aHunter4Rescue (aHunter4Hire) (16 page)

A
police car had just pulled up outside the restaurant. Ardal leaned back in his
chair and assessed the easiest route for escape. He would have no problem
overpowering the men at the other table. The man behind the counter would
probably duck down. That left the policeman. From what Fiona had told him, he
would be armed.

His
eyes narrowed as he watched the officer enter the restaurant. The man pushed
his hat back on his head. “Morning Bill,” he said to the man behind the
counter. He then looked at the other men and nodded. “You boys ever work?”

“Not
if we can help it.” A laugh went up from the men. “You’re a fine one to be
talking Jim. I swear you’re here more than on patrol.”

The
officer grinned. “You never know where you’ll find trouble.” Then he looked
over at them.

He
hesitated a second and then walked to their table. Fiona tensed beside him and
Ardal went into combat mode. When the attack came he would be ready.

“Are
you folks traveling south?”

Ardal
nodded. “We are waiting for the bus.”

“You
wouldn’t know about some trouble up the road with the FD Warriors?”

“We’re
not from here, officer.” Fiona spoke in a quiet voice. “Is there something we
should know?”

“Seems
like a bunch of bikers disappeared outside of Timmins.” The policeman tapped
his fingers against his belt. “They were seen arguing with some awfully big
men.”

“How
horrible.”
Fiona shifted in her chair.

Ardal
felt her eyes on him, but he kept his focus on the officer. The man’s gaze
flitted over him with speculation before turning back to Fiona. Ardal leaned
back in his chair and eased his hand closer to his weapon.

“They
were fighting over a red headed girl.”

“That
sounds like a place to avoid.” Ardal forced his voice to remain calm.

“I
couldn’t help noticing your girlfriend’s red hair.” The officer swayed back on
his heels. “It’s a bit distinctive. Where were you two coming from?”

“Are
you accusing me of something?” Fiona’s voice rose. “There are a lot of women
with red hair.

The
officer raised his hands. “I’m just warning you to be careful. That gang
doesn’t forget a face or a deed done against them. It would be a shame if you
were mistaken for the one they’re looking for.”

Fiona
forced herself to steady her breathing. She’d thought they were caught and
she’d reacted with screeching. Her normal calm and logical self had been
replaced with
an
hysterical, unreasonable witch. How
had she come to this?

She
forced a smile. “I’m having a rough day. First the car broke down, then the
walk here, and now this.”

“I
understand ma’am.” The officer lowered his voice. “I’d be careful just the
same. Even though you’re not the one these bikers are looking for, there’s no
saying that they won’t make trouble because they’ve lost face.”

“She
is safe with me.” Ardal spoke with a quiet authority.

Her
heart flipped as his voice sent a wave of peace through her. Of course she was
safe. Hadn’t he already proven he was capable of protecting her? She reached
across the table and touched his hand. The familiar surge of heat raced through
her body and calmed her.

“You
look like you could handle yourself.” The cop had turned his attention to Ardal.
“You do any wrestling?”

Ardal
shook his head. “I was a soldier.”

“That
explains it.” The officer readjusted his hat and nodded as he turned away. “Is
that coffee ready Bill?”

Relief
flooded Fiona. Unless they had pictures of them, they were safe. Besides it
didn’t sound as if there were any arrests to be made in the case. It was more a
matter of the bikers wanting revenge.

“What
is losing face?” Ardal pushed back his chair and gave her the backpack.

“It’s
when you’re embarrassed because someone wiped the floor with you.”

Ardal
raised an eyebrow. “That makes even less sense.”

He
leaned close and she felt his breath against her ear. She inhaled sharply,
letting him invade her senses. She was dizzy with the scent of him. She looked
into his eyes and saw her own helplessness reflected there. He was as affected
as she was. The slam of the restaurant door broke the spell.

“We
should go.” Her voice caught in her throat. “The bus will be here soon.”

Ardal
waited at the door while she paid for their meal and the bus tickets. Once they
were outside, she took a gulp of fresh air.

“That
place needed air conditioning.”

“You
found it hot?” Ardal pulled the hood of his sweatshirt up.

“Not
really.” Fiona kicked a few stones with her foot. “I didn’t like the way those
men looked at me.”

“Neither
did
I
.” Ardal glanced back at the restaurant. “Are all
men on this planet disrespectful?”

“Who
knows?” Fiona sighed. “So far my experience has been pretty limited. Except for
David, I only had a couple of boyfriends in university.”

“You
did not find a mate?”

“I
was too busy studying.” Fiona pulled her hair back with both hands. “Do you
think that policeman suspected anything?”

Ardal
pulled her close. “There is no need to panic. I am a Hunter. I protect.”

Fiona
grimaced. “You’re always covering up for me. I’m sorry that you guys are in
this mess. If I’d handled the biker better, we’d have been in Toronto by now.”

“We
will get there.” Ardal ran a finger down her cheek and patted her lips. “You
must not speak ill of yourself.”

“I’m
a mess.” Fiona glanced up at him. “I overreacted with the policeman. I did the
same with Captain Wilson. I must have a problem with uniforms.”

“I
will remember not to wear one.” Ardal put his forehead on hers. “What is wrong
with their attire?”

“It
brings back bad memories.” Fiona sighed. “I’ve talked to so many policemen
about David and they could do nothing.”

“Is
not beating a woman illegal?”

“Yes,
but he was clever. He never did it in front of anyone.” Frustration and anger
surged through her. “It was his word against mine. His friends always gave him
an alibi. I thought I was crazy and the police wrote me off as a hysterical
female who’d lie to get attention.”

“You
are not crazy.”

