aHunter4Ever

by Cynthia Clement

“I want you alive.” Grace’s tone was urgent. “I have finally found love and I’ll be damned if I lose it now.”

  Partlan grinned. “Anger is good. You will be a strong opponent. That will make us invincible against these men.”

  Grace nodded. “We’ll defeat them together.”

  “You stay behind me at all times. It is the only way that I can protect you.”

  They inched their way along the wall, and when they came to the corner, Partlan edged his head around the side. The coast was clear. They moved to the next building, and the next, without any resistance. A deep unease settled in Partlan’s gut. Years of combat had honed his skills and his intuition had saved his life many times. When they came to the next building, he put his hand out to stop Grace.

  “This does not feel right.”

  “You think they’re leading us into a trap?” Grace’s voice was hesitant.

  “My instinct says we are being lulled into a false sense of security.”

  “Where are they?”

  “There is no sign of them, but I sense that we are being watched.” Partlan glanced up at the light posts and edges of the buildings. No cameras were visible. “I am certain we are under surveillance.”

  Grace exhaled a shaky breath. “So what do we do?”

  “You are to stay here and keep out of sight.”

  Partlan edged back along the wall until they came to a door. He opened it and then scanned the room. It was a small tool shed and empty. He motioned for Grace to enter.

  “I want you to stay here.”

  “What will you be doing?” Grace’s voice held a note of suspicion.

  “I am going to draw them out.” Partlan pulled his second weapon from out of his back waistband. “I will kill them. That is the only way we will be able to escape.”

  “You can’t expect me to let you do this alone.”

  “It is what I am trained to do.”

  “So am I.” Grace lifted her chin.

  “This is not a normal situation.” Partlan’s voice was firm. “These men do not honor your laws. They will not hesitate to harm you. I cannot allow that.”

  “So you’re going to go storming out there alone?” Grace shook her head. “It is a crazy plan.”

  “I need to do reconnaissance.” He sensed that she was not going to let him do his job. He had to give her a reason to stay behind. “You are my backup. If I am in trouble, then you can come out. It is our one element of surprise.”

  Grace bit her lower lip and then nodded. “That makes sense. I’ll keep a watch at the door.”

  Partlan released his breath. “I will be back.”

  He left the room and eased against the cold metal wall of the building. He settled his breathing and heart rate in preparation for battle. He was prepared for however many were waiting for him.

  He edged around the corner.

  He detected motion near one of the hangars.

  It might be a worker, but he was not going to take any chances. He crouched low and ran to the hangar. Two men were standing guard. They wore the same uniform as the men at the base. They were also heavily armed. He stood and eased away from the building.

  At the next hangar, at least twenty armed men were waiting. A small jet was there with its hatch open and stairs still lowered. The men were splitting into two teams and gathering in formation.

  Partlan backed out and took a deep breath.

  He needed to get to Grace.

  There was a commotion near the hangar entrance and Partlan moved behind a stack of forty gallon steel containers. The hangar door opened and five men rushed out. They headed in the direction of the other two guards. He stood and eased away from the steel drums. He crept back to the tool shed where he had left Grace.

  As much as he wanted to stand his ground and defeat the guards, he needed to keep Grace safe. She was his priority. They were surrounded. The best plan was to wait for Ardal and the others to arrive. As a team, they would defeat these men easily.

  Partlan edged closer to the shed where he had left Grace. There was no one in sight, so he tapped and then entered. Grace had a gun aimed at his head. She lowered her weapon when she recognized him.

  “Are we safe here?”

  “No.” Partlan took her arm. “We need to leave. The guards from the base are everywhere.”

  “We didn’t see anyone coming in,” she whispered. “The drag way track might be the best place to wait.”

  “Help will be here soon.” Partlan moved out along the side of the building.

  They had only taken a few steps when the sound of speeding car engines filled the air. Brakes screeched and then the noise of squealing tires on asphalt as the vehicles skidded to a stop in front of them. The area was swarmed by black Sports Utility Vehicles. There were five in total and they formed a semi-circle that stopped them from escaping.

