The ways to hunt monsters had changed. Most don’t need to track the creatures of horror anymore as most would radiate magical energies which could be picked up everywhere on the planet. Besides a proper hunt, a unit would be sent down to fight the monster directly. Neshoba and three other units would be the only ones in the Order Horrifica to have the capabilities and training to track monsters.
Technology also changed how to find monsters. Most were easy, you just need to follow the tracks and bodies it left behind. But the reptile was different. Neshoba wasn’t tracking any sort of animal. He was tracking a person. A former monster hunter. Fortunately for Neshoba, people had a logic to them which he could exploit.
The information provided by the family gave him one of two conclusions. The first one, Jackson, had shown they were capable of moral reasoning. After standing up to someone being attacked, they utilised necessary force to remove them from the situation. The second time they turned up to extort money from the father, the gang brought a firearm with them. In turn, Jackson acted with force and neutralised them. Permanently.
That was the most cherishable interpretation of what information he had on hand. The second conclusion was Jackson used the family’s kindness and hospitality to get relevant information on their targets while recovering from whatever wounded them. Randomly searching dozens of names on the internet was also not a random convenience. Neshoba figured Jackson had intended to track those people down. For what reason, he wasn’t entirely sure. However, due to their limited knowledge of the world. The reptile needed some pointers and aid.
The only question was, what would Jackson do if he found the people listed on the walls in their cell? Jackson was a violent person, their entire life dedicated to the mastery of murder. Neshoba, while limited to rumours and third-hand knowledge, never believed Jackson to be a diplomatic type.
‘How’s your coffee?’ Claire said over the earpiece.
Neshoba leaned back in his seat. Outside of some coffee shop in the middle of town. He scanned the area, seeing if he could find any evidence of his target breaking into anything to either seek shelter or to gather supplies. In the end, he came out with nothing to show for it.
‘Better than nothing,’ Neshoba replied before taking a sip. ‘Found anything useful?’
‘Well, we got all the names from that girl’s search history. They all match with the names in Jackson’s cell.’
‘So we found a possible motive. Do any of those names have any relation with one another? Common workplace, lived in the same area, some sort of history.’
‘Nope, all of them are random. I checked every 120 names and they are all over the place. But since Jackson disappeared for 75 years, I narrowed it down to a handful of people and narrowed the pool even further in case people shared the same name. Some people lived in different states, had different occupations, even different nationalities. I don’t know why Jackson has an interest in them, but they would be disappointed. Since only 2 out of the 120 people listed are still alive.’
‘And who are they?’
‘Brian Leichenberg and Danial Sean.’ Claire replied. ‘Brian is easy to find. He is the CEO of ProTech’s energy department. Currently, he is in Miami preparing to open up a new power plant. Danial is a bit tricky. The only person I think Jackson might be referring to is in Demopolis, Alabama. Dude is old, nearing a 100. Their kids are currently looking after him. Looking at his file, he is unremarkable. Just an electrician ever since he was 16.’
‘Any ideological similarities between the two?’
‘Nope. One is an average everyday American, and the other is a rich dude with a PhD. A capitalist and while the other is a hardcore democrat.’
Neshoba pinched the ridge of his nose. Assuming they were the correct people, it would be possible their target would be after them. However, because the time Jackson disappeared, the lack of links to those names, and the disconnect between the people listed. It casted a lot of doubt on the relevance of the clue. They couldn’t use it, nor could they find any evidence to suspect the people had any relation to Jackson at all besides possibly being alive at the same time. Which made it all a dead end. Old-fashioned tracking would be necessary, but for that to work, they need some sort of lead and starting point that isn’t contaminated by civilian elements.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
‘Any reports of break-ins after the murders?’ He asked before taking a sip.
‘None so far, but I suspect it will happen soon. Assuming Jackson is heading towards Danial or Brian. The next town should be Magness, Sulphur Rock, or Charlotte. I can book you a motel room, so you are near all three places.’
‘Much appreciative. It is a leap, as I doubt we found the right people Jackson is referring to. But I’ll like that, thank you.’ Neshoba complemented. ‘This might also be a stretch, but what about the current victims? Any connection?’
‘Why are you asking?’
‘They helped a family out, and I don’t know why.’
Claire chuckled. ‘If it makes you feel better, Jackson killed skinheads. They called their gang The Shield. Some sort of alt-right loser club. Honestly, them being gone isn’t a loss to anyone. But no, I can’t find anything. Jackson was known for having a deep hatred for religion and gods. They also have some anti-colonialist views, but other than that. I have no idea what they believe in. Nor could I find any file talking about their moral compass and ethical stances. Them helping the family could just be a fluke.’
‘And I doubt we will get anything helpful from the witnesses either. They seem recluse.’
Claire giggled, ‘but, if we weren’t hunting them. I think you two would have a good conversation about hating colonisation.’
He chuckled, amused by her comment. ‘Am I that predictable?’
‘After a few drinks at the end of every mission. You do like to ramble about how the colonialists are all bastards and their ancestors “deserve to perish and should move back to their continent”. Honestly, you are a bit fiery with your rants.’
‘Then let’s find our target to continue them.’ He replied before putting down a $50 bill as a tip. ‘Send me the address to the motel. Notify me if you found the target.’
‘Sure thing, anything else you need before you head off?’ Claire said in a serious tone.
‘Get every document and information the police have gathered and send it my way for review. After you’ve done that, try to find more information on Jackson.’
‘Well, do you have anything I can use to find more information about them?’
Neshoba thought for a moment as he entered the car. ‘Appleseed. Look up the town of Appleseed or find anything relating to that place.’
‘Why would a town be important?’
‘That is what I am trying to understand. The grandmother mentioned that place and I’m unfamiliar with any town with that name. I suspect she might know more about something than she lets on.’
‘Okay, and while you are out of town. Would you like me to send instructions to the police to interview the family at a later date to gather more information?’
‘Yes, I want some questions aimed at the grandmother to figure out the location of the town. See if they had conversations with the reptile, anything. Once I am confident with the information, then a team can be sent to wipe their memories.’
‘Don’t you wish you were psychic to get the answers right away?’ Claire joked.
With a wide smirk, Neshoba started his car and made his way out of town. While they had nothing to go with and only a few points of speculation and theories. He knew Jackson was close. It was only a matter of time before the two hunters would encounter each other. However, Neshoba wanted to make their eventual duel would be in his favour and not the favour of an ancient butcher.
