aHunter4Rescue (aHunter4Hire) (2 page)

The
Captain’s hands gripped his seat. “There’s no chance we’ll live. Use the
emergency capsules. We’d have a better chance of surviving entry.”

Ardal
raised an eyebrow. “Frightened?”

“It’s
foolish to sit here and wait for the end.” The Captain moved his hand to undo his
straps, but Ardal stopped him.

“A
Captain goes down with his ship.” Ardal’s voice was neutral, his judgement
suspended. He was a Hunter, bred to obey orders and ensure that others
followed. The Captain would do his duty.

Eamon’s
voice rose in a high pitched whine. “My men are dead, what difference does it
make now?”

“Courage
Captain. There is honor yet to be earned.”

Jehon
cleared his throat. “I’ve determined the most likely landing area and have the
translator ready.”

Ardal
nodded. “Connect us. We may yet survive to fight another day. It has been a
privilege leading you, Hunters true and right.”

“By
Cygnus and Warrior you have led us fine.” The men’s voices rose in unison.

Pride
surged through Ardal. His men had not failed him. Even as they faced certain
death, they remained calm. The ship’s frame began to shake and the metal
surrounding them glowed red. They were entering the atmosphere of the planet.
They would probably perish in the air before a collision with the ground could
kill them. Still, he could die in peace. He had given his men honor in their
death. No greater duty did a leader have.

The
screeching roar of an explosion woke Fiona. The heavens were erupting into a
million colors and dropping shards of flames around her. She had dozed off for
a few minutes and now everything was burning bright. She glanced up. It was a
crisp August night and the sky was bright and beautiful, perfect for viewing
the Perseids.

That’s
why she’d come out to the center of her property to lie on the hood of her
truck. She had watched the meteor shower until sleep had claimed her. It took a
second to register that the stars were still in place. It was the ground around
her that was consumed with fire and debris.

A
plane crash!

Fiona
jumped off her truck. The air smelled of burning fuel and the unmistakable odor
of burnt flesh. It was a smell she’d hoped never to experience again, but here
it was, all around her. The main crash was a distance away. If there were
survivors, they’d need help.

There
was no time to waste.

She
grabbed the truck keys and took off over the field toward the red glow at the
edge of the forest. If she’d lived in a city, thousands would have responded,
but she was living in a remote part of Northern Canada and was probably the
only one to see the crash.

The
truck bounced and rocked from side to side as she drove over rocks and twigs.
The complete darkness of the bush meant the only thing visible was the bright
flames of the crash site. An opening in the trees gave her a full view of the
damage. The truck’s headlights illuminated the area.

It
was a scene straight from hell.

Debris
was scattered for acres. What had once been a field of small pine saplings, was
now charred black. Flames leapt from sapling to sapling leaving black ash in
their wake. Everywhere she looked was devastation. What had taken nature years
to grow had been undone in seconds.

Fiona
closed her eyes and fought back the tears. The property had been a haven of
peace for her. Now all she would see was the burnt and scorched ground. Almost
as if God wanted to give her a constant reminder of what her life had become.
She groaned and forced herself to look at the scene. There was no changing it.
Thank God the pond would stop the spread of the fire. The ground had frost on
it and it had been a wet summer, so she doubted she’d have to call for fire
suppression. She turned her head away from the burning trees and then back
toward the crash.

Out
of the flames came a man.

A
survivor!

He
was a giant of a man. He walked with a quick sure step. There was no hesitation
or sign of injury in his pace. Strength, power, and command were evident in
every stride he took as he moved closer to the truck. This was a man to be
obeyed. Fiona shivered. She should have gone back to the house and called for
help.

More
men followed. People needed rescuing. The nearest town was at least thirty
minutes away. She could help some, but the most serious would require a
hospital. Even with four years of medical school and one year interning, she
wasn’t equipped to handle more than basic first aid.

She
pulled the parking brake on the truck. The lead man was already at her vehicle
and pulled the door open. Up close he was even more intimidating. Tall and broad
shouldered, his hair and face were covered with soot and ash. He looked to be
wearing a uniform, but half of his shirt was burned away. The other half did
nothing to cover the ripples of muscles and raw strength of the man.

Fear
clawed at Fiona’s stomach.

“Yarda.”
His voice was hoarse and his face expressionless.

Her
breath caught in her throat and her body began to shake. Physically, this man
could crush her. She’d spent the last year in hiding and now her worse
nightmare had fallen into her life. There would be no escaping. Fiona took a
deep breath and stilled her fear. She couldn’t assume every man meant to hurt
her.

“Do
you speak English?” Her voice was a low whisper.

“Versom.”
The giant glared at her.

Fiona
put up her hand, ignoring the tremors. “I don’t understand. What language are
you speaking?”

The
man pulled a small phone-like gadget from his pocket. He punched a few buttons
and held it to her face.
“Yarda.”

“English.”
Fiona enunciated in a clear voice. “I don’t understand your language.

The
man looked down at his machine and then shouted at the other men coming toward
the truck.
“Yarda som apta gurta.

The
men clustered around the giant and nodded. Their deference made it obvious that
they considered him in control. They pushed buttons on a similar looking
device, their brows furrowed in concentration. All of them had cuts and wounds,
some even broken bones, but their focus was on the machine in their hand. Fiona
had never seen anyone completely ignore what must have been huge physical pain.
They needed immediate medical attention and her concerns forced her into
action.

“We
need to get help for these men.” Fiona tried to push past the man still holding
her door. Her fear was replaced by concern for the wounded.

