aHunter4Ever

by Cynthia Clement

  She watched Partlan sag lifelessly to the ground.

  Bile rose in her throat and tears pricked her eyes.

  For a second she thought they’d killed him, but one of the men kicked him over onto his back. She could see the steady rise of his chest and knew that he was breathing. Relief pulsed through her. It was crazy, but she was connected to Partlan.

  “He’s out.” The man who kicked Partlan glanced up. “It’ll take all of us to move him, though.”

  “You would never have captured him otherwise.” The man holding Grace pushed her toward the SUV. “The one sure thing about a Hunter is that they will defend a woman to the death. They think it’s an honor to die saving them.”

  “Now that shows a lack of smarts.” The guy who’d injected Partlan shook his head. “What do we do with him now?”

  One of the Albireons moved to Partlan. “Put him in the vehicle.”

  Grace wanted to scream at them to leave him alone, but the gag prevented any sound from escaping. She stomped her foot instead. Her reward was a tightening around her neck as she was hauled across the sidewalk to the SUV. She twisted her body, trying to attract the attention of someone on the street, but there was no one.

  Three men lifted Partlan off the ground and carried him to the rear of the vehicle. They leaned his upper body against the open back and then lifted his legs up and pushed him inside. Grace was next. She was thrown in beside Partlan.

  “No one can hear you scream except me and I promise that I will enjoy making you pay for each and every word you say.” Her captor pulled the gag from her mouth.

  “Who are you people?”

  “Silence. I won’t warn you again.”

  The back door was slammed shut. Grace scooted closer to Partlan. It was insane, but being near him gave her comfort. He was unconscious, unable to help her, and yet knowing he was close, filled her with calm. She ran a quick hand over his body to check for any injuries. Despite taking on four large men, he was unhurt. If they hadn’t threatened him with her death, he would have been able to escape.

  Why had he tried to save her?

  Her only thought throughout this whole ordeal had been to get him to headquarters. Her hand caressed his shoulder. He should be in a hospital bed recovering from the bullet wound that her team had inflicted on him. She cringed when she remembered the shooting. He had never once blamed her for his injuries. In the past, knowing that she’d been doing her job had always eased her doubts and guilt, but not this time.

  Their captors settled into the vehicle and it pulled away from the curb. No one had tried to help them. It seemed impossible to believe that people could be abducted in broad daylight without someone noticing. What would the point be though? These men had clearance to do what they wanted and from what Bakker had said, they had thrown their weight around enough that even her position as a Federal agent didn’t matter. Who did they work for?

  Grace’s mind darted from one possibility to the next. The law enforcement agencies might bicker over jurisdiction, but they wouldn’t deliberately let another agent be taken. There was something very wrong about this group of men. They didn’t fall under any organization that she was aware of. There was also the matter of the two Albireons who seemed to be in control. Were they aliens? Her stomach rolled with unease.

  Her badge couldn’t save them.

  For the first time since they’d started running in the hospital, she questioned her ability to free them. These men didn’t care about her position or the legalities of abducting a federal agent. They were either criminals, or a black ops division for some unknown defense unit. They certainly had the resources and men to do what they wanted.

  She gave herself a mental shake. She was sounding like some conspiracy nut and that wasn’t possible. Secret organizations and unsanctioned operations didn’t happen in her world. She didn’t believe in the existence of a shadow government that could run roughshod over people’s rights. There had to be a logical explanation for what was happening to them.

  She strained her neck to raise her head and look out the window of the car, but it was tinted so dark that it was impossible to see anything. They were locked into a small area at the rear of the vehicle. It had bars on the window and a dark glass barrier that separated them from the other occupants. It looked like something you’d keep an animal in.

  She leaned back against Partlan and tried to stretch out the kinks in her legs. The men in the front of the vehicle were talking. She could hear murmurs of voices and she strained her ears to hear past the glass barrier, but it was no use. Until the vehicle stopped, there was nothing that she could do. She might as well get comfortable.

  An hour later, the vehicle slowed and after a couple of turns, they stopped. Grace looked at Partlan’s motionless body. Whatever they’d given him was very powerful. If she hadn’t seen his chest rising and falling for herself, she would have thought he was dead. Her fingers trembled as she reached out to shake him awake. There was no response. A chill raced through her. What if he didn’t wake up?

  It made no sense, but she needed him to live.

  Partlan mattered to her.

  She had no use for men, but he had somehow worked his way into her heart. She wasn’t sure when it had happened. Maybe when he’d tried to protect her from those strange visitors in his hospital room, or when he’d accepted her fear of the dark and helped her through it. All she knew was that when he’d knelt down and offered himself in place of her, he was no longer just her prisoner.

  She trusted Partlan.

  She was a woman who’d learned the hard way that she could only rely on herself. An abusive brother and being jilted at the altar had her swearing off men forever. It was different with Partlan. There was a bond that connected them. Partlan had tried to exchange his life for her freedom. Now it was her turn to fight.

  She wouldn’t let Partlan die.

