aHunter4Rescue (aHunter4Hire) (6 page)

Ardal
held up the device he had pushed into her face the night before. She’d thought
it was a phone. Obviously it was much more, probably a mini-computer or
something. It was definitely evidence of the advanced technology that Ardal and
his men must have access to. What else were they hiding? Did it matter, though?
Soon she’d be on the run again. First, she had to deal with the injured men.

Fiona
straightened her shoulders. “We have to get you and your men hidden. It’s been
over twelve hours since you landed. Soon the military and police will have narrowed
their search. If Clyde and Marshall saw something, you can believe others did.”

“We
hit something upon entry. Half of our craft was missing when we cleaned up.”
Ardal’s voice was matter of fact. “There are two crash sites. They are wasting
their time with the first site.”

There
was no point in speculating how he knew this. “How much time before they find
you?”

“Two
hours, maybe less.”

Fiona
bit her lip. She knew how to hide one person, but there were over one hundred
men here, some with serious injuries. She only had the one vehicle and it held
four in the cab. You might be able to squeeze another ten in the box, but that
would get noticed on the highway.

“How
do I hide so many?” Fiona whispered her thought aloud.

“You
do not do anything.” Ardal’s voice was severe. “The site is cleaned and the
evidence of our crash is gone. I have made plans for my men.”

That
left only her to worry about. Fiona’s heart began to race. She had to make
plans before the panic set in and made it impossible to think. She pushed her
hair off her face. She had to hide. She had an emergency kit readied as she’d
been trained. Now she needed to consider where to go.

“We
will protect you.” Ardal had left the chair and was now crouched in front of
her. “You must not fear.”

Fiona
started to laugh, a hysterical, uncontrollable imitation of a laugh. “You can’t
protect me. Don’t you understand?”

“We
are Hunters. We can do many things.”

“I’m
sure you can, but you don’t know David.”

Flashes
of memory flitted through her mind. He was one of the senior residents at the
hospital where she had done her first internship. She had been flattered and
naïve. Too many years of focusing on school had kept her isolated. She seldom
dated and when David had first approached her, she had thought it was a fairy
tale.

He
was good looking and charming, but that had changed after the first couple of
dates. He had been way too serious, demanding that she only see him. She had
refused and said that she was too young. She had years of schooling ahead of
her before she could consider a serious relationship.

That
was the first time he had beat her.

She
had barely escaped alive.

A
gentle shake brought her out of her memories. Fiona shuddered, unable to focus
on the man in front of her. “You can’t know the horror of it.”

“Tell
me.” His voice was a whisper.

“I
fought him, but he was stronger. I couldn’t escape. He took and took until
there was nothing left of me. I’d rather die than go through that again.”

“This
monster still lives?”

Ardal’s
voice broke through her trance. “I’ll have to contact the Women’s Underground
Network.” Fiona stood up and started for the door. “The sooner I leave, the
better chance I’ll have of not being found.”

Ardal’s
hand shot out and pressed against the door before she could open it. “We have
caused this. We will fix it.”

Fiona
opened her mouth to protest when Ardal put his finger against her lips. The
world went silent. There was only the two of them. Fiona usually shrank away
from a man’s touch, but instead of revulsion, she felt a strange comfort. A
sense of belonging and safety seeped through every pore in her body.

“You
are my responsibility now.” Ardal’s voice held a reverence, his words a vow. “I
will protect you until my death.”

Fiona
couldn’t tear her eyes away from his. There was a fire deep within, turning his
obsidian eyes molten. Warmth filled her, releasing the tension of the last year
of running. She believed him. He would protect her. She leaned into him.

“What
happens when he finds me?”

“He
will never touch you again.” Ardal put his arms around her, hugging her close
to his pounding heart.

No
revulsion in this man’s arms, only peace. Fiona shivered and pushed away. What
was she thinking? She’d almost been lulled by the fairy tale again. They didn’t
exist. Ardal was a man, even if he was an alien. It was dangerous to let her
defenses down around men.

“You
do not trust yet.” Ardal opened the door and let her pass through before him.
“It must be earned.”

The
living room was a hive of activity. The men were up and moving, even the
injured. “What’s going on?”

“We
are ready to leave.”

Just
like that. No goodbyes, no thanks you. Her world was turned upside down and
they were leaving. Fiona bit her lip and forced her voice to remain calm.
“Where are you going?”

