Hunting Truth (Orion the Hunter Part Four)

by J. D. Chase

  I leaned across Angel, holding onto my throbbing shoulder and called out, “Excuse me, I need you to contact Lucas Hunter immediately. It’s an emergency.”

  Instantly, he was at the open window in one lithe movement. The fleeting feeling of relief soon turned to panic. I found myself staring down the barrel of a gun.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Fear gripped my stomach and emptied my lungs. My heart thumped wildly but I think that was the only part of my anatomy that could move. All of my other muscles had seized up; for a few seconds I couldn’t even breathe.

  “Fuck!” I heard Chad mutter under his breath.

  “Nobody move. Trust me, I won’t hesitate to blow a hole in any of you,” the man said in an authoritative yet quiet voice that sent chills down my spine. “Now you.” He nodded at me. “Tell me who you are and what you want with this Lucas Hunter you mentioned.”

  I stared at him, completely immobilized. Somehow I knew he’d carry out his threat.

  “Now!” he hissed but still I couldn’t speak. The fear that he’d hurt me only served to make me more scared.

  “She’s Lucas’ girlfriend. We followed him here and we think we’ve found Joel,” Angel blurted in an uncharacteristically high voice.

  He looked from me to her and then over to Chad. “And who are you? And him?” He turned his cold eyes on me again.

  I heard Angel swallow. “I’m her best friend, Angel, and he’s my boyfriend, Chad.”

  His eyes narrowed a little but that was the only sign that he’d heard her. “Don’t move a muscle,” he grunted.

  I wish I could! Suddenly, a horrible feeling washed over me, making my skin crawl. What if Chad’s got it wrong? What if this armed thug’s employed by Joel?

  Sheer panic overtook me and I was lightheaded and nauseous. I felt like I was floating away, out of the van, distancing myself from what was going on around me. I heard him talking but I couldn’t make out a word he was saying. Then everything went black.

  *

  The next thing I knew, I could hear muted voices, but I didn’t recognize any of them. I was aware that I was lying down, but I felt disorientated and confused. I opened my eyes but it was dark and they didn’t focus properly so I couldn’t see much. I also felt weak; lifeless even. I could make out a roof over my head that wasn’t far away, and I attempted to sit up but pain shot like an angry flare from my shoulder into my neck. I closed my eyes and tried to think where on earth I could be. I racked my brains for my last conscious memory but I came up short until I opened my eyes again and realized I could see a little better.

  I soon figured out that I was inside a vehicle, and that was enough to trigger my memory. Fear gripped me like icy fingers squeezing my lungs. What the hell’s happened? Have I been taken hostage by Joel too? Where’s Angel? And Chad? I forced myself to sit up a little, the fear and adrenaline helping to take the edge of my shoulder pain. I felt lightheaded again and had an almost overwhelming urge to close my eyes and lie back down.

  I was startled by a disembodied strange voice declaring, “She’s awake!”

  My heart thudded and my clammy hands shook. I heard footsteps approach, and with each step the hairs on the back of my neck stood up a little more. I heard the door handle being grasped and my heart thudded. I couldn’t breathe; my chest felt like it had been crushed. I told myself to turn my head as the door opened but my body refused to comply. I remember thinking fleetingly that the expression ‘fight or flight’ was a load of crap. I could do neither.

  My eyes closed involuntarily. I felt a rush of cool night air on my clammy skin and time seemed to freeze as I heard a voice say, “I should strangle you with my bare hands, right here and now.”

  But instead of it striking fear into my wildly beating heart, it made me crumple with relief.

  Lucas!

  “How are you feeling, my darling?” he whispered.

  I shook my head. I couldn’t believe it. Lucas was at my side. I shook my head again, trying to clear the confusion that reigned.

  “What is it, Issy?” he asked. His voice was thick with concern. “Tell me!”

  I turned my head to look at him, grateful for the interior light that had come on when he’d opened the door. His tense, worried expression helped me to find my voice at last. “Oh Lucas, I’m fine. I just wasn’t expecting to see you. I don’t know what happened. There was a man with a gun and . . . where are Angel and Chad?”

