Soon after the sun rises, Argus prepares to leave town.
The fresh sheep blood was not part of the offerings. It was left by the hands of the one who touched the old stains.
Argus: The blood of the sheep matched the old stains from the humans down to the same marks and splatter. It had to be the same weapon. A machete—maybe even a chainsaw.
Argus: This bastard used the same blade for killing sheep and dismembering its victims.
But the murderer—at least one of them—made a mistake. A trail still visible to the mercenary. Maybe even a bit too obvious.
Argus: Goddammit!
Argus: This bastard must have returned there over and over to leave these trails. Like a calling card painted in blood.
Argus: Not a deputy, not a sheriff, not even the Rangers could find them though. Only I can.
Argus: Only I can.
After recalling what she read in the files to exclude some of the suspects, Argus finds her jeep and hits the road again.
She refuels her car whenever there's a gas station, and buys fresh water and bullets whenever there's a store, just as she always does.
Following the trail with her eyes, she drives into the distance.
Argus: Hey, could you tell me ...
Diner Owner: I don't know.
Argus: I didn't even ask.
Diner Owner: I just don't know. I don't care who you are, if you ain't ordering anything then move along. I got a full house of customers to serve.
Diner Owner: I do food. Not chitchat. If you're not hungry, you're in the wrong place.
Argus: ...
Argus: Give me a double cheeseburger, onion rings, and a milk shake, whatever flavor will do.
Argus: Can I ask questions now? Or do I gotta play a game of darts with y'all first?
Diner Owner: Yeah, what is it?
Argus: It's about that place with the real tall smokestack to the south, the one fenced in with barbed wire.
Diner Owner: What? You mean the old nuclear power plant. Yeah, it's been abandoned. I'm just glad it's downstream of us.
Diner Owner: But what do I know? Maybe you want a mug of nuclear waste with your burger.
Argus: I ain't kidding. But you said it's abandoned, right? So, no one lives there?
Diner Owner: You got rocks in your ears, sweetheart? I said it was a nuclear power plant, not a condo. Nah, no one lives there. They've got soldiers from the base nearby that patrol around, but I don't see them much these days.
Argus: ...
A wild-goose chase is frustrating. Coming up empty on every site feels like losing all the chips she has won so far in just one hand.
Argus: Could this bastard be moving?
Argus: I still haven't pinned them, but the trails don't lie.
Argus's search is not without some fruits; if nothing else, she can tell its paths are random. The trails lead all over the state.
She has to take the idea of it being a skinwalker into serious consideration.
Argus: Moving randomly, but always on the outskirts of farms, small towns, and remote places ...
Argus: Tsk, so what, I gotta bring salt and holy water with me now?
She's chased him through countless towns and farms, but no luck. Yet somehow, the trails always appear just when Argus thinks she's lost track of them.
Argus: Damn it!
Argus smashes the wheel violently, yet the jeep's horn lets out only a pitiful whistle. At the same time, her fist feels a dull pain, which makes her wonder what she is doing.
Is this a fool's errand? The murderer could be anyone, but still the Hundred-Eyed Giant can't find them.
Argus: No.
Argus: No, it's not.
Of course she will not admit it.
Argus puts the question behind her and leaves for the next site.
Argus: Damn it!
Argus: It's busted.
The jeep fails to turn on the tenth try. Sudden visions of her strangling the smarmy worm of used car dealer that sold her this lemon appear in her head.
Argus: And in the middle of nowhere? Really?
Argus: Let me see. The nearest town is almost 200 miles away from here.
She has searched almost every town, from the Gulf to the Rockies and then some, Argus has to accept the fact that she might have failed.
Argus: Is that it? I've already searched the whole of Texas?!
Argus: Then, is this bastard dead already, or is he still on the run? I guess that would explain all these goddamn clues.
Argus: But ain't no way a skinwalker runs away from a merc out of fear!
Argus: The clues were so obvious at the beginning, as if someone planted them. And I chased them like a good little bloodhound.
Argus: But as soon as I left the south, they got unstable, maybe chaotic. The closer I go to the state line, the worse it's got.
But the trails never disappeared completely. They twinkled like stars in her eyes always provoking her. Always just out of reach.
Eventually, all those clues guide her north towards Colorado. She was just about to cross the Oklahoma panhandle, but that was before her car broke down.
Now fate makes fun of the dogged mercenary by shrouding her in the morning mist.
Argus: But I can't be wrong.
Argus: ...
She can hear her confidence fading away in her voice.
Argus: I can't ...
Argus: Yes, just keep going, Argus, just keep going.
Argus: ...
Argus: Kayla was there. She was in that town with the Red Wall. I must have missed something.
Argus: I need to catch this bastard if I have any chance of finding her.
Argus: Just ...
Argus: Just keep going.
Argus: So what if the car's broken? I've still got two feet.
Argus ditches the lemon right where it broke down, packs her stuff, and starts walking into the vast prairie.
All she carries with her is determination and some basic survival equipment. It's been many long hours since she started walking.
Argus: sighs Nothing but sage bush and tumbleweeds. Not a farm, not even a town in sight.
Argus: To sum up, I'm in no man's land.
Argus: Least I can say there's no skinwalkers, if only because there's no skin around to walk in.
Argus: Unless they were borrowing the skin of an old hermit.
She notes the time by the angle of the sun, and her location by the nearby plant life. Wherever else she's headed, she's still on the trail of her target.
