Blood Hunter

by Debra Jess

  She turned away from the train to face the Neut, to make her stand with Scott at her back. "I've had dozens of people try to take me down over the last six months, including Division Six. They all failed."

  "I'm different."

  "They all say that."

  Stand-off. She wasn't moving off the platform. Scott turned with her now. He wasn't about to move either.

  "You think T-CASS is going to rescue you? The Committee figured you'd cause trouble. My crew is stationed all over Thunder City, waiting for you to reappear. We got paid a lot of cash do this job, and when we get paid, the job gets done."

  At least she had confirmation of his Neut status. She could see his own comm hooked to his jeans, just like Scott’s.

  The doors to the train opened. Passengers already on board exited, threading their way past the passengers waiting to board. It wouldn't take much for the Neut to shove Scott and Hannah into the flow of traffic and force them to move with it. From both sides, new passengers pressed against them, glaring at the obstruction the three of them created, wanting to get on board quickly. The mix of perfumes and aftershaves tickled her nose.

  Scott tugged on her shoulder, pulling her closer to the train, putting distance between them and the Neut. "Hannah and I are leaving Thunder City. Don't follow or you might end up like Miranda Dane's mercs."

  An invisible grip clamped around her, forcing her even closer to Scott, and yanked them closer to the Neut. Pain shot through her again. Scott's hand, trapped between the invisible force and her stomach, pressed into her guts, forcing the air she breathed up and out her body.

  "Now what are you going to do?" the Neut taunted. "You can't move."

  The Neut stepped back. Hannah could feel her feet lift off the platform, her toes pointed down reaching for the ground. Scott squirmed against her back trying to free himself. The passengers had finished boarding and the train's doors closed with a final thump. They had missed their chance.

  Hannah experimented with inhaling, trying to figure out how the Neut was holding them. Air dragged into her aching lungs. Telekinesis. The damned Neut kept smirking while he dragged both of them toward the edge of the platform.

  "Let me make this clear." There was her anger again, riding roughshod over her fear. "You might be able to stop me today, but then you'll be stuck in Thunder City with me."

  "Yeah, so?"

  Hannah nodded as much as she could toward one of the overhead screens still steaming news from the quarry. "I learned a lot from Miranda Dane about how to deal with people who get in my way. I know how to take down Alts when they least expect it. Do you really want to be at the top of my hit list?"

  Her heart pounded. The Neut paused to look at the streaming video on one of the overhead screens. Her feet hit the platform because the Neut broke his focus. The Neut watched her on the screen taking down Miranda's armed mercs while a giant mutant Alt rampaged.

  "Think about what you're doing. You're holding an Alt who was raised by a woman who spent her life not just murdering Alts, but torturing them. You're also holding Cory Blackwood, son of Captain Spectacular. What do you think she's going to do when she finds out you accepted a contract to attack her son?"

  The Neut turned away from the screen to look at her and Scott. "Captain Spec won't do anything. She's the one who created the laws in the first place."

  "Yeah," Scott said from behind her. "But she's married to Hack-Man. He doesn't play quite as nice as she does. You're a Neut. So is he. You play in his pool. Do you really think he's going to let you get away with this? If nothing else, you and your crew will never see another contract."

  Money talked, always. Another lesson she'd learned from Miranda. The Neut's face slackened, unsure. Maybe he had worked for Hack-Man at one time. Maybe he admired Captain Spectacular even though he didn't work for T-CASS. Without the telekinetic grip, Hannah could step away from Scott, draw a deep breath.

  "What are you doing?" Damn it. Johnson, his brown suit now sweat-soaked, pushed his way past the train crowd. "You're being paid to keep them from running. Keep them restrained." Johnson puffed his way onto the platform. "Division Six is surrounding the building."

  The invisible grip tightened again.

  "Let them go."

  Hannah had expected to see Thomas, but this voice sounded deeper, with an accent Hannah couldn't quite place. A tall man, in a much nicer suit than Johnson’s, with hair almost the same color as her own, approached, waving a piece of paper.