  “They’re nearby. Don’t worry, they’re fine,” he said, before dropping a kiss on my forehead. “The man with a gun is one of Carter’s crew. I’m so sorry he scared you. He was just doing his job. Carter hadn’t briefed him about you because you weren’t supposed to be anywhere near here. You were supposed to be at the hospital getting your shoulder checked out. How is it, by the way?”

  “It’s felt better,” I admitted. “But it’s just a soft tissue injury. It’ll be fine. Don’t fuss. Well, you can stop fussing after you help me out of here.”

  “I think you should rest,” he said firmly.

  “Lucas, I’m fine,” I countered, cross. “But I have some important information for you so help me up please.”

  “It’s okay. Angel and Chad have filled us in. I just want you to rest up until you’ve recovered after fainting and then you can go back with them to my apartment.”

  I fainted? I supposed I must have done. Go back? I slid first one leg then the other onto the floor and managed to sit up properly, gritting my teeth against the pain but refusing to allow him to see how bad it was.

  “I’ve told you I’m fine. I’m more concerned about what happens next. What does happen next?”

  He shrugged. “That’s what Carter and his team are deciding now. I know he’s waiting for backup before plans are finalized but we need to move quickly.”

  “Backup as in cops?” I don’t know why I bothered asking. I knew the answer.

  He sighed. “You know I can’t call the cops. We’ve been over that.”

  “But you can come home with me and let Carter take care of it. His team are experts at that kind of thing. You’re not.”

  “I’m not leaving here until Ava and Scott are safe. I’ll do my damnedest to make sure that Joel can’t go public about Odyssey. Even if I have to hand over my assets in order for that to happen.”

  “But you’ll stay out of it. At least while there’s any risk of danger. Promise me that.”

  “I’ll do my best but I can’t make promises about the unknown. I’m not going to go storming in at the start. I plan to make sure it’s as safe as possible before I get in there. I know my limits, Issy. I don’t want to play at being a marine. Thanks to you guys, Carter thinks it’ll be a lot easier. We have the element of surprise on our side and some time to coordinate a strategy. I could kill you for being here, but I guess I’ll have to settle for punishing you at a later date.”

  There was something about the way he said ‘punishing’ that made my insides turn to molten liquid. Well, that and the way he’d suggestively cocked an eyebrow.

  “You’re not distracting me with those tactics, Lucas Hunter. And I want to stay. I promise I’ll stay safely out of the way but I want to see you as soon as it’s all over. And for that I need to be nearby. Please, Lucas, it’s important.”

  He shook his head slowly. “You’re so strong willed and defiant. One day, I’ll manage to correct that too . . . one way or another. You’re lucky I don’t have time now.”

  That suggestive eyebrow pump again!

  He reached in and cupped my face with his hands. “Fine. See if you can find a hotel nearby. But I don’t want you within a mile of Joel’s place. Do you hear me? And I’ll contact you when I can. It could be hours, so don’t worry.”

  Then he kissed me. One of those slow, tender kisses that you just want to lose yourself in, but all too soon, he pulled away and released me, leaving me feeling bereft.

  I heard the sound of another engine approach then cut out. Lucas straightened and looked out for
a few seconds. “I’ve got to go, honey. It looks like the cavalry have arrived. I’ll tell Angel and Chad to come and drive you to a hotel. If they don’t want to stay with you, get them to drop you and I’ll either come get you when I’m done here or I’ll send a car. Okay?”

  “I wish you didn’t have to stay,” I whispered.

  He leaned in and caressed the side of my face with the back of his hand. “I know but I’ll be fine. I have to stay. You’re by far my best asset and I’m not letting go whatever it costs me.”

  I forced a smile. “Let’s just hope it doesn’t cost you more than I’m worth.”

  “There is nothing in this world worth more to me than you. This will be over before you know it.”

