aHunter4Ever (12 page)

They were definitely not human.

A murmur passed between the two creatures who entered the room. They
didn’t even bother to look her way. Grace swallowed a scream and closed her
eyes. Everything Partlan had said was true. The men in the hospital had been
aliens. If he was right about that, was he also correct about the need to fear
them?

Partlan claimed they were a threat to humanity.

Right now, they were a threat to her.

They walked over to the instrument laden table and ran their long fingers
over each tool. It was as if they were counting them.

“You can’t keep me here.” Grace clenched her hands into fists.

One of the creatures turned to her. “You are with us now.”

His lips didn’t move.

Grace shook her head. “Who are you?”

“We are here. That is all you need to know.” He turned back to the tray
and then picked up a syringe.

“Wait.” Grace’s voice rose to a hysterical pitch. “You can’t just jab people
without an explanation. What are you going to do?”

“We need your genes.” The other creature spoke this time. “It will not
hurt.”

“I refuse.”

“You have been given to us. There is no refusal.”

“This is crazy. I’m just an ordinary person. Why would you want to probe
me?” Sweat was beading on her forehead. The constant glare of the overhead
light was making her skin crawl. She could taste bile at the back of her throat
and fear had settled like a rock in her stomach. This was worse than being
locked in the closet by her brother.

Much worse.

The restraints were chafing at her wrists, leaving the skin reddened and
sore. For a brief second, she wondered if she had the courage to withstand
whatever torture they had planned. Partlan had stood firm against Ian. Could
she do the same? She closed her eyes and brought up a vision of Partlan in her
mind’s eye. He was strong and brave. If there was a connection between the two
of them, then that must mean she had the same strength within her.

She took a deep breath. “You won’t get what you want.”

The two creatures turned to her. “We always do. Your words make no
sense.”

“Poking and probing humans won’t tell you anything about us.”

“Your genes give us the information we need. Everything about your race
is there for our inspection.”

“It doesn’t explain how we think, or what motivates us.” Grace’s words
were giving her strength. These Albireons, as Partlan called them, might
believe that they knew who humans were, but they didn’t have a clue.

“We do not need that information.” One turned back to the instruments
while the other came closer to Grace. “We are able to replicate you. That is
all we need to infiltrate and take over.”

“We are fighters. Your experiments won’t tell you where that comes from.”

“Resistance is wasted energy. Only an irrational being would continue in
the face of defeat.”

“Humans will.” Grace grinned. “I told you that there was no way genetics
could explain our race. If you try to cage us, we will oppose you.”

“We already have control.” The creature tilted its head. “You have no
need to be afraid. We mean no harm.”

“Humans demand freedom.”

“We cannot allow that.” The second Albireon came close. It had the
syringe in its long fingers. “We need your genes and this planet for our
survival.”

“You want to take over Earth completely.” Grace spoke through clenched
teeth, careful to avoid their eyes. She hadn’t forgotten the effect they’d had
on her in the hospital.

“It is necessary. Humans will work for us, once we have total
domination.”

“As slaves?” Grace didn’t bother to hide her contempt. “Why do you need
us once you have control of the planet?”

“There are resources that we need.”

Grace swallowed back her horror. “What do you want?”

“Water is the most important. Few planets have such a supply as Earth. It
is unique.”

The creature brought the needle to her arm and pierced her skin. Grace
twisted her arm and clenched her fist. She wasn’t going to give them what they
wanted without a fight. Her arm moved back and forth. The second Albireon
reached out to hold her steady, but by then she’d already twisted the needle
loose. It clattered to the ground.

“They should have given you the sleeping drugs before bringing you here.”
There was a sound of frustration in his voice as he bent to pick the syringe
up.

“If all you see are sedated humans, then I was right.” Grace’s tone was
smug. “You don’t have an inkling about us.”

The Albireons went back to the tray. He threw the syringe on it. “You may
struggle, but we will get what we need.”

“Humans will always fight.” Grace tilted her chin. “We will not stand by
and let you take over this planet.”

There was another murmur between the two creatures and then they both
walked over to the other side of the room. Grace’s eyes never left them as they
moved a large machine with glass tubes and a bank of buttons, from the corner
into the center of the room. They turned a few dials and a then a whirring
noise sounded.

“What are you doing?”

She had to keep them talking. Stalling for time was part of her
negotiation training. The longer they talked, the better chance she had of
discovering what they wanted. At the back of her mind was the possibility that
Partlan might be able to reach her. She didn’t hold much hope of that. Partlan
was in the same situation as she was. They were both being held captive and
restrained. That meant that she had to rely on herself to get out of this
predicament. Talking was the only weapon she had left.

“It would be best if you were not awake.”

“So that machine is going to put me to sleep?”

