The Hunters Rage

by Elizabeth N Harris

  “Need to know you’re safe.”

  “Of course, I am. Santos has yet to hit me anywhere and meanwhile I’ve cost him millions. Asshole has no chance against Akemi or me.”

  “Or the rest of your people?” Ace asked, his tone curious and eyes searching mine. I decided to give him something.

  “Or against the rest of my people.” I confirmed. Ace’s body relaxed, and I hadn’t realised he’d been so tense.

  “At least you’ve someone at your back.” Ace muttered. I lifted myself up onto his chest.

  “Ace, I’m not alone. I’ve my people, and there’re more I can call upon if I need too. Although Rapid City will quickly resemble a war zone if I made those calls. They ain’t all stable.” I stressed to him. Ace’s beautiful eyes stared into mine. Worry and doubt in them.

  “Know that. Hawthorne thinks he found stuff on you.” I stiffened. There shouldn't be information on me for public consumption. Nothing on any of us. If so, Master Hoshi had a leak.

  “On me?”

  “You’re not named. Hawthorne looked for a pattern, and his girl found one. It’s nothing conclusive. A merc team. One who does daring rescues, like the one in Belize which took out a mercenary camp holding two young teens’ hostage. A team infiltrated them and killed every single one of them rescuing the two girls.” Yeah, that had been me, Akemi, Angel, Butch and Simone.

  “Really?” I asked dissembling.

  “A lone assassin who took out a high-ranking Isis general. A second lone assassin who stormed a compound where women and children were being held hostage by a religious fanatic. Disarmed the bombs and brought down the fucker.

  A team who went into Afghan after four soldiers, who were being held hostage in a camp of fifty terrorists. They killed every one of them, rescuing the hostages. A second similar incident in Afghan and a third which took out a weapon depo. A lone merc who boarded a ship being held by pirates and brought them low, rescuing over one hundred hostages.” Ace stopped speaking and looked at me.

  “A woman on a rescue in Germany and was shot in her back, but picked herself up and killed the shooter and then rescued a royal baby.” Ace’s hand slid up my back and hovered over a bullet wound between my shoulders. I looked at him. Some of those missions were mine and my teams. Some weren’t, but I’d knowledge of them. I couldn’t tell Ace.

  “Seems a lot of rumours abounding.” I whispered.

  “You’re better trained than a seal or marine or even delta force.” Ace muttered. I gave Ace a slight nod, wanting to reassure him.

  “Do what I need to Ace. It’s been over ten years. Won’t stop being who I am.”

  “You’re Kayleigh Mitchell.” Ace muttered. I shook my head and got up off him. Quickly, I dragged on my clothes and looked at Ace.

  “I’m Artemis, Ace. Please start getting your head around that. Kayleigh Mitchell died on the operating table and never came back. Please,” I sat on the bed next to Ace and grasped his hand.

  “Please understand that Kayleigh’s dead. I’m what arose from her ashes. Ace, you need to mourn Kayleigh, now the truth is out. But don’t search for Kayleigh in me. Stop looking for Kayleigh in me. If you can’t stop, we can’t see each other. I can give you this. I enjoy this, don’t want more.”

  “Sex?”

  “Yeah and our kids. Don’t ask me for more.” I stroked Ace’s face and then like the ghost I was, I left his room.

  ◆◆◆

  Ace lay back on his bed, confused. Artemis hadn’t admitted to any of the missions, but he’d seen recognition of all of them. He’d touched the bullet wound between Artemis’s shoulders. Ace guessed that Master Hoshi had found and trained her. They’d pieced together that information. Akemi played a part too. Whoever the rest of her team were, Rage was clueless.

  Ace was beginning to believe that whatever this was that Master Hoshi had built far extended beyond Artemis and her team. No matter how deep they dug, they came up with little evidence. But stories abounded in Italy, France, the UK, Germany and several other countries of teams similar to Artemis’s.

  Ace believed Master Hoshi had removed every scar possible from Artemis’s body. Those left were ones she’d earned since. The wicked machete slash across her back, the scar on her stomach. Artemis kept them for a reason.

