aHunter4Saken (aHunter4Hire)

by Cynthia Clement

  “I don’t want protection.” Kimi’s words were a sob. “I want the children and you.”

  Niail put the car into gear and started down the path. He wanted her more than anything in the whole world, but he was a warrior first. He knew his duty. Right now all he could focus on was getting Wil and Peta back into their mother’s arms. After that he would do the best he could to stay alive.

  They reached a circle of vehicles a couple of minutes down the path. Niail stopped the car several yards away. There were no lights behind them. Kimi would have an escape route.

  “You should be able to swing the car around here without interference. Scoot over to the driver’s side as soon as I leave the vehicle. You may not have enough time later.”

  Ann cleared her throat. “We’re really going to do this?”

  Niail looked over at her. “It is necessary.”

  “What if something happens?”

  “These are not men of honor.” Niail’s voice was devoid of emotion. “They will lie. They will try and stop you. Do not let them.”

  “How are we going to prevent that?” Ann waved her hands at the headlights glaring at them. “There are too many of them. Is it even worth trying to fight?”

  “Never surrender.” Niail clasped Ann’s hand in his. “You are the driver. That means everything depends on you. Can you do this?”

  Ann bit her lip. “I don’t know.”

  “The children will need comforting.” Niail looked back at Kimi. “Will you be able to drive?”

  Kimi took a shaky breath. “Yes.”

  Niail sensed her strength and determination. Kimi was focused on saving her children now. Gone was her anger and shock. In its place was cold resolve. He knew she would do what was necessary to get the children to safety.

  “Trade places.”

  Niail watched as Ann climbed into the back and Kimi came forward. He needed someone with fortitude to push through what was to come. Kowal would not let them drive away. He would stop them from escaping because they were witnesses. Niail would do his best to kill all of the men, but Kimi must escape.

  He looked back at Ann. “When the children are in the car, make certain they lay down on the floor. If necessary you must cover them with your body. I do not want them to see what I must do.”

  Ann rubbed her arms. “Okay.”

  “Promise.” Niail’s voice was insistent. “It is very important.”

  “I understand.” Ann’s tone was stronger. “I don’t want to see what’s going to happen, so I will definitely cover them.”

  Niail nodded. “Good.” He turned to Kimi. “You must drive, no matter what.”

  “What are you expecting?”

  “Kowal will try to stop you.” Niail reached out and touched her cheek. “I will prevent that, but you have to drive away. No matter what you hear or see.”

  Kimi choked back a sob. “Come back to me.”

  “It is all I think about.” Niail’s voice was low. “You are the only thing that matters.”

  Niail twisted in his seat. She reached for him and lifted her face. His lips clung to hers. Passion and desire raged within him, but he put it aside to send her reassurance, and love. He surrounded her with peace.

  “I must go.” Niail left the car running and opened the door. “Use the gun to protect yourselves.”

  He stepped out of the car.

  A voice shouted out of the darkness. “You’re a hard man to kill.”

  Niail straightened his shoulders. The cold metal of the gun in his waistband gave him comfort. He would be able to get at least one shot off before they got him. For a second he wished he had a disintegrator, but that was not to be. He was on earth now, and must fight with the weapons this planet provided.

  “Where are the children?” Niail’s voice slashed the air. “I will not move until I see them.”

  He heard a car door open and then the scramble of feet. Into the blinding headlights of one of the vehicles he saw Wil and Peta pushed forward. A surge of anger raced through him. How dare they mistreat children? Every sacred tenet that he lived by was being broken tonight.

  Niail took a deep calming breath. Anger would not save Kimi and the children. Determination replaced the anger. Hunter blood flowed through his veins. Never had anything mattered so much to him. His pair bond and her children were in danger.

  He would not fail.

  If necessary he would die for them.

  He took one step forward. “Send the children.”

  Niail’s training took over. He might be alone, but he was the best marksmen in the unit. He would succeed.

  “Go.” A voice boomed from beyond the headlights.

  Peta was in the lead. She held Wil’s hand and led the two of them into the center of the circle of light. Her lower lip quivered. Her eyes darted back and forth, but she kept walking. Wil held a blanket close to his chest, his head half buried in it.

  “I am here, Peta.” Niail kept his voice gentle. “Keep walking. Soon you will be with your mother.”

  Wil’s head shot up. “Is that you Niail?”

  “It is.” Niail took another step forward. “You just have a few more steps.”

  “Now you start walking.” The same gruff voice from beyond the headlights barked. “I want to make sure you’re the right guy.”

  Niail took another two steps. “A Hunter never lies. As soon as the children are safe, then I will come with you.”

  “You guys never give up, either.” The voice started laughing. “You thought you would get the best of me, but I fooled you. I’ll do anything to get what I want.”

  “You should never have contacted aHunter4Hire.” Niail could not keep the sneer out of his voice. “Our contract is very specific. We do not allow our honor to be besmirched.”

  “You can talk all you want about honor, but I have you now.”

  Niail’s took another step forward. The children were a few feet away. They had to continue on to the car no matter what happened next. When they were even with him, he crouched down beside them.

