Hunter

by S. J. Bryant

  A few minutes later the rest of his coven arrived, running from different areas of the city. They swept into the shadows of the building on silent feet. Their eyes glinted in the darkness and each of them nodded to Corvus before taking their place behind him. He looked out at the hotel lobby. There were lots of cattle out tonight, moving from place to place. He drew in a deep breath and stepped out of the shadows.

  ***

  The lecheons crept single-file to the side door of the hotel. Selene went first; her eyes scanned every inch of the stairway before she moved up. The others followed behind. They moved with barely a whisper of noise, climbing higher into the hotel.

  Corvus cursed the need for secrecy. He would have preferred to burst into the hotel lobby and feast on every fat meal sitting there. But he couldn't, not yet at least. These humans were better prepared than he thought. He needed to get rid of the hunter bitch, and the fat inspector. After that, he and his coven would own Boullion Five. Then he wouldn't be reduced to climbing through service stairs like a common whore. He owned the damned penthouse of this hotel and yet here he was climbing dusty stairs that smelled like a dead rat.

  There had been a time when just the sound of his name would have brought every worker in the hotel to their knees. They used to grovel at his feet, begging for a favour or a job. He clenched his hands into fists. Those days would return; he'd make sure of it.

  The dark stairs continued up for what felt like an eternity, even with the lecheon's fast steps. They leapt the stairs, two or three at a time. Sometimes they stopped to listen but it was too late at night for anyone to be using the service stairs.

  They climbed all the way to the very top where a non-descript white door met them with a single lock. Corvus had seen the door a hundred times. He lifted his necklace and inserted a thick black key. It clicked into place and the door swung open.

  It moved silently on well-oiled hinges. Beyond the door lay an empty corridor. Rich, red carpet lined the floor and every few metres the walls had been decorated with paintings in expensive gold frames.

  Corvus took the lead and marched down the opulent corridor. He ignored the paintings. There were too many memories in them. How many times had he admired the artwork with Laticia at his side? Now all they held was pain.

  Halfway down the corridor was another door decorated with a single gold letter: C.

  Corvus took another key from around his neck and opened the lock. This door swung open as silently as the first. The lecheons filed inside. The luxuriant carpet was soft under Corvus's feet and the signature scent of the room filled his senses. He breathed deeply, it was a scent he'd requested; flowers with a hint of blood.

  As soon as they were inside the room Corvus went into the clothing generator. There were thousands of options but he settled on the simple repair function. After a few seconds his long black coat and the rest of his clothing was as good as new. He stepped out looking just as he had before the incident with the police, except for a tiny red line on his left cheek where a stray toothpick had scratched him as it sailed passed.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Nova shuffled between the make-shift beds clustered within the police station. She held out her hand and helped an injured officer to his feet. He nodded gratefully at her and staggered to the nearest bed. Doctors and nurses from the nearby hospital bustled around the wounded officers.

  "Thanks for coming, Cal," Nova said as the robot hovered into the station.

  "I'll do my best," he said.

  On the other side of the room was a row of white sheets with lifeless lumps hidden beneath. Red pools of congealed blood dotted the floor of the police station, creating splashes of colour in the otherwise white and metal building.

  The bodies of the lecheons were stacked in a storeroom, out of sight. Some officers kept glancing at the door as if the creatures would come back to life and leap out at them at any second.

  "We lost seven," Briggles said at Nova's side. "Seven good officers for seven of theirs."

  "We're lucky we only lost that," Nova said, her face grim.

  "How the hell are we supposed to take them down? If we don't stop them soon they'll start terrorising the citizens. We'll have a full-blown riot on our hands."

  "There's not much we can do right now," Nova said. "We have to find out where they're hiding and take them by surprise. It might be the only advantage we can get."

  "I wish the bloody army would step in and do their job."

  "Why don't they?"

  "Because it would create an inter-species nightmare. As far as they're concerned they can't be seen to do anything; meanwhile they want us to make the problem go away."

  "Sounds just like the Confederacy."

  "Too right, but I think we've got things covered here. You look like you could use a break."

  "Isn't that the truth," Nova sighed.

  She nodded at Briggles and left the station. The bright sunlight stung her tired eyes as she stumbled towards Crusader.

  ***

  "Do you really think now is a good time to go for a ride?" Cal asked.

  Nova pulled down a set of racing goggles and settled into the small seat. Cal hovered just outside the ship in Crusader's main holding bay. He stared at Nova, motors whirring.

  She ignored him and continued to check all of the dials spread out in front of her. Fuel was fine, thrusters were fine, and steering was good. Things looked nearly ready for the big race; not long to go now.

  "Nova," Cal said again. This time one of his panels opened and a thin metal arm extended out. It hovered in the air just above the ship, where the new paint had only just dried, the threat clear.

  "Okay!" Nova said, exasperated. She pushed the robot away from the ship. "Yes, I think it's an excellent time. The race won't stop just because of a few lecheons on Boullion Five. Plus, I can't sleep."

  "But the lecheons aren't going to stop just because of a space-race either," Cal pointed out.