  Ace suspected that whatever Master Hoshi had built, it was worldwide. Not limited to Japan and America. Rage and Hawthorne suspected Master Hoshi was behind Revenge. From Revenge, teams had formed who were behind these stories. Artemis ran the American team. The woman he loved was part of something huge, and Ace didn’t understand what it was. The question now remained, could Ace live with it and take what she’d give him?

  ◆◆◆

  I ran across the path and burst into the office. I’d received the SOS from Buzz while on my morning run, and I’d stopped jogging and sprinted the whole way back. Buzz was looking worried.

  “Who?” I asked seeing Butch and Simone moving and Nigel with an earpiece.

  “Angel. The job was a setup. Santos has him. Info coming in now.” Buzz said gathering paper together.

  “How the fuck did we miss a setup?” I snarled.

  “Seems the money owed to Santos was genuine, and they used it to trap you. Instead, they got Angel. We’ve a call coming in from Santos now.” Buzz threw me a phone, and I hit answer.

  “Hello?” I said calmly although sweat dripped down my back.

  “Well, it seems I set a trap to catch a whale, and I caught a minnow instead.” Santos gloated.

  “Not sure I enjoy being called a whale but carry on.” I said, keeping my voice calm. Santos grunted, and then a wheeze echoed on the line.

  “Hear that? Wonder what it takes to make your man cry out?” Angel would never cry out. Never.

  “My man?” I asked, aiming for confusion.

  “The job was aimed at you and lo-and-behold this asshole walks into my trap. You’ve an hour to turn yourself in at my new offices, or I chop parts off your boy.” Santos hung up.

  “Word is out on the street Santos has someone you work with, in his clutches.” Nigel said, hanging up the phone.

  “Ready to move.” Butch said snapping a knife into its holder.

  “How far out is Kristoff?” I asked.

  “Not in the state.” Buzz confirmed.

  “Akemi?”

  “Here.” Akemi said from behind, dressed in dark mottled clothing and armed to the teeth. Akemi’s Katana was slung across his back. I began stripping out of my shorts and tee and pulling on combat gear. Arming myself, I turned to Buzz.

  “Tracker?”

  “It’s active. Angel is here.” Buzz pointed at a map on his computer screen, and I saw the small red dot remaining static. Not Santos’s new offices, but somewhere remote near the edge of Rapid City.

  “Give me directions on the way. Buzz guard the twins.” I ordered and left the cabin ahead of everyone else.

  ◆◆◆

  “Santos has one of Artemis people.” Hawthorne said urgently as he strode into the clubhouse. Apache looked up and nodded his head.

  “Do we know who?” Apache asked, walking into the inner sanctum. Hawthorne close on his heels.

  “No. Only info is it’s not her or Akemi. Word has reached RCPD, they’re organising. This is gonna get bloody. The woman will create rivers of blood.”

  “Any leads on where?” Drake asked, catching the end of the conversation.

  “Fuckin’ none. Santos is promising a video of him taking Artemis out.” Hawthorne cursed. “Usual places are empty. Santos has taken this guy off the grid, and we can’t get a track on where.”

  “It’ll be heavily defended. Got a lock on Santos’s people?” Apache asked, his brow furrowing.

  “I’ve every ear to the ground I can get. Get your brothers out there.” Hawthorne said, and Drake nodded as he replied.

  “Mine are mobilised. Why you think no one’s here? Got word half an hour ago.”

  “Artemis is gonna go after him.” Hawthorne sa
id. Drake nodded in agreement. “It’ll be a trap.” He stated the obvious.

  “Oh, Artemis will trigger it. She’ll walk right in and go in firing.” Drake mused. Drake’s phone rang, and he picked it up.

  “Brother, got word of a large gatherin’ in an abandoned warehouse on Mount Rushmore Rd, near Carton Blvd, informant has seen groups of armed people entering.” Texas said. “We’re heading there.” Drake rose to his feet.

  “You hear that?” Drake asked Apache and Hawthorne. They nodded and followed Drake out.

  ◆◆◆

  I looked at the abandoned warehouse and saw movement on the roof. Counted three people, I spied a fourth hiding. Akemi was drifting through the surrounding trees looking for ground guards. Akemi signalled six. I listened to him mutter directions to Simone and then silence. Minutes later Akemi whispered he’d taken care of four of them.

