Chapter 3

"Is that true? The monster is real and killed people who were living in this place?" Emiem, my best friend who has the same willpower like me asked taking me in complete utter shock.

Does she fell into their trap?

Back then no one was ready to accept my proposal when I came with the idea of investigating the 'Heil' named monster to prove to them how wrong they are, but Emiem stood my side and sought the support from my colleagues and even helped me to form a small team.

"No, someone is playing a trick on us. Can't you see? It happened just when we reached this city. Why it can’t be before or not a week after?" I raised my eyebrows.

"They must have aware of our visit and wanted to scare us. So, they used that poor old lady as a bait who believed their fable story.

"They might have thought that we will leave after what we figured out the horrible dead body near the cottage but I will prove to them who I'm and what I'm capable of," I said like a vow.

"But Reil, the body was shattered into pieces and the fingerprints were even visible on her body. Don't you think it's not possible by an average human?" Natasha asked looking between us.

"Not a fingerprint, it looked like a claw." Chole corrected then glanced at me waiting for my opinion.

"They planned it very well, Chole. They killed a lady like how the monster would do and masked everything as the monster killed her to our eyes." I explained though I doubt whether they were capable of doing this.

"So, who are you referring to those 'they'?" Nichole asked popping the word 'they' in the air that made me think deep inside my brain regarding who would be them.

"I have no idea." I shrugged my shoulder.

"It may be one person or a group of team," Clara said giving me an assured smile silently saying she is with me until we figure out the truth.

"Yeah, maybe." Emiem turned her heels and headed to the kitchen to make us a delicious brunch.

As planned, today early in the morning we two went to the supermarket and did grocery shopping, for that we skipped breakfast not wanting to waste our time in the city and brought curiosity among the people because our appearance might have given them a clue as we did not belong to them.

Satisfied by my explanation everyone went back to their respective work whatever they were doing before the conversation about the monster began, but am I satisfied?

What about the brown hair I got from the dead body?

At first, I thought they left the fake trace of those brown hair desperately wanting us to fell on their trap but when I analysed that hair, I find out a truth that the hair was not duplicate as I thought, rather it was real and belong to the animal and no one knew about the brown hair, even my best friend Emiem.

When Mr. Declan asked me, "Did you find anything different than usual?" I gave my answer 'no' although I wanted to tell him the truth. But my dad words came to my mind, "Don't trust anyone even it is your own shadow when you are dead to find the truth."

Sighing heavily, I headed to the kitchen and helped her with cooking. One thing sure I will find out soon who is playing behind this tragedy.

---

"Okay, guys!! Listen." I clapped my hand to get their attention back.

"As we all know some of the research students from India are willing to help us and they are here to meet us." I glanced at my left side and nodded my head.

They walked towards me and stood proudly beside me. They all are sharing the same features as same hair colour as black and eyes as brown and their skin colour are light yellowish and to say they are blessed with having tanned skin as a protecting shield from the sun which is common in India, like to us they do not apply sunscreen when they go the beach and I don't think they need any.

"This is Kalai, Priya, Dhanu, Dharani and Pooja." I introduced everyone to my team members, as a response they nodded their head and smiled as well.

"You are going to pair with them and will work together to get our mission success," I informed and as a result, I received a playful remark from Natasha who is an expert in making any situation as worst as possible.

"Why? I said the matter of fact." She shrugged her shoulders. "If they were not girls, we would be glad to work with them. Otherwise what else funny to work with the same gender." She rolled her eyes making me glare her hardly, even I don't want to.

"Small correction. It's you, not us." Emiem mocked her earning a squeal from everyone in the small room where the government has assigned for us to start our research.

The research centre is fine 30 minutes of walking distance from our cottage and we couldn't able to use our car because of the narrow road.

As I said earlier, it will fit for one person or two and my luck I asked my mom to send my Scooty instead of my truck but being today is the first day and I'm the one who is leading them from here, I walked with them too.

And I have one more reason why I didn't use my baby because I don't want to make them feel uneasy by using my Scooty while they were walking. Maybe after a week or two, I will use mine and they will walk all the way here from the cottage.

Whom I blame? I informed them already about the road conditions but they didn't take my words seriously and now they are getting their reward.