  "I know that. But I'm not doing anyone any good by lying in my bed, not sleeping," Nova replied.

  "Really? The attack only happened last night. What if they come again? Is it not your problem if Inspector Briggles dies?" Cal said.

  Nova sighed. She'd spent the whole night awake asking herself the same question. The last thing she needed was Cal causing her doubts as well. She tightened the straps around her shoulders and hips in an effort to buy herself more time.

  "Look," she said and turned directly towards Cal. "I'm doing everything I can to help them. Until the lecheons resurface there's nothing more I can do. So instead of waiting around, twiddling my thumbs, I'm going to let my mind relax. They're in exactly the same position they would have been if I'd never come."

  "Actually, you've provoked the lecheons like a stick in a hornets nest, so they are worse off now than if you had never come," Cal said.

  Nova groaned and laid her head on the steering stick. Her head ached with lack of sleep and with stress and with all of the same questions which Cal was now asking.

  "I'll make sure they're okay," Nova said after a long silence.

  "How?" Cal asked.

  "I just will!" Nova blurted. "I'm tuned into the police frequency and Briggles has got me on speed dial. There's nothing I can do, so right now I'm practicing for the race. I don't need to be thinking about a coven of lecheons. Besides, I'll have them sorted before the race. I still have two weeks."

  Cal was silent. Nova glared at him, daring him to comment, but he didn't.

  "Did you get clearance with air control?" she asked.

  "Yes. As long as you stay on the east side of town you won't have any problems."

  She nodded and turned back to the panels laid out before her.

  "Scan the video feed as I go. We might just spot some lecheons from the air."

  Nova swallowed the guilt welling in her stomach. She'd use it as a scouting mission as much as a test drive. If they could find out where the lecheons were hiding, then the rest of her job would be a lot easier.<
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  She flicked the switch and the engine hummed into life, vibrating the whole ship. She pressed a grey button and the glass cover slid into place above her head. She took a deep breath and shoved the accelerator forward.

  The ship lurched into life and went careening across Crusader's floor. The massive storage bay door was open and the smaller ship shot out of it into the daylight. Nova had debated flying at night, but with the lecheons on the prowl it just wasn't worth it. The sunlight shone down into her glass cacoon and reflected off the metallic surfaces. The glare was too much and she had to squint to see anything.

  "Sun-shield," she called. In response a second layer of glass rose up around her. This layer was tinted black and blocked out the sun's fierce glow. She reopened her eyes and allowed her shoulders to relax as the glare dissipated and the temperature inside the pod started to drop and Nova allowed her shoulders to relax.

  The view outside was tinged brown from the glass, but she could still see. The large buildings of Boullion Five rose up on either side and the roads stretched out below. She cheered, enjoying the freedom of shooting across an endless sky.

  "Let's see what you can really do," Nova said. She rested her left hand on the throttle and pushed it as far forward as it would go. She kept her hand resting there, ready to pull back if she needed to. Her ship shot away, jumping up over a thousand kilometres an hour and blasting across the city sky.

  She was moving too fast to hear the engine roar, which she was sure would cause many citizens to gaze up into the sky in confusion. Compared to many planets, Boullion Five didn't have much air traffic. It was such a small planet, practically just a city, so there wasn't any real need for it. Her space-racer would definitely be an anomaly on a planet like this.

  A skyrise building loomed in front of her. She nudged the steering stick and the ship veered to the right. It twisted in mid-air, oversteering and careening directly for another tall tower.

  Nova grimaced and tapped the steering stick back to the left. It was just enough. Her ship jumped to the left and avoided both buildings. She let out the breath she was holding but didn't stop to enjoy it. Her attention returned immediately to the city and the sky and the readouts on her dashboard. At these speeds even the smallest miscalculation could cause instant death.

  Nova raced to the outer edges of the city where the buildings were fewer and far between. She practiced weaving left and right through the cityscape. The controls at top speed were vastly oversensitive. The tiniest tap could send her ship spinning through the air, completely out of control. She couldn't let that happen.

  When she had the hang of it she turned her ship back towards the main city. From there she went as fast as she could between the tall buildings. She also experimented with going down under bridges and over shorter buildings. It took a good two hours. By the time she was finished she had a good handle on the controls.

  She turned the ship towards Crusader and sailed into the landing bay. The big doors closed shut behind her. She pressed the two buttons to release the glass shields and unbuckled her straps. She stepped out of the ship and onto Crusader's silver floor.

  "Nice ride," Cal said as he came in to greet her.

  "You're right about that," Nova replied.

  "You've got a message from the Inspector," Cal said.

  Nova groaned and stared up at the ceiling. "Already?"

  "Yes, they've got something they want you to have a look at."

  "But it's only been twenty-four hours."

  "It sounded urgent," Cal replied. "I tried to reach you in the ship but for some reason the communicator had been disconnected."

  Cal's single eye rotated to look at Nova. She smiled back at him. "That's weird. Maybe you should have a look at it while I'm gone."

  "Perhaps you could speed along the process by giving me a hint as to where you hid the transmitter?" Cal asked as Nova stepped away from the ship.

