The Runaway Huntress
Chapter 67 - 66

Chapter 67: Chapter 66

Chapter 66

Melisca collected the weapons on her body one by one and gently placed them on the tray. "Uh, my gun was in the backpack. I forgot that I had one. And my laptop also." It went off her mind that she had a firearm with her. She often used her blades rather than that long-range weapon.

"I also had to pat your body in case of anything else that you were hiding from us." Portia added another of their procedures.

She nodded and allowed the woman to touch her.

"Now, please step through the body scanner. It was all for security measures."

She complied diligently. "I understand."

Portia nodded. "You can wait here while they are inspecting your things or wait outside with Lorna." Then she left her and went to the room where the guy who took her bag entered.

She glanced at the wall clock far ahead. It was almost 6:00 pm. She wondered where she could have her dinner, feeling a little bit hungry from traveling. She decided to get back to Lorna so that she could ask her.

"Lorna, how do I get my dinner here?" She questioned immediately as she plopped herself down beside the girl.

"There were free meals if you had no money or were on a tight budget. But you can also choose to buy your own food at the canteen if you want to." Lorna explained. "You’re already hungry? Where did all the food go into your stomach? You just consumed a meal enough to keep you full until tomorrow evening."

She shrugged. "That was just for lunch. And I took a dump before we left." That’s a lie, of course. She didn’t also understand her metabolism. She just blamed being a half-wolf for it.

Lorna’s face scrunched when she heard that and chuckled. "That’s why. You may get indigestion from eating a lot at once. I’ll accompany you to dinner later."

"What about your father? I’m sure he wanted you to join him."

The girl’s face instantly turned grim when she mentioned him. "Right. I forgot. But maybe I can make an excuse or something."

"No. You should have time with your dad. Or else he would blame me for taking away his daughter when you just got back. And I’ll be having a hard time then."

"It’ll be harder for me. Don’t worry." Lorna bumped her shoulder lightly. "You heard him earlier."

Melisca can’t refrain from smiling at the girl’s playfulness at times. That made her wonder too. If only her parents were still alive, would she have a younger sister or brother? That thought would only remain forever in her dreams, though.

Her smile vanished, and she looked straight ahead. Her eyes scanned the room once more. Again, with the white walls, a few people around with their computers, another glass wall from the side, and a door far ahead. There were piles of papers beside each desktop. What could they be working on?

"What are they into?" She whispered to Lorna.

"I’m not sure either. Everyone’s work is confidential."

She wanted to press more, even if it were just some wild guess. But she didn’t want to appear curious enough to be suspicious. She put a palm against her eyes, pretending to rub her temple. But she was actually trying to use her wolf vision to zoom in on some papers while trying to hide the crescent shape in her pupils with a golden glow behind her fingers, peeping through it with her left eye.

"Are you okay? Do you have a headache?" Lorna noticed Liz’s actions. The woman was leaning forward and looked in pain. She crouched beside her new friend, and she wanted to touch her arm, but she restrained herself from doing so. "Liz?"

"Yes, I’m fine. Just a bit of a headache." She answered half-heartedly while her eyes were trying to understand what was on the paper, and she moved to the next table. She could feel Lorna was getting worried for her, but she did not pay her any attention. She had to focus on reading the details on the printed sheet, where her eyes could see what was on the paper. It was some sort of report, maybe. There were numbers and graphs. Was it something about accounting? She didn’t understand that kind of stuff.

"Maybe you were just tired enough from a lot of travelling since yesterday." Lorna was biting her lip, worried about Liz’s state. "I’ll help you to settle immediately on your sleeping quarters so that you get to rest early. And I’ll explain things tomorrow morning then. Oh, and we can go to the clinic to ask for some medicine."

"No. There’s no need for that." She moved her hand away from her face and sat straight. "I said I’m fine. Maybe I’m just hungry?" She even gave a small smile so that Lorna would stop caring too much. She doesn’t want it, and it was too uncomfortable for her, especially when she offered those things. There was just a feeling of irritation inside her.

