Ruby peered intently at each of the humans behind their helmets. They all had clear, lively brown eyes. Her gaze dropped to their chests, shoulders, and stomachs, which moved to the rhythm of their inhalations.
They breathe.
Seriously! A vampire asking for human protection? No way!
The clatter of rugged boots on broken glass shattered Ruby's focus. Her sharp gaze scanned the group as they lined up in an arc. Rifles and ballistic batons were brandished.
From which direction will they attack?
The line in the middle was split in two.
The Riot leader took off his helmet and threw it carelessly. His completely gray hair contrasted sharply with his sturdy posture.
"Why is there an ugly monster here? Don't many legends say vampires and werewolf monsters are enemies? Where is that idiot vampire?" the leader asked in surprise, giving Ruby a disgusted look.
Ruby glanced slightly at the bottom of the bed, ensuring Jay's position was safe.
"Jemma, do you think Jayden Gavian was attacked by this animal?"
One of the squad members stepped forward. His head was lowered as he spoke to the leader, though he sounded familiar.
"Vampires have bigger egos than you think, Michael. They're cunning. Even if Jay loses, he'll try to survive. He can't die at the hands of others. We have to stab him in the heart," Jemma stated firmly.
That's a big mistake! And who are you to decide life and death? Ruby wanted to rebuke him, but instead, she just growled.
"What should we do?"
"Comb around, Jay probably hasn't gotten far," Jemma instructed.
"What about the woman with Jayden?"
"Obviously, eaten by vampire, Stupid. Don't worry about anything else. Let's go!"
"And, what about this monster?" Michael asked.
"Just leave it alone. Don't disrupt the food chain." Jemma turned around.
The Riot Squad's footsteps followed.
Wait.
Jemma's eyelids prevented him from continuing. He turned back to Ruby. This time, his focus shifted to the fiery red ruby necklace.
What are you looking at?
"That's not an ordinary monster. There's immense energy trapped in that necklace," Jemma said. "Disarm the wolf and take the necklace."
"Yes, sir!"
Damn it!
The wolf queen's howls echoed with the clink of batons. Ruby quickly kicked those who were pumping their rifles from the left flank. The aim went haywire in all directions. The shooters fell instantly as their chests were crushed by the wolves' powerful weight, while the rest continued to fire at Ruby.
The wolf's evasive speed wasn't as fast as a vampire's. Furthermore, the room was cramped. However, Ruby managed to miss the bullets repeatedly. Finally, Ruby let out a shriek as one of the bullets pierced her skin, and two members fired simultaneously. It wasn't clear which organ it had lodged in, but the fact that Ruby was still able to break their legs and arms meant the pain was tolerable. She just needed to make sure none of the bullets hit vital organs.
The last of the riflemen screamed. A helmet was crushed under Ruby's foot, while its owner dangled, bitten by the queen. One of Michael's shoulders was torn off. Watching the staffmen retreat in fear, Ruby wanted to savor it a little longer.
"Help…! Jemma, help!" Michael whimpered.
Jemma ignored his friend. He continued to urge the troops, most of whom were wielding batons, to advance. However, their legs were already trembling. They had already defeated the troops with rifles, let alone those armed with batons.
"You idiots! Why are you backing off? Attack and paralyze them! Let me take the necklace!" Jemma snapped.
Michael's arm was severed, and his screams rang out like a death knell for the living. Ruby threw Michael over the balcony, his body plummeting.
"You bastard wolves!" Jemma raged, brandishing a rifle that was far different from his troops.
Jemma picked up a shard of glass and aimed it at an angle that reflected the light, piercing Ruby's vision. Without further ado, Jemma quickly pulled the trigger. The supposedly poisonous 7n6 bullet shot straight towards Ruby's heart, leaving her no time to dodge. The empty chamber allowed the bullet to penetrate her lower clavicle.
