“You are clear to enter,” the hunter says through Mich’s window, and pats the side of the car before Mich drives us through the three gates as they slowly open one by one.
“Don’t look so nervous,” Mich says, and I flash him a glare. “See, that’s a better expression.”
“There I thought the dickhead side of you was gone for a bit,” I mutter, and he only laughs as he drives us down the gravel driveway. I’m surprised that the hunter base is such a small building, with five windows and only one level by the looks of it. There are dozens of cars parked outside in the parking lot so it takes Mich a few minutes to find an empty spot and park up.
“It’s smaller than I thought it would be,” I admit, needing to speak as the nervous tension flittering through me is overwhelming.
“You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover,” Mich warns, and then he gets out of the car. I undo my seatbelt and slide out, shutting the door before Mich locks it as he comes around the car to my side. We walk out of the cars to the main path and up to the building which has sliding glass doors that open automatically when we get close. The inside is one big room with a row of five elevators on the one wall. The walls are painted a gold fancy colour which matches the golden tiled floor in the room that shines under the bright lights. There is a big receptionist desk which is empty of anyone behind it, and there is a phone ringing out. It is creepy how the entire room is empty. There are lovely flowers in large vases all around the room and on the desk, and paintings of beaches on the walls. You would never expect this place kills supernaturals for a living. You’d never expect this place is full of horrors.
I swallow the nervous feeling in my throat as I look around and tell myself that Mich would get me out of here if there is an issue. I expected it to be full of guards, but when I look around more closely, I can see the cameras everywhere and the no doubt hidden security. Mich nods his head to the elevators, and we walk over, going to the one on the far right. Mich presses the button for the elevators, and we wait quietly for them to come down. A few minutes later, it beeps and the doors open to reveal the empty, gold elevator with shiny gold coloured metal walls. We get inside, and there is only one button which says “BOSS” in bold white letters on a black background. Mich presses that button, which lights up red, and the doors close. There is a tense silence as we wait for the elevator to go down, neither one of us wanting to say anything, and I get more nervous by the second. I nearly jump when I hear Mich’s voice in my head, sounding like a whisper.
I will keep you safe. Breathe, Adie. I look up at him, and he nods once at me, his strong, determined eyes making me realise I need to relax and let out the breath I am holding. It seems like forever before the elevator stops, and the doors slowly open again. Mich walks out first, and I follow, pausing to look around the new room we have come into. This room is just as nice as the reception room, but more personal and feels like a room in someone’s house with its dark red and brown painted walls and wooden floors. It’s almost homey. There are filing cabinets lining two walls, locked tight, and bookcases filled with old books on the one wall. It seems a bit odd to have a room like this in a hunter’s base, but I am pretty sure this is an office as there is a desk in the middle. There are two laptops on top of the desk, new expensive looking ones, and a few jars filled with pink glitter looking stuff next to a desk lamp. I will have to ask the others what that stuff is later.
One of the bookcases moves, opening up, and Mr. Graves walks in, clicking his walking stick against the wood floor as the door closes behind him. Even for an evil place, that is one cool door. Mr. Graves’s whole face lights up in a big smile when he sees Mich and me, and he walks over to us, his eyes drifting over my outfit in a way that feels creepy.
“I am so happy to see you here, Adelaide,” he states. “Looking more beautiful than the last time we met.”
If he keeps looking at you like his next meal, I’m going to break his face and screw this mission up. Mich whispers in my head, and I have to clear my throat, trying to pretend I didn’t just hear him say that to me. Since when was Mich protective?
“I can’t wait to see around. It’s not every day you get invited into one of the legendary hunter’s bases,” I say, putting on the fakest happy voice I can and hiding how terrified I am in it. I’m not lying when I say they are legendary, but not in a good way. They are legendary because most people are scared of hunters and stay well out of their way.
“Legendary you say? Well, I suppose we are. Everything we do is for the best of the human species! We will be remembered in history as legendary,” he says, sounding completely crazy. I suppose he would have to tell himself something so he could sleep at night.
“I agree. That is why I have decided to accept your job proposal,” I say before he can say anything else. We might as well get this out of the way, so I can get the hell out of here for today.
“Brilliant. Well, this day just keeps getting better and better,” Mr. Graves says, holding out a hand for me to shake. I shake his cold hand, feeling like I’ve just struck a deal with the devil, before dropping it as quickly as I can. I glance up at Mich, who doesn’t look impressed as he watches me with his arms crossed.
“Why don’t I give Adie a tour, Graves?” Mich suggests. “I remember you saying you have meetings all day or I would suggest you come with us.”
“Yes, that sounds like a brilliant idea. I only wish for Adie to visit the reception, this floor, and floor three. The others aren’t for her to see,” Mr. Graves says, walking away from us and going to sit on his desk, resting his walking stick against the desk.
“Yes, sir,” Mich replies, nodding his head at the elevator for me to follow him.
“Why not?” I blurt out to Mr. Graves.
Adie, for god’s sake, don’t ask questions you don’t want to know the answers to. You know why he doesn’t want you to see the other floors. They torture our people on those floors. Mich whispers in my mind as I stare at Mr. Graves and keep my expression as natural as possible as I regret saying a word now. Of course, Mr. Graves wouldn’t want me to see those floors, they must scare anyone.
“A creature as lovely as you doesn’t need to see the monsters we have to keep here. It is for your own good,” Mr. Graves smoothly answers.
“Okay. I understand completely,” I whisper, not wanting to see that anyway. I know I would just want to break them all out, and knowing I couldn’t would haunt me. I have to remember that the end plan is to get them all out, and that’s what will happen if I just play the receptionist game well. That is what the guys are here for. They are the heroes, and I’m like their temporary sidekick.
“Please start next Monday, and I will get your ID passes done in time,” Mr. Graves says, and I smile at him.
“I can’t wait. Goodbye for now, Mr. Graves,” I reply with another fake smile and turn around with Mich, who presses the button for the elevator. We both get in, and Mr. Graves’s eyes stay locked on mine until the elevator doors close.
“You did good,” Mich whispers, his voice almost silent, and I turn, looking up at him, and nod once. I’m almost thankful he used his real voice and didn’t speak in my mind. His voice is comforting. Mich quickly shows me around level three, which is filled with coffee machines, microwaves on counters and fridges. It is clearly the break room, and I can see why Mr. Graves wouldn’t mind me coming in here. When we have seen that, Mich leads me back to the car, and I quickly get inside, shutting the door and putting my seatbelt on as Mich starts the car.
“One month,” I mutter to myself, needing to hear it out loud and forgetting that Mich is even there for a moment.
“Yes. It seems like he only wants you for a pretty decoration piece in his reception. You literally have to smile with those pretty lips for a month, and then you can be free,” Mich says, placing his hand on my arm for a moment. The contact seems to calm me, because I find myself smiling at him.
“Pretty lips, huh? Is that almost a compliment?” I ask and quickly glance at Mich as he laughs loudly, and I can’t help but laugh with him.
“Yeah, maybe it was,” he says, and I rest my head back, still chuckling as I roll my eyes at him. Maybe Mich isn’t as bad as I thought.