aHunter4Ever (10 page)

Grace’s mouth dropped open at the size of the man who came through the
entry. Partlan had been set to attack, but for some reason he stood and stepped
away from the door. The newcomer had the same dark hair and eyes as Partlan. He
slipped through a tiny opening of the door and closed it with an almost silent
click. He glanced at her before his eyes dropped to the ground and he turned to
Partlan.

“Hunter?”

Partlan nodded. “I am Partlan, clan Obair. Team leader, under the command
of Ardal, protector of the High Council.”

The stranger nodded. “Impressive.”

Partlan took a step toward her. “Grace Kelly, this is Eogan. He is also a
Hunter. Grace and I were kidnapped in Los Angeles several hours ago. Can you
tell us where we are?”

“You are at a secret facility in Australia.” Eogan’s voice was clipped.

“No.” It felt as if a hammer hit her in the chest and knocked the breath
from her. How had they gotten all the way to Australia? “Why?”

“This facility
monitors
communications
world-wide.” Eogan leaned against the door. “I believe someone mentioned Hunter
on a newscast and they sent scouts to see if it were true.”

Grace winced. “The Walters. They complained to the media about how the
FBI had treated Partlan.”

“What did they do?” Eogan’s tone was serious.

“We shot him.”

Eogan nodded and turned to Partlan. “Have you recovered?”

“There is an ache, but the wound has closed.”

“Good. If you’re going to escape, then you must be fit.” Eogan glanced at
the ceiling. “Are there cameras?”

“I can find none.”

Eogan walked away from the door. “There is one outside of your cell and I
moved it so that if you stay close to the wall you can avoid being seen.”

“How long have you been here?” Partlan crossed his arms. “We have not
heard of a Hunter working alone on this planet.”

“I have been at this place for several years, working for the different
agencies that have been in charge. In recent years, the mission of the facility
has changed. It is located so that no one may spy on it. There are secret areas
that only a select few know about. You are in one of those areas.” Eogan’s eyes
narrowed. “Understand, I do not do this by choice. I was taken when I was a
child and my training and implants were tampered with. I am at the command of
the humans.”

“Did you crash land with Catal?” Partlan stepped closer to her.

“You know Catal?”

“He is now part of Ardal’s unit. He has completed his training and is no
longer a mercenary on this planet.”

Grace raised a hand. They were talking about things she didn’t understand.
It all sounded very military though. It also seemed to confirm Partlan’s story
about being from another planet. “I thought you were all guns for hire.”

“We are warriors who follow our own code, not the rules of humans.”
Partlan glanced at her and then motioned for her to come near.

He wasn’t making sense, but nothing was. She took the couple of steps
needed to be beside him. He gripped her arm and pushed her behind him. When she
tried to step away, his grasp strengthened. She was getting tired of his
caveman tactics. She was a trained federal agent. She could take care of
herself.

“I won’t hurt the woman.” Eogan’s words echoed in the cell. “I may have
been forced to work for the humans, but I have not forgotten the Sacred Code.
Women and children are to be protected always.”

“How can I know that they haven’t sent you in here as a trick?” Partlan
eased his hold on her arm.

“The word of a brother and the vow of a fellow Hunter.” Eogan sounded
sincere.

Partlan hesitated a second and then released her arm. She rubbed the area
where his hand had been as she came out from behind him. The two men were
glaring at each other, until Partlan nodded and relaxed.

“I will trust you.”

“I mean no harm.” Eogan took a step closer. “You are the first contact
I’ve had in over thirty years. The silence has been painful.”

“I cannot imagine.” Partlan cleared his throat. “Why can I not reach my
unit?”

“There is an energy field that makes this place invisible to
communication listening devices. It also makes it impossible to connect to
someone outside. You are the first Hunter I have sensed since I was brought
here.”

Grace shook her head. They were talking in riddles, and all she wanted to
know was what the escape plan was.

“How soon can we leave this place?”

Eogan looked at her. “I will have to arrange the escape. You are down
seven levels and it will be noticed if you leave.”