  She tensed her muscles at the slamming of the vehicle’s doors. This would be her only opportunity to escape and she intended to be ready this time. Years of self-defence training would not be wasted. They might be bigger than her, but she had a black belt in martial arts.

  The hatch was flung open. A blaze of sunlight blinded her. Before her eyes adjusted, she was being pulled from the vehicle. She leaned into her assailant and used his weight to throw him over her shoulder. She turned to grab his weapon when two men tackled her to the pavement. The click of the hammer of a gun sounded near her ear.

  “You’re expendable. There’s nothing I’d like more than to dispose of you right now.” The voice of the man who had originally grabbed her was deadly calm. “Our orders are to bring the Hunter back alive. There was nothing about you.”

  Grace stilled her breathing and looked up at the man. He was dark haired with emotionless steel grey eyes. “Then kill me.”

  There was several seconds of silence before the man removed his gun from the side of her head. “No. We can use you to control the Hunter.”

  The man straightened up. “Put her on the plane.”

  Chapter 10

  A throbbing, searing ache filled his head.

  He tried to connect with Ardal. Fog and a buzzing in his ears were the only response he received. He was alone.

  Partlan moaned and stretched the cramps out of his legs. He was lying on a hard cement surface and damp was wicking up into his body. A shiver convulsed him. At the back of his brain was the flickering of a memory.

  Grace.

  A jab of terror ripped through him. He bolted upright and struggled to stand, but his legs gave beneath him. He shook his head and tried again. This time, he realized his arms were pinned behind his back. He clenched his jaw, focusing on a concrete wall beside him as he twisted his body to get free.

  “There’s no point in struggling.” Grace’s words echoed in the stone chamber. “I’ve tried everything and these cuffs are meant to hold.”

  She was alive.

  His stomach tightened and his mouth went dry. For a second his
heart stopped and then started pounding at a furious rate. He was not certain if it was a side effect of the drug given him or just the relief and joy of hearing her beloved voice.

  He turned to look at her. She was sitting a few feet away, her back against the gray wall of their prison. Partlan’s eyes widened at the change in her appearance. Her hair had fallen out of the bun that she usually wore, one side of her cheek was puffed out, and a bruise was forming near her eye. Her jacket was torn and her knees were exposed through her pants. Someone had hurt her.

  Every muscle in his body tensed as he fought to contain his anger.

  “Who did this to you?” His words came through gritted teeth.

  “The guys who took us in Los Angeles.” Grace sighed. “They injected you with something that put you out. You’ve been unconscious for hours.”

  “Where are we?”

  “I have no idea. We were shoved on a plane and put in a dark holding cell. The plane was flying at least six hours before it landed, so we could be anywhere.”

  “They said they would let you go.”

  “They only wanted you to stop fighting.” Grace pursed her lips. “I don’t know who those guys are that took us, but they aren’t working for any government agency that I know.”

  “They have no honor.”

  “I warned you about men.” Grace’s voice was dry. “I tried to escape and that’s when I got roughed up.”

  “They have broken the Sacred Code. They hurt a woman and the punishment is death. They will die.”

  “Be my guest.” Grace stretched her legs. “If I get to them first, I’ll kill them myself.”

  “How long have I been out?”

  “I can’t be certain about the time.” Grace shrugged. “I fell asleep, so I’d guess a day has passed since we were caught.”

  Partlan glanced up at the ceiling of their prison. It looked to be solid concrete, as did the walls. There was only one way into the cell and that was by a door with a small window. The window had a sliding closure that was shut now. He frowned as he examined all the corners of the room. There were no cracks or obvious places to hide a camera. There was a bare lightbulb in the center of the ceiling and it had no other wires or equipment attached to it. That meant there was no surveillance. They must think their prison was secure.

  Fools.

  He twisted his wrists back and forth. The cuffs that were holding him were tight, but the continued action of his wrists was weakening the metal of the restraints. He had to break these cuffs and get to Grace. His need was soul deep. She was in pain and he had to be certain that she was not hurt. By Cygnus and Warrior, if they’d laid a hand on her other than the bruises he saw, he would rip this place apart.

  Power and determination surged through him.

  The cuffs bent open and he freed himself from his chains.

  Grace’s eyes widened. “How did you do that?”

  “This planet gives me many advantages.” Partlan knelt next to her and brushed a hand over her discoloured cheek. “Did they hurt you in any other way?”

  Grace shook her head. “I fell when I tried to escape. That’s why the bruises. I really don’t think these guys care about anything other than their mission. They weren’t interested in me as a woman.”

  Relief eased his tense muscles. “That is good. Let me get those cuffs off you.”

  “Look through my coat pockets. You might find something there.”

  “They are sloppy if they left you with a means of escape.”

  “Most men don’t notice what women are carrying. All they cared about was my gun.”

  Partlan rifled through the front pocket of her suit jacket. He found another bobby pin. It would be easier to turn the lock than to rip it from Grace’s wrist. He had the cuffs off within a minute, then he gathered her close. His heart pounded and he swallowed back his anguish as he took a steadying breath and tucked her head under his chin.