  He kissed my forehead and was gone.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Finding accommodation at that time of night in an unfamiliar location would have been an impossibility but for my smartphone. Even then, we had to head out towards Monroe. We eventually got rooms in a hotel and arrived tired and drained to be told that food was no longer being served. Chad was dispatched to get a takeout meal of some description but I really just wanted my bed. I doubted that I’d sleep but I wanted to rest my shoulder. Angel obviously had other ideas. I knew she was trying to keep me occupied to take my mind off the situation Lucas was heading into but, while I was grateful, I really wasn’t in the mood.

  Surprisingly, I managed to eat all the pizza Chad brought back for me. He’d also thoughtfully picked up some painkillers. We all ended up in my room, lounging on my bed as we ate. Chad began to recount the events of the evening and it was when he stated how lucky we’d been to stumble on Joel’s hideout that I remembered how that had come about. All because of the woman who bore a resemblance, at least from the side and rear, to Ava. I was keen to know Lucas and Carter’s thoughts on that so I asked.

  Chad and Angel’s blank expressions made me suspect they hadn’t mentioned her. A suspicion that was confirmed a few moments later when Angel shrugged and announced it wasn’t important because we’d located the house. It had been niggling in the back of my mind on the drive to the hotel. What if it was Ava? How could she be held hostage yet be able to go to a grocery store?

  Since I could think of no obvious answers, I voiced my questions aloud.

  Angel tilted her head to one side and then shrugged. “It probably wasn’t her. Just a lucky coincidence I guess.”

  “But what if it was?” A feeling that we might have fucked up gnawed at me.

  “Perhaps she was threatened by Joel that something bad would happen to Scott if she didn’t come back or if she told anyone,” Chad suggested.

  “That would make sense,” Angel agreed.

  I wasn’t sure. “It’s risky. Probably too risky. Joel’s been too careful and too clever to take chances like that.”

  “Maybe it was less of a gamble than leaving Scott and Ava alone while he went out,” said Chad with a shrug.

  “But remember, she used her cell at some point earlier today. That’s how Lucas knew she was in the Walton Park area. Why would Joel allow her to do that?” I added as the uneasy feeling escalated.

  “Maybe Joel forced her to use it. Maybe he threatened her and made her call Lucas so he knew she’d been taken hostage,” Angel said, clapping her hands and clearly feeling that she’d solved the puzzle.

  “No.” I shook my head and tried desperately to recall the exact details of my conversations with Lucas. “Lucas received a ransom note this morning from Joel. That’s how he knew about Joel having Ava. And it was one of Carter’s team that picked up the trace from her cellphone. I don’t think Lucas knew why she’d used it.”

  “Okay, but Joel could have made her call someone else to explain why she wasn’t home so that nobody else suspected she was missing,” she said in an excited rush.

  “That sounds reasonable to me,” Chad agreed.

  I pulled a face. I just didn’t buy it. Something wasn’t right. I couldn’t put my finger on it but I knew that it didn’t add up. “I’m going to call Lucas and let him know.” I saw Angel roll her eyes. “Just in case, Angel. How would we feel if it was important somehow and we’d neglected to mention it?”

  I made the call and groaned in frustration when it went straight to voicemail. I left a brief message telling him what I’d seen and asking him to call me right back to let me know he’d received my message.

  Half an hour later, I’d still not heard from him. I tried calling again but his cell was still off. I couldn’t sit still; I paced up and down the room, snapping at Angel when she said I was driving her insane.

  “Chad, give me the keys to the van,” I demanded, suddenly unable to cope with the worry and frustration bubbling up inside me.

  He looked shocked. “What for?”

  “I’m going to find Lucas and tell him about that woman. It could be Ava and I have a feeling it’s important. Don’t ask me how I know, I just do.”

  Angel’s eyebrows almost took flight. “Oh no, you’re not. God only knows what’s going on back there. Not only could you put yourself in danger, you’d endanger everyone involved. No way, Issy. That’s the most stupid idea you’ve ever had!”

  “Too right!” exclaimed Chad. “Besides, you’re not insured to drive the van. It’s on hire, remember.”

  “Take me then, and you can make sure I don’t get into any trouble. I only want to find Lucas and tell him about Ava. I’ll never forgive myself if I’m right and I do nothing. That could put everyone involved at risk, including Scott. Are you willing to take that risk?”

