Astraea

"What a perfect place to hide," Brylee commented snidely. As a person who refuses to accept imperfection, she didn't bother to hide her disgust being in a place that is unideal for her to be.

Two weeks after Lorcan's birthday, they were again contracted by Iris to hunt a man that is wanted for murder. The man is the prime suspect in the massacre of 8 traders, a preschool teacher, and a government employee.

Iris has become Lorcan's regular client after she found out that he established his own Bail Enforcement Agency and put the Villan sisters in one group.

And for this hunt, it was only Bell, Brylee, and Bianca who went for the 'vacation' since Briony and Brina have their exams in school. Nevertheless, they participated in the research and investigation. They just cannot go with them on this 'vacation'.

"I am struggling to breathe here. The place is so polluted. I wonder how these people managed to live?" Brylee continued complaining.

"You know that we are going to the slums, you should've stayed back," Bell said indifferently. They stopped at the intersection as they spotted the house that they have been spying. Poverty is very evident in the place. Homeless people of all ages scattered around the street. Children running dressed in rags, some were asleep on the streets. Mountains of garbage bags on a lamppost where flies are flying around them.

Mothers were sitting on a bench not far away from them gossiping and by the way that they look at them, it was obvious that they were gossiping about them. They didn't wear any flashy clothes and tried to be low key as much as possible but since they were new faces they cannot avoid catching attention.

Catching attention is bad especially when they are tracking a fugitive. As a criminal running from arrest, they tend to be more cautious and observant in their surroundings. Never a second that they lay down their guards. They are always on alert. And having new faces suspiciously walking around their hideout means it is not safe for them to stay anymore in their current place.

That's the last thing that bounty hunters wanted to happen.

"I didn't expect it to be this bad." Brylee retorted back.

"They are coming out." They heard Bianca say in a low soft tone.

Bianca is wearing oversized black-rimmed eyeglasses that are equipped with a thermal camera. She could see people and their movement behind thick walls. And that is what she's been doing ever since they arrived. Seeing if their target is still inside the house that they've been spying.

"Okay, let's get him," Bell said coldly and started to walk towards the house.

As soon as they came to the entrance of the house, the broken door opened and revealed a man and woman along with a teenage boy. They were carrying three large duffel bags and it seems that they were about to leave the place. They were startled when they saw three girls standing in front of them.

"Are you Thomas Well?" Bell asked in a cold and intimidating tone. Her eyes fixed on the man standing in the middle.

The man regained his composure and replied arrogantly. "Who are you? What do you want?"

But Bell was not fazed at all. "Wrong answer. Second chance and don't make me repeat myself." She said in an overbearing tone while she pulled up the hem of her shirt to show her Glock that is tucked inside her IWB.

The man's face darkened. He put down the two duffel bags in his hand and took out a replica of the military's standard sidearm and pointed it at Bell's forehead.

Yet Bell remained and didn't even flinch.

Bianca who has never seen someone pointed a gun at them became on full alert. Bell sighed internally when she didn't flinch.

Brylee, on the other hand, clicked her tongue and shook her head. "Let me give you a piece of advice. This girl is someone that you would not want to piss. I haven't met anyone in this world that is as impatient and violent as her."

Brylee noticed that the corner of the man's lips slightly quivered. So, before the man could say something, she continued. "You know..." Brylee started sweetly. "If you try and escape again as if this girl would allow that," Brylee continued and tilted her head on her right where Bell is standing, "significant repercussions are waiting for you once you get caught again. You'll lose your privileges, commissary, and recreation inside the prison. Who knows, you might even be punished with solitary confinement. Not to mention additional charges, by the way."

Brylee paused for a moment then looked at the teenage boy. "You ever been inside the juvenile detention center, boy?" She asked, making the teenage boy shook his head.

"Well, lucky for you. Your father here loves you too much that he wanted to take you in. If your father here escapes or tries to injure one of us while apprehending him, you'll be an accomplice. You will be charged and will be sent to a Juvenile Detention Center."