“We
take care of our own.” The words were spoken with a faint accent, but the giant
had definitely spoken English.

“Why
didn’t you speak English before?” Fiona didn’t hide her exasperation. “They
need hospitals and ambulances. Let me pass.”

The
man looked at her for a few seconds before giving her a slight bow of his head.
“It is dangerous. I cannot guarantee your protection.”

“Join
the club.” Fiona sarcastic tone elicited a raised eyebrow from the giant.

Let
him wonder. No one had been able to protect her. That’s why she was hiding in
this remote area. She existed at the edge of life and society. That was better
than the alternative, though.

“It
is my sworn duty to protect.” The giant’s voice was emotionless. “I do not
understand what you mean by club.”

Fiona
frowned. Was he making fun of her? “You’re not sworn to do anything for me. I
can take care of myself. I have medical training and can help. Let me go.”

He
let go of the door so quickly that Fiona almost fell out of the truck. His hand
steadied her and she did her best to ignore the jolt of electricity that seemed
to leap between them. He was a man. No man could be trusted.

“Pardon,
my lady.”
The man stepped aside to let her pass.

“My
name is Fiona.” Her words came out in a breathy whisper. The man was a
throwback to a different century. No one was that formal anymore. “Where did
you come from?”

“You
wish me to call you by your name?”

“Of
course.
What is your name?”

“I
am Ardal.” Again the man gave a slight bow of his head. “My men are at your
service.”

“I
don’t think they can serve anyone in their condition.” Fiona turned to the men
gathered around her vehicle. “I can start taking some back to my house and from
there we’ll call an ambulance.”

“Jehon,
start loading the men onto this vehicle and see if you can make it run.”
Ardal barked out the order. Immediately another large man jumped into her
truck. Other men limped toward the rear and pulled themselves up as best they
could.

“You
can’t just take my truck.”

Fiona’s
protest was ignored. Instead they walked past her with their eyes lowered. It
was the strangest group of men she’d ever encountered. They treated her with
deference, but still ignored her words. Fiona started to go to the vehicle, but
Ardal touched her arm. Again the jolt of electricity shot through her. She
inhaled sharply, but kept her face impassive.

“Jehon
can make any machine sing for him. If you will tell him the direction of your
house he can take these men there before coming back for the rest.

Fiona
bit her lip. What choice did she have? She was outnumbered. Maybe it was best
for her to stay and help the rest of the survivors. She nodded and pointed in
the direction of her house before walking toward the wreckage.

“You
do me honor by agreeing to my advice.” Ardal’s voice was a low whisper. “I
thank you Fiona, as do my men.

“Are
you soldiers?” That had to be the explanation for the uniform and air of
command. Except this group of men weren’t like any military people Fiona had
seen before.

“We
are Hunters; elite warriors born and bred.” There was a note of pride in
Ardal’s voice.

“Was
it a secret mission, or will your people be sending out a search party?”

“What
is the meaning of a search party?”

“You
know, others sent to find you.”

Ardal
shook his head. “We are the last. No one will look for us.”

“That’s
sad.” Fiona’s voice faded away. She had reached the first of the wounded. It
was a young man, perhaps in his early twenties. His body was ripped open in
several spots with bits of metal mixed in with the carnage.

Fiona
knelt and examined him with experienced fingers. The most serious injury was a
knife-shaped piece of metal protruding from his left thigh. That would require
surgery before it was removed. She daren’t risk taking it out now in case the
man bled to death. Right now the metal was preventing anything serious from
happening.

“This
man needs immediate attention. We’ll pack something around the metal so that it
doesn’t dislodge.”

Ardal
grunted his agreement. “Firbin is tough.” He looked up at another man running
toward him. “Get me a dressing.”

Within
seconds the material arrived. Fiona went to pack the wound, but Ardal stopped
her. He put the small device he had shoved in her face to Firbin’s leg and ran
it over the skin. Then he gripped the metal and pulled it out. He was so quick
that Fiona didn’t have a chance to stop him. There was no blood, though. The
metal hadn’t been in a major artery. With a sigh of relief she sat back on her
heels and watched Ardal’s expert hands wrap a cloth-like material around the
wound. When he was done, he opened his eyes and gave Ardal a crooked smile.

“Many
thanks.”

Ardal
grabbed his hand. “Be strong. Remember you are a Hunter true and right.”

The
man nodded and closed his eyes on a sigh. Despite the strangeness of the words
they seemed to comfort the man. Fiona glanced at the giant beside her. His face
showed no expression, but his eyes burned with unmistakeable pride. It was
obvious he cared about this man and the others. He was a puzzle. He was unlike
any man she had met before.

Ardal
stood and offered his hand. She grabbed it and went onto the next man. There
was no hope for him. There was a huge gash in his chest, the organs beneath
exposed to the air. His heart was torn and was pumping blood out with each
beat. His life force was fading. Ardal knelt beside him, clasped his hand and
bent to whisper in his ear. Fiona couldn’t hear the words, but she noticed a
strange peace come into the man before death claimed him.

“He
died with honor.” Ardal’s voice was low, his head bent as a shiver seemed to
pass through his body.

“How
can there be honor in dying?” Fiona had seen enough death to know that most
people welcomed it as a relief from pain, or were just too weary to fight any
longer. Honor didn’t play a part of it.

“Honor
is all a Hunter has.” Ardal stood. “Death is our reward, but to die fighting
brings honor.”