  "I have a court order overriding the Oversight Committee."

  The Neut looked back and forth between Johnson and the new guy, but didn't loosen his hold.

  Johnson tried to reach for the paper the other guy blew past Johnson, keeping the paper away from his grasp. He approached the Neut.

  "I'm Doctor McNamara. Chief Pathologist for Harbor Regional and Thunder City's Medical Examiner. Let go of Ms. Quinn and Mr. Grey now, or you will be the one arrested here."

  The Neut didn't obey, but looked over McNamara's shoulder at Johnson, who stomped over to McNamara.

  "I demand to see this order."

  McNamara gave the paper to Johnson.

  "How did you get this so fast?" Johnson demanded.

  McNamara didn't even bother to look at Johnson while he answered. Instead he looked at Hannah, scrutinizing her. "I was at the courthouse reporting for jury duty. I managed to get myself excused, and good thing too. You're not the only one who has lawyers at their beck and call. The judge has the authority to override the Committee and call for a hearing."

  Hannah's vision started to swim. If she couldn't take a deeper breath soon, she'd faint. She could still hear just fine, though. McNamara's argument sounded tenuous at best, but she was grateful for his interference.

  "This situation demands we keep these two separated and incarcerated until they can be trained or until Thunder City arrests them. Do you have any idea of what you've done?" Johnson demanded.

  "Stopped you from running roughshod over the values of this city? Yes, I'm quite well aware of what I've done. Hannah Quinn and Scott Grey will be protected."

  "They've broken the law," Johnson insisted.

  "That has yet to be determined. For now, they are free. A hearing will determine what is to be done with them." McNamara snatched the paper away from Johnson and handed it to the Neut.

  The Neut took the paper. After a moment of indecision, the harsh bond crushing her and Scott together loosened. Hannah groaned as her lungs expanded to their full capacity. Scott slipped his hand under her arms, keeping her upright, keeping her steady, his touch soothing her outrage.

  While the Neut read the order, Johnson pulled out his phone.

  "Division Six is receiving their orders from the Police Chief," McNamara said. "They won't support your attempt to arrest Ms. Quinn or Mr. Grey."

  Johnson swore and put his phone away. He tried to get closer to Hannah and Scott, but McNamara blocked him.

  "Don't you two even think about running." Johnson wagged a finger at her and Scott. "You've turned the safety of this city into a joke. There will be consequences." Then he turned toward the Neut. "You're fired."

  The Neut shrugged as he followed Johnson off the platform. "You paid in advance. No refunds."

  Johnson stomped toward the exit with the Neut shuffling behind him. Hannah didn't care.

  "Thank you," she tried to say, but her ribs contracted on the "thank" making "you" sound more like a wheeze. She leaned on Scott. Without her anger, all she had was her relief. It wasn't enough to keep her standing. Scott held her as she sat down right on the platform. The train had left the station during the showdown. The platform was empty except for a handful of stragglers. One or two gawked at her, but the rest were too busy with their phones. They probably had streamed the entire confrontation.

  "I need to get her home." Scott knelt next to her. McNamara did the same, close enough to talk to her, but not to touch her.

  "I can't touch you to take your pulse, so I'll have
to ask you a few questions." McNamara paused to turn his head to cough into the crook of his arm. She could hear the clink of what she assumed was a cough drop scraping his teeth. "Is your heart racing? Are you in severe pain? You don't have a history of seizures or asthma, do you? Are you taking any medications?"

  Hannah answered the questions as best she could. Her voice grew stronger as her heart rate decreased.

  "Unfortunately, I can't tell without a direct examination if you're more damaged now than you were before Telekis attacked. You still need to go to the clinic."

  Hannah swallowed, her throat still contracting around her voice. "Can you tell us what's going on? Why is this Johnson guy so determined to lock us up?"

  McNamara started to answer, but an announcement over the PA system drowned him out. Hannah noticed a new crowd of passengers waiting for the next train had given her and Scott a wide berth.