The Albireons turned back to her. “It will ease your anxiety.”

“You plan to drug me?” Grace’s voice held disdain. “Have you no pride? Is
drugging and sedation the only way you can get what you want?”

“It has been useful in the past.” The two creatures came back to her.
“Are you willing to let us take what we need?”

Grace shook her head. “I’ve already told you no.”

“We want to understand humans.” The creature’s voice took on an imploring
tone. “It will make the transition easier once we take over.”

“You expect me to willingly help you control the human race?” Grace
almost snorted.

“We are not the only ones interested in your planet.” The creature was
serious.

“There are more aliens on Earth?” She almost sputtered the words.

“They have tried, but we came to you first.” The Albireon who had tried
to take her blood picked up another syringe. “Your genetics are fascinating.”

“How so?” Grace’s eyes were getting heavy. It was a struggle to keep her
eyelids open.

“Your genes have numerous codes from other beings in the universe. It is
as if you were a combination of many races, not just one.”

“Then, we are unique.”

“Yes.” The Albireon came closer with the syringe. “We need to understand
how this came to be.”

“Why?” Grace eyed the needle as it neared her. She tried to twist her
arm, but it felt weighted down.

“We have to be certain your planet is not a danger to us.” The Albireon
nodded to his partner who went back to the machine. The whirring noise ceased.

“Our genes will tell you that?” There was a problem with the Albireon’s logic,
but her brain was too full of cotton wool to pinpoint the issue.

“They will help us.” The Albireon was inches away with the syringe.
“Also, you are with the Hunter. We need to know why.”

“My blood isn’t going to tell you that.” Grace’s tone was dry. “All you
had to do was ask.”

The Albireon paused. “Ask?”

“It’s not complicated. The Hunter is my detainee.”

“Hunters are not taken prisoners.” He shook his head. “There has to be
some control you have over him.”

“I’m just a human woman. From the way you people speak, these Hunters are
to be feared. So what power could I possibly have?”

“You reasoning is sound.”

The two Albireons looked at each other for a few seconds and Grace sensed
that there was a silent conversation going on between them. She glanced over at
the machine and then back at the tray of instruments. Whatever they were
planning involved more than a blood sample. Her body still felt heavy from the
drug they had pumped into the room, but the effects were lessening. The best
plan for her was to pretend that she couldn’t move.

The creatures turned back to her. “There has to be another reason the
Hunter does not fight you.”

“I am a woman.”

“True.” There was a tilt of his head. “You are not of the species they
were designed to defend. Are you suggesting that they will honor a woman from
any race?”

“I don’t know. He has sworn to protect women and children.”

“So they do not only protect the Kaladin? They have been ruthless in
their fighting. We have not done well against the Kaladin and their Hunters.”

“He said that you did not respect other races and I have to agree with
him.”

“We have done no harm.”

“You are holding me captive and planning on using my genes for whatever
purpose you want. I call that harmful.” Sensation was seeping back into her
arm. She needed only a few more minutes and then she should be able to continue
her struggle for freedom.

“We will release you. We have no plans to destroy your body like the
others.”

A shock wave rolled through her. The others? These monsters had taken
other people and killed them and this was sanctioned by the group that Ian
worked for? Grace fought back her nausea.

“Why is Ian’s organization working with you?”

“We give them what they need and they let us experiment.”

“Do they know what your intentions are for the planet?”

The Albireons shrugged. “It is unimportant to them.”

“What did they ask for in exchange?”

Grace forced her voice to remain calm. The longer she talked, the more
her strength was returning. The thought of what she would do to Ian and his
multi-national organization fueled her determination to survive.

“Technology.” The Albireon was matter of fact. “We are more advanced than
your planet.”

“There has to be more.” Sensation was fully returned to her hands. “They
probably think they’ll be exempt from whatever horrible plans you have for the
rest of us. Did you promise them a new home?”

“They wish to travel the universe.”

“So they’ll escape.” Grace fought the urge to shake her head. She didn’t
want them knowing that their drug was wearing off.

“They have been wise and negotiated.” The Albireon raised his syringe.
“There has been enough talk.”

He took the cap off the needle.

Time had run out.

She had stalled the Albireons as long as possible. Grace clenched her
fists and teeth as she pulled up on her restraints with all of her strength.
The leather held tight even though the effects of their drug had lessened. She
wasn’t strong enough to break the straps on her wrists and feet.

She sent a silent cry for help to Partlan just as the needle made contact
with her skin.

Ian was going to die.

He had threatened and hurt Grace.

Grace was his mate and every cell in Partlan’s body was dedicated to
protecting her. The kiss had been proof of their bond. He had never experienced
anything like it before. It had been a physical and spiritual connection. A
part of him had reached out and touched the inner core that was Grace. His only
regret was that it had ended too soon.

