They walked for about an hour and stopped when they came to a rocky area that provided protection. Eogan found a stream and once they had drank their fill and refilled the water bottle in her bag, they moved back into the cover of the rocks. Hester sighed and sat with her back against the cool stone. It had been a long couple of days and there was still more to go before they were out of danger.
Eogan was standing guard at the opening of the short cavern they were resting in. His eyes never left the horizon as he scanned the ground and then the sky. He was an expert in the military aspects of this operation, and she was thankful he was with her. She wouldn’t have survived on her own.
“What about Steve and Franklin?” Her thoughts went to the two men who were still prisoners at the base. “Shouldn’t we rescue them?”
“It cannot be done.” He turned to her.
“Nothing is impossible.” Hester didn’t want to think about the fate that awaited the men. Schneider had been adamant. He didn’t care what he did to get the truth. “They’ll be killed if we don’t try.”
“They left you to die.” Eogan crouched down beside her. “They have no honor.”
“True, but that doesn’t mean their lives aren’t worth saving.” Hester wiped a strand of hair from her face. “Steve is a very nice man.”
“Nice does not protect you. These people will not believe that he had no knowledge of this H.R.F. group they are looking for.”
She shrugged. “I’ve never heard of them before. Have you?”
“They were not one of my targets.”
“If they were, they would be dead.” Hester finished the words she was certain Eogan was about to say.
“Yes.”
“I think I’m sensing your thoughts,” Hester said. “How does that work?”
“I have only heard the legends about pair bonds and the connection between them. Hunters can mind connect from birth. Places below ground and with electronic blocking mechanisms, like Pine Gap where I was stationed, can block those connections.”
It took Hester a second to realize the significance of what he had said. “You guys communicate with your thoughts?”
Eogan nodded. “I have been in contact with the leader of the Hunter unit on Earth. He is aware that we have escaped from the base.”
“Does that mean they will help us?” A glimmer of hope lightened the tension in her chest.
“They are too far away.” Eogan gave her a searching look. “You look exhausted. Sleep and I will keep watch. We still have a long distance to go.”
“You haven’t slept either.”
“I am a warrior. I am trained for this.”
Hester didn’t have the energy to arguing with him. He was right. She was tired and surviving on pure adrenaline. A rest was what she needed and even the hard surface of this rocky area looked like heaven. She punched her bag into a pillow and put her head down. Sleep came fast and deep.
She didn’t move until she felt the shaking of her shoulder.
She opened her eyes to darkness.
Eogan was leaning over her. “There is someone approaching. Can you stand?”
Hester nodded. “Are they from the base?”
“They came in the opposite direction.” He helped her to her feet. “I wanted to be certain you were awake before I captured them.”
“Thanks.” She was on full alert now. “Try not to kill them until you find out if they are after us.”
“There would be no honor in killing an innocent person.”
Eogan edged along the rocky wall. She watched him disappear around the opening. Fear skittered up her spine. What if there were too many of them for Eogan to handle? He was important to her, and the last thing she wanted was to lose him.
Hester picked up her bag. If he needed aid, then she would give it. She’d had enough of letting things happen to her. It was time she took a stand and helped. She might not be able to kill someone, but she could distract them. She wasn’t going to continue living life on the sidelines.
Hester was about to step into the open, when the sound of a scuffle halted her. Eogan had found the intruders. In the dim light of the setting sun, she saw him grab one person by the arm and aim his gun at two others standing in front of him. Their arms were in the air. They had no apparent weapons and weren’t resisting Eogan.
“What are you doing here?” Eogan’s voice was a low hiss.
“Don’t hurt us.” A man’s voice pleaded. “We’ve come from the H.R.F.”
Chapter 17
Eogan recognized one of the men standing in front of him.
It was Captain Barton.
The same man that had led the mission into an ambush in Syria. He had assumed the man had died with the rest of the team. He had been wrong. It was dangerous to make a mistake like that and this might be the time to correct it. He threw the man he was holding to the ground and aimed his weapon at the captain.
“Why should I believe you?” Eogan pulled back the trigger of his pistol. “You were on the mission that was intended to kill me.”
“It was meant to destroy all of us.” Barton’s hands stayed high in the air. “We just want to talk.”
“About what?”
“How you escaped from Incirlik?”
At that moment, Hester came out of the rock shelter. “It can’t hurt if you hear them out.”
Eogan pointed to Captain Barton. “This man was on the raid with me that was ambushed. He is Albirsion Corporation Security.”
“Not anymore.” Captain Barton motioned to the stone overhang. “It would be better if we didn’t discuss this in the open.”
Eogan looked up. So far there had been no drones sent out to search for them, but that didn’t mean there weren’t satellites combing the area from space. They were safer out of sight or moving. He waved his gun at the men, motioning them to go before him. He pushed Hester behind him and followed.