A wolf's howl rang out amidst the chaos of the night. The gunpowder contained in the bullets caused a violent burning sensation, penetrating the torn skin and spreading throughout the body.
Before Ruby collapsed on the bed, Jemma grabbed the ballistic baton. His black shoe propped up on the edge of the bed, and he delivered a decisive blow to the wolf queen's head. Ruby collapsed, and Jemma quickly pulled off the necklace.
"At least I got something today. I'll use it as motivation to stop those vampires from doing stupid things with those killer gases they create."
The Riot squad left Ruby struggling on the verge of consciousness. Tears streaming down her face, uttering nothing but a cry of pain. Ruby's face was red with rage, darker than her blood.
Throughout her wanderings, Ruby believed her mother had asked her friend, the moon, to send her a gift of light and power. Through the ruby pendant, the moon delivered an undelivered love that never had a form.
Now, through what does the moon convey her mother's warm message?
Even to scream, Ruby was suffocated, wrapped in a white, blood-stained blanket. She bit her lip, her palms covering the bleeding. She struggled to hold back her convulsions as she leaned back, half-sitting.
Life. She vowed to survive. Her ambition to seize the necklace flared. To do so, Ruby's fingers ripped open the hole where the bullet had been.
"Aaargh!"
Ruby's fingers removed the bullet casing from her body and threw it out. Her eyes closed for a moment, trembling with pain and agony. Her body felt like it was being torn apart by the small object. Ruby's teary gaze and grunts focused on Jay. A curse formed in her throat.
Imagine if you had brought an innocent girl with you today. Imagine how much more danger you would have put her in.
You truly are the worst, Jayden Gavian.
Ruby's teeth gritted. She hated her conscience telling her to suppress her emotions. However, her current situation was unfortunate. The nightshade seeds' influence would wear off tomorrow morning, and Jay would be the first to see Ruby, no matter what condition she was in.
Surviving wasn't an option; it was a necessity. Ruby refused to die a foolish death at the hands of that cruel man. A groan accompanied Ruby as she fell, rolling around under the blanket, her head resting on Jay's arm.
Jay wasn't breathing. His heartbeat had stopped. Ruby's gaze softened, as if she found life in the peaceful expression of the man sleeping soundly.
"You're lucky," Ruby giggled, "I saved you tonight. Please save me if my heart is still beating when dawn comes."
***
The bushes rustled from the stampede of frantic running feet.
Glenn, Haris, and Barlie scattered through the forest. Two factors were causing the chaos this morning. First, the police had resumed their search. Second, the two prominent members of the group hadn't returned from the forest since last night.
"Shey and Thom are here!" Barlie shouted.
Glenn and Haris immediately joined the place where the two lovebirds were found.
"Hey! Hey! Wake up!"
Glenn patted Thomas, but Shey noticed the noise. She groaned, and Haris helped her sit up.
"Shey, are you okay? Can you walk? We need to get away from here!"
Shey massaged her head. "What's wrong? What happened?"
"The police have spread out; it seems they are looking for someone's trail," Haris explained hurriedly.
"Again and again? Oh my gosh, Ruby really has to succeed!" Shey complained.
Haris crouched down, his back to Shey. "Get on my shoulders, quick."
"Good."
Meanwhile, Thomas was still unconscious, his face deathly pale, like a living corpse. The tips of his hair sticking out of his face were limp with cold sweat.
"What should we do with him?" Barlie was confused.
"Damn this kid!" Glenn snorted.
He had no choice but to carry the eighty-kilogram man on one shoulder, like a sack of rice. They were about to hurry, but it was too late.
"Hey, you guys over there! Stop!" shouted an old man's stern voice.
"Don't run," Glenn said. "Just act normal. Nothing happened. We don't know anything."
The police commander approached Glenn and his friends. "What is this?"
An officer's instincts kicked in when he saw a group of young people struggling in the wilderness. Furthermore, the fact that they were carrying each other raised questions. The rest left room for suspicion.