  "Try the second storage box," Nova chuckled over her shoulder. Sure it hadn't been entirely a good idea to disable the communicator but she had needed that time alone. She would have burned in a fiery wreckage had she left it on, with Cal asking her questions every five minutes.

  She pulled off her racing goggles and laid them on a work-bench. She traded her riding vest for her long jacket and pulled on her thick boots.

  Her hand hovered above the open button of Crusader's main door.

  "Crusader, scan the area for signs of lecheons."

  "Continuous scans have been running since the attack at the warehouse," Crusader replied. "There are no suspect life signs within two hundred metres."

  Nova nodded and slammed the open button. The door slid open and she stepped out onto the street. She turned in a tight circle with her hand on her gun. There was no one in sight.

  She buried herself deep in her jacket and pulled the collar up to hide her face. The Inspector's office was only one hundred metres from where she'd parked Crusader. What had Briggles found now?

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Corvus stood against the deep purple wall and pulled on a pair of leather gloves as he surveyed the luscious hotel suite. Since that bitch girl knew where they lived, this would have to be their temporary home. The suite hadn't been hard to obtain. There were always humans willing to give up almost anything in exchange for their lives. It was the penthouse of the most luxurious hotels in Boullion Five; plenty of room for the small coven.

  His eyes flicked around at his companions. Some of them were seated at the table, playing cards. Others were watching the television, gazing at the pictures with wide eyes. The rest were lounging, sleeping, or talking quietly.

  "Pamielle, darling?" Corvus said in his most seductive voice.

  He gazed at her across the room. His eyes remained locked with hers and he kept his face smooth, suggestive.

  "Yes, my lord?" Pamielle responded eagerly, getting to her feet.

  "Follow me," he said, leading her away from the common room towards the main bedroom, his bedroom.

  He could hear Pamielle's breathing quicken along with her heartbeat and could feel her excitement, her yearning to become his prime female. He smiled.

  He led her into the bedroom and gestured for her to close the door. His eyes moved down her body, taking in every inch.

  "My lord, how can I please you?"

  Pamielle stepped towards him. She laid a hand on his chest and looked up at him with her wide eyes. She was pretty, he had to admit, but it was a common pretty, a street pretty. Not like the regal elegance of Laticia. Poor Laticia.

  Corvus threw thoughts of his mate from his mind. Now was not the time. He had to focus; he would enjoy this. He smiled down at her, encouraging.

  Pamielle smiled back and let her tongue slide out from between her teeth to lick her lips. She lifted her hand to the neck of her dress and pulled a string of fabric. The semi-transparent dress fell free from her shoulders and whispered to the floor. She was naked underneath. She smiled at him, mistaking the gleam in his eyes for lust.

  Corvus stepped forward and clasped his hands around her upper arms. He held tight and stared into her eyes.

  "Not so hard my love, you'll bruise me," Pamielle said with a mischievous smile.

  "Oh, I plan to do much more than that," Corvus said, pushing forward. He stepped with her, forcing her to walk backwards.

  "As you wish, my lord," Pamielle said, still oblivious.

  Laticia would never have been so stupid; her mind was as sharp as any. She would have seen his true intentions. She would have— No! He couldn't think of her.

  He kept pushing Pamielle backwards until her buttocks were pressed up against the cold glass door leading to his balcony that looked out over the city skyline, a perfect view. He lifted her hands and pinned them against the glass above her head. He smiled at her, but his eyes were dead, flat, steel.

  He stood holding her with his intense gaze for over a minute.

  Pamielle giggled. "Don't leave me waiting too long, my lord."

&
nbsp; "I won't," replied Corvus. He pressed his body against hers, forcing her back firmly against the glass and pushing his face down in front of hers. He locked his eyes onto hers.

  "Did you sell me out to Selwyn?" he hissed.

  He held her wrists with one hand, bringing the other down and stroking her neck.

  "What? My lord?" Pamielle stuttered. Her smile faltering.

  "Did you…. Sell me out…. To Selwyn?"

  Corvus's grip tightened around Pamielle's neck. Her flesh was soft, breakable. Her frail spine hovered just beneath his fingertips, just waiting to be snapped.

  "No, of course not," Pamielle said, breathless.

  Her eyes shot to the door but it was on the other side of the room and her naked body was pinned firmly under Corvus's.

  "Why don't I believe you?" Corvus said. "Let me be very clear. I have the wooden stake which killed Laticia right here."

  To illustrate, Corvus released her neck and reached behind the fluttering curtain. Bruises bloomed across Pamielle's neck. With gloved hands he pulled the bloody piece of wood from behind the curtain and pushed it right up to Pamielle's nose.

  Pamielle squealed and turned her head to the side as far as she could. "Okay! Yes, I was in Selwyn's coven, but he forced us. Laticia was there too!"

  "Don't you dare say her name!" Corvus lost control of his anger and shoved the wooden stake hard against Pamielle's cheek.

  She screamed and it was like music to his ears.

  He lifted the wood away and his eyes flowed over her cheek. Where before her skin had been flawless, it was now marred by a line of blisters. The pustules ran from her nose, across her cheek, nearly to her ear.