As Hunter ran past Mabel’s house, she stepped out on the back porch. The last thing he needed was to stop and answer a lot of questions, but he couldn’t have her hobbling along behind him right into the line of fire either.
“Get back in the house, Mabel. I’ll explain later.”
“Tate already called and warned us to stay inside, but I saw a man sneaking around the tea shop with a gun in his hand. I tried to call Tate and warn her, but she’s not answering. I thought you should know.”
Bless the woman. Now he needed a distraction, something that would keep Kincade’s attention focused in the wrong direction long enough for Hunter to make his final approach.
“Mabel, have you ever shot a gun?”
She drew herself up to her full height with pride. “I knew my way around firearms long before you were born, young man. But my eyesight’s too poor for accuracy.”
He couldn’t help but grin. “What I need is a distraction to draw his attention away from Tate. Think you can take this to the edge of the woods and fire off a few rounds?”
She was already coming down the steps. “It will take me a bit to get there, but I won’t fail you.”
He pressed a quick kiss on her cheek and handed her the gun. “Be careful.”
She checked the weapon over with surprising efficiency. “Not a problem.”
Then she was off and moving with a stately grace in a direct line for the woods. When he was sure she was going to reach the cover of the trees safely, he waited at the corner of the house for her to start firing. He could only hope it would buy him enough time.
And once he had Tate safely in his arms, damned if he’d ever let her go.
Chapter 18
“I knew it was risky stopping here, but I had to know what was going on,” Kincade said. “I suspected that Devlin Bane was up to something, but all of the Seattle Paladins were accounted for. I should’ve known that he’d import outside help. And I never know where those pet Others of his are.”
Tate tried a bluff, hoping to buy some time. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She backed up a step but stopped when he immediately brought the gun up to her eye level. Maybe he wouldn’t actually shoot her, but he looked too comfortable with the weapon for her to be certain.
“Why don’t you have a seat so we can chat?”
He motioned toward the same table he’d sat at earlier, which would block her view of anything going on outside. If he joined her at the table, maybe she could flip the table over and make it out the door. Unfortunately, her captor seemed to be a mind reader.
“Keep your hands were I can see them, and things will stay peaceful. At least for the moment.” He walked over toward the window. “I would guess Bane and company are rushing up here by helicopter. That is really very inconvenient. However, if my ride manages to get here in a timely fashion, there will be no need for bloodshed.”
His smile sent chills up her spine. “You probably know by now that it’s hard to make those freaks out there stay dead. However, that isn’t true for the two of us. So as much as I’d hate to pull this trigger, if it comes down to a choice between me and you, well, we both know how that will turn out.”
She sneered right back. “Paladins are not freaks. They’re heroes. DNA isn’t what makes us human; it’s things like honor and duty. But then, I guess you don’t understand anything but greed.”
He wheeled around and slapped her. “I understand a lot of things, like the fact that you’ve obviously been spreading your legs for one of those bastards… or more likely all of them. I’m sure your uncle would be proud to know that you’ve been whoring for those animals.”
She tasted blood and fury. “My uncle was a great judge of character. He never really liked you, but he sure loved beating you at chess.”
He moved to slap her again, but this time she was ready and dodged the blow.
“If you need to get out of here, take my car. The keys are on the hook in the kitchen.”
“And have your friends be able to track me? I don’t think so.” He pulled out a cell phone and punched in a number. “Joe, where the hell are you? Fine, but step on it. We’ll be leaving as soon as you get here. I’ll double your bonus if you make it in less than ten minutes.”
Kincade cut off the call and tossed the phone on the table. “Not that he’ll live to spend a dime of what he’s made.”
His cold-blooded words sickened her. If he planned on killing his accomplice, what chance did she have? She wasn’t about to wait for him to decide that her time had run out. Right now she had some value as a hostage, but should that change…
Maybe if she kept him talking she could figure something out. “How did you end up working with the Kalith?”
“The first time I stayed here at your uncle’s place, I happened across the cave down on the bluff. When I saw the barrier at the back, I figured eventually someone would try to escape through it. I left a message. A few weeks later, an enterprising Kalith warrior answered it, offering me a trade. Free passage for some of his buddies in exchange for whatever they had of value to trade. Finally, we settled on the blue garnets. I’ve been hoarding most of them, but a few have gotten away from me.”
His eyes glittered with avarice. “I’ve got the market cornered, though. Enough to make me a rich man. I’ve sold enough to finance my plans. Even now, the fools I’ve been dealing with are trying to analyze them to find out where they can mine the ore themselves. Good luck with that.”
He walked around to look out front before returning to the side window. “I’ll be a rich man when I dump the rest on the open market. Of course, I’ll have to disappear for good. My business associates won’t appreciate finding out that the stones usually deteriorate on our side of the barrier. Probably something to do with too much light.”
No sooner did he reach the side window when a series of gunshots rang out. Tate screamed and dropped to the floor, throwing the table over on its side. Before she could crawl more than a couple of feet, the front door of the shop burst open, kicked off its hinges. Hunter threw himself through the opening, rolling to his feet in a blur of motion.
