aHunter4Fire (aHunter4Hire Book 7)

by Cynthia A. Clement

  Firbin watched Marissa sag against the far wall. She was exhausted and the sooner he could get her to freedom, the better. He didn’t know if Vadim could be trusted, but he had no other choice. If his words failed, then he would have no recourse but to fight his way out of this place. He preferred not to battle a fellow Hunter.

  “We have found Albireons on this planet.” Firbin’s voice was low. “They have been here for over seventy years and already have a group of humans directing their affairs on Earth.”

  Vadim pursed his lips. “I suspected that something was not right on this planet. I just never considered it was the Albireons. I thought another group may have been in contact and was offering advanced technology.”

  “They have given that too.” Firbin glanced at Marissa who was frowning. “We have been aware of them for almost a year and have been infiltrating their organization and records. Yesterday, we started coordinated attacks on their underground strongholds throughout the world.”

  “Lorcan did not have a large enough unit of men, or the skill to coordinate such an attack.” Vadim’s voice held suspicion. “That can only mean that you have been sent by the High Council to attack this planet.”

  Firbin shook his head. “The high council no longer holds command of Cygnus. There was a civil war and they lost. All Hunters were ordered executed as a result.”

  Vadim’s eyes narrowed. “How many survived?”

  “My unit was the only one to fight the extinction order. Our leader allowed us to fight so that we could die with honor. We were able to take control of the ship. We crashed on Earth.”

  Vadim’s hands clenched into fists.

  He pushed away from the wall and started to pace the small enclosure.

  “When did this happen?”

  “Almost two years ago.”

  Firbin understood Vadim’s distress. He’d lived through the extinction orders and the crash and it was a miracle any Hunters had survived. There was no point in looking back. Warriors accepted their fate. After a few seconds, Vadim turned to Firbin.

  “I have no skills to offer for the battle. My human parents did not approve of violence.” Vadim waved a hand around the room. “I do however have a gift for security and I’ve used that to my advantage.”

  Firbin grinned. “Humans are funny like that.”

  “Are you two seriously talking about humans as if we’re the strange ones?” Marissa shook her head and stood. “I can’t believe I’m actually starting to believe you.”

  “I have told you Hunters do not lie.”

  “You were not fighting with just Hunters.” Marissa pointed a finger at him. “There were humans with you.”

  “What is she talking about?”

  “Some humans have found out the truth about the Albireon plans and have banded together in a resistance force. They are fighting beside us as we set out to eradicate this planet of Albireons.”

  “The H.R.F. is what they were calling themselves.” Marissa muttered. “They wanted to leave me to die.”

  “No Hunter would let a woman die.” Vadim’s voice was firm. “That much of the code I remember and obey.”

  “Now I know the two of you are related.” Marissa shook her head.

  “Why Douglas Norcott?” Vadim asked.

  “He is one of the leaders of the Shadow Government.” Firbin explained.

  Vadim nodded. “So you need him to gain access?”

  “It is worse than we suspected.” Firbin cleared his throat. “They have an Ancient’s Staff.”

  Vadim was silent for a few seconds and then went to the door. “What do you need?”

  “A way out of here would help.”

  “I’ll have the helicopter fueled and ready.” Vadim motioned them out of the room. “Come. We will settle this.”

  There were several security men standing guard outside the room. When Vadim came out, he motioned them aside. “These two will not cause any more damage. We need to take them to Norcott’s villa and resolve this disagreement.”

  Firbin reached for Marissa

  She hesitated a second and then took his hand.

  The surge of joy that raced through him took his breath away. It was heaven to have her close, and despite her doubts, he knew that whatever happened in the future, they would be bonded. Always.

  When they reached the villa there were four guards standing outside.

  Vadim turned to him. “Let them know.”

  Marissa opened her mouth and then closed it. Firbin sent her a wave of calm before he connected with Niail.

  “I am outside and about to enter with Vadim.” Firbin waited for a second and then continued. “Vadim has agreed to help. I will explain once we are inside.”

  “We have stepped down.”

  Firbin nodded to Vadim. “They will let us enter.”

  Vadim unlocked the door.

  He pushed it open and went in first with his hands raised.

  Firbin stayed in front of Marissa. He did not fully trust Vadim and protecting Marissa was his first priority. When they were inside, Vadim turned to his men who were waiting outside.

  “The door stays unlocked.” His voice was low with authority. “Under no circumstance does anyone enter.”

  He shut the door.

  Firbin grinned at Niail. “I have found another brother.”

  “I can see that.” Niail’s voice was wry. “Vadim?”

  Vadim nodded. “I have been raised by humans since the crash thirty years ago when I was ten.”

  Marissa gasped. “That’s impossible. You don’t look to be older than twenty-five.”

  Vadim grimaced. “It has been one of the harder benefits of this planet to hide.”

  “I take it the security is your doing?” Niail raised an eyebrow. “Very effective and well-trained.”

  “Stop this chatter.” The loud voice of Norcott interrupted the conversation. “I pay you generously to take care of my person. Deal with these criminals and get them out of my house.”