She had been right about the number of floors they had passed. Never had
she thought those floors were below ground. Her heart stuttered and panic clouded
her brain. For the first time she let herself think about what that meant. It
was dark below ground. The walls could cave in and they’d be buried alive. Her
breathing came in gasps. Her knees weakened, forcing her to sit on the ground.
Partlan knelt beside her.

“Breath.” His voice held concern.

She shook her head. Words jumbled in her mind, but nothing came out. Out
of nowhere, the sensation of peace came over her. The knot in her chest
loosened and she forced out a breath. Partlan’s hand rubbed her back and she
leaned into the comfort he gave. Her next breath was easier.

“I will not leave you. There is no need to be afraid.”

“What’s the problem?” Eogan was beside them now.

“She fears the dark and small places.”

“Claustrophobia. Make her stand and walk.” Eogan’s tone was
authoritative.

Partlan helped her up and then held her close, as they walked back and
forth in the room. The tension in her body eased and her heart rate returned to
normal.

“I feel like an idiot.” Grace could have kicked herself for her reaction.

“It’s normal for newcomers to this facility to experience what you did.”
Eogan lifted her face to his and frowned. “Your eyes have not returned to
normal, but your breathing is better.”

“Is it being below ground that affects people?” Grace straightened away
from Partlan.

“Probably, but it’s safe. Everything has been reinforced. There’s no way
signals can penetrate to this level, so we can use that to plan your escape.”

“Don’t we need to contact someone to help us?” Grace couldn’t envision how
they would manage to get to the surface without assistance.

“It’s a dead zone, with arrays of blocking frequencies surrounding it.
Nothing comes in, or goes out, unless it’s designed to.” Eogan crossed his arms
over his massive chest. “Between Partlan and myself, we’ll be able to
coordinate a plan.”

Grace’s eyes narrowed. There was something that Partlan wasn’t telling
her, but her brain refused to deal with it. If they had a secret way for them
to get out of this hellhole, then she wasn’t going to spoil it with questions.
All she wanted was to go home and have a long soak in her own bathtub. If she
could, she would have turned the clock back four days, and let Partlan walk
away after he’d delivered the Walters’ boy to his parents. Then, all of this would
disappear, like a bad dream.

“How were you able to get to us?”

“They no longer believe I will disobey them.” Eogan’s eyes were distant.
“Until I sensed you near, I had no reason to. I thought I was alone on this
planet.”

“We are brothers and fight together. You will escape with us and we will
find our way back to the unit.” Partlan clenched his hands into fists. “The
humans have done you a great dishonor.”

“I’m not leaving.” Eogan shook his head. “I have only just discovered the
existence of more Hunters. It’s too soon for me to make a decision. Besides, if
we both escape they will track me and that will endanger you.”

“You will follow us after we have gone.” Partlan’s words were a
statement. “It is necessary for you to know what has happened to the rest of
our brothers.”

Eogan frowned. “Have you found a way off this planet?”

“There is no home for us. All Hunters were ordered executed.”

“Why?”

“There was a civil war on Cygnus and the Kaladin were defeated by the
Holman. It was feared that Hunters would only obey the Kaladin so we were
ordered terminated.” Partlan’s voice was emotionless. “We were luckier than the
other Hunters. Our leader, Ardal, chose to allow us to die fighting. We
disobeyed the execution order and fought for control of the ship carrying us to
our death. That is when we crashed on this planet.”

Eogan cleared his throat. “How many Hunters survived?”

“We number over one hundred.” Partlan’s voice held pride. “There are also
those who crashed when you did. They are at least eighty strong and now form
part of Ardal’s unit. All of clan Rioge was exterminated. Ardal will be
thankful one of his clan survives.”

“For years, I thought I was the only Hunter on this planet. Now, I have
much to hope for.”

“There is even more. We are able to live a normal life. Much has happened
since we have removed our implants.” Partlan rubbed an area over his right
forearm. “We have learned that many of our legends are true. Three of our unit
have found pair bonds and are mated.”