“We
do not want the military to find us.” Ardal nodded at a couple of the men who
were handing out revolver-like weapons. “My men will disperse and when it is
safe we will meet up again.”

“How
will you keep in touch?” Fiona walked over to the sideboard in her kitchen.
“What about food. You haven’t eaten anything since you arrived. Your men will
need food to keep them healthy.”

“We
have eaten.” One of Ardal’s men gave him a small piece of meat and he handed it
to her. “Here.”

Fiona
sniffed at it before putting it in her mouth.
“Moose?”

“It
was a large black animal.” Ardal took another piece from his man and ate it
before reaching into a bowl of berries and bringing some out to show Fiona.
“Are these safe to eat.”

Fiona
took one from his hand and smiled. “These are blackberries. They are very safe
and very good. You might have to fight off the bears for them, though.”

“Describe
bear.”

“It’s
a big furry creature. Sometimes walks on two legs and loves berries.” Fiona
reached for more blackberries. “They’ll attack, though.”

“We
are Hunters. No animal is a problem for us.”

Fiona
shrugged her shoulders. Let them find out for themselves that bears and wolves
were not meant to be tangled with. She’d done her best to warn them.

“What
are you planning?”

“We
will walk out of this area.”

Fiona
choked on a berry that got caught in her throat when she’d started to laugh.
“Do you know where you are?”

“No.
Our guidance systems went down before the crash. Our individual instruments are
unable to locate us.” Ardal held up the small device. “Do your people have
mapping systems?”

“We
have maps. Do you want to see one?”

“It
would be most useful.”

Fiona
went to the bookshelf and pulled out a small atlas and then a map of Ontario.
She spread them on the kitchen table and the men gathered around. Ardal aimed
his small device at the map she opened up and then clicked something.

She
found Limer and pointed to it on the map. “This is us. We’re about seventeen
miles away from Wawa. That’s the closest place for supplies.”

“You
drive there in your vehicle?”

“Yes.”
Fiona flipped the map and pointed to a more southerly area. “This is where most
of the people live. You’re lucky you didn’t crash here. There would have been no
hiding a UFO.”

“What
is that?”

“It’s
an unidentified flying object.” Fiona gave him a crooked smile. “As crazy as it
sounds, tons of people think that UFO’s, or aliens are constantly visiting
Earth.”

“We
have never been here before.”

Fiona
shrugged. “All I know is that a lot of people believe in these things and once
there’s a hint that one’s crashed, they’re all over it.”

Ardal
frowned. “Explain.”

“It’s
not just the military you have to worry about. Ordinary people follow crashes
of supposed spacecraft.” Fiona shivered at the thought of crazy people in RV’s
roaming her fields, looking for evidence of extraterrestrial life forms. “It
would be a nightmare.

Ardal
crossed his arms over his chest. “Where is it best to hide?”

“I’d
suggest someplace where you can blend in.” Fiona moved her finger on the map
until she’d reached its southerly point.
“A large city like
Toronto.”

“How
do we get there?”

“Driving
is the only way.” Fiona folded the map and opened the atlas to a map of the
world. “You crashed in Canada.” She pointed to the country and then her finger
moved south. “This is the United States. Right now, they’re the most powerful
nation in the world. You can bet that they know you’re here.”

“What
will they do?”

“They’ll
destroy you.” Fiona lowered her voice to a whisper. “They have a lot of
advanced technology. If they think that you’re a threat, they won’t hesitate to
cross the border.”

“We
are more advanced.” Ardal’s words were a statement. “We can evade them if we
know what to anticipate.”

“Expect
mass hysteria if it ever comes out that you’re from another planet.” Fiona
clasped her arms around her abdomen. “Most people don’t believe in aliens.”

“Believing
has nothing to do with reality.” Ardal looked at the map of the world. “Explain
these areas.”

Fiona
gave him a quick version of world history. Ardal and his men were frowning when
she’d finished. “What?”

“You
have a violent history.” There was no condemnation in Ardal’s words. “We
understand this.”

“You
mean because you’re soldiers?”

“We
are Hunters. We are the elite warriors.” Pride shone through Ardal’s words. “We
are the ones sent in to fix the messes of others, or to make sure that nothing
begins. We hunt and we kill.”

