“As you wish.” Partlan touched her arm. “If there is any risk, I will not take you there. My job is to protect you and that is what I mean to do.”
“I can defend myself.” Grace cleared her throat. “Which reminds me. You still have my gun. I’ll need it back.”
“You do not understand the menace you are up against.”
“You mean the Albireons?” Grace’s voice was severe. “If they are truly extraterrestrials, like you claim, then I’ll deal with that as I would any other criminal. I’ll arrest them. I refuse to announce to the office that we’re being chased by ET.”
“They cannot help us if you do not let them know what the threat is.”
“They’ll lock both of us up in the looney bin.” Grace shifted her body so that her face was closer to him. “You may want to use that as your defense, but I will not have my career ruined over this. You’re my responsibility and I’m taking you into headquarters where you’ll be safe.”
“You do not need to be upset.” Partlan kept his voice low. “When we are outside, I will return your weapon. I have agreed to do as you ask.”
“Good.” Grace crossed her arms. “Bakker said that it was safe, so that’s where we’re going.”
A door slammed and the vehicle jerked forward before the motion of the truck eased them away from the hospital. The sounds of traffic could be heard. Partlan held his breath as he counted the seconds until he could be certain they were free of the Albireons’ reach. As long as no one checked what vehicles had left the hospital’s loading dock, they should be safe.
About twenty minutes later the vehicle stopped. The back door of the truck was rolled up and he could hear the mumbled complaints of their drivers. He tightened his grip on the pistol and readied himself for a fight, but it wasn’t necessary. They were moved off the vehicle, down an elevator, and rolled to a stop, without anyone looking inside. He released his breath and waited until no voices could be heard. He shifted in the container and tried to ease his body upright.
“Ready?”
“My body feels like a pretzel.” Grace groaned. “I need to move.”
Partlan stretched his neck and then lifted the lid an inch. His eyes scanned the room. There was no one in sight. He pushed back the plastic top of the box and sat up with the gun ready as he completed his search of the room. They were alone. He heaved himself out of the box and put his hand out for Grace.
She took it and climbed out of the coffin. Her feet wobbled and she was bent at the waist for a couple of seconds. She inhaled a couple of deep breaths before straightening her body. She rolled her shoulders and planted her hands on her hips and stretched her body up and backwards.
Partlan’s breath caught in his throat.
A jolt of desire hit him.
Never had he looked at a woman and felt a need to gather her close and kiss her. His heart beat fast and an ache twisted his stomach. He longed to hold her. His whole body was on alert and there was only one thing that he craved.
Grace.
He clenched his jaw and forced his eyes away. Danger surrounded them and his focus had to be on protecting Grace. The legends were right. The lure of one’s pair bond was distracting and exhilarating at the same time. He understood why a mate was forbidden to Hunters. He was a warrior, and nothing would prevent him from defending Grace.
His eyes roamed the room. It looked to be a laboratory of sorts. There were a couple of steel tables and with tubing connected to a machine. There were also trays with forceps, needles, and what looked like cakes of powder and brushes. It was a strange combination of instruments.
“What is this place?”
Grace went over to one of the tables and picked up a small clamp. “It looks like we’re in the room where they do the embalming. We should be thankful they didn’t send us straight to the crematorium.”
“Explain.”
“We’re in a funeral home.” Grace looked at him with an expectant look.
“I know.” He shook his head. “This is where you take the dead, but what do you do with them?”
Grace moved away from the table filled with steel instruments. “We either cremate the dead, which means we burn the bodies, or we bury them. If they are to be buried, the body is preserved and this is where they do it.”
“Understood.” Partlan nodded. “On Cygnus, there is no space for burying our dead.”
“So they’re cremated.”
“Unless we are in space. Then, the body is jettisoned out of the ship.”
Grace tilted her head. “If I believed in aliens that would make sense.”
“I do not lie.”
“I know.” Grace glanced around the room and then let out a small shriek. “Why didn’t you tell me my hair was a mess?”
“I do not see a problem.”
She walked over to a small mirror on the back of a white cupboard. “I look like I have a rat’s nest on my head.”
She shook her hair out of the bun and then yanked her fingers through it. Sparks of static sizzled from her blonde locks. She was ruthless in dealing with the flyaway hair and within seconds, she had it tamed, and clipped back into a neat bun at the back of her head.
Partlan was fascinated by her efforts. Women did not pull their hair off their faces on Cygnus. If their hair was long, it was meant to be shown, not kept hidden in a bun. Human women did many things different from those on his home planet, but this was the first time he had ever observed a woman this closely. Now, he wanted to know everything about Grace.
“I need my gun back.” Grace held out her hand.
“As you wish.” Partlan handed the weapon to her. He would have preferred to be armed, but he was proficient in hand to hand combat, and could easily defend Grace if necessary.
“Let’s go.” She holstered her weapon. “The longer we wait, the better chance we’ll run into someone coming to embalm the new arrivals.”