"Okay.. okay... now decide whom you want to pair with." I said glancing at my wristwatch what seemed to like nth time and groaned internally when the time passed 11:00 in the morning, yet he didn't decide to show up.

Where the hell he went? I asked Derick to report the head of the maintainer sharply at 10 in the morning.

"I will go with you." Emiem said and folded her arms against her chest daring me to say no but I said 'No.'

"No one is going with me and if anyone is willing to work with me, I will let you know about my condition," I said eventually looking at everyone.

"Condition no 1. I may work until night if there are any needs and 2. I don't go anywhere during the weekend as you plan, that may result in you are going to stay with me too." I said expecting a groan from everyone and I received the same that made me chuckle inwardly.

"Okay done. Go and pair with the monster." She scoffed and smiled looking at the small girl in the group whose name is Kalai.

"I will work with her." She pointed a finger at Kalai.

"What about others? Decide fast." I said and walked out of the room to get a good look at my soon, going to be cabin, that sure as hell as worst than the research centre before we cleaned.

And as expected the cabin was fully covered with dust and used things were thrown on the floor including blood.

Shit!! I cursed and walked out of the cabin unable to stand there any second.

Where is the maintainer anyway? As I was cursing mentally the unknown person maybe a 50 years old grandpa, my leg tripped on the carpet and when I'm about to fall, a hand snaked me around my waist and steadied me on the ground.

"Thanks!" I muttered looking at the handsome man who was smiling at me for an unknown reason.

"You are welcome. By the way, I'm Rakesh." He stretched his hand.

"Ahh-- I'm Reil." I shook his hand hesitantly.

"Derick asked me to come over but didn't expect to meet a breathtaking girl like you." He said without Shame.

"I'm leaving," I said brutally not caring whether it hurt him or not because it's not my fucking business.

"See you later." He waved not affected a bit. I rolled my eyes and walked past him.

Once I reached the ground floor where all the furniture had been arranged properly to make a room for us, I took the phone from my clutch and dialed the number who would resolve my problem, but even before the call goes my phone fell on the floor by the sudden force.

"Hey! You idiot." I yelled picking my broken phone from the floor and looked at the walking stick whose height should be 6.5', his back was facing at me.

"Are you blind?" I asked once he stood on his spot.

"I didn't see you stand there." Was his simple reply before he walking towards God knows where.

I ran after him and grabbed him by his shoulder then snatched his Cap away from him but shocked and stood there agape.

He was gorgeous and we have the similarities of having pale skin beside I look like an Angel where he is a monster whose eyes were pitch black and the mint colour of yellow is visible around his pupils.

"Do you have any manners?" I spat ignoring the giddy feeling I'm having right now by the way he is glaring at me, especially my hand which was holding his cap.

"Give it to me." He said calmly but the bitterness in his voice was not unnoticed by me. I shivered under his constant gaze and threw the cap on the floor

"Go and take it, Mr. Walking stick," I said smirking before turning my heels and leave the place as quick as possible. If he blew me I would fly 10 miles away from the centre. That's how he seemed strong and his well-built body is evidence for that.

"Where have you been?" Emiem asked once I reached the room where we were before.

"Huh? I just went to make a phone call but one idiot cam--" even before I get the chance to finish my sentence, a voice interrupted us and Rakesh walked inside.

"Sorry guys. Here the guy you are looking for." He said looking at his friend whose face seemed familiar to me and I recognised him as a walking stick.

"Huh!!" I groaned. "What is he doing here? I asked annoyingly.

"He is the head of the maintainer." Rakesh looked at me confusingly.

I thought he would be an old man, not an evil handsome man who doesn't have manners to ask sorry for breaking my phone.

"By chance do you know each other?" He asked and I shook my head as no.

"Ohh" then he looked at Emiem and gave her a shy smile. What's going on?

"His name is Blake Hunter." He introduced him and I narrowed my eyes at him when I caught him staring at me deep inside my soul as reading my inner thoughts.

I coughed awkwardly to gain his attention and he raised his face just to lock my eyes.

"Pleasure is all min---"

"Call me if anything needs." The walking stick walked out of the room not caring about what I'm coming to say, leaving me to stand there open mouth in the second time.

The nerve of him...

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