The Runaway Huntress

She needs to deal with the security cameras. This evidence shouldn't be ignored, for it can end anyone's future if they are caught in a punishable act. In her case, it would be her chance that is on the line. Sighing, she removed herself from the spot where she was standing and walked out swiftly before Rico would catch her when he stepped out from the lab.

Heading in the opposite direction, she saw the restroom sign ahead, and with quick footsteps, she entered the small room. It surprised her that the area was too clean and dry. She just remembered that the hospital she's at is a semi-private one. That's why there are not a lot of people she encountered in the building. The place is also too quiet. Still, her nose started to irritate from the smell of antiseptic since she entered the premises.

Enough complaining. For now, her nose is scrunched, but she can bear it a little longer. There are three doors in front of her. She forwarded to the lady's room on the right side. Another scent attacked her nostrils—the strong smell of powdered detergents or cleaning liquids.

"Ugh, stupid sensitive nose." She grumbled and fished the facemask in her pocket. The piece of clothing hasn't helped that much, but she felt a little better. She entered one of the open cubicles then. There's no one else in the room anyway, so everywhere is vacant.

Unpacking her backpack, she closed down the cover of the toilet bowl to sit on it. She opened the bag and gently brought out her laptop. Yes, she had a laptop with her all along. It's not that big but is slim and handy. She collected it out of its case and placed the other belongings at her back.

When settled, she put the gadget on her lap and opened it quickly. She hadn't used it for almost a week, so it still had some battery left. Her fingers and mind are working on the keyboard and the monitor in front of her with brows furrowed in concentration.

She doesn't know how fast it would take to hack the CCTV system in the hospital, for it might have high-level security, and it needs some time to infiltrate without getting traced.

Yep, she knows a little about hacking. Heck, it's one of her methods that she gets to know where her bounties are when they are inside a building and she can't easily get in. Lucky if that area has installed cameras. It was just a hobby of hers when she was still in grade school. Her parents had given her a normal life like any other normal kid. She got engrossed in computers, so until she got into senior high, she planned to get a technology course after. But all that was a fairy tale gone bad now.

Among her hobbies that were supported by her parents, they also taught Melisca how to fight and defend herself. Both of them knew that danger would always be so surprising that it could take anyone's life in just a blink. As their family lineage and history are beyond ordinary, there's never too young to learn the rule. She had been trained strictly by her father and taught hacking skills by her mother.

The typing noise of her fingers on the keyboard reverberated inside the cubicle, and it could also be heard outside the door. Her stomach grumbled loudly. She groaned and bit her lips. Just after she got her blood safe, she would have a feast by herself.

Chewing her lips unaware, with eyes squinting at the screen. Minutes had passed. Her fingers paused and resumed from time to time. The network is a bit complicated to penetrate. They had mid-range security. Nothing she can handle, but time is her enemy here.

"Please let me through." She uttered, almost not blinking at the monitor. Finally, she found the address, and she was just about to start the main phase. Codes and numbers appeared before her eyes, deciphering the password to enter the system.

All fingers at the keyboard hitting the keys, and the tap-tap-tapping sound made Melisca's body and mind rush with excitement. Her lips slowly curled up on each side as she was finally getting there. Unaware of the sweat trickling down the side of her face.

The tapping noise went rapid as her fingers blurred. Then she pressed one last button, 'enter'. She paused for a second, and she beamed.

"Yes! Fuck you, cybersecurity. Weak!" She expressed. Cursing whoever is in charge of keeping the system from any unwelcome parasites. She's one of them. "Or am I just that good?" She boasted that complementing herself wouldn't hurt.

Grinning from ear to ear, she just succeeded in the first half of her mission now. But she still feels delighted about her little achievement. Her fingers slowed down finally. She had access to all the installed cameras in the building. The various clips of the hallways, different clinics, and also the parking areas outside. Noticing that the office and the interrogation room where Lorna brought her earlier were not under surveillance, or perhaps it had a different network, or there was no camera at all.

She smirked. Of course, authorities shouldn't be aware that an illegal interrogation using a type of drug is taking place in a known hospital. One that is semi-private and advanced in their technologies for better treatment.

