“Do you know where he is Mr. Bedell?” said Mr. Arcane while his assistant was walking into the study.
“No, Mr. Arcane, he seems to have gone off the grid” said Bedell while stepping into an oak room with hunting prizes on both ends of the room.
“We trained him well, too well it seems” said Arcane with distress.
“Sir, if I may say something, I have worked for you for some time now and I know much about you, but I have never seen you with anxiety until now. If I may ask, what has you in such discomposure?”
“I’ll tell you Bedell, but understand that if this gets out to the press because of you, you will be charged with treason. And we will find out who it was that leaked to the press,” Arcane warned, sitting back up his chair coated by the midday sunlight.
“Understood, sir,” said Bedell with assurance.
“It was three years ago when we started the project. I was commissioned as the head of the operation. We were supposed to create and train genetically enhanced assassins. We infused a foreign D.N.A into the test subject’s body to enhance the body’s abilities.”
“If I may intrude, what D.N.A did you use, exactly?” said Bedell.
“We used animal D.N.A on them, but not just any type of animal. We chose specific ones that would fit our criteria. The first set of test subjects failed to accept the D.N.A. We later figured out that we needed to find certain subjects that would accept the genes for the change. So, we started looking for people with certain attributes who were able to have their D.N.A infused with that of an animal,” explained Arcane.
“So, what does this have to do with the agent whom we can’t find?” asked Bedell while staring at some of the hunting trophies hanging off the wall.
“I was getting to that. After two years of testing, we were able to infuse the D.N.A with the test subjects, but we ran into a little bump in the road. A few of the animal genes were not bonding with any of the subjects.
“What exactly happened to those who were introduced to the serum?” asked Bedell.
“Many who were exposed to the serum were unaffected, but others were either driven mad or became deathly ill.”
“Were you able to find anyone who was able to merge with the genes?”
“Yes, we were able to find some candidates who were able to accept the D.N.A. Strangely, though, when we introduced them to it, they inherited certain characteristics of the actual animal,” said Arcane while writing something on a sheet of paper.
“And what kind of characteristics did they obtain?” Bedell asked.
“Each of them obtained different abilities according to the D.N.A which they were exposed to. Going through them all would be extremely tedious and useless, but there was one boy who was able to attain all the characteristics of the animal!” said Arcane with some joy in his voice.
“Let me guess. He is the one we are looking for?” Bedell said with uncertainty. “Might I ask what his name was?”
“Connor, that was his name. He was one of our most successful test subjects. After we found that he was a success we trained him and sent him out on his first mission after two months. When he returned and was debriefed, one of the doctors gave a report of what occurred. Apparently, the boy had changed after he was sent. We don’t know how, exactly, but we do know that after that he went off the grid and we haven’t heard from him since.”
“In what way did he change?” asked Bedell.
“The doctor said in his report that it was as if a beast was awakened from its sleep and was looking for something to devour,” said Arcane looking back down at the paper with a shaky voice.
“Well, whatever he’s looking for, it can’t be you, I mean you never met the kid” said Bedell with assurance.
“I hope you’re right, Bedell, because if he does know about me he might come searching for answers.”
“Oh, by the way, there is a car waiting outside to take you to your three o clock meeting with the Secretary of Defense” said Bedell.

“Yes, of course. Thank you for reminding me, I’ll be out shortly” said Arcane rising from his seat to leave.

“Hello, and you are?” asked the woman sitting behind a marble desk.
“Connor” said the man standing in front of her
“What is your reason for being here today?” asked the assistant
“I believe I have a meeting with the Secretary at three” said Connor.
“Let me check for you” said the woman while typing away on her computer. “I’m sorry, the only meeting we have at three is a Mr. Arcane.”

“Okay, thank you. Real quick question: you don’t happen to have Mr. Arcane’s number on there do you?”
“I’m sorry, sir, we can’t divulge that information to anyone,” said the woman politely.
“Thank you, and sorry for wasting your time,” said Connor while walking to the door. “Now all I have to do is wait for Arcane to show up, and end this,” Connor said to himself.
Thirty minutes later a group of four men came walking down the beige colored hallway dressed suits and carrying in water.
One of the men with salt and pepper hair, wearing a light colored pin striped suit walked up to the woman and said.
“Um, yes, I have a meeting with the secretary” said the man in the front of the group.
“And your name sir?” said the lady.
“Mr. Arcane” said the man.
“Oh, yes, here you are Mr. Arcane. You have a three p.m. meeting. Go on ahead, he’s just down the hall to the left, first door on your right,” said the lady.
“Thank you” said Arcane while leaving the table.
“Mr. Secretary” said Arcane while walking into green office stacked with book that had a window view of the city.
“Mr. Arcane, how has your week been” said the secretary
“How do you think it has bee,” Arcane tried finishing the sentence but someone barged into the room.
“Arcane!” said Connor with fury in his eyes, after knocking out the Secretary, and grabbing Arcane by the collar of his shirt pushing him up against bookshelf.
“Who are you?” said Arcane, trying to stay calm.
“Do you really not know who I am; I mean, you’ve sent over five people to kill me.”
“Connor, how did you find me and why are you here?” asked Arcane
“The how is none of your concern, you should be more worried about the why. I’m here because you ruined my life and tried to have me killed more than once. Now I’m here to do the same,” said Connor

“And how do you expect to do that without a weapon?” said Arcane with a smirk.
“You forget we’re on the third floor. Hitting just the right spot when you fall would be instant death.”
“You would be alerting the entire building. You would never get away,” said Arcane.
“Guess I’ll have to cross that bridge when I get there” said Connor before pushing Arcane out the window and watching him fall to his death. “Well time for me to go now before the cops get here” Connor said to himself taking one last look at the limp cold body of Arcane lying on the street with rain falling, right before barging out of the room making a run for the stairs, knowing that he might be hunted down for the rest of his life. He would have to escape the city, and go into hiding. His former life of being an assassin has just ended. Now his life on the run has just begun.