Red Hood's Arc

Chapter 3 of 3

Red Hood held the girl close. Her small hands shook against his coat. The second set of prints led deeper into the dark, but she could not walk, and he could not chase and carry her at once. He had to choose, and choose fast. He slipped out a side door and scanned the lot. Across the way stood a small stone fort, its walls thick and its arch still strong. Ivy climbed the towers. The heavy door held. It would shield her from wind and eyes. He carried her inside and set her on a low bench. Her breath came quick. A sharp voice cut the quiet. An old woman stepped from the shadows, bag swinging, mouth tight. "Took your sweet time, didn't you? This child needs water, not heroics." Karen Hagglewood planted herself beside the girl like a guard dog. Red Hood knelt. He pressed a small glowing stone into the girl's palm, its runes warm and steady. "This keeps you safe," he said. Then he lifted a fine chain from his pocket and clasped it at her neck. "And this calls me back. I will come for you. I promise." He ran back into the warehouse. The dust held more than prints now. A bright sticker clung to a crate, edges curled, colors loud against the gloom. Boom Chika-latta, in pink and blue. A trail of them dotted the floor like crumbs, leading past broken shelves and out a back door into the night. Red Hood followed the bright marks at a dead run. The girl was safe. The hunt was on.