Rosa woke in what she now guessed was her room, since Louie showed no intention of kicking her out. But if that was true, she'd definitely need to decorate, Rosa thought glancing around at the plain walls. It felt more soulless in here than a prison cell or hotel room.
Rosa slipped out of bed, feeling surprisingly refreshed. Not a single nightmare had fell upon her in the night. In fact she couldn't even remember having a dream. When was the last time that happened? Rosa shrugged off the thoughts, she'd been questioning everything lately. Grabbing herself a fresh outfit she made her way into the bathroom to get showered and washed up before heading downstairs.
She saw Louie standing beside the front door. It was wide open and he was speaking with someone outside, the man was dressed the same black uniform, she'd seen the hunter officers wear. She couldn't make out their conversation but Louie finished it with a nod and the officer then wandered off. His gaze then turned to meet her.
"Morning," he greeted. "Sleep well?"
Rosa nodded. "Kind of felt like I teleported through time."
"Good to hear. Means you're already adapting."
"Who was that?" Rosa asked, joining him at the door and peaking outside.
Parked up on the street was a large black SUV, the officer was searching around the vehicle's boot. She watched as he pulled out an enormous rucksack and heaved it onto his back. The officer then carefully wandered back to the door and handed the bag to Louie, who then effortlessly placed it beside the stairs.
"There's one more," the officer informed before heading back to his SUV.
"What is this?" Rosa inquired wandering over to the bag, it was almost as tall as her and twice as wide.
"The rest of your stuff," Louie explained. "Well a mix of your things and whatever could be recovered from the house. A lot of your sisters and parents possessions."
The officer handed over a second bag of similar size and Louie dismissed him with a firm nod.
"I'll help you unpack later," Louie told her as he placed down the second bag beside the other with ease, once again making the officer, who was by no means a small man, seem incredibly weak.
"So am I living here now?" Rosa asked.
"Pretty much," Louie shrugged casually. "Now go get yourself some breakfast. We're leaving soon."
"To go where?"
"I've been called back to HQ," he answered, in a grumpy tone.
Rosa was just about able to cram in a few pieces of toast before they were on the road. She stared out the window as the scenery once again became isolated and serene as they left the main roads and headed down a chain of side roads until they eventually arrived at the car park. As soon as reached the hidden road Rosa had searched for the gigantic HQ, still half convinced her mind was playing tricks on her, but no matter how hard she looked or from what angle there was no sign of a towering cathedral.
They drove into the car park and out of thin air spawned the HQ, standing tall and powerful as if it had for centuries and planned to for the centuries to come. Once again Rosa stared gormless. She couldn't fathom how the hunters did it. Louie had mentioned something about magical cloaking but Rosa still couldn't understand how something so vast could just vanish. Wars would be fought for technology like this.
They parked up and Rosa's gaze fell from the HQ, instantly she noticed how populated it had become. Yesterday there'd only been a few cars here, a dozen at most, now it looked as if over half the car park was filled, mostly with black cars, such as the SUV she'd seen earlier. Louie locked up his car and they wandered across the parking lot. Rosa scanned their surroundings and something caught her eye. A small streamline silver car. Rosa slowed her pace and maneuvered herself to get a better view.
'That license plate.' Rosa carefully read over every letter and number.
"Em," she gasped.
Rosa burst into a run and rushed across the carpark and along the overgrown pathway down the side of the HQ.
"Rosa!" Louie called out but Rosa blocked it out.
Not slowing down for a moment as the entrance grew closer. Suddenly someone grabbed the back of her shirt and pulled her to a halt. She was spun around to see a baffled Louie.
"What the hell just happened?" Louie questioned.
"That car," Rosa panted. "It's my sisters."
Louie's eyes quivered slightly. "Come," he said.
They headed into the HQ. The once eery and empty lobby was now bustling with people, most of them in the black officer uniform, travelling across the room and back and forth between doorways.
"Lyn!" Louie called out.
A tall woman in a black uniform with shoulder length black hair and carrying a pile of sealed folders stopped across the room. She quickly and wandered over.
"Louie, Rosa," she greeted. "What do you need?"
"Emma Elacti," Louie said. "Do you know where she is?"
"I think she's in John's office," Lyn answered. "I'm heading there now."
Louie replied with a firm nod.
Rosa followed Louie and Lyn down the old cryptic corridors until they reached Mr Ruthor's door. Lyn went to knock but before her knuckle could even reach the door's surface Louie twisted the doorknob and pushed it open.
"I see your years away haven't taught you manners," Lyn sighed.
The door slowly slid open. She could see Ruthor sitting at his desk, his eyes drew up into a dark scowl but softened upon seeing who was intruding. The door continued to swing open and a young woman standing beside Ruthor came into view. Emma. Tears brimmed in Rosa's eyes. Emma's gaze locked onto them and she rushed across the room and pulled Rosa tightly into a hug. A whirlwind of emotions flooded Rosa's body, completely overwhelming her. A subtle whimper leaked from her mouth and she sank deeply into her sister's embrace.
'And here I thought I was handling it,' Rosa laughed to herself.
"Thank god," Emma whispered.
Her sister then released her and took a step back, wiping away the few tear drops that had begun gathering in the corner of her eyes.
"I hate to ruin your reunion, but I need the room" Mr Ruthor announced carefully. "Sorry."
Instantly Emma nodded, grabbed Rosa's hand and led her out the office. Her sister pulled her into an empty room off to the side of Mr Ruthor's office.
