The Huntress (5 page)

“Warren, I need a sewer entrance close by. Under this building? Great. An exit?” She looked across the road to the building catty-corner to theirs with a curt nod, and then started a swift search of the roof.

“First we have to get you away from Bragan. He can trace you on the ground, but the trail ends if you’re picked up by a transport. Problem is, he knows what my transport looks and sounds like. I don’t want him to know, at least not for sure, that I have you.”

“So you want me in a sewer.” He sounded dubious.

“Bloodhound, remember? He’ll follow your trail anywhere. So you go down through the sewer and come up to that building across the way. When he follows and is underground, the transport picks you up. He comes up, your trail is gone, he has no clue.”
Until I give him one
, she thought but didn’t say out loud. That part of the plan was the only bit that made her uneasy. So many things could go wrong.

After a minute, she found the hatch and hit the release. Part of the roof slid away to leave an opening with a ladder leading down into darkness.

“Then what?” Terrik’s voice was a soft rumble in her ear as he crouched next to her at the hole.

“Then I hack into official records and switch your genetic trace with the jackass I darted the other night. I would need blood and tissue samples from you to back it up, but that’s about it. You get a new life.”

She watched quietly while he stared down into the dark. Making an adjustment to her eyewear, she watched the gen trace glow disappear as well as the heat sensor. Just night vision was left, leaving a relatively clear view of his expression. As usual, he didn’t give much away. His face was still and his eyes were dark pools of calm as though they were sitting down to lunch instead of discussing how best to save his life.

“Why?”

She didn’t pretend to misunderstand what he was asking. They didn’t have the time to dance around each other. “I want you for my partner. I have a list longer than I care to think about and I need someone to help shorten it.”

“That’s bull. There’s gotta be an easier way to get a partner.”

“Not with your instincts.”

“I'm a killer.”

“So am I. I just have a license to do it. Terrik, we are running out of time.”

“What if I don’t want to be your partner?”

She glared at him, clenching her jaw to restrain a curse and speaking with exaggerated patience. “Let’s just get you out of here. We can discuss the fine print at a more appropriate time.”

Apparently that was the wrong thing to say.

He shook his head and stood up. “I’ll take my chances with the other hunter. At least I know what he wants. Tell the kid I didn’t mean what I said.” Then he walked away.

Mea didn’t let him get far before she knocked him on his ass. He rolled to his feet in a fluid motion and they circled each other. Swinging the shock rifle forward, she braced the butt on her hip and aimed the business end at his torso with a steady hand. He stopped moving.

“Sorry, darlin’, I can’t let you do that. I promised her I’d bring you in whether you wanted to or not.” She smiled grimly into the cold glitter of his eyes. “You can go on your feet and aware or on your back and out cold. Make up your mind quick because I’ve run out of time and patience.”

“Damn it, woman,” he snarled as he moved toward the hole, “what the hell do you want from me?”

“I want to save you in spite of yourself. Warren will send the schematic of the buildings and sewers to the tracer.”

He paused in a crouch at the side of the hatch, looking up at her warily. “You aren’t coming?”

“No, but don’t get any bright ideas about taking off while you’re down there. I have Warren monitoring your position and if you bolt, I’ll hunt you myself.”

He swung without comment into the hole.

“Don’t get lost and don’t dawdle.” She keyed the door closed over his head. “Keep an eye on him, Warren. He went in there way too easily.”

“I’m on it. Bragan’s about five from your location.”

“Get in the air, then. This is going to be close.”

“Acknowledged.”

Mea swung up onto a venting structure and flattened herself, blending neatly into the darkness. He took a little more than five minutes, which was all to the good as far as she was concerned. Taking shallow breaths, she watched him sort out the web of traces on the roof, and then disappear down the hatch after Terrik.

“When you’re sure he’s down far enough, get into pickup position and wait for Terrik,” she whispered, slipping off her perch.

“Acknowledged.”

Mea used the grapple to swing over to the other building. Prowling the roof with swift efficiency, she found the hatch and concealed herself, settling in to wait. It wasn’t long. The transport arrived first, settling with a gentle bump on the roof. The door on the side slid open, but Warren didn’t come out.

