aHunter4Gotten

by Cynthia A. Clement

  “That is what I thought.” He reached for the leather backpack that was still clutched in Hester’s hands. “We need to dump that out.”

  “You think they put something in here?” Hester shook her head. “It is never out of my sight.”

  “Nevertheless, we must check. It is the last possible place that a tracking device could have been placed.” Eogan emptied the contents of her bag on the floor and started to sift through her personal items. He stopped when he touched a carved camel. “Where did you get this?”

  “A boy at the restaurant where I met Steve sold it to me. He was insistent, and I didn’t have the heart to say no.”

  Eogan turned it over in his hand and then twisted the head of the animal. It opened and a tiny metal device fell out. There was no mistaking what it was. It was a transmitter. Hester brought her hand up to her mouth and shook her head. That had been there the whole time she and Eogan had been trying to escape.

  “They wanted you.” Eogan’s tone was dispassionate. “I should have checked your backpack at the airport. It is my fault that we are in this situation.”

  “How can it be your responsibility? I’m the one carrying a bloody tracking device in my bag.” Hester shook her head. “I can’t believe that sweet child was part of this. What can they possibly want with me?”

  “They saw you with Steve.” Eogan threw the transmitter against the wall. “Steve’s purpose in this country must be suspect. They think that you are involved with his plots.”

  “Steve only talked about Gobekli Tepe. He knew how eager I was to see it. The only other strange behavior was when we were driving toward it and how they kept stopping and inspecting the roadside.”

  Panic was rising in Hester’s throat. How had a simple excursion to a ruin turned into a plot from a spy movie? She put her head in her hands and tried to steady her breathing. She needed to concentrate if there was any hope of getting out of this situation alive. Now that she had found Eogan, she was determined to stay alive.

  “They will not let you live.”

  Chapter 13

  Hester jerked her head up at his words. “How did you know what I was thinking?”

  “I am bonding with you.” Eogan was just as surprised as Hester that he’d heard her thoughts so clearly. He had spent most of his life unable to communicate with other Hunters because of the seclusion he was kept in, and now he was not only mind connecting with Ardal, but hearing Hester’s thoughts.

  “What does bonding have to do with spying on someone’s innermost secrets?” Her eyes narrowed.

  “The bond allows us to share our feelings, emotions, and communicate without words.”

  “You’re telepathic.” Her voice rose. “Can you hear everything I think?”

  “Only if you wish.” Eogan sensed her outrage. “I would never invade your privacy.”

  Hester shoulder’s sagged as if her energy had suddenly been drained from her. “I’m sorry. I’m just overwrought. Too much is happening that I don’t understand.”

  “My only desire is to keep you safe.”

  “I know I sound ungrateful.” She clasped her hands together. “I’m not. You could have sailed away to freedom. Instead, you insisted they take you with them. Thank you.”

  “I would never abandon you.” She needed his help. She was incapable of fighting these men alone. “When they come for us, I will overtake them and we will break away then.”

  “Is that wise?” Hester’s voice was full of doubt. “They have large missile-looking weapons attached to the boat, and every man is carrying an automatic machine gun. These guys mean business.”

  A fully armed vessel to capture one woman was unusual. If it were a coast guard patrol ship he could understand, but the craft that had stopped them hadn’t announced itself. They had sped toward them and pulled in front so that the captain had no choice but to stop. He barely had enough time to warn Hester to hide before they were boarded.

  Eogan stood. “It makes no sense. You must have been involved in something serious. Were these men you agreed to go to Gobekli Tepe with smugglers or spies?”

  “Steve is actually Dr. Steve Jackson, an archaeologist just like me.” She hesitated. “Well, he used to be. He had a good reputation until he started insisting that extraterrestrials had visited Earth in the past. He lost his teaching position and most people ignore his theories now.”

  “Why did you risk meeting him?” Eogan felt along the surface of the walls. There were no cracks or exposed screws that he could use as a weapon. “Your reputation could be ruined because you have associated with him.”

  “That’s why I traveled in secrecy.”

  “No one knows you are here?” For the first time Eogan realized how isolated she was.

  “Not even my parents.”

  “That means there will be no outcry when you go missing.”

  Hester inhaled a quick breath. “My mother and father won’t have a clue where I went.”

  An overwhelming sensation of disbelief and horror filled Eogan. He was experiencing Hester’s emotions and it took him a few seconds to refocus on a strategy to free her. His first concern was to calm Hester.

  “I will make certain that you are able to see your parents again.”

  Her eyes brimmed with tears. Eogan crouched down beside her and wiped a tear from her cheek. He ached to hold her and ease her fears. It was too soon though. Hester had to accept the bond between them first. He would never violate her trust.

  “They will not hurt you. You have my word as a Hunter and warrior.”

  The engine noise cut out and then the boat drifted. A few seconds later, it rocked against an obstacle and stopped. Hester inhaled a deep breath. “I think we’re about to find out who wants me.”

  Eogan stood and readied himself for battle.

