Hunter Wars Omnibus Edition (Books 1 - 3)

by SD Tanner

  The afternoon was spent shuttling the kids to the ship. Sitting on the bird, taking the last ride to the ship, he thought, it’s been a good day and bad day. Finding so many kids was heartening. The little ones meant there was a future to be had, and the equipment, heavy weapons and supplies meant they could support a considerable force on land. They now had a viable site for the combat shooters and he was pretty impressed with the container housing they’d found. It meant the island and the land base could be set up comfortably and very quickly. All this was good news, but taking down the Marines turned hunters and learning they were following orders issued by a government somewhere bothered him. He wanted to talk to Gears, but unfortunately Gears had left with Ip and gone to Nelson’s base for the night.

  Obviously planning to commiserate about the day, Pax and Captain Ted cleared off to the sub and he was sure Pax took some of the alcohol they kept in their suite from the bar. Although Gears insisted the ship and bases were dry dock, he didn’t pay much attention to what anyone did elsewhere providing they didn’t step foot on his sites anything other than sober. Not wanting to sit in their suite alone, he decided to go find Izzie.

  Her cabin was on the same deck as theirs and knocking on her door, she answered, ‘Come in. It’s not locked.’

  ‘Hey! It’s just me,’ he replied and walked into her cabin.

  Izzie shared her cabin with three other people and hers looked the same as all the others, only now all cabins were dirtier and had a definite “lived in” feel. Walking inside, he saw Izzie was gathering clothes drying on the balcony and loading more wet clothes onto the railing. He stood and helped her by handing the wet clothes to her.

  Smiling at him, Izzie asked, ‘Where are your crazy brothers?’

  He was well aware Izzie thought they were all a bit nuts for taking on their mission and replied, ‘Pax is getting pissed with Captain Ted, and Gears is on the mainland with Nelson.’

  ‘Stuck on your own tonight then?’ Izzie asked brightly.

  ‘Yeah. What about you?’ He asked.

  Izzie shrugged and said, ‘No plans. Thought I might go to bed early. I’m kinda beat.’

  Flashing her what he hoped was a charming grin, he suggested, ‘Maybe we could both make an early night of it.’

  Izzie didn’t miss his meaning, but she turned and faced him and standing just a few feet away, she said seriously, ‘We could, TL, but I’m not interested in being your next short infatuation.’

  He didn’t know what she meant, and seeing his confused expression, Izzie elaborated, ‘I’m thirty-five, honey, and it’s the end of the world. I’m happy doing my bit. I’ll fight right alongside you guys, and I might die right alongside you too, but I don’t plan for that. I plan for a future where we win the war and get to live a good life.’

  He thought she made sense, but he didn’t know where Izzie was leading with this and asked, ‘Okay, but what’s your point?’

  ‘I want a real life at the end of this, TL,’ Izzie went on. ‘I want a lifelong partner, kids and somewhere to call home. It might be the end of the world, but assuming we win this war, life will go on and I want a real life with a man and some kids.’

  Continuing to look as confused as he felt, Izzie rolled her eyes at him and said, ‘Dummy, what I’m saying is I like you enough not to want to be around for a little while until I get so frustrated with you I leave you.’

  Genuinely wondering how she knew that’s how his relationships always ended, he asked, ‘How do you know you’d get frustrated and want to leave me?’

  ‘It’s obvious, TL,’ Izzie replied. ‘You live your life completely detached from everyone but your brothers. That’s why you’re so damned steady. You’re not engaged and you never let yourself feel anything. It’s a defense mechanism, and until you get real with a woman, you’ll never have the joy and pain of being in love, having kids and living a full life.’

  When he didn’t reply, Izzie said, ‘Life’s a pain in the ass, TL. People are annoying. Nothing happens quite the way you mean it. If you’re not pissed off with something, then you’re just not paying attention. I live life to the full in all ways, TL. I like it that way. Good bits and bad.’ Izzie took his hand and said warmly, ‘I like you too much to be another one of your temporary women. If you want to be with me, you’re going to have to be more than physically involved. You need to really be with me. Completely.’

  Sighing, he said, ‘I don’t know what you mean or how to do that.’

