BREATH . OF . LIFE . ~ { ReGenisis Chronicles Book I }

Chapter Three [Part 2/5] Third Party

                  -Jake  Aylesbury-

Standing over Agents Groger, Harrods, Chino, Phillips and Boris's dead bodies I sighed, running my hand back through my hair.  The five were assists for my unit on this mission. Having never dealt with Nocturnals before they hadn't stood a chance once I'd let Griffin go. I knew all too well what he was capable of, even before his ReGenisis.

 If they were smart and had listened earlier, they'd have split up and ran alongside the trail. At least they'd found it. For humans it was difficult to pick up on and track Nocturnals, even new ones. The others had all scattered to cover the perimeter. Perhaps because they were smarter and less cocky about who they were dealing with. 

Even spreading out alongside the trail may not have helped the assist's. Not with the adrenalin spike in Griffin's system. That girls biological makeup had a direct impact on his hormone levels, the affect was returned it seemed. That made him less stable than usual, stronger, too.

As always he'd tried to go about things quickly, breaking necks as he seemed to think it was a kindness. He never liked guns.

I could smell his blood on the air. There were small spats against the scattered leaves, like crimson petals all around me. Strong and disgusting up my nose. It was this smell that had attracted me to the scene despite the fact it made my head spin.

I closed my eyes and could hear a very faint heart beat nearby, barely holding on. I inhaled deeply picking up on a coppery scent not linked to the five before me, or to Griffin.

"Norton," I muttered, letting my lids part again. I stared towards the trees. Through the gloom I could detect the outline of a body laid on its side, facing away from me.

I rushed over to it, crouching over Agent Amy Norton. Her fingers were shaking against the leaves. Carefully I pulled her round, her hazel eyes opening very slightly to look up at me. There was blood dribbled out the side of her mouth that slowly slid further across her cheek. She had to rasp for breath through a puncture in her lung, I sensed it was a broken rib from the vibration running through her. I felt gently over her ribcage, finding the crack in three, one of them completely sunken as I'd feared.

 Looking back up at her fading eyes, I took in the gash on her forehead, small flints of bark embedded into it from her face being smacked into a tree. Her short, boy cut mousy brown hair was stained red around her choppy fringe.

She opened her trembling mouth trying to form words but her eyes closed again quickly.

"Norton," I shook her gently, until she lifted her heavy lids. "You've got to stay awake."

Amy blinked a couple times, looking as if she were about to fade out again. "Scavengers..." She tried to swallow back but instead spluttered up more blood.  "...Loose." She finally managed in an exhalation.  

My eyes widened, taking another deep breath, my free hand turning to a fist. I had only just picked up on the smell of something foul. There were others who had been here. From the taint in Norton's blood and the light footprints in the muddy undergrowth around me, they had been the ones to attack her.

Watching Amy's eyes close for the last time, her breath stuttered out and her heart came to a standstill, she was gone. Her head flopped to the side and her twitching fingers all became still. No longer tapping against the leaves.

I clamped my jaw together tightly.

Behind me I could hear the footfall of the four unaccounted for agents. They paused over the bodies on the path. I stood up stiffly, straightening my coat out before walking away from Norton's body.