  “You are certain you are not in pain.”

  Grace tried to push away, but he kept his arms around her. He should let her loose, but he needed her near. His whole being was tormented at how close he had come to losing her. Even if she had ordered him to release her, he doubted he would be able to obey. The tension eased from her and then she settle into his arms.

  “My pride is hurt more than anything else.” Her words were mumbled into his chest. “All my years of self-defence training and martial arts, and I couldn’t escape those guys.”

  “There were too many of them.” Partlan’s breathing slowed as he heard the calm in her voice. She was truly unharmed. “Now we must find a way to leave this place.”

  “Good luck with that.” Grace moved back and stared into his eyes. “We were locked in a small box and it was dark, but I counted at least seven floor indicator bells.”

  “So no one can hear us through these walls. It is the perfect prison. No wonder they are lax in the small details.”

  Partlan stood and ran his fingers over the walls and corners of the room. He moved higher to the ceiling and then examined the floor. There were no hidden devices. The room was solid cement block and there were no windows or mirrors on the walls. The door’s sliding window was the only way to check the area without opening the door.

  “We are not being watched.”

  Grace stood and arched her back in a stretch. “There are probably cameras outside. If it were possible to escape, then they would know when we left the cell.”

  “A Hunter is not easy to keep contained.” Partlan walked back to Grace. “I have vowed to protect you. I will find a way to get us out of this place.”

  Their gazes locked and Partlan watched as a shadow of emotion flared and then disappeared in Grace’s eyes. She was still hesitant to believe him. She had spent most of her life defending herself, but now she had him. In time, she would understand that a Hunter never broke his word.

  Grace looked away. She shook each leg and then started to pace in their small cell. “Why do you think they’ve kidnapped us?”

  “The Albireons must have great control of this planet to be able to move around freely.” Partlan pushed away his unease. Albireons had been defeated before. “I suspect they have made some deal with the powers that rule your planet.”

  Grace put up her hand. “Stop right there. I’m not certain I can accept this talk of aliens and visitors from other planets. If that were really the case, why haven’t we seen these extraterrestrials?”

  “You are forgetting that I am not from your planet.”

  “You talk about your Sacred Code and being a Hunter, but you look exactly like a human.” Grace ran her eyes over him. “You’re taller and definitely more muscular, but essentially, you’re physically the same as any other man.”

  “Even though we were born and bred on Cygnus, we were originally from this planet.”

  “Well that’s a handy explanation.” Grace raised an eyebrow. “You’re human, but you come from a different planet.”

  “The Ancients have existed since the beginning of time. Until a few days ago, I thought that Hunters had been created by the Ancients to be protectors. My leader, Ardal, has learned that we have the same genes as humans.”

  “That proves that you’re not an alien.” Grace leaned against the stone wall with her arms crossed over her chest.

  “We have been altered.”

  She frowned. “In what way?”

  “We have special abilities that have been genetically enhanced. Hunters have been trained since birth to fight. We also have abilities that have been bred into us. Each of our clans has skills that are unique to them.”

  “What’s your skill?”

  “I am clan Obair. I have a gift for working with instruments and machines.”

  “You’re an engineer.”

  “That is what you call it on your planet.” Partlan rubbed his shoulder where the bullet had entered. His wound was only a slight ache, but lying with his hands behind his back had not helped it. Grace straightened away from the w
all and came to him.

  “Take your shirt off and let me look at it. It was too soon for you to be out of the hospital. Fighting with those agents must have aggravated the incision.”

  Partlan pulled the shirt of his head. Grace peeled back the edges of his dressing and then stopped.

  “Is there a problem?”

  “It’s healed.” Grace finished taking the dressing off and then moved him under the light in the center of the room. “That’s impossible.”

  Partlan gazed down at her and marveled at her beauty and courage. He was connected to Grace. Her feelings were his, which only proved that she was his mate. There was no question about the bond between them. That’s why her doubts were so clear to him. She did not believe him.

  Somehow he must make her understand their connection. Words were meaningless to her, so he could only show her by his actions and thoughts. He would do whatever it took to convince her that they were meant to be together. She was a reasonable woman and would eventually realise that they were pair bonded.

  “This planet has given us many strengths. One of those is that we heal quickly.”

  “What are your other strengths?” Grace’s voice was a whisper.

  “We move faster, our reflexes are better and we age slower.”

  “How old are you?”

  “I have seen thirty-three years since I was bred.”

  Grace tilted her head as her eyes roamed over his face. Partlan held his breath and remained as still as possible. He sensed that she was on the verge of accepting his origins. Her eyes left his face and then scanned his chest. Her fingers brushed over several of his scars. His stomach tensed. Her hand rested on his upper left arm.

  “Where did you get these tattoos?”

  “They are my markers.”

  She frowned. “What do they mark?”

  “My birth, my clan and my battles.”

  Her fingers grazed over the black glyphs that were the symbols of the Kaladin language. She tapped one of them. “What is this?”