  Izzie smiled and said, ‘Why don’t we start tonight? We can hang out in your suite. Have some dinner and maybe just curl up and talk or read. Whatever.’

  That he understood, and putting his arm around her shoulder, he replied, ‘That sounds perfect.’

  CHAPTER EIGHT: Looking for a soul to steal (Ruler)

  ‘I don’t like it here,’ he declared.

  Flinching, Chuckles replied, ‘Sorry Ruler.’

  They were standing in the middle of the road next to their limousine, waiting to be discovered and they didn’t have to wait long. While they watched, three men walked out of the prison heading towards them. One man was particularly tall and he made a note to kill him because he resented being quite so short. The three men stopped and stood ten yards away, eyeing them and their limousine.

  ‘Nice ride,’ the short balding man commented.

  He smiled and said, ‘Thank you.’

  The short balding man asked, ‘Whatcha doin’ here?’

  Still smiling, he replied, ‘Enlisting.’

  The three men looked at one another and laughed and the tall one said, ‘Ya don’t look like military to me.’

  Harrumphing, he said rudely, ‘You don’t look like a soldier to me.’

  Glaring at him, the tall man said, ‘Bein’ a bit smart for an unarmed man aintcha?’

  ‘Why do you think I’m unarmed?’ He asked reasonably.

  The tall man looked around and asked, ‘Where’s yer army then?’

  Hundreds of hunters streamed onto the road and into the still open gates of the prison the men had come from. Gunfire erupted from all buildings in the prison, but between the sounds of gunfire, there were the piercing shrieks of people being attacked and eaten. He stood and waited while the hunters did their work, idly picking at the nails on his stubby fingers.

  Meantime the three men were firing their weapons at the hordes of hunters that now surrounded them. The battle was brief and quickly the only sound that could be heard, were the snarls of hunters and the occasional cry of the dying. Once their guns were empty, the three men stopped firing and stood looking confused.

  The hunters protecting him and Chuckles, stepped aside and smiling at the three men, he asked sweetly, ‘Do you like my army?’

  None of the three men replied, but stood staring at him, clearly in shock. So fucking stupid, he thought, they’re practically drooling. Then he remembered he didn’t like the tall one and, without showing any sign of thought or movement, on his orders, a hunter launched at the tall man. The hunter tore out the man’s throat with its clawed hand and then sat chewing on the chunk of flesh. Unless bitten by a hunter, a person didn’t immediately turn and the tall man wasn’t dead. He lay on his back where he fell, breathing raggedly while his blood spread beneath his head.

  With exaggerated politeness, he asked, ‘Anybody else want to meet my army?’ With their eyes wide with shock, the remaining two men shook their heads dumbly. Satisfied they would do as ordered, he said, ‘You have a man here called the Major. Go get him.’

  The short man replied anxiously, ‘He was in the prison. Won’t he be dead?’

  His rage launched and he roared, ‘Do I look fucking stupid to you?’

  The short man didn’t answer, instead he turned tail and ran straight for the prison. As he ran, a hunter took a running leap at his back, tearing into the short man’s spine as he fell under the weight of the hunter. The hunter proceeded to take its time with its meal while the short man tried to crawl away. His attempts to e
scape only made the hunter tear deeper into his spine until, although he was still alive, he could no longer move. Once the hunter had finished immobilizing its prey, it settled back onto its haunches and continued its meal for one.

  Dammit, he thought, at this rate I’ll have to go fetch that runt myself. Soothing his rage, he said calmly to the last man of the three left standing, ‘Go.’

  While he waited for the last man to return with the Major, he watched the hunters enjoying their prey. Neither man was dead yet, and he admired how the hunters kept their prey alive and their meal fresh. It’s a shame they’re so fucking stupid, he thought, otherwise I’d quite like them.

  Not soon enough for his liking, the last man returned with the Major. The Major was visibly shaking and, giving the two dying men a wide berth, he walked up to him and said worriedly, ‘You lookin’ for me?’

  Giving the Major a snake-like smile, he said dismissively, ‘Yes, and for fuck’s sake stop shaking. You and I have business to do.’