Her captor spun around, unsure where the attack was coming from. He swung his gun up, taking aim at Hunter, who was armed only with a sword. Facing a blazing gun didn’t stop him from charging straight at Kincade, cursing his name at the top of his lungs.
She couldn’t bear to see the man she loved die again. Picking up a chair, she ran at Kincade and bashed him over the head as hard as she could. He hit the floor, and the gun went off. The bullet went wide and hit the wall behind her, sending a shower of plaster down on the floor.
Then Hunter was on Kincade, his hands wrapped around the older man’s throat. Kincade bucked and jerked as he tried to break free, to no avail. She thought for sure Hunter was going to kill him, but then he eased off enough to allow his captive to breathe.
She hardly recognized Hunter’s voice when he spoke. “As much as I’d like to see you die for threatening my woman, I’m going to let you live.”
He leaned down close, letting Kincade see the hatred in his eyes. “But don’t think I’m doing you any favors. Once Devlin Bane and his buddies get here, they’ll come up with some fun plans for what little time remains of your life.” He cocked his head to one side, as if listening to something in the distance. “And the helicopter will be landing in about two minutes.”
Then his worried eyes studied her from across the room. “Tate, honey, are you all right?”
Other than the fact that she’d lost her voice and was shaking like a leaf, she was fine. He smiled when she managed to nod.
“Good. Do you have some rope handy? I need to truss this turkey up.”
Hunter hated the fear in Tate’s eyes, not that he could blame her. All she wanted to do was run a quiet tea shop and write the book she didn’t think he knew about. Instead, she was once again embroiled in the violence of his world.
After a quick trip to the utility room, she was
back with her clothesline. Before he took it, he nodded toward where the gun had landed a few feet away.
“Point that at him while I tie him up. If he so much as breathes wrong, shoot him.”
She gingerly picked up the weapon. “But I might hit you.”
He gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “As long as the bullet hits him, too, I’m all right with that.”
“That’s not funny.” She widened her stance and aimed the gun right at Kincade’s head. “But once you’re out of the way, I might like a free shot at him.”
It didn’t take long to hog-tie Kincade.
The whirring clatter of the rotors announced the arrival of reinforcements. Hunter stood up and held out his hand to take the gun from Tate. She surrendered it with obvious relief, and he pulled her in for a quick hug. She buried her face against his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist.
Knowing that she still wanted to touch him made him smile in relief.
A sleek, military-style helicopter was just setting down out in the yard, stirring up a cloud of dust. If they followed the same protocols as the Missouri contingent, the aircraft would take off again to avoid drawing unwanted attention from the local authorities.
Sure enough, the men inside hit the ground and spread out, ducking down to avoid the rotors as the chopper immediately went airborne again. They approached the house cautiously. Devlin reached the porch first, his sword in one hand, a gun in the other. Hunter hollered that it was safe for them to enter the tea shop.
“About time you got here. You almost missed all the fun.” He squeezed Tate, letting her know the man was a friend. “Tate Justice, I’d like you to meet Devlin Bane. The tall guy behind him is Blake Trahern.”
She turned to face them, keeping her arm firmly around Hunter. He liked her unspoken signal that they were a team, knowing the Paladin leader wouldn’t miss the significance of the gesture.
“We spoke earlier, but I’m very glad to meet you in person,” Tate said.
“Thanks again for the call,” Devlin replied as he sheathed his sword.
“I have the human culprit ready for you.” Hunter gestured toward the floor behind him.
Devlin’s eyes narrowed, and his smile radiated a dark pleasure when he got his first clear look at the prisoner. “Hey, Trahern, look who we’ve got here.”
Trahern sauntered over to where Kincade lay huddled on the floor. The captive actually whimpered and tried to caterpillar across the room. The Paladin squatted down beside his longtime nemesis and smiled as he yanked Kincade’s head up by the hair. “What’s the matter, Colonel? Having a bad day?”
“Not now, Trahern,” Devlin snapped, glaring at his buddy until he moved away from the prisoner. Kincade’s head hit the hard floor with a thunk.
“Fill me in, Fitzsimon.”
“We’ve got to get back down the trail. I left your boys holding off the Guildmaster and his buddies. I’ll show you the way.”
“What about him?” Trahern nudged Kincade with the toe of his boot. “We wouldn’t want to have to track him down again.”
Tate spoke up. “And his accomplice is on the way here to pick him up.”
“I’ll stay here,” Trahern offered. “You can trust me to keep them both safe.”
Hunter met Trahern’s silver gaze head-on and read the man’s down-to-the-bone promise to protect Tate, with his life, if necessary.
He pulled Tate back into his arms for one last hug. “I’ll be back. Then we’ll talk.”
Her smile was a bit fragile, but she kissed him and gave him a soft shove. “Go. We’ll be fine.”
“I know you will. Call Mabel, though, and tell her you’re okay. She’ll be worried. That was her shooting the gun earlier.”
“Who’s Mabel?” Trahern asked.
Hunter laughed. “I think I’ll let you find out for yourself.”
Then he led Devlin and his men back outside and down the hillside to put an end to this mess once and for all.