“So
you’ll be at home here. Why doesn’t that comfort me?”

She
already lived in a world of chaos. She didn’t want to think that she’d
contributed to it becoming even crazier. What if they decided to go on a
killing spree? If they were as deadly as they claimed, how many innocent humans
would be killed? Protecting them might not be such a good idea.

“You
worry we will be dangerous. There is no need. We fight with honor.”

“How
does that make a difference?”

“Most
people fight to gain something, or for power. That is not our reason.”

“It
might be if you hope to live on this planet.” Fiona’s heart sank. These men
would not last long without a means of support. How could they possibly blend
into western society?

“We
will find a way.” Ardal motioned for his men to gather closer. “Our services
are always needed.”

“That’s
what I’m afraid of,” Fiona muttered under her breath. She watched Ardal gather
his men in groups of two and three before turning back to her.

“Is
this city of Toronto a good place to meet together?”

“It’s
big enough that your men will get lost in the crowds.” Fiona shrugged. “If you
want true anonymity, then I would suggest a larger city in the United States
like New York.”

“We
will gather in Toronto first.” Ardal turned back to his men. “It is decided. I
will give each of you a direction and you will follow that trail for a week,
cover your tracks, and then turn south.”

Fiona
went and sat on the couch. There was no point in interfering with these men’s
plans. She had to make decisions about her own life. She’d put a call into the
Women’s Underground and ask advice. She couldn’t risk David finding her. If she
had to move on, so be it. She’d done it before. She could do it again.

Once
Ardal left the house, she pulled out her emergency gear and rifled through it
for her contact Beatrice’s telephone number. There was no answer. She dialed
the main office’s number and again no answer, but this time an answering
machine connected. She left a brief message about her situation, leaving out
all details of the men who’d landed on her fields. She just said that there was
probably going to be publicity in the area.

All
that was left for her to do was wait.

Too
nervous to sit, she cleaned up the evidence of her visitors. Still too restless
to sit, she flicked on the radio. The announcer’s voice shot through her like a
knife.

“Giant
fireball tracked over the northern skies last night.”

This
planet, Earth, was similar to where he had been bred and trained, Beligia. It
was an outer moon of a large planet in the same solar system as Cygnus. Cygnus was
barren of trees and the atmosphere artificially maintained because it had been
destroyed eons ago. Here each breath he took filled his lungs with energy. To
gaze at the trees gave him joy. This would be a good planet to stay on.

Everywhere
he looked there were lush greens and blue sky. Where the ship had crashed there
had been a pond with clear water in it. Water had been one of the first things
to be depleted after the ancient destructions. Now it was imported from other
planets. To bathe in water was a luxury that only the elite of Cygnus were
afforded. There weren’t as many people here, either. That was a good thing.
Fewer people meant fewer witnesses.

That
meant less people to kill.

It
was his duty to keep his men safe and Fiona protected. He had left her sitting
on the couch, frowning. She did not believe he would protect her. In time, she
would learn to trust the word of a Hunter. For now he must focus on his men.

“We
need to disperse. Darrogh and his men have cleaned up the debris.” Ardal handed
the first group of Hunters his personal reader and they took the map from it
and downloaded onto theirs before passing it to the others.

As
the last man finished, Darrogh and his crew drove in from the field. They stood
at attention and waited for Ardal’s signal before giving their report.

“There
was very little salvageable. We gathered the useable clothing and weapons.”

Ardal
pointed to the rear of the truck. “Each group take what you need. You have your
orders. Firbin and Jehon stay with me.”

They
would obey. If there was a problem, they would contact him by mind connection.
Each group left in a separate direction. Darrogh and his group of four were the
last to leave. They were uninjured. Their mission was to head straight to
Toronto in the hope that any search parties would follow them. That should give
the others a better chance of survival. Once Darrogh’s group was gone, he
turned to Firbin and Jehon.

“We
will be taking the woman with us.” Ardal’s voice was low. “We have put her life
in danger. I promised her my protection.”

Firbin
and Jehon nodded their acceptance of his decision without question. There would
be four of them traveling together. Firbin’s injury and Fiona’s inexperience
would hinder their escape. Their one advantage was that the woman knew the
people of this strange land. She could guide them if there was a problem.

Ardal
took a look up at the sky. There was only one sun on this planet and it was
well past the midpoint. They must start their journey soon. He glanced at the
barn. He had one other thing to do.