  Vadim cleared his throat. “I must apologize Mr. Norcott, but that won’t be possible.”

  Norcott’s eyes bulged. “What the hell do you mean? Your hotel promises the world’s best security and privacy.”

  “And I have delivered it.” Vadim walked over to his security detail that was now lying bound and gagged on the floor. “My guards were here and stopped the kidnapping.”

  “Then get this mess cleared up.” Norcott waved his hand around the room. “It’s outrageous that they were even able to get inside here.”

  “You let them in.” Vadim’s voice was smooth. “You forget I keep meticulous records. I have your voice recordings from this morning.”

  Norcott’s eyes narrowed. “Are you threatening me?”

  “Only reminding you.” Vadim sighed. “I find it impossible to comply with your request, though. You have violated the terms of agreement.”

  “You don’t have any idea who you’re messing with.” Gone was all civility from Norcott’s voice. “I can make and break you with the snap of my finger. My money guarantees it.”

  “I’m certain you believe that.” Vadim smoothed a hand down his jacket. “Strictly speaking, I exceed you in the money category.”

  Norcott’s mouth dropped open. “That’s impossible.”

  “Unlike you, I make money, not spend it.” Vadim turned to Niail. “I understand that my guest is harboring knowledge of a potentially deadly weapon, and is involved in the kidnapping of a federal police officer.”

  Niail crossed his arms. “He is.”

  “Those are grounds for eviction.” Vadim turned back to Norcott. “You have been served notice.”

  Norcott took a few steps back. “This will not go unpunished.”

  “The question is who is to be punished.” Vadim turned to Niail. “Could you release my men?”

  Niail nodded. “They fought valiantly.”

  “I appreciate that you did not kill them.”

  “We have learned to minimize human
deaths wherever possible.” Firbin moved toward Niail when Marissa screamed.

  She was pointing at Norcott. “He has a weapon.”

  Chapter 14

  FIRBIN REACTED WITH such speed that Marissa didn’t have a chance to finish speaking before he was pushing her down to the ground.

  “Stay,” he ordered before lunging at Douglas.

  Douglas’s eyes were wild with hatred as he turned the pistol toward Firbin.

  Marissa’s heart pounded.

  Her breath caught in her throat.

  Firbin hadn’t hesitated to put himself between the weapon and her. One second they were talking about options and the next it was life and death. He had kept his word that he would protect her. Before she could blink, Firbin was upon Douglas. He wrenched Douglas’s arm high in the air just as the weapon discharged. It destroyed the ceiling above, leaving a hole of over two feet wide.

  Shudders ripped through Marissa’s body.

  Douglas had meant that for her.

  How could anyone hate someone so much that they would be willing to destroy another person? She’d worked for him for half a year and not once had she seen this side of his personality. He was a stranger to her, now.

  Firbin had the weapon in his hands now. He elbowed Douglas in the face, sending the man back several feet. Douglas hit his head against the wall with a sickening thud and he fell forward, flat on the floor.

  “Is he alive?” Marissa’s voice was a whisper.

  Firbin bent over and felt his neck. He looked up and nodded.

  “Now what?” She dropped her head in her hands.

  Defeat and resignation filled her. She’d gone through too much since yesterday afternoon. It was a crazy, unbelievable day and it wasn’t over yet. How much more could possibly happen?

  “My men will take care of him and the cleanup.” Vadim motioned to his security guards who were just standing up after being released.

  Firbin walked over to Niail and handed him the weapon. “This is not from Earth.”

  “I’ve seen this on some of the outer planets. It is used for personal protection, but considered too small for any real fighting.”

  “It would have killed Marissa.”

  She sensed a suppressed rage inside of Firbin. He was upset that she’d been put in danger, but that didn’t explain his anger. She was alive. At that thought, Firbin looked at her and she swore she heard his voice in her head. “I would have died if you had been hurt.”

  She inhaled a quick breath. That was impossible. People didn’t speak to each other through thoughts. It only worked like that in fantasies and this was definitely real life. She brought her shaking hand up to straighten her hair and then she stood. It was essential that she help find out about this new threat.

  She had survived.

  She was alive.

  “We have to find out what Norcott knows.” Niail looked around the room. “Is there a computer or documents that he keeps here?”

  “He always brought a laptop home with him.” Marissa forced her legs to move. “He must have a hiding place here.”

  “There are many such places in these villas. My clientele is very secretive.” Vadim’s voice was wry. “Fortunately, I know where they are.”

  Marissa rubbed her arms as she watched the security men walk over to Douglas. One of them knelt beside him and shook his shoulder. Douglas moaned. The security guard looked up at Vadim.

  “What do you want us to do?”

  “Tie him up and gag his mouth. We don’t need him screaming and disturbing the other guests.” Vadim glanced around the room. “I want this place pristine before the police arrive. No evidence is to be left here. If Norcott does not return, the police must not have any reason to be suspicious.”

  The man stood and nodded. “It will be spotless. What about the ceiling.”

  “Take pictures and then fix it.”

  “Are you certain?” The man’s voice held a note of doubt “It will look like he was fighting an intruder.”