"Maybe. Then we’ll eat after we get you a bed. Are you sure you don’t want to stay with me?" Lorna tried to talk to her again about settling with her in her private quarters in the camp.

Liz looked at her solemnly. "No. I’ll be fine with everyone. And you should tell me all the things here later. Don’t skip anything. I had to survive in this place so that I could be an excellent hunter." Determination was glowing in her eyes.

She bobbed her head in response. "Of course! Don’t worry. No one would dare bully you. You have me." She clung to Liz’s arms and she felt her flinch a little. She can sense the woman wasn’t used by anyone’s touch.

There she goes again. Clinging to her. Melisca sighed inwardly. And she can’t just push her away. That would be overly rude and Lorna had been useful for her so far. She can keep her close as long as the girl can help her. She just had to tolerate her being clingy and adjust her cold behavior towards Lorna. Or to anyone who could be an advantage for her.

After a few minutes, Portia returned and gestured for her to get back in the glass wall room. She stood up and proceeded inside. All her things were laid on the table. There was a line that separated the things for two. The left was her backpack and weapons. The other were her gadgets, cigarettes and electric lighter.

"Smoking is not allowed here?"

"Dear, that’s poison for your lungs. And yes. It’s strictly prohibited here. We had to avoid a fire disaster at all cost." The woman said, like explaining to a child.

Portia lifted the dagger knife that she brought from the antique shop. At first, the woman winced and jerked her hand off before trying for the second time to hold it. "Actually, we found this one suspicious." She held the weapon close to her face, examining it again in front of her. "But one of our senior inspectors vouched that it was fine for you to have it. It was remarkably sharp. The sharpest we tested for a blade weapon so far. And added to that, the frostbite from the first touch. Where did you get it?"

"In some antique shop many years ago. From the other country." She had to make up things so that they won’t investigate it further, making it hard for them to trace the object.

"Did you ask for more details about it?"

"Yes. But the seller said that she just found that among the things of her deceased mother. So, she didn’t know much about it too." She shrugged her shoulders, giving a confident answer. It was true from what the white-haired woman said earlier that day.

Portia placed down the knife. "And then your money and checkbook. Did you rob a bank before you get here?"

The woman couldn’t be serious. But her face said it all. She was even squinting her eyes at her.

That made Melisca burst out in laughter. She didn’t mean it. But she just can’t stop herself. "No. I had a legal job. As you know I’m an authorized bounty huntress. It pays enough." She proudly said.

"Then why do you want to be a hunter for another beings? Humans were easier to hunt."

Melisca didn’t know there was another set of interviews. Or maybe this woman was just being too nosy.

"Though we pay higher here." Portia added.

That made Melisca’s interest returned. "There’s a salary here? And you pay more?"

Portia’s forehead knotted. "Of course, we pay our hunters. If they were already on the field and completed their assignments. If not, they would be paid by half only. It depends how hard the prey would be and what type of supernatural. Didn’t you read the document you signed?"

Melisca felt stupid to answer no. But it was truly foolish of her. For the second time, someone pointed out her lack of reading the material.

"Anyway." The woman waved off a hand. She could have noticed her hesitance to answer or probably knew it already. "You can keep everything on the left, and we’ll take what’s on the right. We’ll secure them in a vault. "And here’s your card. Take care of it."

"Thanks, madam." She reached out for the card. And she was grateful that she got to carry her new favorite knife. She was already attached to it though she just bought it earlier that day. She collected her weapons and placed them back to where she attached them to her body. Her gadgets weren’t a big deal for her though. She got no one to contact outside.

Suddenly, Ezekiel emerged in her thoughts again. She wanted to laugh at herself. She doesn’t even have his number or know if he uses a mobile phone. And there was a high chance that he didn’t know where she was. Would he look for me again? That idea stirred something inside her and it somehow made her excited to get out of there fast. She rumpled her hair and exhaled loudly.