“How
can you be sure?” Fiona pushed away from him. “All I’ve done since meeting you
is scream at people. I’ve caused nothing but trouble for you and your men.”

Ardal
lifted her chin with his forefinger. Her eyes collided with his. “Your action
with the military meant that I was able to send Jehon and Firbin to the barn
where they hid the Captain.”

Fiona
frowned. “I thought that I’d made matters worse.”

Ardal
shook his head. “You were perfect. Jehon was even able to sneak a look at the
helicopter.”

“What
about the policeman?” Fiona shook her head. “I should never have yelled at
him.”

“You
are still filled with fear.” Ardal straightened his shoulders. “In time, you
will realize that I will always defend you.”

“What
happens when you’re not there?”

“I
cannot leave you.”

“Because
you believe you’re bonded to me?” Fiona rolled her eyes. “Once you see other
women, you’ll think differently.”

“I
do not control it.” Ardal lowered his voice. “It is fated.”

Fiona
wanted to scoff at his insistence, but the sincerity in his eyes stopped her.
He really believed it. Fate wouldn’t have joined two people who, under normal
circumstances should never have met. But why argue? Let him have his illusions.
Once he saw other women, she was certain his attraction to her would be gone.

With
a sigh she turned away and looked down the road. In the distance she saw the
bus. She waved her arms. The sooner they got to Toronto, the better she’d
breathe.

The
bus was crowded. The smell of unwashed bodies was overwhelming, but Ardal
didn’t seem to notice. He looked about for two seats together, but there were
none. For a second, she thought that he was going to throw someone out of their
seat. Instead, he motioned her to sit near the front. He moved further down to
the back.

It
didn’t really matter where she sat. She was exhausted. All she wanted was
sleep. She sensed Ardal was unhappy about leaving her alone, but she was too
tired to explain it. Instead she pulled her legs up close and closed her eyes.

She
wasn’t certain what woke her.

She
sensed Ardal was upset, though.

She
stretched and straightened in her seat. It took her eyes a few seconds to
focus, because the sun was low in the sky. She must have slept for quite a few
hours. The woman who had sat beside her was gone. She glanced at the passenger
across the aisle and she was unfamiliar too.

Her
unease was overwhelming.

She
turned in her seat and looked to the rear of the bus. Ardal was standing and
already walking up the aisle. He reached for her shoulder just as the bus
jolted to a stop.

Her
chest tightened and it hurt to breath. She reached for Ardal’s hand on her
shoulder. The bus driver opened the door and two soldiers with machine guns
boarded. Her stomach dropped.

Before
yesterday, she had never seen a machine gun.

Now
she had seen five.

“Stay.”
Ardal’s voice was a low hiss. ”You do not know me.”

The
knot in her stomach twisted as Ardal walked to the front. There had to be some
way to save him, but even as she started to leave her seat, his hand motioned
her to stay. She couldn’t let him walk away to what would be certain death. Her
whole being rejected the possibility that she would never see him again.

Ardal
didn’t resist when the soldiers pushed him off the bus. Fiona released the
breath she’d been holding. She’d expected him to overpower the men, despite the
guns they wielded. For a few seconds, there was total silence and then everyone
started talking at once except the bus driver. He turned and stared at her.

Seconds
later, a soldier came onboard again.

He
looked at her directly. It was pointless to fight. She’d probably broken some
unknown immigration law about harboring aliens. Whatever the reason, the
soldier wanted her to leave the bus.

With
a sigh she stood and heaved her backpack over her shoulder. When she got to the
front, the soldier motioned her down the steps where another gun waited to
direct her toward a helicopter.

“I’m
not getting in that thing.” She dug her feet into the ground. “Besides, you
haven’t told me what I’ve done.”

Another
soldier stepped in front of her and she recognized Captain Wilson from the
farm. “We’ll start with lying to the government. That is treason.”

“You’ve
got to be kidding. You’re grasping at straws.”

“I
know you’re guilty.” Wilson pushed her until they reached the helicopter’s
door. “We just need to hammer out the details.”

“Is
that a threat?” Ardal’s voice was a low growl.

Fiona
turned toward him. He was sitting in the helicopter with his hands handcuffed
behind his back. Two soldiers were pointing machine guns at him. It made no
sense, but even in the face of danger, the sight of him gave her peace.

“It’s
a promise.” Wilson smirked. “You might have thought that you were pretty smart,
but no one makes a fool of me.”

“Believe
this.” Ardal leaned toward the Captain. “If you touch her, I will kill you.”

There
was a second of silence before Wilson swung the butt of his gun across Ardal’s
face. The sound of it reverberated in the cabin of the chopper. The other
soldiers looked away quickly to cover their expressions of surprise and shock,
but Fiona couldn’t hold back. She kicked Wilson in the knee.

“Leave
him alone.” Then she slapped him across the face. “He can’t even defend
himself, you brute. When did this country become a military state?”

Wilson
turned and snarled at her, his face inches away from hers. His eyes bulged with
anger and his nostrils flared. Fiona took a step back. Wilson grabbed her arm
and shook her.

One
of the other soldiers put out his hand. “It’s time we left, sir.”

For
the space of a heartbeat, she thought that the Captain was going to ignore the
interruption. She held her breath and waited for the hit, but it didn’t come.
Instead Wilson backed away and nodded to his men.

“Put
the handcuffs on her.”

“What’s
the charge?”

“Treason.”

Fiona’s
arms were grabbed and pulled behind her back. The cold metal sent a shiver up
her arms and she clenched her fingers together. There was something wrong with
a country that could use the military in such a manner. She looked over at
Ardal and the icy stillness of his eyes sent a chill of dread through her body.