  ‘We err do?’ The Major replied nervously. ‘Cos I don’t know you.’

  Smiling even more widely, he replied silkily, ‘Everybody knows me. We have a common irritation. Do you remember the scarred man and his ugly little offcut?’

  His nervousness temporarily forgotten, the Major replied angrily, ‘Yeah, I remember those assholes. They attacked my base and killed most of my men.’

  ‘You’re going to help me fuck them up,’ he said bluntly.

  The Major looked around at the hunters standing idly in the field and on the road and asked, ‘Can you control these freaks?’

  Concluding the Major was equally as stupid as all the others, but at least he was short, he replied, ‘What do you think?’

  The Major pleased him by demonstrating at least a small amount of intelligence when he shrugged and said, ‘Whatever ya need. I hate those fuckin’ guys.’

  Smiling almost warmly at the Major, he said contentedly, ‘You and I are going on a cruise, my good man.’

  Hunter ruler: Are you here my dear? Do you hear me clear?

  Tessa speaks: I am here. Are you near?

  Hunter ruler: I’m on my way. I will not delay.

  Tessa speaks: Do you know where to seek? I fear we may not meet.

  Hunter ruler: I see your mind so very clear. You need not worry my little dear. How is that ship? Do you fear?

  Tessa speaks: They have no fear. The people here.

  Hunter ruler: What do they know? Foolish they are though. I’ll be with you soon. Then fear will boom.

  CHAPTER NINE: Carpet bombing isn’t nice (Gears)

  ‘Nelson! Good to see ya,’ he called cheerfully, and he felt his scarred face strain under his wide grin.

  Grabbing his hand, Nelson shook it vigorously and smiling widely, he said, ‘Gears! It’s been too long.’

  It was over two months since they fought the super hunter and the hunters it controlled at the Walmart. They each lost a man in that fight. Afterwards, they learned from Ip the super hunters didn’t die, but continued to follow them even after death. Nelson had about eighty people in his group. They survived by scavenging during the day and sleeping at night secured in a bank vault. Isaac, who Ip found at a CDC and was also able to kill the hunters, chose to stay with Nelson’s group after the attack at the Walmart. He could see having Isaac with them changed the dynamic and his people looked much happier and healthier than when he’d last seen them. Nelson’s group let them take some of the children and pregnant women with them to the ship where they had medical facilities and people were safe from hunters. Before he left the ship, he had one of the team take some clips of the people now staying with them on a tablet so, in addition to supplies, he brought good news as well.

  It was still early afternoon and he and Nelson were sitting on a bench outside the bank, watching as people were unloading supplies from the bird. Hatch and his trainee co-pilot were sitting at the controls ready to take flight once they were done. He knew Hatch and the winged Black Hawk were overworked, and he was relieved they’d found a helicopter engineer who could maintain the birds. In between his busy runs, Hatch was letting his co-pilots take the controls, but not of the winged Black Hawk. With its 1,300-mile reach, it was too valuable to put in the hands of barely trained pilots. He was briefing Nelson about how they met Captain Ted and the number of people out on the water.

  ‘Another three thousand people?’ Nelson asked incredulously.

  ‘Yeah, and all on boats,’ he replied. ‘I don’t think that’s all of ‘em either.’

  Nelson whistled in appreciation and said, ‘That’s impressive, Gears. You should be happy. You guys are really pulling this together.’

  ‘I dunno, Nelson,’ he said, sounding as worried as he felt. ‘I get the feelin’ we ain’t bottomed this out yet.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ Nelson asked curiously.

  He wasn’t sure what he meant. It felt like he had pieces of a puzzle that didn’t make up a complete picture and he said, ‘We got pieces that don’t fit. I get the virus and even the evolution of the virus. I understand the shamblers and their evolution into hunters. I even understand Ip. I can see how the designer virus created her and people like her and Isaac. I can even accept there’s some sorta hive mind between everyone who’s been infected by the virus.’

  ‘It’s the demons isn’t it?’ Nelson asked.

  ‘Exactly,’ he replied. ‘Ip seein’ the super hunters after they were killed don’t fit with the whole dynamic of this shit bein’ the result of a virus.’

  ‘Break it down, Gears,’ Nelson replied.