  Dust flew up all around them as a helicopter landed behind the vehicles.

  They were trapped.

  Ten men jumped out of the cars with submachine guns aimed at them.

  Partlan took a step away from the building and pushed Grace behind him. He shot three men dead before they had a chance to get off one shot. Grace’s gun sounded beside him. He continued to shoot until he ran out of bullets, with the one pistol. He threw it down and pulled out his second weapon.

  Four more men were dead.

  Grace screamed beside him. He turned as one of the soldiers from the hangar grabbed her from behind. A knife was at her neck and a second man stood beside her with a gun pointed at her temple. Partlan’s eyes narrowed.

  These monsters dared to threaten his mate again.

  The man holding the pistol against Grace’s temple pushed the weapon closer to her head. “Drop your weapon.”

  Chapter 20

  The pounding of Grace’s heart echoed in her ears.

  The cold metal of the pistol against her head sent a shiver of reality through her. She stared at Partlan and silently begged him not to listen to their threats. He had a chance to survive. All she had done was hold him up. If he hadn’t rescued her, he would have been free.

  “There is no freedom without you.” Partlan’s words were clear in her head. “We will survive this.”

  Grace’s bottom lip trembled and she bit down on it to prevent her captors from seeing. Partlan had been right. As their connection strengthened, they were able to communicate. She gazed at him and let all the love she felt, show in her eyes. It didn’t matter if they survived. She had finally found the forever love that she’d searched for, her whole life.

  “Let her go.” Partlan held his gun up in the air. “It is me you want.”

  “We need her for leverage.”

  “It is a mistake to harm a woman.” Partlan’s voice took on a note of steel.

  “Look who thinks they control this situation.” The man holding the pistol to her head chuckled. “You’re pretty courageous for a man who’s about to die.”

  “There is nothing brave about death.” Partlan sounded bored. “It is inevitable.”

  Grace sensed the finality of Partlan’s words. She couldn’t let him risk his life for hers. She wasn’t a weak woman. She’d been trained to fight in situations like this and she refused to go quietly. The man holding the knife to her throat had loosened his grip. The one with the gun was more focused on Partlan than her.

  A couple of armed men in black suits jumped out of the helicopter onto the tarmac. They were holding weapons and advancing toward them. She needed to make her move now, before they reached Partlan, or all would be lost.

  “I can throw the one behind me over my shoulder if you take out the second one.”

  Partlan didn’t blink, not even by a flicker in his eye did she know if he’d heard her. He continued to gaze at her with calm resignation. He’d made a decision; she just didn’t know what it was. She took a deep breath and braced her legs. She wasn’t going back to that place. They’d have to kill her first.

  Her right arm went up to defle
ct the gun from her forehead at the same time she swung her left elbow up and into the rib cage of the man holding the knife. His arm loosened his hold as he jerked in reaction to the blow. There was a stinging sensation at her throat. She didn’t have time to worry about it. She was focused on swinging her body to the side and yanking the arm that held the knife into the air.

  She didn’t care about the man holding the gun.

  Partlan would kill him.

  She sidestepped her captor and swung his arm back and then threw him over her shoulder. He went flying down onto the pavement. She stomped her foot onto the hand holding the knife and ground it into the ground. Before he could react, two gunshots rang out. Partlan had hit both men between the eyes.

  He grabbed her and pushed her behind him as he took aim at the men near the helicopter.

  Shots rang out and the men fell to the ground.

  Footsteps, from the side, announced the arrival of fresh troops. They were all carrying guns that were aimed at them. The chance of her and Partlan getting out of this alive were slim, but Grace didn’t care. She was with the man she loved. That was all that mattered.

  They would go down fighting.

  “Retreat to the tool shed.” Partlan picked up one of the discarded assault rifles from her now dead captors.