Partlan went to the door and glanced through the window at the top. The hallway outside was empty. He motioned Grace to stay behind him. They made their way down the hall and to another door. It led to a short rise of stairs that opened up into a formal area with several rooms leading off it. There was plush beige carpeting and numerous chairs spread around. Low murmurs were coming from down the hall, but that was the only indication that others were in the building. A glimmer of sunlight came through a door.
They headed outside.
They exited from a side entrance. They were momentarily blinded by sunlight, but after a few seconds their eyes adjusted. There were manicured lawns and gardens all around them. A lush oasis in the middle of the bustle and noise of the city. The sound of traffic and the smell of exhaust filled the air despite the illusion of peace. They walked across grass, around small ponds, and headstones until they found themselves on a side street.
Cars and trucks were everywhere; horns were honking, tires screeching, and people yelling. It was a relief after the hushed silence of the funeral home. Partlan’s nose twitched at the smell of car fumes and tilted his head up at the street lights to see if any cameras were directed at the sidewalk. Everything seemed to be pointed at the main street and not along the side streets. It looked safe.
“We need to move.”
“You look out of place with that hospital gown.” Grace grabbed his arm. “There’s a small strip mall down the street. There has to be a store in there that sells souvenir tee shirts. Anything would look better than what you have on now.”
They walked toward the store at a brisk pace. Partlan surveyed the area and the people as they approached the row of stores. Nothing looked out of place. He refused to relax his vigilance until they were safe. Grace seemed to think her office was that place. Experience had taught him that it was the worst possible place for them.
The store offered a limited variety of shirts. Grace picked through a rack of them, pulling out and rejecting at least ten before she decided on one. It had a giant red heart on it, with the words I and Hollywood before and a
fter. He was certain he had seen others wearing similar shirts, so he should blend in. She held it up to his chest and stood back to assess it. Her nose scrunched up a bit before she sighed.
“It’ll have to do.” She took it to the cash register. “It’ll be small on you, but there’s nothing in a larger size.”
When she’d paid for it, she handed the shirt to him. “Put it on.”
Partlan grinned. “You are well suited for the role of command.”
She had been walking toward the door, but she turned to look at him with her eyes narrowed. “Is that a criticism?”
“No. It is admirable.” Partlan took her arm and led her out of the store before he shrugged the shirt over his head. “On Cygnus, all women rule, but here on Earth I have found that very few are used to it.”
Grace looked as if she were going to say something and then she shook her head and walked in the opposite direction of the funeral home. When they had gone several blocks, she stopped and looked at a bus sign.
“I don’t think we should risk a taxi. The bus will be safer.”
Partlan looked for cameras, but again everything seemed to be aimed at the road. It was a few minutes wait before a bus with the number four pulled up and stopped. They boarded and moved to the rear, where there were empty seats. One bus change, and an hour later, they were let off on a street near the Federal Building where Grace worked.
“Are you certain this is what you want to do?”
Partlan was getting an uneasy tightening in the pit of his stomach. His inner warning system was seldom wrong. Danger was near. Grace stopped walking and gnawed her lower lip. She looked at the building and then down the road.
“Bakker said it was safe, but I have a bad feeling about this.”
“We should not go in there.”
“Perhaps you’re right.” Grace’s teeth continued to worry her bottom lip. “Let’s keep walking until we find a phone. I’ll call first.”
They continued past the headquarters. They came up to a large building that housed several businesses and Grace climbed the stairs. It was all marble and granite flooring in the foyer and they walked past a central bank of elevators. Toward the rear of the building, there was one lone pay phone. Grace rummaged in her pocket and pulled out a few coins. After she dialed, she strummed her fingers on the edge of the large silver phone box until someone answered.
“Bakker it’s me. Is it safe to come to the office?”
“Don’t do it.” Partlan could hear the warning from where he stood. He leaned closer and Grace turned the phone so they both could listen.
“Those agency guys are everywhere.” Bakker lowered his voice. “I don’t know who they are, but I don’t trust them. They want both of you now, not just Partlan. Carter has been holed up with them in his office for the last hour.”
“That’s not good.”
“What on earth did you do to get these guys so angry?”
Grace glanced up at Partlan. “I wouldn’t hand over my prisoner. Something wasn’t right about the men who came for him.”
“Well I’d lay low for a while, at least until things cool down.”
Grace hung the phone up. “This was a wasted trip. I don’t believe aliens are chasing us. That’s a planned misinformation campaign by the government to keep military advances a secret.”
“There is no time to argue. Let me take us to safety.”
“We don’t have much choice.” Grace nodded. “Which way?”
They took a back exit out of the building and skirted along a few side roads. It was mostly residential low level apartment buildings. Partlan wanted to find a place to hide before he contacted his unit. That way they would be safe until rescue came for them.
There was rear parking behind one of the buildings. It was isolated. Redbud and dogwood trees provided shade and privacy. Partlan hesitated a second. There was a large brick wall at the end of the lot and no exit. They could not cut through the back of the buildings from there. There was a small laneway that ran along the next building. That would be a better route.
A black sports utility vehicle pulled up on the street beside them.
Four men jumped out of the car.
