding the slayer weapon dangerously.

He could have easily transformed into his wolf form and attacked the boar without much stress, but Xander didn't want to rip his clothes apart. He didn't even have much, so why would he rip them apart when he could just hunt without transforming? He finds a strong branch and stands upon it, holding the tree for support with his left hand and wielding the axe with the other.

Then, he arches his legs and bends a little before lunging himself upward into the air. As he flies in the air, he grabs hold of the axe tightly with both hands. Then as he lands, he digs the axe's blade into the animal's back. "Ahh!!!" a loud screechy cry escaped the animal's throat. With the axe now inside the boar's back, Xander rips it out, tearing the animal's flesh along with it. A pool of crimson blood flooded the ground as the boar became lifeless. Then a smirk of satisfaction appeared on Xander's face.

"Dinner time" ... A brown-haired man walked calmly through the hallway that very night. He was dressed in a brown trench coat and a brown Panama hat to match. His black shoe tapped the floor rhythmically as he made his way along the hallway. He was none other than Detective Xavier Vesther himself. In his grip was a brown envelope which evidently had some documents in it as it had a little bulge. He got to a particular doorstep and rolled his fist to knock. Knock. Knock. Knock. Three consecutive knocks resounded on the brown door and a husky voice boomed from within. "Come in". And Xavier walked in, ever so calmly.

"Chief" he voiced, referring to the chubby man who sat behind the wide black desk. His protruded tummy looked like an oversized watermelon. His head was bald at the center but had little hair at both sides, and it was as though he had no neck as his head was sunken into his shoulders. This is Chief West Jones, the chief officer of the CIA. "Ahh, my favourite detective" the man replied before puffing out a puddle of smoke from the cigar pipe that was in between his lips. "What do you have for me?" he asked immediately after he was done with the smoking. Placing the envelope gently upon the desk, Xavier said "These are the reports from last night's murder case". Chief Jones gave him a plain glance before slowly reaching for the envelope. He began to read each of the files after he had unearthed them from the envelope. As he did this, Xavier spoke. "Sir, can I bring to your notice my suspicion of Lord Cornelius Levin? " He asked, and the man instantly replied by rolling his eyes exasperatedly. "Are we at this again uhn, Vesther?" he questioned, putting on a stern demeanor. "I have told you, we don't act on suspicions and guesses, we act on evidence".

By now, he had dropped the files he was wielding and now had his arms crossed on his table, looking intently at Xavier. "Once you can provide tangible evidence against him to support your suspicions, we'll take all necessary actions we need to take" the man added, his small green eyes looking convincingly at Xavier. Xavier remained silent for some seconds and so did Jones. While Xavier was trying to pinpoint the chief's emotions, his eyes narrowed as he peered closely into his eyes. Jones was awaiting Xavier's next statement. He knew there was something off about that wealthy prick who calls himself Lord Cornelius. His identity as a successful business person was just a cover-up. There was surely something secretive about him, although no one thought of this, Xavier was definite about it. And looking at the way this plump chief was responding to his allegations, it was also getting a bit suspicious.

The detective quickly put on a normal demeanor and brightened up to conceal his actual emotion. "Of course, Chief" he said lightly, although his face still remained expressionless. Xavier oftentimes didn't laugh, it was rare and almost impossible for anyone to even see him smile and not to talk about laughing. Guess that's just how he was. The man nodded his head and after Xavier informed him that he would be taking his leave, he was dismissed. Xavier left his office afterward. ... Good thing he was on leave tonight. It was compensation for the great and awesome deeds he had done for the authorities and the city at large.

Xavier laid there in bed, thinking a lot about what he had tried to discuss with the chief. He could see through the crooked face underneath Lord Cornelius' good face mask. His mind drifted to when the man gave a public speech two days ago at City Hall. He had looked all nice and humble, preaching how he had struggled to achieve all he currently possessed. How he helped the poor and needy and raised the orphans. But to Xavier, all those were just fantasies, a public delusion to misguide the mass. Xavier really didn't trust him. His thoughts soon overloaded him and, coupled with the stress of the day's work, he soon dosed off to sleep. The loud blaring of his phone's ringtone was what woke him up. He sleepily reached for it and placed it on his ear, not even bothering to check the caller ID. What came next into his ears, however, got him....well, dumbstruck. "The Chief is dead''.

Xavier's heart races as he processes the shocking news of Chief Jones' death. With a sense of urgency, he springs out of bed, his mind racing with questions and suspicions. Little does he know, this unexpected turn of events will lead him down a path filled with danger and deception, and the truth he seeks may be more elusive than he ever imagined.