“Good boy. Be ready to leave quickly.”

“Yes, boss lady.” His tone bit like acid, but she didn’t rise to the goad. He always got snippy when he was worried.

Terrik came out of the hatch moments later but didn’t immediately move toward the transport, scanning the roof intently. Mea sank out of sight and waited, muscles tense. He hadn’t bolted yet and she wasn’t sure why not. Long heartbeats later, she heard Warren swearing along with the sounds of a scuffle. She grinned. So that’s what he’d been up to. Had to admire the balls of the man, trying to steal her transport.

She relaxed as she listened. She wasn’t worried about them hurting each other. Stone didn’t have a weapon that could injure Warren and the android was programmed to be incapable of causing harm to any human. He was also three times stronger than an ordinary man. It didn’t take long.

“Let’s go, Mea. He’s secure,” Warren said in an irritated tone.

“Take the transport out of Bragan’s hearing range and park it. I’ll be along shortly.”

“What are you doing?”

“Keep the comlink open and make sure it’s recording.”

“But—”

“Warren.”

He grumbled under his breath, but the transport lifted away. Mea removed her eyewear, letting her eyes adjust to the dimness. Then she stepped out into plain view and folded her arms, watching the hatch. The other hunter came out with his back to her.

“Bragan.”

He whirled, gun ready. Her jaw clenched when he kept it trained on her for a long moment even after he’d recognized her.

“Brin, what are you doing here?”

“I was going to ask you the same.”

With an impatient sound, he turned away, looking for Terrik’s trace. “I’m on a damn hunt. What d’you think?”

“On my territory?” she asked coldly, but he ignored her, following the trace to its end.

Then he turned to her, adjusting his eyewear to filter out the trace and holstering his gun. She let out a silent breath of relief. She would have taken a shot if she’d had to, but pulse fire hurt like hell and could leave a nasty scar.

“Where is he?”

“Where’s who?” She kept her tone mild but gave him a knowing smile.

His face tightened in response. “My prey. What’d you do with him, Brin?”

“You’re hunting on my ground and you ask where I put your prey?” She put righteous anger in her voice but made her expression mocking. “Bragan. Show some respect.”

“Look, I don’t know what game you’re playing…”

Mea shrugged the rifle off her shoulder and dropped it to the ground, stepping toward him aggressively and allowing fury to harden her features. “I don’t play games.”

He bared his teeth and clenched hands into fists. “There are penalties for interrupting a hunt and taking another hunter’s target, Brin.”

“I didn’t steal your target, Bragan.” Her sneer and challenging stance said otherwise. “Are you going soft in the head? I think you owe me an apology. First you barge into my territory without even the common courtesy to greet me then you fling insults at my head.”

“Don’t pull this shit with me, you little bitch! I want him and I want him now!”

Mea was amazed at his restraint. He looked as though he was chewing on glass, but he didn’t make a move toward her. He’d always been easy to provoke, though, and she knew which buttons to push. Smiling with real malice, she said softly, “Don’t blame me for losing your prey. Maybe it’s not just your head that’s going soft.”

That did it. With a growl he lunged at her, hands clawed. “Goddamn bitch! Give him to me!”

Whipping to one side, she dove past him, catching the hilt of a knife attached to his thigh. Rolling to her feet, she positioned herself to throw it. “Whoa, Hunter! What’s the matter with you?”

He jerked to a halt, staring at her, muscles clenched. Turning the corners of her lips up in a mocking smile, she relaxed and tossed the knife back to him. When he caught it, she attacked. After a few good hits, he became enraged enough to use the weapon. She dodged a few of the swipes but slowed at one point to allow the blade to slide with quick, bright fire through the meat of her left shoulder. Unfortunately, pulling away from the strike placed her in line for a blow to the face. She was quick enough to make it a glancing blow, but the blood flowing down her chin from a split lip was a good incentive to end the match.

Diving and rolling away from him, she came back to her feet with the shock rifle in hand and fired. The shot took him square in the chest and he went rigid, body arching like a bow before slamming full-length into the roof.

Chapter 5

While Bragan roared his pain and rage, Mea sprang away across the roofs, knowing he wouldn’t be in any shape to follow. A shock blast caused convulsions and spasms that took several minutes to pass.

