aHunter4Life (aHunter4Hire) (24 page)

A
chill of warning raced up
Catal’s
spine.

He
pulled Selena close behind him, and readied for battle. The occupants of the
hideaway had to have heard the noise. They now knew they weren’t alone. They’d
prepare themselves for a fight. They didn’t have long to wait before someone
inside made a move.

The
front door edged open a crack.

The
barrel of a rifle poked through.

Catal
stood behind the door and waited until it opened wider. Two hands and a head
followed the gun.
Catal’s
eyes narrowed and his
breathing slowed. Selena’s unease surrounded him, but he blocked it. He had to
focus all of his attention on his next move.

“
Go
.”
Partlan gave the command.

Catal
slammed the door against the unseen opponent. A yelp of surprise echoed in the
still night air. Catal opened the door and slammed it again before he pulled
the man out of the opening and threw him onto the ground.

The
man raised his gun to fire.

Catal
shot him between the eyes.

Footsteps
and yelling could be heard from inside the building. They didn’t wait to see
who would come out next. Partlan and
Ranon
stormed
the side door at the same time Catal and Selena went in the front. Chaos was
everywhere as men scattered in all directions. There had to be at least twelve
men ranging in age from mid-twenties to their sixties. A few raised their guns
to fire at them and they were met with a bullet.

Catal
shot to kill anyone who raised a weapon in his direction. Partlan and
Ranon
did the same from the side entrance. They moved
through the building killing all those who got in their way, or tried to
escape. They rounded up all the men who were left alive into the center of the
large hall. Six remained standing and they threw their weapons to the ground.

The
shooting came to an abrupt end.

“Who
are you?” A man in a black suit spoke. He was in his sixties and stood with his
hands over his head. “This is a private club.”

“One
that is dealing in kidnapping.” Partlan motioned for
Ranon
to gather the guns. “Where are the children?”

“This
is a men’s club. No children are allowed.” The man gave a soft laugh. “You’ll
have to find another group to terrorize.”

“I
think not.” Catal moved forward. “We know the truck outside was carrying two
boys that were kidnapped from their home.”

“The
truck has nothing to do with us.” The man shrugged. “You’ve killed the driver,
so I doubt you’ll be able to ask him any questions.”

Firbin
and Malac came into the building and shook their heads. “It was empty.”

“That
means you’ve hid them here.” Selena’s voice rang out behind Catal. “
Tarrin
, tell me where you are?”

There
was no answer.

“You
can yell all you want, but there’s no one here.” The man grinned. “I’m a judge with
very influential friends. Why don’t you leave while you have a chance?”

For
a second Catal wondered if they’d barged in on the wrong building, but then he
heard a faint whisper in his head.

“
We’re
in the dark.
”
Tarrin’s
voice held fear.

“
Is
there someone guarding you?
”

“
Yes.
He has a gun that has a red light that he keeps moving over all of us. He told
us to be quiet or he’d kill us.
”

“They’re
in a hidden room with at least one guard.” Catal looked back at Selena. “We
will find them.”

Selena
nodded. “I’ll keep them covered while you search.”

The
judge took a step forward. “You don’t think one little lady can hold all of
us?”

Selena
fired her pistol.

The
bullet hit an inch away from the man’s foot.

“I
hit where I aim. You have no idea how angry a mother can be when her children
have been hurt.” Selena’s voice held suppressed fury. “I’m seconds away from
forgetting I abhor violence.”

The
man stepped back.

“
Firbin
help Selena guard these people.” Partlan lowered his
arm. “The rest of us will search.”

Catal
looked at Selena to be certain she was comfortable holding the men at gunpoint.
She seemed to sense his question and nodded. He went with Partlan. They began
by checking out all of the doors that opened into the main building. They were
mainly for storage. Two rooms had camera equipment and a studio set up. One was
a computer room.

All
were empty.

Malac
examined the walls by knocking on them. They were solid pine. There were no
secret passageways or doors.

“
See
if
Tarrin
remembers anything about the room?
” Partlan
looked at Catal.

Catal
nodded. “
Tarrin
how did you get into the
hiding place?
”

“
Our
eyes were covered.
” There was a pause. “
We had to crouch and go down a
couple of stairs. When they took the blindfolds off it was dark.
”

“
It’s
underground.
” Catal sent the message to the rest of the unit.

Ranon
and Malac began to kick the floor looking for hollow sounds. Catal searched for
any obvious breaks in the floorboards. He moved toward the rear of the
building. There was a cloakroom and a ten foot bar there. The cloakroom was
empty. The bar had dark wooden shelves set up against a mirror backdrop. There
were liquor bottles and glasses of all sizes. Under the bar top, there were
more bottles.
Catal’s
eyes scanned the oak floor and
that’s when he saw it.

The
floor was covered with sand and dirt except a two foot by two foot area.

The
right size for a trap door.

