aHunter4Fire (aHunter4Hire Book 7)

by Cynthia A. Clement

  “You’re suggesting a conspiracy.” Marissa felt her body returning to normal. “That makes no sense for someone as insignificant as me.”

  “It must be something you have knowledge of.” Firbin looked about her room. “There seems to be a bit of disarray here. Did you do this?”

  Marissa frowned. She’d been too busy to notice anything when she’d first come in for a change of clothes. The room had been dark and she’d gone straight to her dresser and pulled out clean undergarments. Now when she looked around, she noticed several things out of place. Her closet was wide open and the floor was littered with clothes that had been strewn around. Even her bed was rumpled up.

  “No.” Marissa stood and started to straighten her sheets. “I never leave my house looking like this.”

  Firbin reached a hand out and stopped her. “Leave it. We may find something here that tells us who set this scene.”

  “Do you have any injuries?” Niail had stepped into the room and was examining some papers that were thrown down by the window.

  Marissa eyes widened. Injuries? Hadn’t she already suffered enough?

  “We want to know if this is actually your blood.” Firbin’s voice was low and soothing. “Did you notice any cuts?”

  “I haven’t had a chance to shower.”

  “We will leave you to examine yourself, but please don’t touch anything.” Niail left the room, followed by Thero.

  “Do not worry about this.” Firbin started for the door. “We will get the answers you need.”

  “I hope so.” Marissa spoke under her breath. When Firbin had shut the door behind him, she pulled off her suit jacket, skirt, and top. She examined the front of her body and then twisted to examine her back in the mirror.

  Nothing.

  Not a mark, or cut, or scratch.

  Whatever had happened to her, she’d gone without a fight. That could only mean one thing. She’d been drugged before they kidnapped her, otherwise she would have defended herself. Growing up with four brothers meant that she had learned at a young age to stand up for herself and fight.

  She leaned back against the bed and put her head in her hands. What had she got involved in? For the life of her, she couldn’t remember anything in her job duties that would have warranted her being kidnapped, and then having someone stage her house to look as if she were dead.

  At least that’s what she thought they had meant to do.

  What if they were setting her up as a murderer?

  It would be easy enough. She’d disappeared and there was someone’s blood in her house and car. Just match the DNA to a missing person and she’d be framed for murder. She took a gulp of air and forced herself to relax. Her mind was going crazy with the possibilities, but none of it made sense.

  She needed to remember.

  She reached for her change of clothing and started to dress. There was no point in taking a shower now. Jeans and a t-shirt would have to do. She pulled on socks and a pair of functional running shoes. The way this day was going, who knew what she’d be running from in another hour.

  She stood and went to the door.

  Firbin was waiting on the other side.

  He raised an eyebrow and she shook her head. “No injuries. The blood isn’t mine.”

  “Unless they found a way to get a quantity of your blood.”

  “I don’t think very many people would have access to something like that.” Marissa’s voice was dry. “You guys should be writing fiction.”

  “Are you certain that you did not donate blood?” Firbin persisted.

  “There’s a blood clinic every other month. The company sponsors it.”

  “That is how they were able to get a large quantity. I imagine that they stockpile all of their employees just in case they need it.”

  “What difference would it make whose blood they used?”

  “If the blood was yours, it would mean that they meant to stage it so it looked like harm had come to you. Otherwise, they want you to be blamed for killing someone else.” Firbin’s gaze never left her face.

  “Do I look like a person capable of killing someone?” Marissa rolled her eyes.

  “In the right circumstances, yes.” There was not even a hint of humor in Firbin’s voice.

  Marissa opened her mouth to deny it and then stopped. He was right. Given the right motivation, she would kill someone. “I wouldn’t be stupid enough to leave the evidence in my bathtub.”

  Firbin grinned. “I hope not. That would make it more difficult to cover it up.”

  Niail walked out of the bathroom. “It was deliberately staged. From what I can see, they left no evidence of who they were. I would say they were professionals.”

  “They had to have access to a large quantity of blood.” Firbin looked at her.

  “I wonder what their resume looks like?” Marissa couldn’t help herself. The situation was so bizarre and beyond her normal experiences that it felt like she was in the middle of a comedy.

  “There are such people.” Niail’s voice was quiet. “We have come across even worse scenarios.”

  Marissa shuddered. “How can people do that?”

  “Humans seem capable of almost anything.” Firbin picked up a piece of paper that was lying next to the desk in her bedroom. “Is this yours?”

  Marissa frowned. “I’ve never seen it before. What does it say?”

  “It is a threat on your life.” Firbin’s voice was devoid of emotion.

  Marissa grabbed the paper out of his hand. He was right. In a collage of letters cut from magazines and newspapers the message was clear.

  You must pay your debts or your family will suffer. You have two days.

  “What debt?” Marissa handed the paper back to Firbin. “I don’t owe anyone.”

  “Then this is another part of the staging.” Firbin handed it to Niail. “We should dispose of this and search for other planted evidence.”