  Simone, a minute after Akemi, whispered she had taken care of hers. The fact there was no noise meant they’d had slit their throats. Easy enough to keep quiet. I signalled Butch who was waiting for me and Butch took aim and fired the first two shots, Akemi fired the next two.

  The shots were silenced so no one would be alerted inside. Four targets went down. We split up and headed in the directions we’d chosen. I planned to go in the front but not directly.

  Creeping up towards the front door, a shadow outside the poorly lit open door in front of me, moved. I took aim and shot through the broken window, and the body fell. Silencers on our weapons meant the only sound was a soft whuff as I fired, and then the body hitting the floor. I peeked around the open door and drew my head back just as quick.

  I glanced towards the trees surrounding us and Akemi signed that there was three waiting for me. Going in low and firing, I hit two before I’d finished entering. Dropped into a roll and aimed at the third who was firing.

  A sharp sting in my arm and Akemi dropped the fucker with a headshot. I clicked twice on the microphone that was collared to my throat signalling I was clear. A shadow entered behind me and Simone had joined the fight and headed left. I waited, and Akemi appeared from the shadows giving me the all-clear. Butch followed Simone.

  Akemi and I moved right, finding two more guards. I took the first from behind, my hand slammed across his mouth before he could call out. My knife slit his throat as his hands moved to pull mine away. He sagged against my body, forcing me a step backwards, and I allowed his body to drop. Amateur move trying to remove my hands. Duh.

  I sank back into the shadows and heard a slight scuffle and then Akemi was behind me. Akemi having taken care of the second guard as I knew he would. Remaining hidden, we watched two more of Santos’s soldiers walk past and taking aim, I threw a knife in the back of one’s neck. Perfect throw.

  He staggered, and his companion turned and took my second knife in his throat. They both made gurgling noises and hit the ground. Akemi rolled his eyes at me, and I grinned. Two clicks on the radio and the Butch’s voice came low into my earpiece.

  “Ground floor and perimeter clear on the South and West sides. Holding position.” I gave a click back as an acknowledgement and kept heading inwards. Once we had secured the North and east side of the bottom floor of the warehouse, I headed upstairs. Akemi on my heels. I signalled Akemi to go left again, and we made our rounds. I encountered five more of Santos’s men and five more fell.

  “First floor clear, minimal resistance. Heading up to the second floor.” I whispered into the mic. Three sets of a single click returned. Akemi passed me by, his Katana held in position and dripping with blood. Akemi slammed a hand up and pointed at the floor, and we saw a tripwire.

  Santos had set either traps or alarm’s up. I followed the wire and saw it tied to a sawn-off shotgun. Traps then. Akemi whispered into his mic, warning Simone and Butch and we carried on. Together we dodged several more tripwires and took out three more men. It astounded me that Santos would throw away lives so easily.

  Shots were fired and then silence. A man’s groan echoed through the warehouse, and I clicked once and received the okay back. It wasn’t Butch groaning.

  “Artemis come out.” Santos shouted. I motioned to Akemi to go right, and I made my way left, keeping to the shadows.

  Sounds of a scuffle reached my ears and then a second man groaned and then a high-pitched yelp. Akemi clicked, and I relaxed. I crept forward and hiding behind a half-demolished wall, I saw Angel hanging from chains in the ceiling. Angel’s arms tied taut above his head and feet not touching the ground.

  I took stock. Angel’s face was bruised, and blood dripped from his cheek. His shirt had been ripped open, and I could see bruising to his torso. Angel’s head hung limply, but I saw a finger tap a sequence, and I knew Angel was awake and alert. Angel’s legs hung loosely, not tied. Shit, Santos was a thick prick.

  To either side of him stood two men both armed with shotguns aimed at Angel. A man stood behind Angel with a third shotgun aimed at him. Santos sat dressed impeccably on a chair in front of him.

  “Status.” I whispered into the mic.

  “In position back.” Simone whispered back.

  “In position left.” Butch replied.

  “In position right.” Akemi whispered.

  “Affirmative.” I confirmed and then strode forward into the bright light that lit the centre of the warehouse. Angel twitched his fingers three times, and I waited as three more men came out of the shadows.

