The Hunter - Chapter 4 Almost Die

Back to several years before,

Couple days after Incident in Stamfort Medical Research and Development Center.

When Reid feels better, he continues his work as cleaning service in Stamfort Medical Research and Development Center. When he arrived at janitor quarter, his supervisor Mr. Ashford greet him

“Young man, are you feeling better now?”

“Thanks, Mr. Ashford, I’m feeling better and ready to work”

“Good, continue your work as usual but you don’t have to clean west wing seventh floor, just do first until the sixth floor”.

“Why is that Mr. Ashford?”

“That section is sealed for investigation. Just leave it be”

“Okay, I’ll start to work then” Reid leave the janitor quarter to changing room and put cleaning service uniform and start his work as cleaning service. His routine as cleaning service in night shift continues as usual. He still doesn’t remember what happens to him that day as if that incident never happen in first place.

Several days later in the orphanage.

In that morning Reid was sweeping the orphanage yard while some children play with a ball near him.

“Brother Reid! Come and play with us!”

“Yeah! Please brother Reid, accompany us play” ask those children to Reid.

Reid smiling to hear their request, these children like his little brother too because they also raised in the orphanage together with him.

“Alright, big brother will accompany you play after finishing sweeping the yard okay? Play among yourself for a moment and be careful, don’t let the ball go to the street”

“Okaaaayyyy brother!” those children said in unison and continue their playing, while Reid continues to sweep the yard.

Some minutes later when Reid about to end his sweeping works, suddenly screeching sound can be heard from the road nearby orphanage. It seems the ball was kicked too hard and goes to the road. One of the children tries to retrieve it without noticing a car passing the road from afar. Reid shocked, he drops the broom in his hand and chases the kid, tries to pull him out of the street. But the car is already near the kid, Reid only can close his eyes and put his body as a shield while his left-hand clutches the kid tightly into his chest and his right hand stretched toward the car as if trying to block it.

What Reid didn’t see is when his right hand stretched to block the car, the car’s speed suddenly decreased greatly and stopped only a few inches in front of Reid’s hand.

Reid still closed his eyes waiting for the car to hit him, did not aware that crash never happen because the car stopped until he hears the driver’s voice,

“Hey, kid! Are you alright? Anybody hurts?”

Reid opens his eyes and realizes the car already stopped in front of him and the kid in his hand already start to crying. He stands up after checking his condition and the kid condition either.

“I am alright sir, and this kid too. Your car stopped in time”

“Consider yourself lucky kiddo, I’m not sure either if I can stop the car in time. Next time don’t let that kid loose from your sight and play on the road. I almost have a heart attack you know!”

“My apologies sir, it is my fault, I don’t know if this kid suddenly runs in the road,” said Reid with lowering his head.

Sister Christina who heard commotion in front orphanage also came out. After Reid brief her about what happen also apologizing to the driver. The driver, who don’t want to make the matter longer, accept their apology and continue driving his car.

Sister Christina after the car has gone, staring the kids with firm eyes,

“Children, did I already said many times not to play on the road?”

Those children only silent while lowering their head until one of them step up and speak

“Sister, it is not Ricky fault. It is me that kick the ball too hard. But I did not do that intentionally”

Sister Christina smile, she did not blame anyone for this accident. But she praises the courage of the kids to talk the truth and did not blame others for their own mistake.

“Sister did not angry with you Leon, I know you didn’t intentionally. Just ask apology to Ricky alright? He very scared with this incident”

The kid called Leon nodded, he comes closer to Ricky and extended his hand “Ricky I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you scared. I’ll be more careful next time”

Ricky just nodded and accepts Leon’s hand. They make shake hand. Ricky turn his body and said to Reid

“Brother Reid, thank you for saving me”

Reid smiles and rubs Ricky’s head, “Next time be careful when crossing the road okay. Look left and right first before you crossing road”

“I will, brother!” said Ricky.

“Alright children, time to take bath and after that we have breakfast,” said Sister Christina to the children

“Yes, sister Christina,” said the children in unison and they enter the orphanage to take bath.

“Reid, come with me to my office. There’s something I want to talk with you”

“Yes, Sister,” said Reid and followed Sister Christina to her office.

After they arrived at Sister Christina’s office,

“Reid,” said Sister Christina after takes a seat in her desk. “Take a seat”

“Yes,” Reid sit in front of Sister Christina.

“Do you know you almost die today?”

“I know, I’m sorry Sister, It’s my body moved by itself to save that kid”

“I’m not blame you Reid”

“It’s my negligence that almost makes one of the children die sister”

“It’s an accident, don’t blame yourself Reid”

“I can’t forgive myself if that kid die in front of me, sister”

“I know, just don’t too hard on yourself. Nobody injured in this accident. That’s good”

“I’m just lucky that car stopped in time sister”

“I think it’s not just luck. I believe God protecting you Reid, for all your good deed you’ve done”

Reid smile wryly hearing that. He can’t refute when Sister Christina talk about God. He just don’t know how to answer, so he just silently nodded.