  “I need you both to be very brave.” Niail touched Peta’s cheek. “Remember, you have the spirit of a warrior.”

  Peta nodded. A slight tremor of the hand that clung to her brother was all that Niail noticed. Beside her, Wil was looking at him with wide eyes. His blanket covered his mouth, but his eyes showed his fear.

  Niail swallowed. “I am going over to those men now. You have to keep walking to the car behind me.”

  “What about you?” Wil’s voice was a low whine.

  “I have work to do.” Niail grinned. “When I am finished I will see you both.”

  “You mean you have to do superhero stuff.” Wil nodded. “Be careful. Those men have bad medicine.”

  “I will remember that.” Niail stood. “Now go to the car. Your mother is waiting.”

  Peta led her brother away. Niail’s chest constricted as he thought about the children and their obvious fear. There was nothing he could do to reassure them. Instead, he focused on what he needed to do.

  Kill Kowal.

  He moved his neck from side to side and eased his breathing. Each step forward was one closer to his goal. His honor, and the honor of all Hunters, was at stake. He would not fail.

  “Don’t move any closer.”

  Niail stopped.

  “I want to see your hands in the air.” The gruff voice again. “I’m not a fool.”

  Niail shrugged. He put his hands in the air and waited. He was fast. Faster than any human and no matter how many bullets they might fill him with, he knew where the voice was coming from. His aim would be true. He might not survive their firepower, but Kowal would be dead also.

  A man holding an assault rifle came out of the darkness. He walked toward Niail. His weapon never wavered from Niail. Behind him, Niail heard Ann’s vehicle spin around, and speed off. Relief and resolve filled him. They were safe. Now he must finish this job.

  Once the man was within a few feet of him he stopped
. His rifle poked him in the stomach. “Move.”

  That’s when Niail heard Ann’s car screech to a stop. He looked behind and saw more headlights. They completed a ring of light. Ann’s vehicle was being forced to stay within the circle. They were blocking Kimi and the children’s escape.

  There was no time.

  He had to act now.

  Niail dropped his right hand and grabbed the rifle. He lifted the weapon into the air and pulled the gunman against him at the same time. He hauled his opponent into a neck hold. Shots rang out, but Niail ignored them. He kept the man tight to him as he lowered the firearm and turned it on the headlights shining at them. He kept pressure on his captive’s trigger finger and held the gun steady as it fired.

  The automatic rifle made short work of the lights. That leveled the field for Niail. His vision was better on this planet. He took aim and started shooting at the men who were now scurrying to hide behind the vehicles. One by one, they dropped.

  As they ran for cover, Kowal’s men returned fire. Niail’s captive bore the brunt of their bullets. The man’s body sagged against him and his hand released the rifle. Niail dropped to the ground and used the dead man’s body as a barricade. He leaned the gun against it and started shooting.

  From behind him, he could hear cars racing toward him, but he did not stop firing. Kimi and the children’s lives depended on his accuracy. Never before had it mattered so much.

  A bullet hit the dirt beside him.

  It had come from behind.

  Niail flipped over onto his back and raised the rifle. He pulled the trigger and nothing happened. It was out of ammunition. He threw it away and reached for his pistol. He sat to take aim, just as the gun was kicked out of his hand.

  Before he could stand four men held him down.

  He was captured.

  Chapter 20

  Relief and anguish pounded through Kimi’s veins when Wil and Peta jumped into the backseat. Their eyes were round with fear. She grabbed them close and kissed both of them. They were safe, but there was no time to waste.

  The car was thrown into reverse.

  She stomped on the gas pedal.

  Kimi spun the car around and started driving away the second the rear door shut. What was left of her heart was pounding in her ears as she raced away from Kowal’s ambush. She held back her sobs and kept praying that Niail would be able to get through this alive.

  She wasn’t a fool. There was no way one man could take on the number that those headlights represented. It wasn’t possible, unless a miracle happened.

  “Is Niail going to come?” Peta’s voice was small and scared. “Shouldn’t we wait for him?”

  “He will meet us later.” Kimi glanced over her seat. “He wants you to get on the floor. Ann will make sure you’re covered up.”

  Just then headlights blinded her through the front windshield. For a second her mind refused to believe what she was seeing. Her heart raced. There had been nothing here when they’d driven into the clearing. Where had these vehicles come from? Her chest tightened and she had to stop herself from screaming. There was only one explanation.

  They had been led into a trap.

  “Keep the children down, Ann.”

  Kimi tightened her hold on the steering wheel. She wasn’t going to let Niail’s sacrifice be wasted. She would get them out of this. She steered and maneuvered around the vehicles coming at her. When she skirted around one, another blocked her exit. No matter how she twisted and directed the car, she couldn’t escape. There didn’t seem to be any way through them. Kowal had thought out his strategy well.

  A vehicle raced directly at her. Visions of playing chicken flashed through Kimi’s mind, but she couldn’t risk it with the children in the back. The oncoming truck swung sideways in front of them.

  She had no choice but to stop.

  That’s when she heard the gunfire.

  Shots were firing in a rapid succession behind her. She winced as each blast was met with a scream. Her body shook. What if that was Niail getting hit. She fought the urge to go back and get him. Instead she banged her hands against the steering wheel. She had to get the children to safety.

