Previous Chapter Excerpt:
I chuckled at her frustration; her sweet face looked even more attractive when she was angry.
"You know today is your assignment, right?" she said.
"Go, and never come back here again, Kav."
Hearing Vinnie's words, I felt a slight tightness in my chest.
"What about you? Will you follow me?"
"You won't die if I'm not with you, Kav."
After saying that, Vinnie stood up and walked out, leaving me behind, still confused.
~~~~
The bright sky had now been replaced by darkness, signaling that it was time for Kav to carry out his assigned mission. His tasks included capturing or killing individuals deemed a threat to the existence of the laboratory, as well as kidnapping animals and humans to be used as new test subjects.
Kav never worked alone. He was always accompanied by a team responsible for cleaning up crime scenes, transporting unconscious victims, or even burying human corpses. The lab executives deliberately sent out their creations like Kav for several reasons: beings like him left no fingerprints, had no government-registered blood samples, possessed DNA and RNA closer to animals than humans, and the claw marks they left behind resembled those of wild beasts—leaving investigators completely baffled.
In over a hundred years, they had successfully created terrifying creatures—ones that would eventually turn on them.
"Is subject 0034 ready to hunt?" asked one of the lab workers.
"Yes, 0034 and the assigned team are ready," answered Hannah, the mission controller. Vinnie and three others were already in the truck, waiting for Kav, who was still locked in a cage to prevent him from going berserk during the trip.
"Kav is loaded in. Are you ready?" Hannah asked.
"Yes, we're ready," Vinnie replied briefly.
Without delay, the truck drove off, leaving the lab behind. The bumpy road always greeted them during missions, intensifying the tension in the air.
"Ben, are you sure the coordinates are correct?" Vinnie asked.
Ben nodded.
Sitting in the back compartment, Vinnie kept her eyes on the monitor. This truck was specially designed for missions like these.
"Intan, are you okay with joining us tonight?" Ben asked from the driver's seat.
Intan paused for a moment. "Do you think I'm not fit for this mission, senior?" she responded.
Vinnie and Bagas chuckled. Did Ben really not tell her what this job entailed? He had basically thrown a bird into a lion's den.
"Well, let's hope you don't faint during the mission," said Bagas.
Intan looked confused. What exactly were her seniors warning her about? But she should've had a clue when she saw Kav loaded into the truck inside a sealed cage. A bit of attention would've sparked some concern.
"Don't scare the junior too much," Vinnie warned. "What if she panics and ruins the mission?"
Vinnie understood Intan's anxiety. She had once been in her shoes—ordered into the field by Dr. Jhon years ago. That very night, she had died... only to be resurrected in the body and memories of a five-year-old child. It was horrifying to recall. Worse, her own father and grandfather had performed those insane experiments on their own bloodline—without care for whether the subject was a child or even a baby.
"We're here," Ben announced, breaking the silence.
The truck had arrived in an open field surrounded by towering grass and trees. At the far end stood a small building enclosed by a metal fence.
"Release Kav. Instruct him to attack immediately," Vinnie commanded. Ben and Bagas didn't hesitate. They opened the truck's rear doors and carefully rolled Kav's cage onto the ground.
"Alright, Ben. Once the top and cage are off, we run straight back inside," said Bagas, his voice slightly shaky.
They exchanged a look, then nodded. As soon as the locks were opened, they sprinted back into the truck, sealing the doors behind them.
Through the monitor, the four of them watched Kav's terrifying transformation—his claws sharpened, his eyes turned red, and his fangs glinted in the darkness.
"Is he... a werewolf?" Intan finally asked, still in disbelief.
"Yes. He is," Vinnie answered calmly.
"But why doesn't his face change? And why doesn't he grow fur?"
The others nearly burst out laughing. Did she really think Kav was a mythical creature?
"Come on, you can't be serious!" Bagas laughed.
"You need to understand the kind of place you work in, Intan," Vinnie added, still amused.
Intan stared at Kav again. Was he really a werewolf, or just a drugged-out human?
"Next time, trim your boyfriend's hair, Vinnie. People keep mistaking him for a real werewolf," Ben joked, wiping a tear from his eye.
Intan was even more confused. She'd joined the lab to study scientists' behavior—never realizing it housed dozens of monsters that could easily end her life. But was Kav a real person, or something else entirely?
"Save your questions," said Vinnie. "If you want to survive here, act like one of them."
Vinnie then pointed to one of the smaller screens showing the inside of the house—a peaceful family enjoying dinner together. Why had the lab ordered Kav to target them?
"Kav, go in." Vinnie's voice came through the sensor in Kav's ear.
As if on command, Kav breached the electrified fence surrounding the house. Seeing the defenses, the team was sure the family knew an attack was coming.
"To take down Kav, they'd need at least a hundred butcher knives," Ben commented. Bagas and Vinnie nodded.
"Why was Kav sent to kill them?" Intan asked.
Vinnie sighed and answered, "This is to assess how deeply Kav's primal instincts run."
She continued, "It's also his final mission. The scientists want to see if Kav's memories resurface during this task—because the way he was brought here, and the timing, are the same as before."
Intan nodded, beginning to understand. But there was something Vinnie feared—Kav's anger erupting if his memories returned all at once. If that happened, tonight would be a nightmare.
"Vin... Kav's heartbeat is irregular. His brain signals are spiking!"
Just as Ben said that, the emergency alarm blared inside the truck—its deafening sound threatening to burst their eardrums.
"Damn it!"