“I think your biological parents make big mistakes when they left you here Reid. If they know you’ve grown into such good young man that can be proud of, they must regret it” add Sister Christina.

“Please don’t mention them, Sister. Our relation has been cut off since they left me here. If they have a little care to me at least they should show up once and tell me their reason left me here” said Reid with sorrowful voice.

“I’m sorry Reid, I don’t mean to make you sad. I mention them because I want to give you something”

Sister Christina pulls drawer in her desk and takes something from inside.

“This necklace is the only thing left with you when you come in this orphanage” Sister Christina give Reid a necklace with black stone pendant.

“I give you name Blackstone also because of this pendant. Now this necklace and its pendant are yours. Keep it well Reid”.

Reid accepts the necklace with shaking hands. He never thought that his parents will leave something to him.

“Thank you, Sister Christina”

“Don’t thank me, Reid, it’s yours for the first time. Now let’s get breakfast, the children must be waiting for us right?”

Reid nodded and following Sister Christina to the dining room.

[Back to present time]

Several days after Daily Metropolis put the bounty for The Hunter pictures.

Burt Bradford sitting in his office, there are also Jerry and Scarlett Johnson. They discussing the progress on The Hunter investigation

“So, Miss Johnson, how’s your investigation going?”

“I’ve searched all mysterious death in this City for last year and find some incident that under title ‘unsolved’ that’s means the way they die can’t be explained. For example, a man dead because a bullet shot through his back, when police doing the ballistic test, the bullet come from that man’s own gun. This can’t be classified as suicide because no one can shoot their own back. Fingerprint test on the gun show no other people fingerprint except the man owns fingerprint”

“The killer can wipe his fingerprint or use gloves to hide it and place the gun on that man hand after use it”

“I haven’t said the interesting part yet. The bullet is a small caliber, but the bullet gets through deep in this man body. To get through deep usually the gun must fire in close range, and if the gun was shot in close range, there are burn marks surround the wound and gunpowder residue on the clothes, but those things did not exist. As if the bullet shot from long range, but if shot from long range, it’s impossible to get through so deep in the body”.

“I see, but one case is not strong enough to be evidence”

“Oh, there are still other cases. There’s a man with broken bones in his chest. All his ribs shattered like being hit by a heavy truck but there’s no wound, no bruises, no scars at all. It looks like this man bones made from glass, that so fragile and easy to break”

“Now that’s I called weird. Jerry! How’s about the pictures?”

“No good BB. We received some pictures and video from the surveillance camera, but the quality is so poor. Most of them only show a man wearing the black trench coat, which we can see many of them during fall and winter season. No one can bring clear picture about neither his face nor his body”.

When they still discussing, Sally the secretary knocking the office door and reporting,

“Boss, there’s a young man here want to see you. He said he brought some pictures of the hunter!”

“Send him in,” said Burt immediately.

Soon, a young man with clumsy looks entering BB office. He holding a case in his armpit.

“I heard you have the hunter picture boy? Let me take a look” said Burt.

The young man handed the case in his hand to BB, and Burt start to look at the pictures inside while commenting,

“Crap …. Crap … mega crap … crap” said BB and put the picture one by one on the table.

The young man looks dejected, it seems he expecting to get some good money from the pictures

“$ 100 for those crappy pictures,” said BB in rigid tone.

The young man didn’t say anything. He just collecting the pictures on the table and put them back in the case. He looks unhappy with the offers. When he about to pick the case, Burt snap it.

“Alright $ 200, and if you get another better pictures I will buy it”

The young man looks pleased and nodded. Burt writes something on the check and handed it to the young man.

“Here’s your payment, you can cash it at the cashier in front. What’s your name kid? And how you get this pictures?”

“My name Peter Patter sir, I get these pictures accidentally when I was at the bank that afternoon when some men with guns suddenly break in, knock off the security guards and destroy the surveillance camera and told to all visitor and bank employee to squat at floor. I was holding my phone at that moment and use it to record the robbers, maybe can help the police later. That was the time that guy show up, with only one flicks from his hand, the robber smashed against the walls. Although the robber managed to shoot him once but he seems not affected. All that happen in very short time and all robbers have been incapacitated”

“Your name Peter Patter? What a weird name. Whatever! If you can bring more pictures I’ll buy it”

The young man silently cursed in his heart, ‘my name is not what I make for myself you know!’ and said

“Can I be photographer in your newspaper sir?”

“You want a job? Freelance, you can be a freelancer for my newspaper. Now get me some other pictures out there” Burt shooed the young man.

After the young man leaves, Burt shows the picture to Scarlett.

“How do you think? Is this him?”

“I think this is him. Although not very clear, I’m certain this is the man I meet in the industrial district” said Scarlett after look at the pictures carefully.

“Good! Jerry, take this picture and fix it. Make it look better and put on the first page tomorrow with the headline ‘THE HUNTER: HEROES OR MENACES’”.