Clicking back on the live video of the laboratory she's about to raid. The coloured tape showed the room has no visitors yet and it is eerily quiet. She glanced at the time displayed on the right-bottom side, she only got 15 minutes at most before the doctors resumed their work.

Melisca quickly made the wireless camera gone blurred and lost contact that the screen flipped from video to black screen in a few seconds until it shut down to nothingness. She did the same to the surveillance outside the lab and the hallway headed to it.

Cybersecurity might notice the problems of the CCTVs right away, but it would take some time to get it back on working properly. She made sure to give them a hard time fixing the videos.

When she returned the certain clip from a small screen, she caught a glimpse of the live stream inside the security room. Her eyes narrowed, and someone was sitting on the swivel chair, facing all the camera clips but the bald head leaning at the back of the chair remained unmoving, along with his legs raised at the desk of keyboards and screens. He got a black clip in front of him but he's still sitting comfortably.

Melisca snickered, the guy was sleeping on his throne. "Just continue snoring there." She mumbled as she closed the laptop, returned it to its case, and inside the backpack.

Step one is done, now in the final half, which is more complicated. She stepped out of the cubicle and headed straight to the door. But before walking into the hallway, she peeked her head from left to right, she didn't want to meet face-to-face with anyone who knew her.

The perimeters are safe, she started heading to the laboratory then. She glimpsed at the camera which was turned off. Smirking, she went straight inside the waiting area for people looking forward to their test results. Only a few mortals were sitting at the lounge chairs, their backs on hers for they were busy watching on the flat screen TV displayed for them to be entertained while waiting. The reception desk in front of her had a female nurse busy typing on the computer.

Melisca eyed the open door at the far left side of the reception area. With everyone busy around, she took the chance to use her speed and went to the small room. Before opening the second door that connected inside the lab, she roamed her eyes for a second to know what is the small space for. It's the area to take blood samples from people for there are cotton balls and paper tape along with antiseptics, gloves, small tubes and needles in a glass cabinet beside the high chair. She shivered at the thought of taking blood.

Okay, enough stalling, Melisca. Move! She threw a glance at the nurse, eyes still glued on the monitor. She then proceeds and turned the knob. Just as she got inside, the nurse's head turned in her direction. Their eyebrows slightly narrowed, then she shook her head, she may only be imagining someone was standing at the entrance of the lab.

Melisca's nose bombarded with metallic odours and chemicals. "Ugh, fuck!" Her head started to throb right after she closed the door behind. The mask couldn't help her at all. Closing her eyes for a second as she pinched her nose. Groaning, she heaved a deep breath through her lips and opened her eyes, she got to finish this in an instant.

Her feet moved and quickly went to the blood storage her eyes caught at the corner ahead. She stooped to get a clear look for it only came to her waist level. The small square box was placed on top of the long cabinet beside the wall. It had a few samples inside with a sticker tag in the tube. Her name wasn't in any of them. She turned to the other box beside it and bingo! There's her blood and her name on it.

Eyeing around to look for some disposable gloves. There's a box on it on the table behind her. She took off her riding gloves and put them inside her jacket pocket as she approached for the more suitable gloves. She doesn't want to leave her fingerprints on the tube.

After securing her hands, she returned her attention to the first box and opened it. Gradually she picked up one of the blood tubes in the rack and closed the storage after. It smells normal for pure human blood so, she guaranteed that the sample she got has no problem.

Carefully taking off the tag from the tube, because her blood sample got no tag, her name had only been written on a piece of paper and placed beside the vial. She doesn't know why exactly Dr Vera isolated her sample, probably the doctor could have thought that she's something else. Well, she isn't wrong about it. But she won't be able to confirm, not as long as she can help it.

When she succeeded in peeling off the sticker, she threw the tag inside her pocket to avoid any suspicion. Her heart had been racing since she entered the room, she can't help getting worried as it is her existence and plans on the thread here.

Even the cold air inside the closed walls, she felt her body heat up with tension. She shook her head to focus her thoughts. Panic would only create careless mistakes.

She's about to open the special box but then, the calculator-like buttons at the side of the opening had her sighing. She's almost done and yet, another obstacle emerged.

"Damn it. Why does it need to be pin-locked?" She swore in gritted teeth to the box. Her heartbeat went up as she knows only a few minutes left before anyone enters the room.