by HalkettLucas
****
Storm’s brow creased as the communication ended. There was no point in responding to Dola, or giving him a hard time over the orders—he wasn’t the one yanking his chain. In fact, he was as much a puppet of the Vargr Council as he was.
It still didn’t change things. He would not be rushed with this target. Storm wanted to find out just what was behind the order to bring her in without being neutralised and why it had been decreed. And he wanted to know why he felt so drawn to her.
He was beginning to understand why the other Hunters who were partnered with mates, chose to spend their lives with them and separate their working lives from their downtime.
Chapter Five
What matters it, that, all around,
Danger, and guilt, and darkness lie,
If but within our bosom's bound
We hold a bright, untroubled sky,
——To Imagination by Emily Bronte
Maddy yawned and stretched as Henry the cat meowed, demanding cuddles and food. He was doing the cat ‘war dance’ over her body until she got up. Maddy reached down to tickle behind his ears, before reluctantly getting up and heading towards the bathroom.
Henry jumped off the bed and started weaving in and out of her feet, his tail up high like the back of a dodgem-car. “Cut it out, monster!” she chastised him as she closed the door quickly so he couldn’t sneak in beside her.
Maddy’s telephone rang and she came flying out of the bathroom, toothbrush in hand and mouth foaming like a rabid animal. Grabbing the receiver she tried to answer but her words came out in a white spray—the voice on the other end didn’t want a conversation.
“You are being watched.”
The voice was the same distorted one from a few nights ago—raspy and menacing.
Maddy wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Who is this? What do you want?”
The voice replied, “I am a friend. I am trying to help you. Run, hide—they have come for you. You are already being watched.”
Well, that went from zero to ten on her creeped-out-ometer. The caller had rung off and she was left standing in her pyjamas wielding her toothbrush and staring out of the window to see if she really was being watched.
Maddy didn’t know what to do. Was it just a random weirdo who had somehow gotten her number and got his kicks out of scaring people, or was she really in some kind of danger and this was her ‘heads-up’?
All morning, the phone calls were playing on Maddy’s mind. She couldn’t concentrate on her work so she uncharacteristically decided to fake a stomach bug to her boss so that she was allowed home on sick leave.
The minute Maddy got inside her apartment, she called the only person she could think of—her only living relative, Aunt Frances. “Hey Auntie Fran...” Maddy was trying to keep her voice light so as not to worry her elderly auntie.
“Maddison? Is that you? Oh my days, it is so good to hear from you! Is everything all right?” The concern for Maddy’s well-being showed in her auntie’s soft accented voice.
“Everything is wonderful Auntie Fran. My latest book has been picked up by the publishers and the last one became a bestseller within a month, can you believe it?” Maddy threw herself down on the sofa, and curled her legs up as she settled down. To hear her auntie’s familiar, warm voice immediately settled her nerves.
Auntie Frances was proud of her niece's achievements, but she found the subject matter she wrote about too gritty and racy for her tastes, and so had never actually read any of her work. “That’s nice, dear.”
Maddy grinned to herself, knowing that was the highest praise she was going to get. “Thank you Auntie. Listen, I wonder if you could do me a favour.”
“A favour?”
“Uh huh. I have, um, been invited to a sci-fi convention and I wondered if you could look after Henry for me—just for a few days?” She hated lying to her auntie, but the mysterious caller had completely rattled her. She didn’t want to pass on the neurosis, and knew that her auntie loved Henry almost as much as she did. Aunty Fran had cat-sat for her before and if Henry was safe, then Maddy could book herself into a motel for a few days and maybe settle her worries about the ‘warning’ messages once and for all.
Frances knew that Maddison wasn’t telling her the whole story, but a wry smile formed on her lips as she enquired, “A convention you say? Is a man involved?” She was ever hopeful that her niece would finally find a man and settle down.
Maddy blushed. “No. Nothing like that at all Auntie Fran,” she said, almost dying of embarrassment. “Can I drop Henry off this afternoon?” Suddenly she wanted to end this conversation before it wandered into the ‘too personal’ area.
Auntie Frances laughed as she heard the awkwardness in her niece's voice. “Okay, okay Maddison, I will believe you even if thousands wouldn’t. And of course, you know you are welcome here anytime.”
After making details and a long ‘love you—see you later—yes, I will drive carefully’ goodbye, she hung up.
****
Storm had followed Maddison Scott all day and had started to worry when she left work citing illness. His worries were unfounded as she seemed in perfect health, returning to her apartment. ‘Why would she lie?’ he thought to himself. Perhaps there was more to this human than meets the eye.
After spending a short time in her apartment, Maddison had left her apartment with some cases and a box containing her pet cat. She loaded them into her car and took off down the road.
Storm couldn’t let her get away and as he curled his gloved hands into fists, he punched them into one another and gave a sharp nod. Suddenly his form became invisible and was as swift as air. Leaping in the direction of her car, he held onto the roof of her car as she continued on her journey.