But still, she has no idea who it could be.
Argus: ...
Argus: A place as desolate as this only appeals to anti-social psychos and outlaws.
Argus: Phew!
Argus: It's gonna get cold tonight. Better speed up.
She grips her gun even tighter, forgetting to stop and breathe. She waits a while and then presses forward again.
To stay alert and rational after traveling a great distance is not easy for anyone, much less for someone with night blindness.
It's all too easy to miss hidden dangers lurking underfoot.
Argus: ...!
Argus: hisses
Argus clenches her teeth, trying to hold in a pained scream. Just because this trap didn't catch an animal, doesn't mean it's safe. Far from it.
Argus: Goddammit!
She tries her best to keep in her pain while moving to the nearest trunk. She sits down slowly and straightens out her wounded leg. It was a simple spring trap, but painfully effective.
Argus leans forward and down to her trapped leg. But she can only fumble in the dark, moving her hand inch by inch, hoping to find the release.
Argus: Oh please, goddammit. I don't wanna waste candy on fixing this mess.
Argus: Ugh!
A few more moments of pain pass before she gives in. If she can't see, she's liable to do more harm than good.
Argus: ...
Argus takes out a candy and swallows it. Then leans forward again to examine the mechanism.
Its structure is crystal clear now.
Argus: There you are.
She hooks a finger round the spring and pulls it out.
Argus: Damn it!
Argus: deep breath
She takes a deep breath and attempts to stand.
Argus: Ain't no time to take a break. pant Gotta go as far as I can before the effects completely wear off. At least through to the other side of this forest.
Argus: Someone must have put the trap here, and if so, they may be nearby.
Argus: Sorry, it didn't catch you any dinner. Only one dumbass merc.
Argus: Goddammit!
She staggers as she walks forward, but pushes against the pain. Until she reaches the point that she can't help but cry out with each step.
Argus: sighs What the hell ...
Argus: ... am I doing?
As she questions herself, the candy's effects taper off. Argus keeps her eyes wide open, but in the darkness sees only vague and blurry shapes.
She stumbles forward for a time, until the sound of footsteps breaks her stride.
Argus: Wait. What ...?
Footsteps that are followed by the loud crack of a rifle. One of the bullets swooshes by her ear.
Something huge behind Argus falls to the ground in a heap. She looks back instinctively.
Argus: A bear ...
The familiar smell of animal fur and blood rushes up into her nose. It reminds her of the Red Wall, but she has no time to think about that. She swivels to the source of the bullets and raises her gun to return fire.
???: Да, медведь.
???: Что вы здесь делаете, дамочка?
Argus: Who ...
Argus sees a blur of orange and yellow. The man speaking to her seems to be carrying a lamp.
Argus: Who are you?!
???: Ты наступил на мою ловушку.
???: Тебе нужно сделать прививку от столбняка.
???: И это ...
???: Это твое?
Argus: I don't know what the hell you're saying, comrade! But back off!
???: Hmm.
Argus can feel that the source of heat takes a few steps back. Hands trembling, she tries hard to keep her gun raised, and takes out two candies.
She chews them hard, almost gnashing, hoping it will make them take effect faster.
Argus: You ...
The medicine takes quick effect, and gradually her view clears, giving her the image of a familiar tall, thin man.
Argus: It's you?!
Now she understood the target's odd patterns, it wasn't strategy. He was following the hunting seasons, following his prey.
Hunter: So, that's how he does it.
Argus: You ...
Hunter: что вы пытаетесь здесь добиться?
Argus is shocked. All the dots connect at once.
Argus: It was ... it was never a skinwalker at all. You're just some guy from ... somewhere.
Argus: Where even did you come from, Moscow or something?
Hunter: Вы из иммиграционной службы?
Argus: Goddammit, I don't speak Ruskie. Do you know any English?
Argus: Look, if you can, raise your hands and say something I'll actually understand.
To make him understand, Argus slightly lifts her gun.
Hunter: ...
Hunter: Is this yours?
The man hands over a piece of paper.
Argus: What ...?
Argus had dropped her flight ticket without ever noticing it. The hunter picks it up and returns it to her.
A simple act of kindness, which nonetheless, lights a fuse.
Argus: ...
Argus: Put it down.
Argus: I said, put it down!
Argus steps forward aggressively. Her gun poking the man's chest.
Hunter: Hm?
Hunter: Why?
Argus: You murderer!
Her hands tremble violently. She can barely hold the gun straight.
Hunter: Huh?
Hunter: This is yours.
Argus: ...
He's right about that.
Argus snatches the flight ticket from his hand and puts it away. Her breathing is labored, and the wound on her leg is burning with pain.
Her ears are tingling from the headache. She has to stop thinking and focus on her goal.
Hunter: You ... look for me?
Argus: FBI.
The mercenary flashes a fake badge to frighten him. But the hunter just seems more confused.
Argus: You're under arrest. I'll serve you the warrant once we get back to the station, any station.
The badge has come in handy before, great for scaring random civvies into compliance, but this man, serial killer, skin changer, whatever, he seems immune.
She's taking a risk, but her goal is not to kill the target after all.
Hunter: ...
Hunter: Why?
Argus: I'm investigating a murder case, a serial killer.
Argus: And unfortunately, you're the prime suspect.
Argus: I'm taking you back to San Laredo, the town on the Mexican border, remember?
Argus: You've got a lot of explaining to do to the deputy about ...
Argus: The Red Wall.