  There was no way he was going to let these men harm Hester. He was going to get her out of this predicament. He clenched his hands into fists and waited until the door opened. Colonel Schneider appeared in the opening with a pistol directed at them. Five other men were behind him, each with machine guns aimed and ready to shoot.

  “Kill the girl if he moves,” Schneider snarled.

  Patience was a skill Eogan had learned long ago.

  He would wait for the perfect moment before killing the man.

  “Walk.” Schneider motioned with his gun for them to leave the room.

  Eogan reached for Hester’s arm and helped her stand. She was shaking and deep inside a fury burned within him. By Cygnus and Warrior she should never have to be put through this ordeal. It was against all of the laws he lived by.

  He should have checked her bag. It was an error that he would not have made under normal circumstances. After finding the implant in his wrist he’d made the assumption that was how they were tracking them. Because he had been lax, Hester was in a threatening situation.

  It was a mistake that he wouldn’t make again.

  It was obvious that Hester was involved in something serious. She might not know what her fellow explorers were really doing in Gobekli Tepe, but he was certain it hadn’t been about anything as mundane as archaeology. If nothing else happened after this, he was going to track down Steve and Franklin and make them pay for the pain and fear that they had allowed Hester to be exposed to.

  They were ushered off the vessel. Hester had been right about the number of guns attached to the boat. It was a military ship without a flag flying and no identifying marks on it. Eogan glanced at the weapons aimed at them. They were recent models and expensive. If a country wasn’t behind their abduction, there was only one other explanation.

  Albirsion Corporation.

  It was the world-wide conglomerate that fronted the Albireons.

  The organization was the tactical, financial, and security arm of the Albireons. It was the face that they presented to the rest of the world. They hid behind a corporate façade, which enabled them to make purchases, and takeover companies, without impunity. They made their appropria
tion of the world’s resources, technology, and communications seem mundane. Gradually, over time, they’d put themselves in a position to conqueror the planet.

  He needed to inform Ardal of what had happened. He sent out a mind connect. “We are captured and being held by Albirsion Corporation. I will let you know the details of where we are taken.”

  “Will you be able to escape?”

  “Not immediately.”

  “My team is still too far away to help.”

  “Understood.”

  Eogan broke the communication with Ardal, and focused on where the ship had docked. He wasn’t familiar with the harbor. Once they were on land, they were pushed into the back of a military vehicle with bars and locks on the sides. These men were prepared to thwart an escape attempt. There was no way for him to break through these barriers. He would have to wait until they were in an open area or being transferred.

  “Where do you think they are taking us?” Hester’s voice caught in her throat.

  Eogan shook his head. “I am not familiar with this place.”

  “Neither am I.” Hester leaned against the side of the van. “It looks like we are still in Turkey though.”

  “There are two military bases in this country.”

  Eogan spoke in a calm voice. Hester was upset and he didn’t want to make it worse. She didn’t need to know that they were most likely being transported to Incirlik Air Base where the Albireons had access to the lower levels. They operated here without repercussions from the world’s governments.

  “You think these are military people?” Hester scrunched her nose. “They aren’t wearing a flag on their uniform.”

  She was smart. “They work for the Albireons.”

  “All these men are traitors to the human race?” Shock and disbelief showed on her face.

  “They don’t know who employs them.” Eogan kept his voice low. “They think they are employed by a corporation who pays well. The fact that they have the freedom to enter a military base without repercussions only validates that they are doing something that is sanctioned by their government. They have no reason to question who their employers are.”

  “You think they’re just trying to support their family?” Hester shook her head. “They must have an idea that some of the things they do are wrong.”

  “Perhaps.” He was not going to fault a person for protecting his loved ones. “I have no opinion why they do it. All I know is that if they harm you, they will die.”

  “What good will that do if I’m dead?” Hester shut her eyes for a second. “It all seems so hopeless.”

  “We will escape.” Eogan’s voice was forceful. “You will live.”

  “I was a fool.” Self-recrimination was evident in her voice. “I trusted a man I had only met on the internet.”

  “You knew his reputation.”

  “True, but that wasn’t enough.” Hester straightened her shoulders. “There’s no point in regrets. How are we going to escape?”

  “When we reach the facility I will assess its weaknesses. Once I know their intentions, then I will act.”

  “So basically we need to keep our eyes open for an opportunity.”

  “Yes.”

  “What if one doesn’t appear?”

  “I will make it happen. I won’t do anything until I know you’ll be safe.” Eogan sensed that panic was rising within Hester. He sent her a wave of calm. She had to be focused and strong for what lay ahead. Breaking out of a military compound was not an easy task and he couldn’t afford to have her terror impede their escape. “You need to stay composed if this is going to work.”

  She nodded and took a deep breath. “I’ll do my best.”

  “Think of it like an archaeological ruin.”

  “You want me to look for clues about its purpose, and the reasoning of the people who built it?” Hester’s voice was doubtful.

  “If you understand the builders, then you should be able to find an escape route.”

  Eogan watched Hester’s reaction to his words. She was an intelligent woman and her perspective was different than his. If they were going to where he suspected, then it would be almost impossible to break free. That wasn’t an option. Hester must live at all costs.