Ian had interrupted them.

He forced his thoughts away from Grace. He could not allow anything to
interfere with his task. These men were threatening her. He stilled his mind
and focused on Ian. The man would make a mistake. That was all Partlan needed.

Then, Ian would die.

Ian was standing in the center of the cell with his lips pursed. He took
one step closer to Partlan. “Any attempt to escape is futile. We hold all the
cards, including that lovely lady that just left.”

“You are threatening a woman, not cards.” Partlan’s tone was
contemptuous.

Ian shook his head. “I can see that I’ll have to talk in simple language
to help you understand how serious this situation is. We will kill the FBI
agent, if you don’t give us the information we require.”

“If you kill her, then there is no reason for me to speak with you.”
Partlan’s words came through gritted teeth. This man was lower than the worse
traitor he had ever hunted. Even thieves had more honor.

“Do you know where she is right now?” Ian’s eyebrow rose. “She’s in a laboratory
being subjected to the painful experiments of one of your fellow
extraterrestrials.”

“We do not experiment on people.” Partlan did not hide his disgust. “We
protect people from monsters like you.”

“We’re doing what is necessary to survive. We didn’t invite visitors from
outer space. You guys just showed up here. What choice do we have? We make the
treaties with those that can help us.”

“You are mistaken if you think the Albireons will assist you. In the end,
they will destroy your people just like they’ve done on numerous planets across
the universe.”

“I follow orders.” Ian paced the small cell, his military boots a dull
thud against the cement floor. “You’re not welcome on Earth. You were
definitely not invited.”

“We have no intention of harming this planet.” Partlan lifted his chin.
“There is no reason to hold us captive.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.” Ian stopped walking. “I need to know how
many of you are on the planet and where you are located.”

“A warrior does not betray his brothers.”

“We have a large arsenal of methods for extracting information.” There
was a gleam of satisfaction in Ian’s eyes.

“I have endured worse.” Partlan shook his head. “You are not the first
race to resort to torture. I have been trained to resist.”

Ian frowned. “I will have to find another means to convince you.”

“You may try, but you will not be successful.”

“Why were you running with the woman? Was she your captive?”

“The Sacred Code forbids hurting women. I would never hold one captive.”

“There must be a connection.” Ian tilted his head. “She’s all I need to
convince you to talk.”

“It will not work.”

“I will kill the woman.” Ian’s voice sounded like steel. “This is not a
game. The security of our planet is at stake. You will tell me what I need to
know.”

“You are willing to sacrifice an innocent woman for this information?”
Partlan’s tone was scornful. “You have no honor.”

“I don’t give a damn about honor. I want answers or the woman dies,” Ian
shouted.

“Then, we will both die.” Partlan kept his tone neutral. He had no
intention of letting any harm come to Grace, but he was not going to let this
man know that. Surprise was what was needed to escape this place, and he
intended to use it to his advantage.

Ian smirked. “Where’s all your fine talk about defending women?”

“You are the one making the threats. I have only stated that I will not
talk.”

Ian walked to within a few inches of Partlan.

His face was a mask of anger.

“We’ll see how tough you are when I force you to watch the invasive
probing of the woman by the Albireons.” Ian spit the words at Partlan. “All of
your talk of honor and it’s really your own skin you want to save.”

“I have no desire to save myself.” Partlan kept his face passive. “Death
is a warrior’s reward.”

“You guys really are insane.” Ian’s voice was filled with disdain. “What
ever happened to survival?”

“We have been bred and trained to be the best warriors in the universe.”

“Tell me how many of you there are?”

“I will not endanger my brothers.” Partlan shook his head. “I am the only
Hunter you will capture.”

“We know there’s more of you. The Walters spoke of a group who had saved
their son.” Ian nodded. “We did our research. You were easy to capture and it
won’t be long before we have the rest.”

Partlan’s clenched his jaw. He would not give this man the satisfaction
of an answer. He believed he knew everything about Hunters, but his words
showed his ignorance. A warrior never divulged information. It was only a
matter of time before he killed Ian and rescued Grace.

“Don’t you have anything to say?” Ian’s tone was taunting. “Do you think
humans are stupid?”

Partlan gave him a blank stare. “You speak nonsense. I am as human as
you.”

Ian’s eyes widened and he took a step backwards. “You’re not from this
planet.”

“Prove it.”

Ian threw his arms up in the air. “I’m not going to stand here and debate
this with you any longer. You’ve tried my patience enough. Now, we’ll ask our
questions in an atmosphere more conducive to interrogation.”

Partlan shrugged. “As you wish. It will not change my answers.”

Ian walked out of the cell and motioned for someone to come to him.
Partlan focused his mind and tried to connect with Ardal. All he received was
silence. He tried again, but the result was the same. Then, he remembered what
Eogan had said about the facility blocking signals.