"But...I didn't" The boy started to panic and shook his head.

"I believe you." Brylee cut him. "But do you think the court will?"

She watched as Thomas Well slightly loosen his grip on the handgun. His eyes were alternating from her to his son. People can be easily persuaded by telling them what they will lose. Brylee does that a lot, she will tell them what are the repercussions of their actions and then will hit them on their weakest point. In Thomas Well's situation, his weakest point is his son. Who would want to see their son being sent to detention because of their own parent's actions?

Slowly, Thomas Well put down his handgun and said, "I am Thomas Well," Bianca immediately took it from him while Brylee put him in handcuffs.

In less than thirty minutes, they already got Thomas Well on the back of their SUV and on their way to deliver him to Iris.

"Finally! I cannot wait to soak in the tub and pour myself with bleach." Brylee exclaimed. After parting ways with Bell and Bianca, Brylee drove back to the restaurant where she had her room where she could take a bath and change clothes.

The restaurant is located on the top floor of a five-star hotel. She enters the ramp of the hotel to park in the hotel's parking lot. Once out of her car, she made her way to the elevator. But in the corner of her eyes, she saw a figure dragging another person into a secluded part of the parking lot.

Brylee looked around and saw that no one else was in the parking lot except her. Out of curiosity, she vanished from her location like a bubble bursting in the air only to reappear behind a wall that separates the area where the two figures had gone to.

"What the hell are you doing?! I'm telling you the truth! I don't know the man! I'm just here for a meal!" Brylee heard a voice coming from the other side of the wall.

"Don't you fucking step foot in that restaurant or I'll fucking kill you! Now tell me what you know about the motherfucker or I'll throw your sorry ass out of the damn building!" Then she heard another man say, By the way, his muffled voice sounds, Bell could tell that he is wearing a face mask.

Damn! The man has a foul mouth. She thought internally. She had never heard a man curse a lot except for one person. Brylee shook her head at the thought.

She listened as the two exchanged words and she soon realized that the man with a muffled voice is asking for some information that the other man who is starting to sound scared has. In the end, the other man said an address before she heard him groan and fell on the ground.

While listening, she found that the muffled sound of the voice of the other man sounds familiar but she cannot find it in memory where she had heard his voice. She was too preoccupied thinking of the man's voice that she didn't notice the unusual silence from the other side of the wall.

Soon she realized that the men from the other side of the wall started to make movements and before she could teleport herself away from there. The man had already caught her and pinned her on the wall. Both of the man's arms were on both sides of Brylee's face.

"Has anyone ever told you that being nosy will put you into some serious trouble?" The muffled voice of the man reached Brylee's ear. And she wanted to reply with 'Yes, my sisters always remind me of that'.

But when she raised her head, her eyes were met with that pair of familiar dark brown eyes that never failed to captivate her. She felt her heart hitched and a lump formed in her throat. Even with the mask covering half of the man's face, she immediately recognizes those eyes. It used to be hers.

Then memories came flooding in reminding her of her anger towards this man.

"Hi, Babe," The man has taken off his face mask as soon as he recognizes the beauty that is mere inches from his face. A surprise was plastered in his face before it was replaced with longing. Brylee immediately noticed his well-trimmed facial hair, his hair was still long as it used to be and tied in a man bun, it makes him look more masculine and strikingly handsome.

"Babe your ass! Get off me!" Brylee pushed the man forcefully that made his strapping body stagger backward. He was taken aback by Brylee's force but ignored it and took a step forward.

But Brylee just started to walk away.

"Babe, just hear me out," The man takes quick steps to follow her.

In a swift move, Brylee turns around to talk to the man. "First of all, my name is not Babe. Secondly, it's been too long, and I've already forgotten about you. So, technically, you are now a stranger to me. And I don't talk to strangers."

After saying that, Brylee walked away in a long stride and as soon as she was hidden by the wall leading to the area where the elevators are, she teleported herself somewhere away from him.