It wasn’t much of a shelter. The rock blocked them from any surveillance and that was all that mattered. When they were inside, Hester pulled her flashlight from her bag, and flicked it on before setting it on its end. The beam of light provided an eerie, surreal atmosphere. It also let Eogan assess each of the men that he held captive.
Captain Barton was in charge. He was still in his military uniform which was tattered and torn. There were stains, probably blood, on his sleeves and the insignia of the Albirsion Corporation had been ripped off.
Next to him, was a slim man with a scrawny mustache and narrow nose. He wore a dark woolen cap and black camouflage paint on his face. He looked too young to be allowed outside this late at night.
The other man was older. He had alert eyes that followed every movement Eogan made. This man had seen battle even though he wasn’t in uniform. He had the weary resignation about him that bespoke a former soldier. Eogan would have to be watchful of him.
Barton was the first to speak. “Why did they want you dead?”
“I could ask you the same thing.” Eogan tightened his fingers on his gun. “If what you say is true, then you were also set up in that ambush.”
Barton nodded. “They must have found out I was working against them. I’d joined H.R.F. several months ago. Most of my team were members.”
“What is the H.R.F.?” Eogan asked.
“It stands for the Human Resistance Force.” Barton lifted his chin. “Our goal is to protect the human race from extraterrestrials.”
“So they knew you were a traitor.” Eogan nodded. “They suspected that I would also betray them.”
“How?” Barton frowned. “They spoke as if they had you under control, almost as if you were a weapon.”
“Do you know who I am?”
Barton shook his head. “They wouldn’t say. My orders were to keep you in sight and not give you a gun.”
“I do not need a firearm to kill.” Eogan’s voice was matter of fact. “I am a Hunter. We are bred and trained from birth to be the best warriors in the universe.”
The older man’s eyes wid
ened. “I thought Hunters were a myth.”
“I am real.” Eogan glanced at Barton. “They captured me when I was fifteen and inserted implants to control me. They have used me to do their bidding for the last thirty years, but no more.”
“Why the change?” The older man’s voice was suspicious.
“I discovered I had been lied to. I thought I was the only Hunter on Earth and with the controls they had in place, I was forced to comply. I was bred to obey and even without the implants, following orders is what a Hunter does.”
“You could have escaped,” Barton said.
“Why?” Eogan knew these men wouldn’t understand the need to follow commands. It was what he’d been genetically modified and trained to do. He had always observed the Sacred Code and fought with honor. “One master is the same as another. Besides, I am not from this planet.”
“You’re an alien?” The younger man’s voice held disbelief. “You look human.”
“And my genes say I am human.” Eogan looked back at Barton. “Six months ago I found out that there was a unit of Hunters stranded on Earth. That is when I made my plans to leave.”
“What made them suspect you?”
“They had captured another Hunter and his mate. I helped them escape.” Eogan shrugged. “They couldn’t prove it, but they had their suspicions.”
Captain Barton nodded. “So they thought they would test you.”
“The mission was an ambush. They hoped that I would die trying to defeat the enemy.”
“Or you would run.” Barton finished in a dry voice.
The older man frowned and pointed at Hester. “What about her?”
“She is my pair bond.”
Eogan didn’t hesitate to admit what Hester was to him. He had no doubts. He had bonded to her and the link would be there for the rest of his life. They might never be mates, but the connection between them would always exist.
Captain Barton rose an eyebrow. “I don’t understand.”
Hester cleared her throat. “He rescued me from some men who had shot three of my companions and were about to rape me.”
“I killed them.” Eogan spoke without emotion. “They had broken the Sacred Code, and the punishment is death.”
“That doesn’t explain why you were in Incirlik.” Barton asked. “Was it because you murdered those people and they captured you?”
“It’s my fault.” Hester shook her bag. “They had planted a transmitter on me and used it to follow me. They only took Eogan because he insisted on coming with me.”
“You volunteered?” The older man’s voice rose.
“It is my duty to protect Hester.” Eogan didn’t understand why the man should be surprised. “I knew she would need my help to escape.”
“Why did they want you?” Barton turned his gaze to Hester.
“They thought I was part of your H.R.F. organization.” She shrugged. “One minute I’m talking to someone I met on the internet about Gobekli Tepe, and the next they’re shooting at me.”
“So that brings us back to our original question. How did you escape?” Barton crossed his arms. “That’s a protected base. No one leaves it. We’ve been trying for months to figure a way in.”
“Getting in is easy.” Eogan’s voice was matter of fact. “Get yourself captured.”
The older man snorted. “You sound like you have a death wish.”
“I do not fear it. A Hunter is bred to fight. Death is the inevitable result of battle.”
“We’re not going on a suicide mission.” The younger man’s voice was filled with exasperation. “I don’t want to die.”
“No one does.” Captain Barton’s tone was soothing. “We are fighting so that others can live.”
“What are you battling exactly?” Hester’s voice held confusion.
“We are determined to defeat the aliens who have taken over our planet.”
“The Albireons.” Eogan nodded. “They are the scourge of the universe. It was foolish of your leaders to let them stay.”