  “This is what he wanted you to do.” Ann’s voice was a quiet reminder. She pointed to Kimi’s left. “Is there any way to go through those cars?”

  Kimi steadied her breathing. She couldn’t afford to panic. Too much was at risk. She inhaled and pointed the car at a space between two of the vehicles. She would just skim past the front end of the truck in front of her.

  She slammed one foot on the brake and the other on the gas pedal. The engine revved at a high pitch. The back wheels of the car almost lifted from the dirt road and she could hear the gravel spitting up behind her.

  The silhouette of a man darkened the beam of one of her headlights. He was coming toward them. She wasn’t going to let him stop her. She gave a quick glance in the rear view mirror. Ann’s eyes were wide, but when Kimi quirked an eyebrow, she nodded.

  Her hands clenched the wheel and then she released the brake. The car jumped forward just as a man was within yards of them. He jumped out of the way. The steering wheel bounced in her hands as she drove off the path onto the bushy terrain beside the road. She held the car straight.

  The light from one of the trucks veered her way. She glanced to the side. It was a giant off-road vehicle with wheels as large as the car. It was headed straight at them. It was going to ram the side of the car and continue right over the top. There was no way they would survive.

  She slammed on the brakes.

  The truck flew past them.

  She threw the car in reverse and then leaned over the back of her seat so she could navigate the vehicle. She swung it in a circle and then geared into drive. She gave the wheel a sharp turn to the right and was heading back to the main road.

  The monster truck had left a space.

  She steered for it.

  The off-road vehicle that had tried to squish them was spinning back toward her. It was going to be too late. She kept the car on course. Within seconds, she had passed the vehicles that had kept them captive. The road and freedom was just ahead.

  Out of nowhere, another set of lights blinded her. She steered away, but loss control on the rocky edge of the dirt track. The car spun around and came to a stop. The engine died. Her hands were shaking, but she wasn’t giving up. She tried the key in the ignition and pumped the gas pedal.

  It refused to start.

  A man was walking toward them.

  She grabbed the gun that Niail’s had left, just as her door was pulled open. She aimed the pistol and pulled the trigger.

  Nothing happened.

  The safety was on. She could have cried with frustration. The weapon was wrenched from her hands, and she was yanked out of the car. He dragged her away from the vehicle and shook her.

  “You bitch.” The man’s voice shouted at her. “It’ll be a pleasure to kill you.”

  Kimi swung her legs out to kick her attacker. He held her at a distance so none of her blows hit him. She struggled to twist herself out of his grasp. He held tight. When she was panting from exhaustion, he gripped both of her arms around her waist and pulling her close to him. He chuckled close to her ear. His stale breath gagged her.

  “You can’t win. I’ll...” His words stopped mid-sentence. She heard the sickening crunch of a bone breaking and then his hold on her arms slackened. She pulled free just as his body flew past her on the right. Another man stood before her. He was a giant.

  “Are you hurt?” A familiar voice asked.

  “Partlan?” Kimi sagged against the car hood. “When did you get here?”

  “Just in time, I would say.”

  Partlan took her arm and led her to the passenger side. He opened the door and helped her into the seat. She sagged back against the head rest. Her body was shaking with the after effects of adrenaline and fear. Partlan went around the car and slid behind the steering wheel.

  “Are
you here alone?” Kimi hardly recognized her voice it was so weak.

  “The others are with me.”

  “Niail is back there.”

  “We are aware.” Partlan glanced over at her. “You and the children are our first priority. Niail knows this.”

  Kimi forced back a sob. She wanted to yell at him to save Niail, but she knew he would follow the code he lived by. A flicker of hope burned within her, though. There was a chance that Niail might live.

  “Hold on.” Partlan turned the key and the engine started.

  He drove straight at the vehicles holding them captive. He came to within a few feet of them, and then slammed the brakes on. He opened the door and looked over at her.

  “Get behind the wheel. Drive around the truck and leave if I don’t return.”

  “Where are you going?” Kimi’s voice shook.

  “I need to remove the obstacles blocking your escape.” Partlan shut the door and walked away.

  “You had better do what he said.” Ann’s voice was calm, almost surreal from the rear seat. “I don’t know who he is, but he’s big enough to scare those guys into leaving.”

  Kimi giggled. It was a delayed reaction to all that was happening. It was inappropriate, but she couldn’t help herself. Partlan would do what he said. Just like Niail was doing what he had promised her. He was protecting her and the children even if it meant he would die doing it. She scooted to the driver’s side and started to rev the engine.

  One by one the headlights went out.

  Partlan had made escape possible.

  She threw the car into drive and drove past the trucks. She stopped when Partlan appeared in her headlights. He came to the driver’s window.

  “We are going back for Niail. Go to your house and wait for us there.”

  “How will I know if he’s safe?”

  “You are his mate. Focus and you will know.” Partlan moved away.

  Chapter 21

  ‘Stop.’

  The word reverberated through Niail’s head causing splinters of agony to shoot across his skull. When the pain lessened, relief coursed through him. It was his fellow Hunters speaking to him. He could hear his brothers through mind connect.