The
Captain must die.

At
that moment Fiona walked out of the house. She glanced around and frowned back
at him. For a second his mind froze as he gazed into her green eyes. Never had
he found himself attracted to a woman. It was forbidden for a Hunter to mate.
The Sacred Code was too ingrained for him to disobey, but still he could not
deny that this woman affected him.

“Where
are the men?”

“They
have gone.” Ardal waited for her reaction and wasn’t disappointed. Her mouth
dropped open and she ran down the driveway looking in all directions. In a
couple of minutes she was satisfied that everyone had disappeared.

“Do
they know where they’re going?”

“They
have their orders.” Ardal took her arm and turned her back to the house. “Now
we must clear up one last loose end.”

Fiona
dug her feet into the ground and refused to move. “What’s that?” Her tone was
suspicious. “Everyone is gone.”

Ardal
had never lied to a woman before and he would not start now. He remained silent
instead. Jehon and Firbin kept their gazes on the ground. They knew what their
next orders would be.

Fiona’s
eyes narrowed. “Your men are gone,” she muttered under her breath. “Who else is
there?” It took her a second before she shouted.
“The
Captain.
Where is he?”

“In
the barn.”
Ardal cleared his throat. “We had to
persuade him to remain silent.”

“Now
you want to permanently silence him.” Fiona tilted her head at him. “You’re so
transparent. You just kill everyone who gets in your way. I’m surprised you
didn’t kill me or am I next on your agenda?”

Ardal
released her arm as if her words had burnt him. He stepped back. Shock and
disappointment rocked through his body. Firbin and Jehon bodies stiffened in
revulsion. The air crackled with the horror of Fiona’s suggestion. She seemed
unaware of it though, as she stood glaring her defiance at them.

“Never,”
he swore. “That would be against the most sacred of our codes.”

“Well
I’m glad for that. How come the Captain doesn’t fall into the same category?”

“He
is the enemy.” Ardal straightened his shoulders. “He is not a woman.”

Fiona’s
face scrunched up. “That makes no sense.”

“It
is forbidden for a Hunter to kill or harm a woman or child. That is the first
rule of our Sacred Code.”

“You
never disobey this code?” Fiona raised an eyebrow.

“It
is what we live by.” Ardal took her arm and led her back to the house. “We are
wasting time by arguing. We should have started on our journey.”

“Well
you can go. Leave me with the Captain. I’m sure he’ll be no problem, especially
once I threaten him with the police.”

“The
man is dangerous.” Ardal felt a familiar determination strengthen his muscles.
“You are to come with us. I promised.”

“Whoa,
just a minute there.
I don’t need anyone else’s help,
especially not a man’s.” Fiona pulled away from Ardal and started to back up.
“I have contacted the Underground Network and they will place me again.”

“There
isn’t time. Your military is within a couple of miles of finding us. We need to
move now.”

Ardal
stood with his feet spread and arms crossed. “The decision has been made and
you will come with us. Go and gather a small bag of necessary items. It would
be good if you could bring the paper map also.”

“Let
the Captain live. Hasn’t there been enough death.” Fiona touched his crossed
arms, her eyes looking up at him, pleading. “Besides, it will be the military
who find him. They can decide what to do with him.”

“He
will give us away.”

“Do
you honestly think they’ll believe what he says? They’ll think he’s a lunatic.

“So
you want him left here for the others to find?”

“Yes.”
Fiona moved close enough that he could see the dark ring around the green of
her eyes, “He won’t know where you are, and you’ve covered up the debris, so
anything he tells them will look like a lie.”

“This
is not a good decision.” Ardal felt a tightening in his stomach. Years of
training told him that leaving the Captain alive would only mean trouble later
on. What was he to do though? If Fiona insisted he must obey. “He will hurt us
in the future.”

“If
that happens then you can deal with him then. He’s on a new planet, too. Give
him a second chance to prove he’s not a monster. Let him live.”

“This
is your order?”

“Yes.”

Ardal
glanced back at Firbin and Jehon. They both nodded their understanding. A
Hunter would not leave the man alive. He knew too much and was dangerous. There
was no arguing with a woman’s instructions though, even if that woman was
unfamiliar with the ways of war. She was not in direct harm, so there was no
reason to countermand the order.