He tried to connect with Eogan. This time he had success.

“Grace has been taken away. Ian says that the Albireons will
experiment on her.”

There was a long pause before Eogan answered.
“She is probably on
level eight. The Albireons have complete control there.”

“I must free her.”
Partlan refused to consider what would happen
if he did not succeed.

“The escape plan is in place. You need to get above ground. The
elevator is the only means.”
Eogan fired his instruction with military
briskness.

“Understood.”

“If they know you’re on the loose, they’ll shut down all transport up
to the surface.”

“I will silence all who stop me.”
Partlan eased his breathing in
preparation for battle.

“Kill them where there are no cameras. Stay close to the walls to
avoid being seen. I’ll make my way up to the surface and meet you there.”

Just then Ian returned with two armed men. They were dressed in grey
uniforms with caps on their heads. They looked more like security guards than
soldiers, but Partlan had no intention of underestimating their skill. They
carried weapons that even an untrained person could use to kill. He would
eliminate them before they could fire their weapons. Grace needed him alive.

Partlan moved his neck from side to side and eased his breathing. These
men would be easily defeated, but he must do it without others knowing.
Surprise and skill were necessary if he was going to rescue Grace and get them
to the surface. Failure was not an option.

The cold mental focus of a warrior took over.

One of the men unlocked his handcuff from the cell wall and snapped the
free end onto his own wrist before pushing Partlan forward. The other soldier
had his gun trained on him. Ian stood at the door with his arms crossed over
his chest. Partlan let the man push him another step before he locked his legs
in place.

He yanked on the cuffs, pulling the man attached to him, close. He
wrapped his arm around his neck and with his free hand grabbed his captor’s
gun. Before Partlan’s next heartbeat, he shot the other soldier dead. Ian’s
eyes widened and he was reaching for his weapon when Partlan shot him through
the heart. Partlan jerked his arm and snapped the neck of the man he was
holding.

The body sagged to the floor and he rummaged through the dead man’s
pockets until he found the key to unlock the handcuffs. Once freed, he picked
up the three weapons. One went into the back waistband of his pants, one into
his front pocket and he kept the other in his hand. Next, he took the soldier’s
hat and put it on so that the cap hid most of his face. He shrugged into Ian’s
jacket and covered his tee-shirt before pushing the bodies along the wall
beside the door. If anyone checked through the window, it would look empty.

He edged out of the cell.

The hallway was clear.

He looked up. The camera was pointed high as Eogan had promised. He shut
the cell door behind him and edged along the wall making certain he kept out of
view. At the end of the hall, there was an elevator and another maze of
corridors. The elevator had a large seven on the front.

It was the only way to freedom.

More importantly, it would take him to Grace.

He pulled the brim of the hat over his face and pushed the button. When
it opened, he turned and faced the wall. He couldn’t risk anyone finding him
until after he freed Grace. Escape meant nothing if Grace wasn’t with him. He
pushed the button for eight. There was a jerk and then he was descending one
level. When the doors opened, he kept his head down. He saw the camera ahead
and nudged it up with his gun. If they were careful, they should be out of
range of the security monitors when they escaped. All he needed was time to get
to the surface before the alarm was sounded. After that, he would rely on
Eogan’s escape plan.

The elevator opened onto three corridors.

They were all identical in appearance.

At regular intervals, there were doors without windows. He would not be
able to see which room Grace was in. There was a stillness in the halls, one
that he recognized from Cygnus. Everything on this level was soundproof. Each
door was heavy enough to prevent noise from filtering out. It was meant to keep
their experiments secret, but it was also going to make it difficult to find
Grace.

His only option was to try and mind connect to see if she could answer
him. He would also try and sense where she was. If that didn’t work, he would
search every room until he found her. The chances of finding her before the
alarm was sounded, were slim.

He leaned against the wall and took a deep breath before focusing. He
sent out a mind connect for Grace, putting all of his energy and desire into
that reach. Silence was all that greeted him. He tried again. This time there
was a faint sensation of a tingling in his head. He focused on that sensation
and tried to pinpoint where it had come from.

He turned right.

It was a long hall, but Grace had to be close. He’d walked several
hundred feet before stopping. Grace felt near enough for him to touch, but he
still did not have a clear idea of where she was. He opened the first door and
looked in. It was a small laboratory, full of glass and steel, but empty. He
shut it and went on to the next door, when a sharp cry pierced his head.

He stopped and turned in the opposite direction. He ran past the
elevators and stopped in front of another door. It was identical to the all the
others in the hall, but there was one difference. This was the room where the
cry had come from. There was only one person that he would have been able to
connect with like that.

Grace.