  “All the tapes and recordings will be wiped clean. There will be nothing to suggest that anyone but Norcott was here this morning. If we leave the hole, that will give the police a reason to continue investigating us. Norcott’s gambling debts are substantial enough to give him a motive for leaving unannounced.” Vadim turned to Niail. “Now, let’s find the computer.”

  Marissa watched the men leave the room and she felt her knees weaken. Firbin was at her side before she collapsed. He pulled her close and held her as he helped her walk over to one of the stools in front of the bar. Only when she was seated did he release her.

  “This has been too much for you.”

  “I should go to my parent’s house.” Marissa thought back to the days when she felt safe and secure.

  “You will feel that way again.” Firbin’s voice was a low whisper. “I cannot risk letting you out of my sight until we have the weapon.”

  “Which one?” Marissa snorted. “The way things are going today, there might a hundred different disintegrating ray guns.”

  “There is no ray involved.” Confusion was written all over Firbin’s face.

  “It’s an expression from old Science Fiction movies.” Marissa patted his arm. “You aren’t from here, so you wouldn’t understand.”

  “I have seen these movies you speak of.” Firbin spoke in an earnest tone. “We do not have such a thing on Cygnus. There is only training and fighting.”

  “No entertainment?”

  Firbin shook his head. “It would not help us in battle.”

  “You never know.” Marissa sighed and turned around to look at the room.

  The men had made huge inroads in straightening everything up. At the pace they were going it looked as if this wasn’t the first time they’d done something like this.

  Just then Vadim and Niail returned to the room. Niail was holding a computer in his hands. He put it on the bar beside Marissa

  “Is this the laptop you saw him with?”

  Marissa reached out and opened it. It was a slick new model, very fast and very expensive. She’d often admired it from afar, thinking that one day she would be able to afford something just like it. Her finger moved along the edge until she came to a small groove.

  “Definitely this is it. I remember when he dropped it on the desk and this mark was made.”

  “Do you know the password?”

  Marissa shook her head. “It was his private computer.”

  “Is there any way you could guess?”

  “Maybe.” She pulled the computer closer. “I’ll try.”

  Marissa tried the obvious things like his birthday and address. It wasn’t either of those. Then she thought about the date the company had been founded. Again, no luck. He didn’t have a wife or children that she could tie any sentiment to, but he did have a car. On a hunch, she tried his license plate number.

  OILKING

  It was a match.

  The computer screen unlocked.

  The desktop image was of a spiral galaxy surrounded by millions of stars. Firbin was leaning over her shoulder and he nodded.

  “He knows where the Barnard Galaxy is.”

  “I’ve never heard of it.”

  “Cygnus is located there.”

  Marissa frowned. “Why would he have a picture of that Galaxy?”

  “It is where the Albireons are from also,” Niail said. “Are there any files about weapons?”

  Marissa scrolled through the documents, trying to find what they were looking for, but they were all about K.T. Oil business. Nothing sinister there unless you considered oil the enemy of humanity. She then clicked onto his photos.

  “I think I’ve found something.”

  She scrolled through a number of landscape photos of the desert and what looked to be a weapons testing ground. There were numerous pictures of explosions and then there were pictures of the aftereffects. Some showed a massive debris field and others were devoid of anything. Totally disintegrated.

/>   “He’s seen the effectiveness of the staff.” Firbin’s voice held suppressed anger. “He knows where it’s being manufactured.”

  “Does anyone recognize this area?”

  “It looks to be north of Vegas.” Vadim crossed his arms. “If I had to guess, I’d say near Creech Air Force Base in Indian Springs.”

  “Great.” Marissa continued to search through the pictures, but there was nothing else. “Why does everything have to center around the military?”

  “Is that upsetting?” Niail asked.

  “I have two brothers in the forces.” Marissa shuddered to think what they would say if they knew what she’d been doing these last few hours. “They would never be involved in anything as devious as this.”

  “They fight for their country. They might not have a choice.” Niail’s tone was matter of fact.

  “Well they’re both at Naval Air Station Fallon where they are involved in training. Charles is a naval fighter pilot. Jack is a Navy Seal, instructing with the Seals Combat Search and Rescue Training.”

  “Then you do not have to worry about seeing them.” Niail went over to Norcott who was now awake and glaring at them. “We will go to this Creech Base and see what has been happening there.”

  “You can’t just walk in.” Marissa pushed the computer away. Thero took it and started searching. “These bases are heavily guarded.”

  “I suspect there is another Albireon base somewhere close by.” Niail hauled Douglas to his feet. “Mr. Norcott will be our entrance to it.”

  Marissa forced herself to breath. “You’re talking certain suicide.”

  “There is no need to worry. We will protect you.”

  “She’s not kidding.” Vadim spoke in a clear voice. “The bases are heavily guarded. There have been too many terrorist attempts lately. Everyone is on high alert.”

  “I suspect there is an underground entrance.” Niail pulled the gag out of Norcott’s mouth. “Do you care to tell us where it is?”

  “Why would I do that?”

  “To save your life.” Niail’s voice was nonchalant. “Otherwise, we will be forced to use you as bait.”