  “You think they were suggesting I had gambling debts because I live in Las Vegas?” Marissa snorted. “Anyone who knew me would see right through that one. I abhor gambling. It’s the most ridiculous time waster imaginable.”

  “That may be true, but if you were reported missing, this is what the police would find.” Firbin continued to search through the desk drawers.

  “Why would anyone care enough to make me disappear?” Marissa took a deep breath to control her exasperation. “Thousands of people go missing every day all over the world and no one notices.”

  “Not all of them work for a major Oil Company, which has ties to the Shadow Government that is hiding the existence of aliens on this planet.”

  “So we’re back to that?” Marissa plopped down on the bed. “I really don’t think that Douglas is involved in anything so ludicrous. Why would he risk everything he has, to protect monsters who intend to destroy Earth?”

  “He believes he will be one of the few survivors.” Firbin pulled out another paper from her top drawer and handed it to her. “Is this real?”

  It was a bank statement.

  Marissa’s eyes widened as she noticed the balance.

  “Where did my savings go?” Her voice filled with outrage. “It says I owe over one hundred thousand dollars. That’s ridiculous. I pay my bills on time.”

  “So you don’t have debt?” Firbin’s voice was quiet. “They have managed to gain access to your personal bank. This is not a problem for Albirsion Corporation. They own most of the world’s banks.”

  “How could you possibly know that?”

  “We have had encounters with them over banking in the past.” Firbin put the bank statement on the bed and reached into the desk drawer and pulled out a stack of other statements. “They have control of most of the world’s banks. If your boss is involved, then he could easily have had these documents forged.”

  Firbin handed her the stack of papers. It was more false bank statements, all of them showing the same thing. She owed money. She threw them on the bed and clenched her fists
. Everything she had worked for over the years was gone. In the blink of the eye. It was as if she never existed and in her place was a made-up person.

  “How can they do this?” Her voice was hoarse.

  “It is how they gain control and keep it.” Firbin gathered the papers together. “We will try and see if we can follow the trail of these statements to the truth. It will be difficult though.”

  “What else do you think they’ve done?”

  Firbin glanced around the room. “They’ve probably taken something you’re not aware of. Something that a friend or family would recognize as belonging to you.”

  “To leave it somewhere that would suggest that I’ve been hurt?”

  Firbin nodded. “This happens too often.”

  “And here I thought all those conspiracy theories were fake.” Marissa’s voice was dry. “I should have paid more attention.”

  “Why? It would not have changed anything.” Firbin’s voice was intense. “Those who wish to do harm will always exist. They have no honor and no boundaries.”

  Just then Niail came back into the room. He had a picture frame in his hand. “We found this in the spare room. It was turned over in a corner. He handed her the frame. Fear tightened around her chest as she realized what the picture suggested. It was a picture of her family that was taken when her brother Will had graduated from medical school.

  Her parents were standing behind Will. Pride was evident in their smiles. Her brothers Charles and Jack were in their military dress uniforms. She was standing between the two of them and her younger brother Sam was beside her mother. It was her favorite family picture and someone had sprayed a red line through it.

  “It’s a warning.” Her voice was a hoarse whisper. “They’re threatening my brothers and parents.”

  “They want the police to believe that.” Niail’s voice was calm. “Remember the note we found.”

  “This makes no sense.” Marissa fought back her panic. “I don’t know anything.”

  “They think you do.” Firbin took the picture from her hands. “You have to try and remember what happened when you last saw your boss.”

  “Nothing.” Marissa fought to keep her voice from rising. “I already told you that it was a normal day of reviewing reports on some oil acquisitions. There was the usual correspondence and a couple of invitations.”

  “Did anything seem unusual about your boss?”

  “Douglas is a very personable man. He is charming and even-tempered.” Marissa rubbed her hand over her forehead. “If anything, he was nicer than usual.”

  “How?”

  Marissa shrugged. “He said he thought I’d been working too hard and that I needed a day off. It was late afternoon, so he said to take the next day off.”

  “Did you go home?” Niail asked.

  “I remember getting my purse. After that, it’s a blur.”

  “Someone must have given you something that would make you unconscious.” Niail crossed his arms. “Otherwise, you would remember what you did next.”

  Marissa nodded.

  Niail’s reasoning made sense.

  She’d lost her memory after leaving Douglas’s office, so something had to have happened before that point. But what? For the life of her she couldn’t remember anything standing out. The day had been as normal as any other day. She’d gone to the main office, sorted through the mail, putting aside the invitations and letters that Douglas needed to look at personally. There had only been one that stood out.

  “There was one invitation that seemed stranger than normal.”

  “An invitation?” Firbin stepped closer. “This was for Douglas?”

  “It was addressed to him, but the message inside was different.”

  “What did it say?” Firbin’s voice was tense.

  Marissa closed her eyes and tried to envision the note in her head. It took a second, but the strange words came to her. Why hadn’t she thought of it sooner?

  “I remember.”

  Chapter 10

  “IT STARTED WITH the number twenty-six. Then it said come prepared to see something that will tip the scales in our favor. It was signed A.”