Glenn turned around, relaxed. "Oh, Mr. Frans. You're so diligent in this forest," he greeted, a smile spreading across his cheeks. He hoped he didn't look stiff, though he felt so.
"Are you guys okay? What happened to your two friends?" Frans asked.
She waved her hand weakly. "I'm fine, I was just drunk last night."
"Just the two of us?"
"Yeah," Shey answered.
"Ah," Glenn complained, interrupting the conversation, "this boy is so heavy. My shoulder's going to break soon. If you'll excuse me, sir."
"Oh, yes, please come back safely. Take care of your friends."
"Shey, run! Run! Let's go home! Shey! The smoke will devour us! Shey!"
Everyone glared at Thomas, the source of his friends' panic. Frans's jaw dropped as he watched Glenn throw Thomas to stop him from talking in his sleep.
"Hey… why did you do that? He could have broken a bone!" Frans scolded.
"A-ah, I didn't mean to." Glenn scratched the back of his neck.
"We're used to joking around like that, sir," Haris snapped. "Don't worry. It's nothing. Our muscles are used to being battered by our frequent combat training. In the village, we learned fighting arts like Sherlock Holmes-style bartitsu or glima and Viking fighting styles. You know, we still preserve those kinds of things."
"Teens' jokes these days are appalling. You should enlist in the police force or join the army to avoid being reckless. Hurry up and pick up your friend and go home. I'll catch up with you after combing the forest."
"You'll come after me? Why?" Barlie wasn't relieved to leave.
"Yes, what do you think I've been here for?" Frans let out a disgusted sigh before continuing, "A woman has been reported missing since last night. She was last seen heading towards these woods, and her trail disappeared. As usual, we'll be questioning the residents of Baskerville. Oh, and were these a couple drunk in the woods?"
Shey tensed, knowing where Frans' conversation was going.
"If you want to interrogate them both, wait until they sober up. But I doubt the validity of a drunk's words," Glenn asked, building a defensive wall.
Frans laughed awkwardly. "Of course, we'll follow procedure. Don't think too hard. We'll just take you guys first. Are you ready?"
"What's in it for us? Why do you always involve us in your investigations?" Glenn asked, crossing his arms. He tried to speak as casually as possible, though the trembling in his legs suggested otherwise.
"Look, young man. If you have no problems, there's no reason to refuse. Right?"
Haris' jaw lifted as Shey was carried in his arms.
"But still, we haven't benefited at all! Don't we still have the right to refuse? We've been cooperative once or twice. But for the past three months, we've been losing time. I personally feel like Baskerville's safety is at stake. Why haven't you taken any preventative measures? Why aren't you patrolling every night? Is it that hard to catch a serial killer?" Haris protested in frustration.
"Yes! That's right! We're tired of being involved in this case. The Baskerville children are scared, the women feel unsafe, and everyone feels restricted. We also have to comfort the elderly who have had heart attacks. Every time you come, their knees shake because they think Baskerville will be evicted," Barlie added, embellishing the story as realistically as possible.
Glenn dismissed their complaints. "Shouldn't the police provide the right to safety and comfort?"
Frans's arms rested on his back as he breathed a tired sigh. "Okay. We apologize for the inconvenience. Please be aware that your input is needed in the investigation. Baskerville is the closest area to the forest. Traces of missing persons and bodies have always stopped being found in this forest. We also cannot rule out the possibility of the perpetrator hiding in your area."
"What do you mean? You thought the culprit was among us all along?" Glenn snarled.
"It's not a guess. We have to be open to all possibilities."
Glenn frowned, about to lead his group away. Forget the second goodbye. The police commander was too annoying.
"Frans! We found a skeleton in the incinerator!" shouted his fellow officers.
Frans hurriedly pushed Glenn's group aside.
"Come on! We have a lot to talk about," the Alpha said, carrying Thomas again and leading the way.