  “Six men? I’m insulted.” I told Santos, my guns and knives holstered. My arms hung by my sides. A guy held a camera and began filming.

  “There’s more bitch.” Santos sneered.

  “Not anymore.” I grinned back. Santos frowned and then nodded to one of his guys who lifted a radio to his mouth and spoke into it. Silence met him, he demanded an answer and again received none. He radioed a second man, no answer, I grinned.

  “They’re dead.” I informed Santos. Santos lifted his gaze to me, and I saw doubt cross his face.

  “There are thirty-three men out there.” The guy with the radio muttered paling. He lifted a gun in my direction.

  “Was. Now there are thirty-three corpses.” I looked over as Santos began to clap. The sound echoed through the vastness of the warehouse.

  “We could have been a force together.” Santos said, secure that he was safe.

  “Never. I’d never work with scum like you.” I told him. Santos’s eyes narrowed.

  “Not now certainly. You attempted to make a fool of me, and you cost me a lot of money. It is a shame it came to this.” Santos said, looking over his shoulder, and I stared at the man filming us. I sent him a terrifying grin, and the man blanched.

  “Your mistake was attempting to send me after an innocent man. When have I brought in an innocent? You’ve paid with money, goods, your reputation and now the lives of your men.” I turned my gaze to those watching. “Give you one chance, leave now or die. It matters little either way to me.” I said with a chill in my voice.

  “You’re outgunned. Remove your balaclava Artemis, I wish to see the face of the woman I’m about to kill.” Santos sneered, and I sighed and then looked at the asshole.

  “Was outgunned by thirty-three assholes and yet here I stand. Let my man leave, it’s your last chance. You can see my face when I’m dead, of course, you’ll be dead before me.” Santos threw his head back and laughed, and as Santos did, I sliced at my throat and moved.

  Knives flew out of the darkness, and three men fell. The fourth stumbled back towards Angel, who lifted his legs and snapped them around the man’s throat. The man gasped and clutched at Angel's legs, but to no avail, Angel had a lock on him. He choked the man out and let him drop to the ground. The cameraman dropped the camera and fled.

  I dived at Santos and knocked him out of the chair, trusting the others to watch my back. Asshole got a punch off at my face, and it connected. My head snapped back, and I sprang and head-butted him. Santos howled, and one hand flew towards his face. His second hand shoved at my ribs, and
I felt a slice down them. Santos had a knife jammed in and was pulling it downwards.

  I leant forward dislodging the knife and kneed him in the balls at the same time. I put my elbow up, as his hand with the knife flew towards my face, despite him screaming in pain. With a twist, I blocked his arm and jabbed Santos in the throat. Santos began choking. Fight over. I rolled off him and leapt to my feet and kicked Santos in the head as Angel heaved himself up the chains and unhooked himself.

  “Took your time.” Angel muttered bent over. Angel straightened painfully and walked over to Santos. He unleashed a mighty kick which lifted the man off the floor and made him roll. Pissed as hell Angel stamped on Santos's knee causing the man to scream and choke again.

  “Got here as soon as I could.” I said, putting my hand on his shoulder and making Angel stop. I ran my hands over his body, searching for any life-threatening wounds. Angel stood still and let me complete my check. I patted his cheek, and he gave me a wink.

  Santos and one of his men were crawling away, Santos still choking. The guy turned, and I spied a machine gun and dived out of the way as the gun opened fire. Out of the corner of my eye, Akemi took Angel down and covered his body. I rolled and kept rolling as bullets hit the gravel near me and I pulled my weapon.

  The gun stopped firing, and I looked up and saw Santos and his one remaining soldier had fled. I wavered for a minute whether to give chase but tossed the idea away. We’d discovered several traps, who was to say there wasn’t more? They’d move quicker than me knowing where traps were. Angel was my priority now.

  Butch had hold of Angel, Angel’s arm slung around his neck. Angel was suffering. My check had found broken ribs for a start, not life-threatening but painful for him. Yeah, my man was a priority. Santos would pay in blood after tonight.

  “Get Angel out of here.” I said. Simone led the way, and Butch followed.

  “You’re hit.” Akemi said. I breathed through the pain in my ribs caused by the knife and needed to check the wound.