  McNamara tried again. "How about I give you two a ride to the clinic? There are others better versed in the law than I am."

  Hannah looked up at Scott.

  He shrugged. "Can you promise Johnson won't try to lock us up again? We were supposed to go to the clinic in the first place."

  "I'll stake my reputation on it." McNamara stood while Scott helped her to stand. Her legs still quivered like jelly, but she could breathe as deeply as she needed. "Johnson will have to wait for the hearing to be scheduled before he can challenge the court. It will take a couple of days at least."

  Hannah could only nod at this point, her energy gone, and her voice along with it. She accepted McNamara's promise, but her thoughts already raced ahead about how to escape Thunder City once again. McNamara couldn't promise that Johnson wouldn't return to court and prevail, and she hadn't survived the quarry raid to be locked up by an egomaniacal doctor. Next time she ran, if she had to run, she would have Scott with her, and that would require extra planning.

  The three of them weaved their way around the crowded platform and headed toward the exit. She'd already been to the clinic once, but she hadn't looked at it with the eyes of someone who would have to escape. She wouldn't make that mistake a second time.

  "How is Hannah?" Thomas asked over the phone.

  Scott paced along the clinic's hallway, his hands back in gloves provided for him and Hannah by Doctor McNamara. He pressed the phone closer to his ear and let Thomas's calm voice soothe his nerves.

  "The clinic rushed her into X-Ray. She's in an exam room now, waiting for the results."

  "Where are you?" his father asked.

  Scott could hear muted voices in the background. Where was Thomas? "Outside the exam room. They brought us to the second floor to keep us away from the press. There's a crowd gathering outside the hospital next door. If the reporters manage to bypass hospital security, they won't find her right away. Where are you?"

  "Downtown at the courthouse. Joanna's with me. We're waiting to schedule the hearing for you and Hannah. We want both of you at the same hearing, no splitting you up. We also need to counter any roadblocks Johnson builds."

  Scott remembered Joanna Culp, Thomas's personal lawyer. She was a shark born in the twin fires of cybersecurity and human rights law. She hadn't handled Scott's adoption by Thomas directly, but she was always in the background, reviewing every piece of paper before Thomas signed.

  "Tell her I said hi." Scott doubted Joanna would care if he said hi or not, but Thomas had raised him to be polite when it mattered. Staying on Joanna's good side mattered. "What about me and Hannah? Where should we go after this? I don't think Hannah will have to stay overnight in the clinic or in the hospital."

  He could hear Joanna's voice in the background. Thomas paused before he said, "I think it would be best if you stayed in the penthouse for now, with Hannah staying at the estate. Even if we get the hearing scheduled soon, we can't change the law, and Johnson is looking for any excuse to separate you two. I'm sorry, Scott. I know this is overkill, but let's try not to exacerbate the problem. You two can still communicate, but being seen together, even completely covered and wearing gloves, is going to be provocative for the next couple of weeks."

  Scott nodded, but realized Thomas couldn't see him. "Okay. I'll call Garrett and arrange for him to move my stuff to the penthouse." Not that he had much. Some clothing and a few personal items. Everything else he owned was still back in Star Haven. Another thought occurred to him. "What do you know about Thunder City's Medical Examiner? A guy named McNamara?"

  Another pause. "Not much. I've met him at a few charity events. He's been here quite a while, though he got his degree elsewhere. Good man. Does his job. Stays out of the politics as best he can. I trust him."

  Thomas trusted him. That should have been all Scott needed to hear, but it didn't settle his uneasy feeling about why McNamara had gone to such lengths to help them. The pathologist had brought them to the clinic, used his status to get Hannah seen right away, then apologized before he returned to the hospital. Before he left he'd handed Hannah two cards.

  Call me before you leave the clinic. I have a few questions I need to ask you. Here is my business card and a security key. I'll give you directions on how to use the security key to get to my office when you call.