  “What did you do with this note?”

  “I gave it to Douglas of course.” Marissa opened her eyes. Both Niail and Firbin were looking at her intently. “I even made a joke about how I wasn’t certain it was for him because it was address to twenty-six.”

  “Did he say anything?”

  Marissa shook her head. “He laughed and then we discussed the rest of the correspondence.”

  “Did you eat or drink anything?”

  “Coffee, but I brought my cup in with me.”

  “Did you leave it unattended?”

  “I left his office to get a report that he requested, but I was only gone a few minutes.”

  Niail and Firbin exchanged glances.

  “You don’t think he put something in it?” Marissa couldn’t imagine Douglas doing anything that crazy. “He was sitting in the same position when I returned.”

  “He had time to drug you.” Firbin clenched his hands into fists. “He will answer for that.”

  “You’re just speculating.” Marissa tried to push down the uneasiness that was building inside her. What if they were right and Douglas was responsible for her being kidnapped? “Why would he do such a thing?”

  “You had seen a message that was in code.” Niail’s voice was definite. “It was probably about the weapon. Was your boss planning any meetings outside of the city?”

  “There was nothing on his calendar. We were meeting the Saudi government representatives, but that was later in the month. As a matter of fact, that is why I was at his home to begin with. He had asked for a report on the oil acquisition and I brought the day’s correspondence along with me.” Marissa shook her head. “That doesn’t mean he wasn’t meeting someone. He’d often take off unannounced.”

  “You did not find this suspicious?” Firbin asked.

  “No. He’s the boss.” When Marissa got blank looks from the men, she elaborated. “He can come and go as he pleases. I am in no position to question his movements.”

  “He does this often?” Firbin frowned.

  “At least once a week.” Marissa shrugged. “He usually checks in during the day to make certain there’s nothing urgent that needs his attention.”

  “Don’t you find this behavior strange?” Niail’s voice was filled with concern. “I worry when humans become secretive. That usually means that they are hiding something.”

  “You said you were aliens.” Marissa couldn’t help the defensiveness in her voice. “What do you know about humans?”

  “My mate is human.” Niail’s voice was quiet. “Our children are human also.”

  Marissa felt as if she’d been hit with a brick. She’d never considered that these men had families. Her cheeks reddened and she cleared her throat. “I’m sorry. That was rude of me. I spoke out of turn.”

  “We are trying to help.” Niail’s voice was sincere. “We want to protect you, but we need to understand about your boss.”

  “Because you think he’s the one who had me kidnapped.”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll try and help.” Marissa realized she’d been actively trying to excuse Douglas’s behavior because she couldn’t imagine him harming her. She stood and started to pace her room. “He always seemed so nice to me. It’s hard to believe that he would do something like this.”

  “We understand,” Firbin said. “Hunters do not lie, so one of the most difficult things for us to accept is that humans sometimes use subterfuge to harm others.”

  “You can say that again.” Marissa sighed and walked to the living room. She sat on the floor with her legs crossed. “I’ve only been working with him for the last six months. I thought it was a dream job when I accepted the position.”

  “It might still be that.” Firbin eased himself down beside her. “We just have to rule him out.”

  “We
also have to find out about the weapon.” Thero was standing by the door with his arms crossed. “It is the only way we can ensure your safety.”

  Niail pulled out a chair from the table and sat. “Is there anyone else you had contact with that day that might have drugged your drink or food?”

  Marissa shook her head. “He’s the only one.”

  She leaned against the wall and groaned. There was no escaping it. Douglas Norcott was the only person who could have drugged her. That meant he was the one who had her kidnapped and staged her house to look as if it had happened after she came home.

  “He has enough money to pay for someone to kidnap me.” Marissa’s voice was filled with resignation as she spoke her thoughts aloud. “Why do people have to be so predictable?”

  “What do you mean?” Firbin’s voice was filled with confusion.

  “I mean he has money and lives a privileged life. I thought he was one of the rare ones. Good and truly worthy of my loyalty.”

  “Not all humans will disappoint you.” Niail’s voice was soft. “My mate and her children accepted me and gave me a place in their home when I was injured. They did this at great risk to their lives.”

  Marissa nodded. “You’re right. I’m just feeling sorry for myself. Douglas paid me good money to be his assistant. I was a loyal and honest employee. That is all the loyalty he deserved, especially if he repaid me in this way.”

  “So you are willing to take us to him?”

  “Yes.” Marissa pushed herself upright. “I have a few questions of my own.”

  Niail moved to the door. “We will need to take your vehicle.”

  “Did you clean the mat?” Marissa shuddered. “I don’t think I can drive in it knowing blood is all over the floor.”

  “They have been removed.” Thero opened the door. “The sooner we speak with this man, the sooner we can find the weapon.”

  “He might not be the person you want.”

  “He is.” Niail’s voice was definite. “The message you remembered is proof.”

  “It was pretty cryptic.” Marissa shook her head and reached for her purse. “I don’t see how you think it can be used against him.”