Chapter 69 - Black Hunger

Section Three 

Ghoul Investigators Headquarter (GIH)

Through the agency doors, Chase, Jesse, Mia, and other groups of agents walked in.

"I need eyes and ears in the entire city, I want that Claw and the black ghoul located" Chase hissed to a group of agents as they nodded rushing out to their duty post assigned, Mia follows behind, she was in charge of the surveillance around the city, so it was only neutral she had to be there to track them faster.

Jesse was beyond worried for Lorna, her mind kept racing, she remembered when the Claw suddenly bust out from the window carrying Lorna and then dashing out in speed. She hoped and prayed she was okay and wasn't eaten, the thought of that made her mind race more. 'Lorna'. She thought holding her broken right arm. 'Please be okay'.

"You should get your arm treated," Chase said with a hint of worry.

Jesse forced a smile.

"Am fine, am more worried about Lorna, I just hope she's okay"

"We will find her rest assure, the agency never abandons an agent. Now quick get to the medic and get that arm treated".

Jesse nods slightly.

"SIR!" Peter shouts rushing to them in haste, he stops in their front taking harsh breaths, trying to calm himself down, he just ran the whole stairs down here since the fucking elevator decided not to work.

"What is it?" Chase demands.

"Pete are you okay?" Jesse asks worried, the poor guy was practically drenched from the running.

He took some time before his breaths calmed down, he raised the sachet green drug, standing fully.

"We have a problem" he began taking a deep breath.

Chase and Jesse eyed him puzzled.

"This drug was made from the very same skin of a Claw".

Everyone froze the moment he said that.

Heels sound as Barbra walks towards them, she took the drug from Peter's hand, assessing it.

"We have a problem," Barbra said overhearing Peter's discovery.

"This is bad, this drug could have been distributed throughout the whole city," Chase said with widening eyes.

"This drug is the reason humans are turning to Claw and worse we have 6 of them on the loose with no tabs on them," Peter said panicking.

"Lorna was taken by one of them," Jesse said unsettled.

Peter froze at the news.

"Get to work everyone, I want those missing Claws found!" Barbra hissed.

"Yes Ma'am!"

***

Warehouse

Lorna groans, her body felt cold and rough, she wondered why, her hands hurt too. Opening her eyes to find the discomfort she met with a dark environment, small light rays brighten the environment a bit from the small box windows, making it easier to see things around, she recognized her environment was a warehouse, boxes around and dirt, yes there was dirt everywhere, no wonder her skin felt rough, and her hands were tied to her back and it hurts cause the rough ropes were scratching her skin.

She groans sitting upon the ground, leaning her back against the wall, trying to find any comfort and recalling how she got herself in this mess, the last thing she remembers was fighting the black ghoul, a wave of relief when she broke his jaw for what he did to Jesse, she hoped and prayed her partner survived the fall, but she knew she was wrong, sorrow and anger coursed through her bones. She remembered shooting at Ghost, setting Cassandra free which she now knew was a mistake, and then she transformed into a Claw something she never thought was possible and she grabs her, and then the rest was blank, she must hit her head or something cause she remembered when her head made an impact with the window. In response to that, she groaned, feeling the same pain coming from her head, it was bruised and had bits of blood, her whole body shook with pain too as she fell from a high building.

Hearing the door creak open, she gasped in alert and Cassandra walks in murmuring to herself, her eyes had black bags beneath and she was lean almost like she was deprecating, her clothes were way too baggy for her, it was a long sleeve sweater and pants, her light brunette hair messy in all angles.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid" she rants walking to and fro while rolling her sleeves and scratching her arm which was red from her constant rubbing and pinching.

"Cassandra Williams," Lorna said, watching the girl that almost looks like she was losing her mind. Lorna knew very well to be vigilant, cause that girl wasn't human but still she couldn't wrap her head around the fact that she could turn to a Claw if she wasn't a ghoul then what was she? Lorna needed answer's and she had time, for all she knew she sought or believed that Cassandra wouldn't hurt her because she was kidnapped and not devoured so she was on a safer side, for now, maybe she could at least gather as much info as she could before the agency came for her.

"Cassandra" she called once more but the nuts girl kept ranting the word stupid, Lorna could see fear in her eyes like she was afraid of something, maybe of being caught because she committed a crime of kidnapping an agent, worse a crime of not being human.

Lorna tried once more.

"Cassan-"

"JUST SHUT UP!" she roared in a voice that sounded Claw like, deep and rough, her eyes changed to that of a ghoul, the white part of her eyes black, but the center was green other than like the normal gold ghouls had.

Lorna's body shook in fear at her outburst, she instantly rethinks her situation she knew for certain now she would be eaten before the agents got here, she gulps hard at the thought, she suddenly panics when Cassandra march towards her on the verge of changing.

Lorna waited for the worse but Cassandra halts her steps like she was fighting with herself.

"AM NOT GONNA EAT HER!" she roars as she tightens her fist, it turned white due to the tight grip, she growls like an animal as she held her head, green veins creeping in all her skin like it was pulsing.

Lorna could only watch in horror as the poor girl mentally fights the monster residing inside her, practically wanting to come out.

"BLOOD!" she wailed.

Lorna's eyes widen in realization, it was her blood, dripping from her forehead that called her monster out, it was attracted to it. Not wanting to be Claw food just yet, she looks for an alternative to save both herself and the girl, Lorna spots a blanket on the ground, she forced her body up rushing to it, rubbing her head against it, hoping she would get the blood out without her hands. Good, it cleaned off, she kicks the blanket to a corner, facing Cassandra. She watches her calming down a bit, the veins retreating, her eyes back to normal.

She took harsh breaths like she was coming down from a panic attack.

"Are you okay now?" Lorna asked taking a step forward, she felt sorry for the girl, she wasn't like the other ghouls who killed without hesitation.

"Stay back!" she hissed.

Lorna instantly halts not daring to take another step forward.

"Just... Don't... come any closer" she motioned with her hand that she stays there.

"Okay, okay I won't... Just...calm down" Lorna said taking steps backward, she sat on a box making sure there was a safe distance.

"Am far away as possible, you can calm down" Lorna said softly, seeing tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I can help you Cassandra" she began.

"No you won't!" she hissed, the tears rolling down her eyes.

"You're a fucking agent and hunt ghoul's for a living".

Lorna's lips hang apart not knowing what to say because she was right.

"Am not like the other ghouls, I don't even know what I am" she broke into tears holding her head with both hands.

"I know," Lorna said sincerely.

"But I don't understand why are you transforming into a Claw, it's not possible" she adds puzzled. 

Cassandra sobs raising her head staring at Lorna with bloodshot eyes.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you" her voice cracks.

"Try me, I have seen a lot of things in my life, there's nothing you will tell me that I won't believe," Lorna said, she had to play her card right and listen to what she has to say hoping to get some clarity of what was going on.

Cassandra sighs.

"It's the drugs" she began bringing a sachet of green drugs out of her loose pants.

"The drugs," Lorna said puzzled, wondering what the drug had to do with turning her into a monster.

"It's called G-st," she said opening the sachet, pouring the powder in her hand, and then sniffing it, she groaned at the feeling as her eyes changed.

Lorna watches with shaky eyes as the realization struck her, the drug was the reason for everything. 'This is bad'.

"And I can't stop taking it," she said cracking in a burst of manic laughter that gave Lorna goosebumps.