  Grace edged back and grabbed a pistol from the ground.

  A bullet whizzed past her cheek.

  The return gunfire from Partlan was deafening. He was shooting as fast as the men appeared, but it didn’t seem to be doing anything. As one man fell, another would appear. She gripped Partlan’s arm and urged him back into the building. He stood firm.

  “Go.” His tone was a deadly calm.

  There was no way they would be able to survive this onslaught for much longer. The men from the base wanted them dead or alive. All that mattered was that she and Partlan didn’t escape.

  A gust of wind blew dirt and stones up into the air. Partlan stopped and pushed Grace behind him. There was no sound, but it was not a regular wind storm. Partlan looked up just as a black stealth helicopter landed in front of them.

  “What now?” Grace wanted to cry. The odds continued to be stacked against them.

  “Ardal and the other Hunters are here.” Partlan pushed Grace against the wall of the building and then aimed at the nearest man coming toward them. “We will be done with these men soon.”

  Partlan shot the man dead.

  The next one was aiming at them, when a bullet hit him from behind. He fell forward and Grace almost gasped at the size of the man coming toward them. He was as big as Eogan, with the same dark hair and eyes. He nodded at Partlan and then turned back to the battle.

  Several minutes later, there was silence.

  Grace released the breath she’d been holding.

  She’d not seen a team of Hunters in action before and it was awe inspiring. The precision and the cold determination of the warriors would have been a terrifying sight to the child traffickers in Caliente. Grace was amazed that any of the criminals had been left alive.

  The large Hunter, who had nodded at Partlan, walked toward them. His step was sure. The other men scattered to the outlying buildings. Grace assumed they were checking for more soldiers. The dimly lit tarmac was littered with bodies. The headlights from the empty vehicles added an eerie element to the macabre scene.

  Partlan braced his weapon across his chest and walked to meet the newcomer. A silent conversation passed between the two men before Partlan returned to her. He led her by the arm to the helicopter and lifted her in. By the time she was strapped in, the others had returned, and the aircraft took off in a smooth arc away from the airport.

  The darkness below was interrupted by the beam of runway lights.

  She leaned her head back against her seat and sighed. Her hands were trembling and there was an ache around her neck. Other than that, she was happy to be alive and sitting beside Partlan. They had survived. She reached over and clasped his hand.

  “That was a close call.”

  The large Hunter frowned. “We did not call you.”

  Grace grinned. “I forgot, you don’t do idioms.”

  Partlan leaned forward. “This is Ardal, our leader. Ardal, this is Grace Kelly, my mate.”

  Another man shook his head. “Your parents really named you that? I would have been hopping mad at them.”

  “My father thought it was cute.” Grace frowned. “You don’t speak like Partlan.”

  The man held out his hand. “I’m Lorcan. I’ve been stranded here on Earth, since I was ten, so I’m used to the language.”

  Ardal sat back with his arms crossed. “We came as soon as we knew where Partlan was located.”

  “Thank you for saving me too.” Grace fell a bit light headed. “For a few seconds there, I did wonder if we might die.”

  “Partlan is one of my best warriors. He would have protected you.”

  “It feels good to be alive.” Grace sighed. “Where are we going?”

  “There is an airport north of here.

  Once the helicopter was away from the airport, the interior lighting flickered to life. It was still very dark, but a glow of blue suffused the interior. Grace brushed at the stinging on her neck and winced. Her hands touched a sticky substance. She rubbed it between her fingers and frowned.

  “What?” Partlan’s voice held concern.

  “There’s something on my neck.” Grace looked up at Partlan. “Does anyone have a flashlight?”

  “Here.” Lorcan pushed Partlan back and aimed the light at Grace’s neck. There was a moment of silence before he spoke. “She’s been cut.”

  Chapter 21

  Lorcan glanced over his shoulder. “Ranon, get your medical kit.”

  Partlan grabbed the flashlight and reached for her chin.