When the vehicle eventually stopped, it was in a well-kept suburb with rows of identical houses, white picket fences and manicured lawns. Storm kept his position as Maddison got out of the car and unloaded the pet carrier, taking it to one of the houses. An older human was waiting at the door and welcomed Maddison warmly, ushering her inside and fussing over her.
Storm slid off the roof and kept his invisible status as he crossed the lawn to look inside the house. The fussing and chatting were continuing, but frustratingly he couldn’t make out complete sentences—and so was none the wiser as to Maddison’s plans.
As Storm observed his target, a number of things struck him. She could consume her body weight in tea which was being constantly brewed by the older human. She could talk without taking a breath and could alternate between a raucous laugh and conspiratorial whispers without missing a heartbeat. And most importantly, despite it all, she was beautiful in both form and personality. The way she cared for the older human was evident, and he felt the slightest pang of jealousy at the warmth of the easy going relationship.
As Storm pieced together the bits of conversation he could hear together, he learned that Maddison was going to be leaving town for a few days—from her own words ‘it was unscheduled and unexpected.’
What had caused her to take this sudden course of action? Whatever it was she wasn’t forthcoming with details to the older human.
As Maddison started to make moves to leave, Storm took his place back at her car, this time slipping inside the vehicle and laying low on the backseat. He seen the cases and quickly inspected them—there was a change of clothes, various toiletries and her laptop. There were no valuables or sentimental items that would indicate she was doing more than she had said to the older human, going away for a few days. She had lied to her place of work, however, and as this journey was rushed, he felt it important to find out why.
Maddison kissed Auntie Fran on the cheek and waved goodbye as she walked back to her car. As she buckled up and started the engine, Maddy honked the horn and started to drive away from the house.
****
Maddy had done her research before she had left her house, and checked her GPS for the directions
to a medium-sized motel that was only half an hour’s drive away from Auntie Fran’s home. It had received good reviews online…and more importantly it was well within her budget. Maddy had decided that she would put all thoughts of the creepy caller from her mind and use these few days as a sort of mini-break. She could spend the days writing, undisturbed. Since she left Auntie Fran’s she was actually looking forward to the break in a strange sort of way, although she did feel a little bad at deceiving her boss by telling her she was sick.
Making a quick detour to a convenience store, Maddy stocked up on the essentials— soda, chips, and an assortment of candy. Shortly afterwards, she had booked into the motel and was opening the door to her room. It was modestly furnished, but clean and although the decor hadn’t been updated since the 1980’s it would suit her needs perfectly.
Storm returned to his corporeal form and locked the door of the motel room behind him. Maddison Scott was busy connecting her laptop to the Wi-Fi system and hadn’t noticed that she wasn’t alone. Storm cleared his throat to gain her attention.
Maddy squealed and whirled around. “What...you...how did….” her words rolled off her tongue as she gestured with her finger, pointing to him then to the door. It was the store detective.
Just as she was about to ring the manager of the motel to have him removed, the phone rang.
Both Storm and Maddy looked at the phone as though it was a bomb about to go off.
“Aren’t you going to answer that?”
“I...um...erm, yes but you—you stay right there where I can see you!” Maddy warned him as she lifted the receiver gingerly and put it to her ear.
“Get out of there. Now!” it was the creeper-caller. Maddy’s head was spinning. How did the store detective get into her motel room and how did creeper know where she was?
“Who is it?” Storm demanded.
Maddy’s brain went into overdrive wondering if it was possible that the creeper-caller was right—that she was in danger? And could the danger be the ovary-dropping, tongue-lolling store detective?
“Who. Is. It?” Storm’s voice lowered and was deadly serious.
Maddy gulped. “It’s….” and the line went dead. “...none of your business! Get out of here or I’ll call the police!” As soon as she said the words she knew that they were futile. The store detective was glowering at her and was scaring her half to death.
Storm had a good idea who it was on the other end of the phone by Maddison’s reaction. The Hunters were well aware of factions within the supernatural and human realms that wanted to expose the existence of the Vargr realm and destroy the peace that had existed between them.
Although he had never had trouble from them personally, he had heard some of the other Hunters complaining that they nearly lost their targets because of their interference.
“You were warned of my arrival, weren’t you?” Storm helped Maddy out.
Maddy put her hands on her hips, frowning. “How did you know that?” She had started to get angry after her initial shock and fear had started to wear off.
Storm smirked as he folded his arms across his wide chest, lowering his chin and arching a brow. “I know many things, Maddison Scott.” This sudden feisty attitude and the flash of anger in her eyes somehow made her seem even more attractive to him.
Maddy wanted to smack that smug grin right off of his face. She couldn’t believe that she was basing the hero of her novel on him. There he was, trespassing in her room in all his ‘gorgeous-handsome-body-of-a-Greek-god’ goodness, and he had the audacity to smirk at her.
Maddy’s temper broke. Suddenly she was throwing cushions, pillows, shoes—anything she could get her hands on and hurling abuse at the intruder at the same time.
Storm blinked. Ducking out the way of the flying obstacles, he started to laugh. And as he laughed, the human’s fury seemed to intensify. “Quit it, human,” he managed to say through his laughter. “Enough.”