“Warren, get me the hell out of here! He’s gone crazy!”

He didn’t bother to answer.

She could hear the hum of the transport already but didn’t slow even when it began to land in front of her. The door was still sliding open when she vaulted through. Rolling to her feet, she switched off her transceiver and began to laugh softly, wiping blood off her chin. “He’s easier than I remember.”

“Have you lost your goddamned mind?” Warren had turned around, staring at her with a mix of fury and concern on his face.

“I’ll explain later. Get us to the ship.”

Swearing softly, he swiveled back to the controls.

Putting pressure over the slice on her shoulder and wincing absently at the pain, she turned to see Terrik webbed to the wall, watching her with his usual stoicism. “Found out he was an android, huh?”

He gave no indication that he heard her wry comment and with a sigh, she began undoing the straps.

“Hey!” Warren’s voice went up an octave. “I had to work to get him there!”

“You don’t win someone’s trust by keeping them tied up.” Not pausing to see Terrik’s reaction to freedom, she plopped herself into the copilot’s seat, fingers moving with swift efficiency over the panel in front of her.

“Hunter Brin to Tower.”

“Tower here.”

“I need immediate clearance to take off.”

“Well, there’s a searcher vessel slotted for—”

“Don’t run me a line of shit, boy. Just get it done.” Ignoring the controller’s stutter, she terminated communications and continued keying the panel for another moment. “All right, the ship’s up and ready. Just waiting on you to get us there.”

Warren shot her an annoyed glance. “What do you think I’m doing over here?” His expression altered as he glanced at her shoulder. “You should put something on that. You’re getting blood all over the console.” He looked down. “And the chair. And the floor.”

“Your concern is touching.” She again put pressure on the gash but didn’t move to bind it, swiveling in her seat. Terrik was leaning against the side of the transport, arms folded. His goggles made his expression inscrutable.

“At least,” he said in his deep voice, “I’m not the only one you play games with.”

She scowled at him. “You look delicious, handsome, but you’ve got a whole sewer thing going on there. The sanitary’s in the back.”

He disappeared into the rear of the transport and returned much cleaner just as they were docking with the
Starfire.

Standing, Mea moved to his side and looked up at him with solemn intensity. “Please don’t try to escape. I can still do this with you drugged and strapped in, but it leaves more room for error.”

Before he could answer, the door slid open and revealed Regan dancing impatiently outside. When she saw Terrik, her face lit as though a sun had turned on behind those big eyes. “Terrik!” Her running start faltered and her face blanched when she saw the bloody mess of Mea’s arm. Her eyes turned back to Terrik. “Did you do that?”

Warren snorted. “No, that was the Huntress’ own damned fault!”

Mea thought that her android might just make a good floor mat.

“Is it bad?” Regan asked in a tiny voice when Mea passed her.

“Don’t worry about it, honey. Think of it as stage dressing.”

“Huh?”

Mea didn’t bother to explain—no time. Regan fell into place beside Terrik with Warren bringing up the rear while they made their way to the control room. When they entered, Mea gestured Terrik into a seat at the back of the room. “Let’s get some samples.”

He just stared at her, not moving.

“It’s a little late for second thoughts, tiger. I’m in this too deep to let you have a choice, so either you sit or I knock you out and strap you down.”

Warren moved in close behind him. “I can’t hurt you, but remember that I can restrain you.”

Regan took his hand, little fingers folding tightly around his. “It'll be okay. She won’t hurt you.”

Mea had suspected it was for the child’s sake that he hadn’t tried to escape. When he looked down at the girl and sat, she felt certain of it.

Mea pulled a panel over and tapped on it as he leaned back into the cushion. “Try not to tense up. It’ll only hurt more.” He sat back up, and she put a gentle hand in the middle of his chest, pushing him down with a chuckle and trying not to show how much she enjoyed the feel of his hard-muscled chest. “Just kidding. Warren, if you’ll take over here?”

Mea sat in the pilot’s chair and ran her fingers over the panel to her right. A screen slid into view, flickering briefly before a man’s face appeared. He had a stern, rugged face with gray streaking his dark hair and lines fanning out from his eyes.