Inside was a long table surrounded by chairs. Must be some kind of meeting hall, Rosa imagined. After sealing them inside, with folded arms Emma relaxed against the table and let out an exhausted sigh.
"I take it you know everything now?" Emma asked, a tad awkwardly.
Rosa nodded. Emma shot up from the table and paced back and forth across the room scratching her head and constantly muttering under her breath. Rosa stood frozen by the door, she'd never seen Emma like this before and honestly it was beginning to frighten her. Eventually she came to a stop. Her sister's gaze lifted to the ceiling and she let out a deranged chuckle.
"I leave for a week and everything falls to shit, what … what the hell has happened," Emma mumbled. "Our parents are dead. Louie's back. You've been dragged into the centre of everything."
Rosa remained deathly silent, she didn't know what to say. What could she say? How did you explain your parents horrific deaths to your own sister? However, it didn't seem like Emma was giving her much of a choice but to answer.
"I need to know Rosa," Emma stated. "What happened that night?"
Instantly Rosa froze. Her body began to tremble. The last thing she wanted to do in the world was relive that night. But, her sister deserved to know, a voice inside her stated, more than anyone in the world she deserved to know. Despite the uncontrollable shivers and sweat which had begun to drip from her head, Rosa nodded.
"… Dad was meant to go out and meet Louie but suddenly came rushing back to the house. He … was more stressed out than I've ever seen him, terrified even. He tried to get me and mum out the house but then he saw something out there."
"Saw what?"
"I don't know … I couldn't see anything in the darkness. But dad did. He slammed the door and put me into the little room under the stairs. I was hidden away in darkness and couldn't see what happened … but I heard everything."
The memories ached in her mind and her stomach twisted. She thought she had this handled but bringing the thoughts into existence was breaking down any form of composure she'd built.
"Rosa-"
"It came into the house. It had no footsteps but … I could feel its movement. I can't explain how, I just could. I heard the fighting and then the …", the words wouldn't leave her mouth. They couldn't. But they had to, the voice spoke again. Rosa let out a deep and controlled breath, just like her father had taught her. "Whatever it was that killed our parents searched the house and then left. Louie arrived a little later and found me. He's been taking care of me since and letting me stay with him," Rosa informed her sister, she then hesitated. "But before that, back at the house I … I had to see. I saw the carnage and I saw our parents. I saw their bodies."
Emma's eyes quivered, she said nothing her mouth agape searching for words lost to it.
"Louie let you see," she eventually said, anger underlined her voice.
"No," Rosa said quickly. "He tried to keep me in the living room but I rushed out when he wasn't looking."
Emma sighed and abruptly pulled Rosa into another hug.
"I'm sorry you were alone Rosa," Emma whispered, her voice breaking at every word. "Everything will be alright. I'm back now … I'll figure something out."
Rosa nodded as she sank into her sister's arms again, accepting her warmth and comfort. She hadn't realised how much she'd missed Emma. It had only been a few days but with everything that had happened it felt as if they'd been separated for an eternity. Against Rosa's wishes, their embrace was ended by a powerful knock on the door.
"You guys alright?" Louie's voice asked.
"Yeah," Emma responded. "You ready?"
Rosa nodded.
Louie was stood in front of the doorway, a repressed irritation was hidden beneath his eyes. She noticed he was holding a thick envelope, sealed with a red wax displaying the hunter's mark.
"What's that," Rosa inquired.
"Nothing for you to worry about," Louie mumbled. "Let's go".
Rosa let out annoyed grumble, at being left out once again, but followed. However, she glanced back to see Emma made no such movements.
"What about Emma?" Rosa questioned.
Louie looked back, a flash of confusion washing over his face when he saw her stationary. "She's coming too. Em Ruthor gave you the rest of the day off," Louie told her.
Emma head titled slightly to the right, just like their father did when he was puzzled.
"John gave me the rest of the day off?" she questioned, scepticism lining her tone.
"Yes," Louie insisted.
Emma shrugged and followed them down the cryptic halls. "If I've fell for this again," Rosa heard Emma mutter.
"So what happens now?" Rosa asked.
"I've got work to do," Louie said. "But you and Em are free to do as you wish. You could start unpacking all your stuff now there's two of you or you could catch up. Hell, get creative, do both."
"What stuff?" Emma questioned.
"Everything that was recovered from your house was delivered to mine this morning," Louie explained.
"Why yours?"
"Because that's where you will both be staying. Unless you want to go off on your own?"
"No," Emma admitted. "Thank you."
Rosa wandered ahead of them as their conversation converged into topics she didn't understand. Hunter things she guessed. She found herself back in the HQ's huge nave or sanctuary, whatever you wanted to call it, the big ass lobby room. It felt so different now that officers and hunters wandered across its floors. It was like it had been gifted a comforting warmth, in fact it was like the entire building had. Rosa found herself eyeing all the hunters. Unlike the officers they didn't seem to have an official uniform, but every one of them were dressed in some form of black or dark shade of grey. The was no definite clothing they all wore, a lot dressed like Mr Ruthor, a few like Louie and some took on their own unique fashion style.
As she walked across the lobby to the exit, her eyes wandered across the many doors that lines it's walls. Where did they all lead? They stopped on an opening door to her left, a young, blonde girl wandered through. Rosa came to an abrupt stop, her brows furrowed and her eyes trembled.
"Sam?" she stammered.