  Before he could tilt her head up, Lorcan pushed his hand away. “Don’t move her. Ranon will know if she needs stitches.”

  “How did this happen?” Ardal’s voice was a command.

  “It must have been the guy I threw over my shoulder.” Grace winced as Ranon probed her neck. “He had a knife to my throat.”

  “It is my fault.” Partlan straightened his shoulders. “If I had guarded Grace better, she would not have been taken hostage.”

  Grace snorted. “It’s no one’s fault. They took me by surprise. You can’t tell me that hasn’t happened to you before?”

  “Never.” Ardal’s voice was calm. “We are always in control of a situation. This was different though. Partlan was on his own and protecting a woman in his escape. We should have been there for him.”

  “Nonsense.” Grace inhaled a sharp breath as a cool liquid was applied to her throat. “That stings.”

  “It is necessary to be certain there is no contamination.” Ranon’s voice was low. “The cut is deep, but you do not require stitches. I will put some strips on it to keep the incision together.”

  “Great, all I need is a giant scar across my neck.”

  “My apologies.” Ranon’s tone was serious.

  “I’m joking.” Grace tried to smile, but it turned into a wince as the first piece of tape was put in place. “I’ve had worse injuries. This is nothing.”

  “Who has hurt you?” Ardal leaned toward her. “We cannot allow a woman to be harmed.”

  “It was way before I met Partlan.” She had six pairs of eyes staring at her with an intensity that was frightening. They looked as if they were prepared to kill. She edged farther back into her seat.

  “I will protect Grace.” Partlan spoke in a voice that carried to the front of the helicopter. “She is my mate.”

  Ardal nodded. “All Hunters have sworn to protect the pair bonds and mates of each other. We were too late this time, but the offender is dead. It will not happen again.”

  “I’m alright guys.” Grace tried to keep the concern from her voice. She didn’t know what she’d walked into the middle of, but feuding men wasn’t her idea of fun.

  “They
would never hurt you.” Partlan leaned close and whispered in her ear. “There is no need for you to be afraid.”

  Grace forced the tension in her muscles to ease. She trusted Partlan. He had already proved that he would protect her. If he vouched for these guys, then she believed him. She shut her eyes and relaxed as Ranon continued to work on her wound. The knife had only scraped across her throat. She was lucky it hadn’t been deep enough to hit her arteries.

  When Ranon was finished, Partlan gathered her into his arms. “Sleep. I will wake you once we are at the airport.”

  Grace yawned. “If you insist.”

  When she woke, the helicopter was on the ground. The others had jumped out, which left just her and Partlan aboard the aircraft. She unbuckled herself and waited for Partlan to get out first. He held his arms up for her to hold onto and she descended with ease.

  The blade of the helicopter was slowing in rotation and the engine had been shut down. “What’s going to happen to this?”

  Partlan shrugged. “It is not our concern. It was borrowed.”

  Grace stopped. “They stole it.”

  “It was necessary.” Partlan coaxed her to the small jet that was waiting in the center of a small airstrip.

  “Is the plane stolen?”

  Grace had to run to keep pace with Partlan. She had never committed a crime before she met Partlan. In the space of a week, she had broken the law so many times that she was beyond redemption. It didn’t matter that none of this had been of her choosing. Everything they had done had been necessary to stay alive.

  “The plane is ours.”

  “How can you guys afford it?” Grace let Partlan lead her up the stairs to the interior of the jet.

  “It belonged to Lorcan’s unit.” Partlan led her to a seat beside one of the windows. “They were mercenaries before joining Ardal.”

  “And you aren’t?”

  “No.” Ardal interrupted their conversation. He sat down in a seat across from them. “We are Hunters, even on this planet. We right the wrongs we are asked to.”

  “But you do it for money.”

  “Not always.” Ardal clasped his hands and leaned forward. “People contact us to help them, and we do. They know that we are not limited by the laws of this planet. Only the laws of the Sacred Code bind us.”