Chapter 32: Blood predator
Kaiser broke the silence, his tone uncharacteristically serious. "It’s Ben, guys. We know him. We’re not gonna put him down like some monster. We’ll talk sense into him, find a way to bring him back."
Hassan nodded, but his eyes betrayed his doubt. "Yeah... we gotta try."
Yuki snapped the glossary shut with a sharp clap. "We grab weapons. Something to subdue him—not kill him—in case words don’t work."
They rummaged through the shelves, hands brushing over blades, chains, and vials filled with liquids—among them, even holy oil. Hassan grabbed a steel dagger. Yuki chose a pair of throwing knives with polished bone hilts. Kaiser, with a smirk, opted for a curved dagger, twirling it like a toy. Carter, meanwhile, paused in front of a wooden bat wrapped in barbed wire and rusted nails.
Hassan raised an eyebrow, eyeing the weapon. "You seriously planning to beat him to death with that?"
Carter sighed, hefting the bat. "I just hope I don’t have to use it, man."
Yuki double-checked that his sister wasn’t nearby, then led the group back upstairs. They piled into the Ford, the atmosphere still tense but resolved. Hassan revved the engine, roaring toward the park.
Night had fallen, the deserted streets bathed in the moon’s silver glow. The park loomed ahead, its towering pines and winding paths now sinister. The jogging trail—where bloodless bodies had been found—was their destination.
Ben was out there somewhere, transformed into an uncontrollable predator.
---
The forest bordering the jogging path was swallowed by an almost tangible darkness, the pines casting jagged shadows under the pale moonlight. The group moved cautiously, weapons clenched in sweaty hands. The night’s silence was oppressive, broken only by the crunch of leaves underfoot and their hushed, strained whispers.