“Who are you to judge?” The older man glared at him. “You have been working with them for over thirty years.”
“Human handlers gave me my orders and controlled me against my will.” Eogan’s voice was a low threat. “No Hunter would willing stand beside an Albireon. We have fought many wars on other planets to defeat them.”
The younger man took a step forward and shook his clenched fist at Eogan. “How dare you suggest that we want them here?”
Eogan readied his weapon. “It was not a suggestion, but a fact. Your leaders let them set up laboratories and do experiments on this planet in exchange for technological knowledge. The Albireons have had seventy years to consolidate their position on Earth, and soon they will destroy it.”
“Do you know this for certain?” Captain Barton spoke in a reasonable tone as he pushed the younger man back.
“It is what they do,” Eogan said. “The other Hunters on Earth have fought them more than once. They know that they have financial, communication, and technological control of this planet. It is only a matter of time before they show their real motive.”
“What is their purpose?” The older man’s eyes narrowed.
“They will decimate the human race and all living organisms on this planet.”
There was silence for a few seconds after Eogan’s declaration. He could tell by the look on the men’s faces they didn’t trust what he’d told them. They might have suspected the Albireons had an ulterior motive for being on Earth, but nothing this devastating.
“We knew they were experimenting on humans and kidnapping them, but our surveillance hasn’t led us to believe they want to destroy us.” Captain Barton was the first to speak.
“It is what they have done on other planets. They harvest genes and then annihilate the populace so that they have a monopoly on the genome. They sell and trade in genetics.”
“That’s horrible.” The young man’s voice was a high squeak. “What kind of monsters are they?”
Eogan debated whether to tell them what he had recently learned and then decided that they had the right to know. He’d overheard snippets of conversation about the experiments taking place in the lower levels of Pine Gap over the years. Usually it was about the people unaccounted for and missing. In recent months, it had been about the number of bodies preserved in suspended animation.
The soldiers who frequented the Albireon areas were appalled at the sight of tubes running in and out of these humans. Eogan had suspected that the Albireons were producing a chemical from the bodies. He’d overheard a discussion between General Carter and another officer that had confirmed his suspicions. The Albireons were in the testing stages of a drug that had the potential to make them rich. Little did his handlers realize that the Albireons would never let a single human live when they were finished with their experiments.
“It is far more devastating. They have discovered that some of your hormonal secretions can be modified into a designer drug that other species will pay a fortune for. The human genome is priceless to them. They can’t risk letting anyone else in the universe discover or own it.”
“They’ll use us for synthesizing drugs?” Hester shivered. “That’s horrible.”
“They will utilize the genes they have gathered to recombine into humans that produce vast amounts of the hormones they need for their drug. What is left of your race will be nothing more than a manufacturing machine.”
“How can any species do that to another?”
Eogan sensed Hester’s revulsion. He wanted to protect her from the horror of the Albireons, but she needed to know the truth. It was the only way to save humanity from the fate that the Albireons had planned.
“The Albireons are a race that cares about control and status. Money gives them both. If they can produce a drug that other races become addicted to, then they will have power over all planets and species.”
“It makes sense, in a sick way.” Barton’s voice was filled wit
h disgust. “That means it’s even more important that the H.R.F. carry out its agenda.”
“What are your plans?” Eogan asked.
“We are determined to destroy the Albireons and Albirsion Corporation.” Barton lifted his chin. “You are a warrior and have knowledge of them. Will you help us?”
“I cannot speak for all Hunters only myself.”
“What is your decision?”
Eogan looked at Hester. She was biting her lower lip, and he sensed her indecision. The Albireons meant all humans harm, and it was his duty to protect her. It didn’t matter whether the battle was an honorable one or if it was inevitable. All that concerned him was what was best for Hester.
She glanced up at him and for a brief second he saw the outrage and anger in her eyes. There was no fear about the outcome. Infuriation that the Albireons had been allowed to live on earth without being stopped, raced through her. He understood her fury.
The Albireons were a parasite upon the planet and the universe.
He made his decision.
“I will help you with your fight.”
Chapter 18
Eogan surveyed the farm on the outskirts of Adana that they had been transported to. It was quaint, with a few outbuildings and a house. There were no animals outside, and the garden was overgrown with weeds. A perfect place to hide. No one would think it was inhabited, especially not by a group of resistance fighters.
He sensed Hester’s uncertainty about trusting these men.
Eogan reached for her hand and squeezed it. He sent her comfort and reassurance. She was finding it strange that he was able to know what she was thinking and feeling. He could only hope that in time, she would accept it. Right now, she was afraid. She didn’t show it on the outside, but inside, she was scared. After a few seconds, he sensed her relax.
They had escaped from one of the most secure bases in the world.
He would not fail her now.
He sent out a mind connect to Ardal. “We are arriving at the Human Resistance Force’s headquarters. It is an abandoned farm outside of Adana, and undetectable from the air.”
“Let us know the exact location so we can prepare to help if necessary.”
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