He
stepped back.
“As you wish.
Now prepare your stuff. We
leave in five minutes.”

Fifteen
minutes later, Ardal was pacing outside the house when he heard the distinct
sound of a flying machine. He motioned his men into the house. It would be best
not to be caught outside where they might be identified as strangers.

“Is
that a helicopter?” Fiona rushed up from the lower level of her house. She
carried an odd shaped pack that was stuffed full.

“Whatever
it is, we must keep out of sight.”

“That’s
for sure.” Fiona dropped her sack at the door. “What if they have thermal
imaging equipment?”

Ardal
grunted. Why could this planet not be more primitive? It would make it easier
to blend in. Thankfully his men were gone. A large group of Hunters would have
been suspicious.

“What
other ways do they have to detect people?”

Fiona
frowned. “I know they have infrared stuff, night vision, and satellites that
are orbiting the planet that can see you and hear you. They have to be in
position though. As far as I know they can’t see through walls.”

“This
is certain?”

Fiona
shrugged. “That’s what all the conspiracy shows say.”

Ardal’s
eyes narrowed. “What is a conspiracy show?”

“It’s
when people start seeing the bogey man around every corner. They think that the
government is lying to them, every news story is false, and little green men…”
Fiona’s voice trailed off.

“What?”

“…have
landed on earth.”
Fiona looked at him with widened eyes.
“They were telling the truth.”

“What
are green men?”

“Aliens.”
Fiona sank into a chair as if the life force had been drained from her. “People
from other planets,” she whispered.

Ardal
fought the urge to reassure her. It was primitive in its intensity. He clenched
his hands into fists and turned away. He must fight this connection with Fiona.
It was unnatural for a Hunter to feel such things for a woman.

“So
now you believe these things?” He forced the words through his clenched teeth.

Fiona
sighed. “Obviously some of them are true.” She stood and went to the window and
craned her neck upwards. “It’s definitely a helicopter and
it’s
flying low.”

“They
are searching.”

Fiona
turned away from the window. “What do we do?”

“We
stay put.” Ardal gave his orders to his men through mind connection. “
Ready
yourselves for battle.
”

“We
can take the truck.” Fiona went to the kitchen and poured water into a kettle.
“At least we can make good time that way.”

Ardal
frowned. Once his men were in populated areas they would find transportation to
get them to their destinations. Initially, he had planned the truck to remain
here, but things had changed. The Captain would be left alive and that meant
that he would have transportation when he escaped. No. The truck could not
stay.

“We
will take the truck as you suggest. That way the Captain will have to walk into
the wilderness.” Ardal allowed himself a half smile.

“You’d
like that.” Fiona shook her head and set the kettle on the stove. “You think
he’ll die.”

“It
would be best.”

Fiona
turned the burner on. “You have a devious mind.”

“I
am a Hunter.”

Suddenly
the house shook and the sound of propeller blades overhead made it too loud to
think. Fiona put her hands over her ears. Ardal went to the window and watched
the helicopter land on the field nearest the house.

They
had visitors.

He
motioned Jehon and Firbin into one of the back rooms and then shut the door.
They had already played this game once with the neighbors, so it should not be
too difficult. He touched Fiona’s arm and pulled her behind him. If these men
came in with weapons, then at least she would be safe.

The
noise subsided to a low roar.

“We
should go and meet them.” Fiona’s voice was a whisper. “Can they find
anything?”

“No.”

Ardal
moved to open the door, but Fiona yelled “Wait.”

She
went to the stove and turned it off and then picked up her sack and threw it
into a closet. She gave the room one last look before nodding. “I don’t want to
give them a reason to search the house.”

Ardal
sent a mental message to Jehon to do reconnaissance and then he focused all his
energies on dealing with the situation outside. Fiona must not be hurt no
matter the outcome. They would take out the men and the helicopter if need be.

He
opened the door and grabbed Fiona’s hand. He kept her at his side as they
walked into the field. The long summer hay was being flattened by the rotating
blades of the helicopter and he hesitated to go much closer. The blades started
to slow down and the engine quietened just as the doors of the helicopter
opened. Four men with guns stepped out.

“Crap.”
Fiona’s hand tightened around Ardal’s.

“There
is no need to fear.” Ardal eased himself in front of her. “These men can be
handled.”