  Not understanding what Nelson was driving at, he asked, ‘Whatdaya mean?’

  ‘There are only three options,’ Nelson replied. ‘A scientist will tell you that it’s just one of the rules of physics. A psychologist will tell you it’s the visions of an emotionally damaged mind. A Christian will tell you it’s a demon and one of the Devil’s army. What you see is based on what you believe.’

  He trusted Nelson’s judgement. Nelson was a preacher before all this happened and his steadiness had a calming effect on everyone. Genuinely wanting to know, he asked, ‘What do ya believe, Nelson?’

  ‘I believe in God, Gears, and if there’s a God then there’s a Devil,’ Nelson replied simply.

  That argument didn’t really work for him and he sighed and said, ‘I dunno what I believe, and I know I don’t care, but I need to know what I’m fightin’, or I dunno how to fight it.’

  Nelson laughed and asked, ‘How can you say you don’t care? Don’t you want to know if there’s a God, science or just a bunch of crazy people?’

  ‘No,’ he replied simply. ‘I don’t see what difference it would make. I’ve always done what I believe is right. If it turns out I was wrong, then I didn’t mean any harm, I was just stupid, and if that puts me in hell, then I guess that’s where I’m goin’.’

  Shaking his head, Nelson laughed again and said, ‘That’s a practical take on the risk of eternal damnation.’

  Shrugging, he replied plainly, ‘I can’t plan for what I can’t see. I can only deal with what’s in front of me. The problem is, I dunno what’s in front of me. How do ya fight demons, Nelson?’

  ‘That’s the test for mankind,’ Nelson replied somberly. ‘If mankind is strong, then man will work together to stand up to the demons. If mankind is weak and, allows fear to rule and not faith, then mankind will be lost forever.’

  According to Nelson, it wasn’t up to him and he concluded all he could do was help people by giving them a fighting chance, but collectively man would decide if they had the strength to choose the righteous path.

  When he didn’t speak, Nelson continued, ‘This is the war man must have with the Devil and his demons. It’ll decide whether man is worthy of living on this earth.’

  ‘That’s the religious view, but what does science say?’ He asked.

  Nelson laughed again and replied, ‘I think you know the answer to that better than I do.’

&n
bsp; He wasn’t a man of science and he wasn’t sure he knew the answer. Remembering what Ian at the CDC, where Ip was infected, told them, he said, ‘The scientists at the CDC believe the virus is part of nature’s plan to create a step change in evolution. Accordin’ to them, we already had this virus from the get go and it was activated to change the dominant species. Like the dinosaurs were made extinct overnight, man will be too.’

  ‘Do you believe that?’ Nelson asked curiously.

  ‘I did until Ip was able to see the super hunter after we killed it,’ he replied candidly. ‘Now I dunno what’s goin’ on and, if I dunno what’s goin’ on, I can’t prepare for it ‘cos I dunno what I’m dealin’ with anymore.’

  Nelson pursed his lips and paused while they both watched the bird, now empty of supplies, take off to its next mission and then he said, ‘What if Ip isn’t seeing what she thinks she’s seeing?’

  Puzzled by this idea, he asked, ‘Whatdaya mean?’

  ‘Well her brain doesn’t work like ours,’ Nelson replied. ‘Maybe she’s seeing something, but her brain is interpreting it in a way she can understand it, and not how it truly is. To our knowledge, no one else has seen what she’s seeing, so we can’t validate it.’

  He hadn’t thought of that. He’d only recently been able to communicate clearly with Ip through Isaac and he still had limited insight into what was really going on in her mind. No one, including the scientists, knew enough about how Ip’s mind worked to know how she functioned mentally. He knew she was intelligent and understood them well, but that was still a narrow insight into her mind.

  ‘If that’s the case, then there ain’t any demons and I’m back with what I had,’ he replied. ‘Hunters and super hunters and I know how to kill them, which brings me to what I really wanna talk about. We need to build up our land forces. I’ve got three and half thousand people and more comin’. I wanna relocate the ones who can’t fight to the islands to grow fresh food. The rest of ‘em can’t stay on water and we’ll need to set up bases on land.’