  Angel and Chad exchanged glances. Chad shrugged.

  Angel slid off the bed and picked up her jacket. “You’d better hope you’re right because Lucas is going to be murderous if you go back there and you’re wrong.”

  I knew that but my conviction that something wasn’t right was overwhelming.

  The journey back to Walton Park was made in silence. I kept trying Lucas’ cell but it was still off. The tension grew as we neared our destination. Chad had agreed to drive us back but only on the condition that none of us went anywhere near Joel’s house. The plan was to drive around as we’d done before in the hope we’d stumble on one of them. I knew there was no chance of that so I’d not agreed with Chad’s terms; I’d just not disagreed with him. I fully intended to sneak up near to Joel’s house and get a message to Lucas, even if I couldn’t get to see him in person. The painkillers I’d taken earlier in the evening had helped to numb the majority of the pain in my shoulder. I hoped it would make my task easier.

  We arrived without incident and Chad proceeded to cruise around the neighborhood. It was a totally unsuccessful venture. I persuaded him to pull into the road that led to Joel’s property in the hope that Carter’s team were camped out in the area between the houses and the beginning of the gravel track. We approached with caution and my instinct seemed to be right. There was a van parked on a grass verge. It wasn’t Carter’s but it had the same array of antennae on the roof. It looked deserted though.

  Chad pulled in behind it. I got out, taking a small flashlight from the door pocket, and approached the driver’s door. There was nobody inside the cab. I shone the flashlight in but it looked unremarkable. I was tempted to make a run for it, up to the house, but Chad and Angel had followed me and the last thing I wanted was a loud confrontation—even at that distance. Angel looked as frustrated as I felt but then Chad said, “It could be one of those surveillance vans, you know, like you see on TV. It looks to have equipment inside, judging from those antennae.”

  I thought he had a point so I crept around to the rear of the van, pressed my ear against the door and listened carefully, signaling them to be quiet. I couldn’t hear a thing until, suddenly, I picked up a muted sound. It could have been a cough or something being moved inside, I didn’t know, but there was definitely someone or something inside.

  I crept back over to Chad and Angel and whispered what I’d learned. Angel was all for banging on the door and making
them open it to shut us up. Chad thought that was a bad idea; we could disrupt something important and potentially ruin the whole operation. But I was sure that if I didn’t get the message to Lucas, something bad would happen. Really bad. We didn’t have time to decide in the end because the same guy who’d pointed a gun at my head earlier that evening appeared soundlessly in front of us, looking as pissed off as a half-starved Rottweiler.

  “Oh, thank God,” I cried. “I have some information for Lucas. You have to get it to him immediately.”

  “Ma’am, Mr. Hunter is aware that you’ve disobeyed his instructions and I have to say that he’s madder than hell right now. He says you’re to go back to his apartment immediately.”

  “Wow!” exclaimed Chad, looking like a five-year-old on Christmas morning. “How did he know we were here?”

  The guy nodded to the van. “The outside of the van is under constant surveillance.”

  “Cool,” Chad replied, his eyes like saucers.

  “What’s happening?” asked Angel, suddenly. “With Joel, I mean.”

  “The situation is in hand, ma’am,” he replied.

  I narrowed my eyes, annoyed at his brevity. “What does that mean?”

  Chad huffed and shook his head. “Issy, that’s probably classified.”

  Angel rolled her eyes and turned to him. “Chad, don’t get carried away. This isn’t a United States government operation, you know.”

  In other circumstances, I’d have cracked up but I turned back to Carter’s man and repeated my question.

  “I’d have to request permission to update you, ma’am,” he said. “But I strongly recommend that you get back in that van and follow Mr Hunter’s instructions.”

  I glared at him, ignoring Chad’s triumphant smirk. “Then make that request. And while you’re at it, tell Mr. Hunter that I have some information that may be very important. Once you tell me what’s going on up there, I’ll give you that information . . . if it isn’t too late by then. I’d hate to be in your shoes if it is too late and Lucas finds out that you could’ve passed on important information. I think Carter would be distinctly unimpressed too.”