Maddy had run out of things to fling and was trying to wrestle with the bedside lamp not realising that it had been fixed firmly to the table to deter any opportunistic thieves.
Storm walked over as Maddy was distracted trying to move the lamp, and took hold of her upper arms, making her face him. “Maddison Scott, I said desist!”
Maddy stood stunned as she became face to face with a wall of muscle. As Storm spoke, she thought it sounded like a low rumble of thunder—and all of a sudden she was convinced she had lost the power to think or speak.
“Who are you?” she just about managed to get out.
Storm still held Maddy close to him, but was fighting the urge to dip his head down and kiss her hard. In such close proximity to her body he felt his own reacting with alarming intensity. “My name is Storm Alaziel… I am a Hunter of the Vargr Realm, and I have been sent to bring you back with me for trial.”
Chapter Six
She was too weak, for all her heart's endeavor,
To set its struggling passion free
From pride, and vainer ties dissever,
And give herself to me forever.
—Porphyria’s Lover by Robert Browning
Troy was getting edgy. Three shifts and still no prisoner—if the Hunter didn’t return with the human soon, a warrant would be out for his own arrest for failure to apprehend. That was a fairly recent rule that Troy did question. These men and women of Vargr put their lives on the line for the realm every day, but one failure and it was game over?
While he waited outside the empty cell, it gave him ample time to try to figure out why he felt such strong emotions for a human stranger. Maddy Scott had been plaguing his thoughts since he had read her name on the ‘wanted’ list. It was as though the answers to his questions were just on the tip of his tongue, and it was frustrating as hell that he couldn’t figure out the enticing conundrum
The bloodcurdling screams of a human sacrifice who was being used to open the Blood Gates between the Realm and the human world seemed to stain the air. That was another thing that bothered Troy on his now ever-growing list. If the humans were such a threat how were they able to be captured and used in this way for the realm’s own needs?
Why had the portal never been breached by the humans? And another thing… Troy was deep in thought—with all the advanced technology and superior society that the Vargr prided themselves on, then why did they need human sacrifices again? King Egill had found a way to open the portals without such crude and medieval methods by using the talents of the wizards and only a small blood offering. Surely they should keep evolving and not revert to the old, bloodthirsty ways?
The disturbing and unsatisfying thoughts whirled around his brain whilst he performed the hourly checks on the security of the still empty cell and ensured that his weapons were fully charged and operational.
What if the Council and King were lying to all of them about the threat level of the humans? What if all their rules and regulations were to keep the Vargr population from asking too many questions—this forced apartheid between supernatural and mortal was to serve the higher castes’ motives, and not as they kept insisting, for the greater good?
What if…..
****
The tears were streaming down Maddy’s face as she felt her knees almost buckle underneath her.
Storm was staring at Maddy, wondering what on earth had caused such a reaction in her. “Have you quite finished?”
Ten minutes into her hysterics, Maddy was nowhere near finished. Her jaw and ribs hurt from laughing and she couldn’t see for the tears blinding her. “You...you...you are from Vargr.” She was jabbing her finger into his solid torso as she spoke. “A hunter from Vargr and you’re going to take me back?” and her laughter rang out once again.
“I fail to see what is so hilarious, human.” Storm was feeling excluded from the joke and it was starting to irk him.
“Human.” Maddy could barely contain herself. “Oh, you are good. Just wait till the others he
ar about this one. And to think I was scared. I had totally bought into the whole ‘being stalked’ thing.” She had pretty much exhausted herself with her laughing fit. “Who hired you? Oh I am so going to give your employers a glowing recommendation about you. I was completely taken in.”
This was a first, a captive offering to give him a recommendation. “Maddison Scott you have been charged with being an enemy of the realm—you will be taken back to Vargr where you will stand trial for your crimes.” His voice was steady and firm.
“Right, yup, ok…” Maddy stood up, holding her arms out with her wrists together. “...Take me to your leader,” then started bubbling over with laughter again. “Look, Storm…” Maddy’s smile started to fade. “Hey, wait a minute—how did you know his name?”
Storm lowered his eyes and arched a brow. “What are you talking about, human?”
“My hero, his name is Storm. Who told you? Has someone hacked into my computer?” Maddy’s laughter had now turned to anger. It was one thing to play a prank on her but quite another to hack into her personal files and steal confidential working information.
“Your ‘hero’?” Storm was confused. “I don’t understand—but you will get a chance at our trial to explain yourself.” Taking Maddy by the elbow, he started to march her towards the door.
Maddy started struggling and trying to twist out of Storms’ hold. “My laptop. I am not leaving here without my laptop. Or my purse…” she added determinedly.
Storm stopped and released his hold. “You have five seconds to gather what you wish to bring with you. One…”
As the countdown began, Maddy flitted about the motel room gathering as many belongings into her purse as she tucked her laptop under her arm and walked back towards Storm.
“Just to let you know, this part of the game is quite sinister really, and I’m not on board with it,” Maddy informed Storm sternly as she walked out of the room and waited on him following her. “I’m actually quite cross with whoever has been hacking my laptop.”