Chapter 53

Chapter 53: Chapter Fifty Three

The rest of the day was slow and uneventful, a day that was supposed to be designated for rest. The investigation seemed to have reached a standstill. Katie ordered Sandra to get back home and rest for the remainder of the day while she handled the rest herself. She was not going to let what Chandler had claimed to go unchecked and decided to check the homes of every absent student until she confirmed they were all safe.

The Chase family was taught to follow their gut and not once had it ever failed them. As long as something mattered, everyone was bound to feel something amiss if something was wrong with it. However, even with all that training, Katie had not been able to save Ash and it still bothered her. She got done with the absent students that evening and decided to go to one last stop to take a rest, the same hill that she’d gone to with Cole the other day.

She did not tell him to approach her that evening or that she’d be there, but she hoped he’d show up. Nonetheless, she needed some time to herself. Patience played a key role in what she was trying to figure out, as well as a well-focused unyielding mind. A buzzing sound brought her out of her thoughts. She retrieved her phone from her pocket to tap the answer button, “Hey, how are you doing?”

“Hey, Kyle, it’s rare for you to call. Enjoying your sleep,” Katie replied.

“Yeah, my sleep is divine. I’m sorry I couldn’t be with you when... it happened,” he said.

“It’s fine... you probably had enough assignments to deal with. How much do I have to catch up on?”

“I was calling to say that I finished your share of the homework, so you don’t have to worry about that. I’ll teach you the rest of it when you get time. There is a concept in the physics that you said was giving you trouble a while back,” he reported.

.....

“Oh, thank you. Much appreciated. Make sure you keep your Anti rogue mechanisms turned on to keep your house safe. We don’t know how many of them are still present,” Katie told him.

“You know I wouldn’t do otherwise. Everyone says I shouldn’t worry about you, but I can’t help it. How’s Sandra holding up?” he said.

“I sent her home. She needed to rest so I gave her the day off. Found her training with the alphas as well,” she smirked, revealing the intel.

“Oh my, you think there is something other than training that’s speeding up that friendship?” he asked, his voice perking up, begging for gossip.

“I honestly don’t know, but if there is anything, then we’ll find out soon enough,” Katie chuckled, “You better get enough rest as well. Tomorrow is a long day. I heard you will be required to run one of the booths that will hold your rocket project,” Katie said.

“Can’t believe you were paying attention to that,” he said, “Getting the rest of the team to work on their parts of the project over the phone has been torture...”

“Yeah, good luck with that... I’ll come to check on you tomorrow then...” with that they bid each other farewell and turned off the phone and set it down. Laying down on the grass at the top of the hill, she couldn’t help but feel the presence of someone watching her. Nonetheless, she did nothing to show her awareness and lay down spread-eagled on the ground.

“Who was that?” Cole’s voice came. Happiness would have been the first reaction Katie would get if Cole’s voice came out with the usual tone it had. However, at this moment, he sounded like he didn’t even hope to be here.

Katie got up to see Cole walking up to her. He reached her and sat beside her, pulling up his knees and looking over to the setting sun. “I didn’t think you’d come.”

“I wasn’t planning on it. Not really in a chatty mood, but I couldn’t bring myself to stay seated when there was a possibility that you could be here. Why didn’t you call at least?”

“Well, today is not a good day for any of us. I figured after the display in the dungeons, you’d be sick to the stomach and need some time to get those gruesome images out of your mind,” she explained, laying back down.

“What about you? Are you okay?”

“Well, I was able to prove that none of the students that Chandler claimed to have killed are all still alive. I guess his aim was to tick me off,” she said.

“Did he succeed in ticking you off?”

“He did... Quite nicely, I might add,” Katie chuckled lightly, “I guess there are things that can get through my emotional defence. Hunters are still human after all.”

“That’s hard to believe after what I’ve seen in the past few days. Who was on the phone?” he replied.

“It was Kyle... He was...” Katie stopped as her heart pounded loud all of sudden, a rush of blood going to her head and springing a miniature headache. Shivers ran down her spine when she thought of this.

“Hey, are you okay?” Cole asked.

‘Every time I think of just how surrounded you are. You will never see it coming... You will be so surprised when you find out who killed that poor traitor... someone who has been in that school for longer than you have. You will never see them coming. I pity you, Chase... no, all I regret is not having the opportunity to see the look on your face when you find out. My best bet is that now that all of this has happened, he won’t need to stay in hiding for so long,” the words Chandler said rang out through her mind. Why was she thinking about this now?

“Cole, I have to go check out something at the school,” Katie said, her voice came out rushed and panicked as she picked her phone and turned in the direction of the school. Cole got up and grabbed her by the arms.

“Katie, tell me what it is that you are thinking about. What has gotten into you?”

“Just follow me, Cole. I don’t have time for this. I have to check something,” she begged the wolf.

“Okay, then, hurry. I’m right behind you,” he said. The moment he let go of her, she vanished from sight leaving him in absolute silence. ‘Damn, she’s fast.’ He thought while he let his wolf out.

The two were at the school in a few minutes, a large black wolf following Katie at a high speed. Katie rushed through the booths that were distributed in the gym and the hallways before moving on to those that had been arranged in the field. In each booth, equipment lay already set up. It was obvious that every project was already done by the time the Founder’s festival was set up. It wasn’t allowed for someone to set up their projects at the last minute.

She continued to the field where she zipped through the different booths. Some were demarcated with cardboard while others were left in open space with only a sign to show what they were about. Projects of all nature littered all over the field. She finally came still in a secluded area. Large cardboard stood with images of planets and the stars on it. It described space and what there was to know about it. However, there was nothing in the place. There wasn’t any apparatus or equipment. At the bottom of the cardboard were a rocket and the name of the student that was leading the project, ‘Kyle Dwyer.’

Katie continued to look through the poster in a frantic search for something. From the looks of the project, there was no sign that it had been cancelled, but with it incomplete the way it was, there was no telling whether it would happen or not. “This one is empty. What’s going on? Katie, you are worrying me.”

‘I’m guessing you never know someone until they show their true colours. Katie was sure surprised to find out,’ Kyle’s words echoed through her mind. For a moment then, she’d thought she saw something wrong in the way that Kyle looked at Ash.

‘The Chase family always follows our gut when dealing with acts of deception or things we cannot see... to answer the question you asked me one time... Yes, it is possible for something to go through one’s defences undetected and that is through trust... you can’t suspect someone you trust or else, trust itself loses all its integrity,’ this was a lesson that had been taught once and never again. Based on their location, there was never meant to be such a problem and trust was something that was earned by someone.

“For a second there, I thought you weren’t going to suspect me of all people,” a voice came from the speakers that had been raised up at the corners of the field. “I called you just moments ago and you still sounded like you were my friend. Do you mean to tell me that you realised in that short time?” It was Kyle’s voice. “Don’t bother talking back because I won’t be able to hear you.

I know, however, that you can hear me loud and clear. It was nice while it lasted. You’re a formidable opponent and it would be foolish of me to stay in this wretched town any longer. How does it feel to know that you lost? To know that from the moment you set foot in Brigade High School, you’ve done nothing, but talk to your direct enemy. It was I who ordered the attack on the collection of people that Shaemus was so kind to collect for us. That idiot did such a terrible job that he didn’t get enough of the junior hunters to lower their guard. I underestimated how much control you had over them. Nonetheless, it’s been fun, Katie Chase.”