Eogan’s eyes widened. “Is this true?”

“What’s a pair bond?” When there was no answer, Grace pulled on Partlan’s
arm. “Explain this please.”

Eogan was the one who spoke first. “Legend has it that a Hunter is
destined to bond with one mate for life. They share a bond that cannot be
broken even by death. That is why a Hunter is forbidden to mate. His bond is so
strong that he will disobey orders to protect his mate. All else is forgotten,
if a Hunter’s mate is in need.”

“Our implants had been deactivated when we were loaded onto the prison
ship, so we were no longer receiving enhancements.” Partlan’s tone was quiet.
“On earth, it was discovered that part of what the implant did was to ensure
that we would not form a pair bond.”

“You weren’t allowed to marry?” Grace’s voice rose with indignation. “What
kind of people were these Kaladin?”

“We were bred to protect them. It was forbidden for a Hunter to mate.”

“Ever?”

“A Hunter may not be with a woman.” Eogan’s voice was matter of fact. “It
might distract him from his duty, which is to protect and follow orders.”

“So you guys have never had a relationship with a woman?” She didn’t
bother to hide her disbelief.

“Never.” Partlan’s eyes locked onto hers.

There seemed to be a silent message that he was trying to convey. She
inhaled and broke contact. For a second, she’d thought she’d heard his voice in
her mind telling her that they were connected. That had to be her imagination.
She’d never been a person who believed in anything telepathic or supernatural,
and she wasn’t going to start now. She was tired and stressed. That was the
only explanation.

Partlan turned back to Eogan. “Have you never felt a connection with a
woman?”

“No.” Eogan shook his head. “My implants are still effective. When I was first
captured, the enhancements that the Kaladin had put in place were tampered
with. Once the humans understood what they were, they altered them to fit their
needs.”

“You must remove them.”

“They have other ways to control us.” Eogan’s tone was dry. “There’s a
constant bombardment of electrical energy that affects behavior. I think it
interferes with the connection between Hunters outside of this compound. Today
was the first I had ever sensed another brother. I knew that meant you were
within these walls. It was easy to find you.”

“You cannot stay here.” Partlan’s tone was insistent. “They will know you
helped us leave.”

“I am useful to the humans. They trust me. I can come and go as I please
within the compound. I’ll be able to arrange your escape.”

“There must be another way.” Partlan lifted his chin. “I will not leave
you here to face these monsters alone. We will attack the whole compound.”

“It won’t work.” Eogan lowered his voice. “It’s vast. It’s a
multi-national effort that is at a level higher than most heads of state. Some
of this planet’s oldest organizations and moneyed families signed a treaty with
the Albireons when they first came to Earth over seventy years ago. In exchange
for technological advances, they allowed the Albireons control.”

“You cannot expect me to leave a brother behind?”

Grace bit her lower lip. Escape sounded as if it would be dangerous, even
if they all went together. To attack the whole unit was asking for disaster.
The odds were against them. They needed a different plan.

“They trust me.” Eogan’s tone was persuasive. “Until now, I didn’t know
that there were other Hunters on this planet. The humans kept me alive because
I was clan Rioge. All of the others that were captured, have been killed.”

“That means they intend to kill us too.” Grace’s heart skipped a beat.

“Yes.” Eogan nodded. “They frequently send me on missions outside the
compound. On my next mission, I will contact you. From there, I will make my
escape.”

“Are you certain they will not discover that you arranged our release?”

Eogan crossed his arms over his chest. “I am the last person they would
suspect. They truly believe that I can’t disobey an order. Their implants have
kept me doing their bidding since, I was a child. It will be a relief to no
longer obey.”

Partlan hesitated a second before nodding. “If you do not contact us, we
will come back to free you.”

“That won’t be necessary.” Eogan opened the door. “I’ll let you know when
it is safe to leave.”

A second later, Eogan was gone. Grace frowned. How was he going to let
them know? They didn’t have any cell phones.

“Is he going to come back here? That could be dangerous.”

“He will not risk seeing us again.”

“Then how will you know when to leave?”