It didn’t take all that long to help D.J. and Larem with the final mop-up, but each minute away from Tate was one too many. Hunter stood at the entrance of the cave, impatient to get back to her.
“So what are we going to do with them?” He glanced at the bedraggled bunch of Kalith sitting along the cave wall. “Personally, I’d just as soon shoot them for trespassing.”
Devlin looked like he was considering the suggestion. “As much as I’d love to, I think we’d better turn them over to a friend of Barak’s on the other side.”
Neither Barak nor Larem had been particularly gentle when they’d administered first aid to their former associates, especially the Guildmaster. They held him in isolation on the other side of the cave.
“These fools are guilty of poor judgment, but the Guildmaster will most assuredly stand trial for crimes against our people.” Barak’s pale eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “That is one execution I would sell tickets to.”
The man in question retorted, “So speaks the traitor! Both of you are outcasts and under death sentences, should you be so foolish as to return to Kalithia. Some might forgive your betrayal, but there are those who will seek your death for your crimes.”
“That may be so.” Larem calmly walked over and stared into the Guildmaster’s furious eyes. “But you know nothing of honor and will die begging for mercy.”
Hunter understood his friend’s anger. Because of this greedy male, Larem would likely never be able to go home. “Uh, guys, I understand why you want to let your people deal with him, but are we really just going to shove him back across the barrier and hope the right people find him?” Hunter asked.
Before anyone could answer, the barrier flared and died. All of those in the cave immediately drew their weapons, ready for yet another battle.
But as soon as their eyes adjusted once again to the dim light, a solitary Kalith stepped forward. He held his empty hands out to show he wasn’t there to fight.
Barak smiled and quickly stepped forward to clasp the man’s forearm in a gesture that spoke of a long friendship. “Berk, it is good to see you once again, although you missed out on quite the fight.”
The newcomer looked at the prisoners in disgust. “I was afraid of that. Word only just arrived that the Guildmaster had slipped his leash. My men and I will be glad to take charge of these vermin for you.”
“That would please us to no end.” Devlin walked over to stand beside Barak. “I’m Devlin Bane.”
The Kalith warrior nodded to the Paladin leader. “I am honored to meet you in person, Paladin. You are a legend among my people.”
Hunter wasn’t sure, but he thought Devlin might have actually blushed.
“You’re free to take them with you. We have your Guildmaster’s human counterpoint in captivity, too. We’ll be talking to him to see if there’s anyone else we need to be looking for on either side of the barrier. I trust you’ll let us know if you find out anything we should beware of.”
“Agreed. But how shall I reach you? Crossing safely at the portion of the barrier that you normally protect can be a problem for us.”
Hunter decided it was time he got involved in the conversation. “Berk, is it? My name is Hunter Fitzsimon, and I plan on living close by here on a permanent basis. We’ll figure out a way for you to contact me.”
Larem moved up beside him. “He’s a warrior of honor, Berk. I am proud to call him friend and Blademate. I would trust him with my life and yours.”
Berk studied Hunter for a second before nodding. “I will return in two of your days to work out the details.”
“Larem and I’ll both be here. It might be a good idea if I leave some human-style clothing for you here in the cave. Then I can show you where you can find me in an emergency.”
“Until then, Hunter Fitzsimon.” Berk backed up a step. “Now if you’ll help get the prisoners back across the barrier, I’ll call in my men to take them back to our headquarters for interrogation.”
———
&
nbsp; Hunter left the others to follow as they would, but he had a driving need to get back to Tate. Other than himself, there was no one better suited to protect both Tate and the prisoner than Trahern, but Hunter didn’t care. She was his, and he wanted to be there for her.
As soon as she spotted him, Tate came at a dead run across the yard, shouting, “Trahern caught Mr. Kincade’s partner, too. Are you all right?”
“I am now.” He squeezed her tightly. “God, Tate, I thought my heart would stop when I realized Kincade had you.”
“I was scared, but I knew you’d come.” She rested her face against his shoulder. “We make a great team, don’t you think?”
His heart filled with something that felt an awful lot like hope. “Care to make this team thing permanent? With vows and rings and the whole shebang?”
“Can Mabel be my matron of honor?”
“Only if Larem can be the best man.”
Her smile vanquished the last shadows from his soul. “It’s a deal.”
Epilogue
Hunter sipped his tea as Larem, Barak, and Penn studied the lists of dates and names he’d given them. Larem was the first to finish.
“There are more?”
“Probably. I’ve only had time to go through the most recent ledgers, but Kincade has been sneaking Kalith through here for years.”
“What are you thinking?” Penn asked.
“That we might want to track some of the Kalith down and see what they’re doing. They’ve most likely built lives here in our world, but I don’t like not knowing what they’re up to.” He set his cup down. “And maybe if they’ve gathered in one particular area, I thought you, Barak, Lusahn, and her two kids might want to reach out to them.”
“What does Devlin think about the idea?” Barak poured himself some more tea. “Do you know what kind of tea is this? I like it.”
Hunter sensed Tate’s warmth moving closer even before her hands landed on his shoulders. He caught one and brought it to his mouth for a quick kiss as she answered both of Barak’s questions.
Defeat the Darkness (Paladins of Darkness 6) Page 27