Partlan pushed Grace behind him and backed the two of them away. The men kept pace until they were directly in line with the parking lot. Partlan glanced both ways for an escape but another vehicle had pulled up and was blocking the sidewalk. The only choice was to stand and fight while Grace escaped in the opposite direction.
Grace had already pulled her gun out.
“Protect yourself.” He motioned in the direction that was not blocked. “Do not let them catch you. Run.”
Grace hesitated a second.
Partlan pushed her away.
“Leave.” His voice softened. “It would be easier for me if I knew you were safe.”
Grace glanced down the street where the men were approaching from. She nodded and then took off in the opposite direction. Partlan stretched his neck and clenched his fists as he prepared for battle. These men were armed with guns, but that did not matter.
Behind the men were two Albireons. They crossed their arms and then issued their orders.
“We want him alive.”
Chapter 9
Grace stopped halfway up the street and looked back at Partlan. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched four men surround him. They were all dressed in black suits and had guns in their hands. She clenched her fingers around her pistol. It would be easy to go back and help, but she remembered the quiet confidence in Partlan’s voice. He had been adamant in his request that she leave the area. She turned to run when an arm went around her neck from behind.
“Don’t move.”
She jerked her hand holding her weapon at him, but he grabbed her arm and pushed it down. “Drop it.”
Grace tightened her grip on the gun. She wasn’t going to be parted from her weapon. A squeeze around her throat had her gasping for air. He must have anticipated her escape and waited. It had been a trap, and like a fool, she’d walked right into his hands. She tried to turn around and face her attacker, but his hold was firm.
Her heart beat at a furious tattoo. “I’m an FBI agent. You’re making a big mistake.”
“Doesn’t matter what you are. We’re here to take you and the alien away. Now drop the weapon.” His hand gripped her arm until she couldn’t feel the circulation in her fingers. The gun fell to the ground.
He was as crazy as Partlan with his talk about aliens. “Are you working for his defense team?” Her tone was mocking as she struggled to twist her hand between her and her attacker’s arm. He pulled her close and tightened his grip. “Quiet.”
“I don’t like being restrained.” Grace flexed her numb fingers.
The man chuckled. “Get used to it. Where you’re going there’ll be no freedom until they decide you’ve served your purpose.”
“I know my rights, and you’re not only violating them, you’re putting yourself at risk by holding a federal agent captive. You’ll get life in jail.”
“Your laws don’t apply to me.” The man squeezed her neck until the world blurred and started to spin.
She leaned into him and moved a leg back in an effort to loosen his grip, but his arm tightened. She twisted her body trying to break his hold. He pulled her free arm behind her back and yanked it up. Pain shot through her shoulder and made her gasp for air. She went limp.
She was out of choices.
She was caught.
Her captor dragged her back to where Partlan had already defeated two of his attackers. They were lying unconscious on the ground. The remaining two were aiming their guns at him. He kicked the weapon out of one attacker’s hand and then twirled around and grabbed the second man’s arm. He smashed the arm against his leg. Grace cringed at the sound of bones breaking.
Partlan brought the base of his hand up into the man’s chin and sent him flying backwards. At the same time, Partlan’s leg kicked the other opponent i
n the stomach. His adversary stumbled a couple of steps and then stood upright. By that time, Partlan had him in a choke hold and was about to break the man’s neck when Grace’s abductor yelled.
“Enough.”
Grace was hauled over to Partlan. His eyes narrowed when he saw her. Anguish flickered in his eyes, and for an instant, a wave of regret and longing rushed through her. She must have imagined the look because the next second Partlan’s face was impassive. His hands were still tight around his captive’s neck.
“Let the woman go.” Partlan’s words were a threat. “You know I can destroy this man.”
“Kill him” The man holding Grace inched her chin up a few inches. “He means nothing to me.”
“You have no honor.”
Grace’s abductor chuckled. It rumbled deep in his chest and she felt the vibration through her body. Her stomach dropped at the true menace in his attitude. The man didn’t care about anything but completing his mission. She’d met people like that before. Usually it was when she’d had the misfortune to go up against national security agencies. They were true patriots who believed they had a righteous cause.
“You’re so predictable, Hunter.” The man’s voice dropped to a low growl. “Surrender yourself or the woman dies.”
“She has done nothing.”
“She was caught with you. That is enough for the people I work with.”
“It is me you want.” Partlan threw his captive away from him. “Let her go.”
“Down on your knees. Hands on your head.” The commands were spit out in rapid fire. “I do not make deals with aliens.”
“You will let the woman go.”
“I’ll kill her if you don’t do as I say now.” The man yanked up on her neck until she was standing on her toes.
Partlan looked at her and she thought she could hear his thoughts in her head. Be calm. I will protect you. She blinked and would have shaken her head if she could have moved it. She had to be hallucinating.
Partlan sank down onto his knees and put his hands behind his head. Before Grace registered that he was surrendering, one of their attackers came up behind Partlan and jabbed a needle into his neck. She opened her mouth to protest, but a cloth was shoved between her lips before she could say anything.
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