  He'd wanted to speak to Hannah, not to Scott. That much had been clear. "He seems to be on Hannah's side. Can't figure out his angle, though."

  "I think I have an idea of what he wants — "

  Scott could hear Joanna's voice again, cutting off whatever Thomas was going to say.

  "The judge wants to see us," Thomas said, talking faster. "I'll call you later. Go to the penthouse and wait for me. Catherine and the twins are on their way back to Thunder City. Don't worry too much about McNamara."

  Scott slipped the phone back into his pocket. Catherine, Evan, and Alek were flying back to Thunder City. Catherine wouldn't have left the quarry unless she was convinced that T-CASS had it secured from any meddling from Star Haven. Before the quarry raid, Scott wouldn't have been so relieved at knowing he would see his mother again.

  The exam room door opened. Hannah stepped out looking better than she had at the train station, her eyes more clear and sharp and her dark red hair pulled back into a knot at her neck. Scott fought the urge to pull her into a kiss, an urge he noticed she fought too as she walked into his personal space, but then glanced over her shoulder at the doctor who had followed her out of the room.

  "She'll be fine," the woman in the white coat said. "Doctor Rao's examination was on the spot. A few bruised ribs, but those will heal along with the contusions on her face. Nothing requires a hospital stay. Do you have any questions?"

  Hannah shook her head. "No, I don't have any questions."

  The doctor nodded. "Call if you notice swelling or have difficulty breathing. No exercise or lifting heavy objects. Do make another appointment, though, for next week. There will be a prescription for a painkiller at the front desk you can pick up before you leave." The doctor hesitated. "You won't want to leave through the front door, though. In fact, you might want to call security to escort you to your ride."

  "Why?" Hannah asked.

  Before Scott could tell her about the crowd out front, the doctor pulled her phone out of her pocket and turned on the streaming news app. "We've been expecting something like this ever since the news about the quarry broke."

  On the phone's screen both Scott and Hannah could see a crowd gathered there. Hospital security stood at the entrance. Neither side engaged the other, and the volume was turned off, but even without the sound, Scott could see the crowd was agitated.

  "Why were you expecting this?" Scott asked.

  "A new Alt in town is always exciting." The doctor slipped the phone back into her pocket. "We always take extra precautions when they're brought here for their first exam. But an Alt that can heal almost instantaneously — "

  The nightmare he'd been fearing since he'd met Hannah had started. Decisions had to be made. Who would have access to Hannah's ability and when? What would t
he citizens of Thunder City think about Johnson restricting their access to Hannah? Scott filed away a few ideas for later examination.

  "We'll take the skyway on the fourth floor to the garage first, then over to the hospital."

  The doctor nodded, satisfied. "If you'll excuse me, I have another patient I have to see."

  She rushed off.

  Hannah sighed and started walking toward the far end of the hallway, toward the elevators, while placing Catherine's beach hat back on her head. Scott followed, his hands behind his back. Thomas's security firm handled the hospital and clinic. Scott knew there were eyes everywhere.

  "What did Thomas say while I was in X-Ray?" she asked.

  "Nothing we couldn't predict. He's at the courthouse, scheduling our hearing. I'm going to stay at the penthouse, while you stay at the estate."

  Hannah nodded, her head down, her sadness obvious, but not surprised. "What about your clothes and stuff? How will you get there?"

  "Garrett can pack everything I have in an overnight bag. He'll pick me up here." It dawned on Scott that Garrett would have to deal with the crowds forming outside. "I'll have him come to the fourth floor of the garage and pick me up there."

  "Lucky for you it's on our way."

  "I think I should bring you to McNamara's office, then double back."

  Hannah was already shaking her head. "No one in the hospital is going to hurt me, even if they recognize me under this." She flicked a finger under the hat's brim. "Security is going to be extra vigilant and Johnson's probably at the courthouse trying to stop Thomas. I'll go straight to McNamara's office. He'll take me back to the estate later today or I'll have someone else pick me up."