The Hunter's List

The Hunter's List
Sarah's POV

I snatched up my gun and slipped over to the stairs. I could hear more and more footsteps in my kitchen.

Even though Elena was right behind me, I could tell she was still having trouble using the laptop. She had trembling hands.

"How many people are up there?" I muttered.

Elena focused and closed her silver eyes. "Two. Three, perhaps. I can feel their heartbeats even though they're trying to be quiet."

We arrived at the top of the stairs in the basement. I heard my refrigerator being opened. On the kitchen counter, someone else was sorting through my mail.

They were at my house. My refuge.

I was simultaneously scared and angry. These murderers believed they could simply enter my life and seize control of it.

I mouthed, "On three," to Elena.

My phone buzzed with another message before I could count. The sound reverberated throughout the silent home.

The sound of footsteps ceased in the kitchen.

A man's voice said, "She's here." "In the basement."

I heard footsteps running toward the door of the basement.

"Move!" Elena yelled.

Two individuals wearing black masks emerged at the top of the stairs as we dashed back down. A crossbow was owned by one of them. The silver knife was in the other's possession.

The man brandishing the crossbow called down, "Detective Chen." "All we want to do is talk."

"Yeah right," I shouted back. "People don't break into houses to talk."

Still motionless against the wall, Elena seized the dummy Morrison. He was able to move again after she placed her hand on his forehead.

"What's happening?" Morrison took a sharp breath.

I pointed my gun at the stairs and said, "Your friends came to visit."

Morrison did something that startled me at that point. He burst out laughing.

He told Elena and me, "You idiots still don't get it." "This whole thing is bigger than you can imagine."

"What are you talking about?" Elena made a demand.

Morrison grinned malevolently. "The Hunters don't murder people at random. We've got a system. A contest.

The men from upstairs began to descend the steps to the basement. They stopped after I fired two warning shots.

I pointed my gun at the stairs and said to Morrison, "Tell us about this competition."

"We have a contest every year. A prize is awarded to the hunter who kills the most people.

"What kind of prize?"

"Cash. A lot of it. They also get to pick the target location for the following year.

My stomach turned over. "Target location?"

Morrison's smile widened. "Detective, we don't just hunt people. We hunt whole communities.

Morrison was caught by the shirt by Elena. "Whole towns?"

"People trust each other in small places. where the doors are left unlocked at night. where there are only two or three police officers and they are unable to deal with several murderers at once."

I was ill. "How many towns?"

"Last year, we hit three different towns. killed a total of 47 people. made disappearances, suicides, and accidents appear to have occurred.

The sound of footsteps returned to the stairs. I shot another warning.

"Remain back!" I yelled.

"Detective, you can't stay down there forever," was the text that buzzed on my phone. Your house is surrounded by us.

Elena caught my eye. "Is it possible to determine whether there are more people outside?"

Elena gave a slow nod. "A minimum of six more. They are armed.

We were confined.

Morrison continued to talk as if he was having fun. "A Montana college town is this year's target. Millfield. 3,847 people. In two days, the competition will begin.

"How many Hunters are going there?" Elena inquired.

"Fifteen. Before anyone discovers what's going on, they will disperse throughout the town to see who can murder the most people.

I was furious and my hands were shaking. There was nothing I could do to alert the nearly 4,000 innocent people who were about to be in danger.

Morrison went on, "The winner gets half a million dollars." "They also get to choose the target for next year."

Anger flared in Elena's silver eyes. "We must put an end to them."

"You can't stop us," Morrison chuckled. "You cannot be in Montana and Colorado simultaneously, even if you manage to get out of this basement. Tomorrow night, the hostage situation in Colorado will take place. Tomorrow morning marks the beginning of the Millfield hunt.

He was correct. We were unable to save everyone.

Elena then did something I had never seen her do before. She closed her eyes and placed both hands on the walls of the basement. Silver light began to hum throughout the house's foundation.

I said, "What are you doing?"

Elena gritted her teeth and said, "Something risky."

All of the electronics in my home suddenly began to malfunction. The lights flickered on and off. Upstairs, the TV flicked quickly on and off. Outside, car alarms began to sound.