  He had never been unsuccessful in a mission. It would take luck and timing to elude guards and all the barriers to their release. If he had to decimate the base and all its occupants to ensure Hester’s liberty, he would do it.

  He would not fail this time.

  The van stopped and the slamming of doors vibrated through the enclosed space. It was time to begin planning their escape. Eogan hoped that there would be an opportunity now before they were led below ground. Once they were inside it would be more difficult to gain freedom.

  “Ready?”

  Hester nodded. “I’ll look at this place with the eyes of an archaeologist.”

  The doors opened and the lock holding the bars of their cage was removed. There were three men pointing machine guns at them. One of them motioned with his weapon for them to step out. Eogan let Hester precede him. Once he was on the outside, he stood in front of her. He would block any bullets coming her way.

  His eyes narrowed as he took in their surroundings. He hadn’t been mistaken. They were at a military base. Wire fence and guard posts surrounded them on all sides. In the distance was an airstrip that was lined with F-16 fighter jets. Their immediate vicinity was devoid of people, vehicles, and buildings. Beyond the gates and fencing was a barren landscape. It was impossible to evaluate what resources they would have access to when they were free.

  It also meant that they would make easy targets once they were beyond the gates.

  They were pushed into a four-story high metal building that looked like a hangar from the outside. Inside it was a different story. This wasn’t part of the regular military base. Everywhere there were concrete barriers with men standing guard. Laser sights were trained on their chests and heads. One wrong move and they would be shot instantly. They were marched past the soldiers and stopped at a large bank of elevators.

  Eogan could feel Hester’s anxiety rising.

  He sent her a wave of calm.

  He was familiar with the type of structure that they were in. It was very similar to the one at Pine Gap. That would make it easier to execute an escape. The Albireons would be on the lower levels. They would never risk humans seeing their true form. Secrecy and lies were the weapons they used against the species that they mined for genes.

  The holding cells were also below ground.

  It would be difficult, but not impossible to escape. There were always opportunities when the doors were open or when someone came in to interrogate. It might seem insurmountable to Hester, but to a Hunter, skilled and trained in the improbable and unforeseen, it would prove easy enough.

  He felt her tremble beside him. He pulled her close and let her lean her head on his shoulder. A wave of peace and purpose flowed through him. He knew that at all costs, she must not be hurt. All his years of training had led to this point. As incredible a task as it seemed to break out of this secure area, he was going to do it.

  There was one major issue with a structure like this.

  Mind connection with other Hunters was blocked.

  While one of the guards pushed the elevator button, Eogan sent out another message to Ardal. “We are at Incirlik Air Base. It is similar to Pine Gap so I will not be able to communicate.”

  “Where exactly are you in the base?”

  “We are in the northwest hangar. It is underground and the Albireons will be at the lower levels.”

  “I will alert the team to your location.”

  The door opened and they were moved inside. Hester inhaled a sharp breath and Eogan tightened his grip on her shoulder. He sent her as much strength and reassurance as possible. The quiet life of a university professor was no preparation for the battle they had in front of them. He felt her straighten her shoulders.

  They stopped at the f
ourth floor.

  They were ushered down a long narrow hallway. Eogan scanned the ceiling for the security cameras. The monitoring lens were placed at the intersection of halls. They continued turning down hallways until it felt as if they were in a maze. He counted the turns and memorized the route back to the lift. When they reached the end of the last hallway, they were halted.

  A door was opened.

  They were pushed inside.

  It took a second for Eogan’s eyes to adjust to the dull light of their cell. When he did, he realized they weren’t alone. Two men were standing against the far wall. One was in his fifties with a long white beard and spectacles perched on the end of his nose. The other was in his twenties, skinny, and standing with his arms crossed. His stance was one of defiance.

  Their clothes were tattered and dirty. They looked as if they hadn’t slept in a while and their eyes were wary. Hester was behind him, but with the slam of the steel door, she moved away.

  The men’s eyes widened when they saw her.

  “Hester!” The older man took a step forward. “I thought they had killed you.”

  She rushed to the man and hugged him. “I’m glad to see you’re alive. What happened?”

  “We were tracked down and captured sometime last night.” He shrugged. “Time is hard to judge when you can’t see the daylight.”

  Eogan’s eyes narrowed.

  His patience had been rewarded.

  These were the men that had abandoned Hester by the roadside. They had left her defenseless and in a dangerous situation. Their actions were responsible for almost getting her killed. They were also guilty of being involved in activities that had seen to Hester being tracked and incarcerated by the Albireons.

  There was only one course of action for him.

  “You have endangered a woman’s life.” Eogan grabbed the younger man by his collar and pushed him up the wall. “For that you must die.”

  Chapter 14

  Hester dropped her bag and rushed over to Eogan. She tried to pull his arm away from Franklin’s neck. “You can’t kill him.”

  “They deserted you. You could have died.” Eogan’s grip loosened slightly. “They broke the Sacred Code.”