A high-pitched whining sound filled the air, causing the men on the stairs to stumble and cover their ears.

"Now!" Elena yelled.

We dashed up the stairs and past the bewildered men. Everyone's phones, radios, and even gun sights were being affected by Elena's electronic chaos.

We stormed out the back door and into my kitchen. Dark figures were running around my yard, but they all appeared perplexed by the electronic noise.

Elena took my car keys out of my pocket and tossed them at me. "Go! I'll divert their attention."

We got into my vehicle. Elena placed her hands on the dashboard while I turned on the engine. My block's streetlights all began to flash like disco.

"Which way?" As I backed out of my driveway, I asked.

"Airport," Elena exclaimed. "We must travel to Montana."

"What about the Colorado hostages?"

Elena's eyes were silver and tired as she gazed at me. "I must tell you something, Sarah. I am able to divide my consciousness.

"What does that mean?"

"I have the ability to be in two places at once. However, it's extremely risky. I've never given it more than a few minutes of my time.

Hunter was staggering down the street, his electronics sparking, and I swerved around him.

"How dangerous?"

"I could die entirely if I split myself and one part of me is destroyed. Or worse, I could be permanently trapped between two locations.

We arrived at the main road. Elena's electronic interference was slowing down the headlights that I could see following us.

I said, "There must be another way."

Elena gave a headshake. "Sarah, nearly four thousand people are going to die if we don't stop the Millfield hunt. And if we don't go to Colorado, twelve hostages will perish."

Thinking hard, I sped up my driving. There was no wise decision.

"What if we alerted the authorities in both locations?"

"Police officers are employed by the Hunters. We are unsure of whom to trust.

My phone rang. It was my partner, Detective Torres.

"Where are you, Sarah? Your neighborhood is rife with reports of electronic malfunctions and break-ins.

Elena caught my eye. Could Torres be trusted? Morrison had been my partner for eight years, but he had totally deceived us.

Elena could read my face. "You have a choice, Sarah. But make a quick decision.

I took the call. "I need you to do something without question, Torres."

"What's going on, Sarah?"

"Give the Montana FBI office a call. Inform them that tomorrow morning there will be a mass casualty event in Millfield. Several murderers, perhaps fifteen or more.

"You're not making sense, Sarah."

"Just do it, Torres! Additionally, inform them that the murderers belong to a group known as The Hunters.

A long silence fell. Then Torres said something that chilled me to the bone.

"How did you find out that we call ourselves The Hunters, Sarah?"

Elena and I gazed at one another.

One of them was my own partner.

"Torres," I muttered into the telephone. "How long—"

"Sarah, eight years. from the very start. What do you think caused so many of your cases to remain unresolved? Why do you think it took you so long to get promoted?

Elena took the phone away from me. "This is Elena, Torres. I'll find you if you hurt Sarah.

Torres chuckled. "You supernatural freak, Elena. For you, we have been making plans. Was Morrison the only fictitious person we've used, in your opinion?

"What do you mean?"

"Torres, your beloved partner, Sarah? Five years ago, he lost his life in an automobile accident. Since then, I've been wearing his face. similar to how we donned Morrison's face today.

I briefly lost control, causing the car to swerve. Five years. For five years, I had been collaborating with a murderer.

"How many of you are there?" Elena made a demand.

"More than you can think of. We've been following your career, Sarah. Getting to know your habits. preparing for the moment when you'll become an issue."

That's when I came to a horrible realization.

"Elena, they are aware of everyone I care about if they have been observing me for eight years. Mrs. Huang, my nephew, and my sister..."

"That's right, Sarah," a phony Torres said on the phone. "Everyone is known to us. And we don't simply kill the twelve hostages if you don't show up in Colorado tomorrow night."

"What are you saying?"

"Everyone you have ever cared about is killed by us. beginning with the six
\-year-old son of your sister.

The phone died.

As I drove to the airport, Elena and I sat quietly. The Hunters were no longer merely pursuing random people.

My family was the target of their attacks.