“Look,
you boys should be getting out of here before the police arrive.” The judge
took a step forward.

“I
doubt that.”
Firbin’s
voice was full of disgust. “The
last thing you would want is for the police to take a close look at your men’s
club.”

Catal
eased out of the bar area. There was at least one man down there with a gun
pointed at the children. He couldn’t risk the man shooting one of the boys
before they had a chance to kill the guard. It would take a coordinated effort
to get them out alive.

“Men
is the last word I’d use to describe you.” Catal nodded to Partlan. “Take one
more move and you’re dead.”

“
There’s
a trapdoor behind the bar, but the boys are being held by someone with a laser
sight gun.
”

“
Then
Tarrin
will guide us.
”
Partlan’s
voice was emotionless. “
Can he assist with the rescue?
”

Catal
reached out to
Tarrin
. “
We know where you are, but
you will have to help. Are you up to that?
”

“
Yes.
”
Tarrin’s
voice was determined. “
What do I have to
do?
”

“
When
I say go, I need you to rush the man holding you and push his arm and gun up
away from the others. We will do the rest.
”

“
Ranon
and Malac help guard the captives.” Partlan gave the
commands in a harsh voice. “If anyone moves or speaks, kill them.”

When
Ranon
and Malac had taken up their positions Partlan
joined Catal behind the bar. They stood on each side of the trapdoor and readied
their weapons. Catal took a deep breath. He pulled out his knife and slid it
into the gap between the door and the floor. He glanced up at Partlan, who
aimed his rifle at the opening. One nod and
Catal’s
mind reached out for
Tarrin
.

“
Go.
”

He
flipped the trapdoor open as a gun fired.

The
bullet streaked past his ear.

In
the next second, he grabbed his assailant by the neck and pulled him out of the
hole. He snapped the man’s neck with one swift movement. He threw the body over
the bar and turned back just as Partlan kicked the pistol out of the hand of a
second man.

The
man reached to grab one of the boys as a hostage.

Partlan
snatched the boy away from harm.

Catal’s
arm locked around the man’s throat. He squeezed and twisted, breaking the
second man’s neck. That’s when the captives in the centre of the building
started to move. Gunshots rang throughout the air. When everything had settled
down, another two men were dead. The rest had stayed in place.

Catal
dragged the man he had killed out of the bar area. The boy that Partlan was
holding, watched. His eyes were wide, but there was no fear in them, only
acceptance. When the area was clear of bodies, Catal reached into the hole and
pulled out the children. In total, there were four boys and two girls. The children
stayed huddled together. They kept their eyes lowered and it wasn’t until
Selena’s spoke that they looked up.

“Is
Tarrin
alive?”

The
boy Partlan was holding turned his head. “Mom?”

Catal’s
heart constricted as he watched
Tarrin
run to Selena.
This was his son. He had kept his promise to Selena and delivered him unharmed.

“Go
to them. We will take care of the other children. I will keep them in the cloak
room so they do not have to see their captors again.”
Partlan’s
voice was low.

Catal
looked over at the other warrior. His face was expressionless, but his eyes
held understanding and awe. Never before had a Hunter had a child. Centuries of
breeding and training to be warriors was now at variance with the wonder of
fatherhood. Love and pride, emotions that were foreign and unsettling, stirred
deep within him.

He
took a step toward them.

Selena
turned at his approached and held her arms out to him. Within seconds, he was
cocooned within the love and peace of holding her and his son. Tears of joy
flowed from Selena’s eyes. She looked up at him and smiled.

“Thank
you for giving me my son back.”

Catal
didn’t trust his voice. Instead, he nodded and led them to the door. He
couldn’t relax until he knew they were away from this place. Only then would he
feel that they were safe and that his mission had been accomplished. There was
still the mess of the dealing with the dead and captives.

There
was also the question of the other children they had found. They had homes and
parents who were worried about their whereabouts. These were problems that had
to be resolved before he could take Selena and
Tarrin
home. Just the thought of leaving them sent a piercing stab of pain to his
heart. He had only just found them. To lose them was unthinkable, but he had no
other choice. It was Selena’s decision. If she wanted him to stay away, then he
must honor her wishes.

They
reached the front door. Behind them was the commotion of the captives being
moved to the far wall, as the children came out from behind the bar area. He
opened the door and waited until Selena and
Tarrin
had left, before turning back to the room. Partlan and
Ranon
were with the children.
Firbin
held the others at
gunpoint while Malac was slipping plastic handcuffs on them.

Catal
left the building and caught up with Selena and
Tarrin
.
“Everything is under control. We need to get you to the van.”

“What
about Gates.”
Tarrin
spoke for the first time. “He’s
afraid and I promised to take care of him.”

“I
forgot completely.” Selena’s voice held regret as she looked up at Catal.
“Could you get him?”

Catal
nodded. He turned to go back. A yell from inside the building had him reaching
for the pistol in his jean’s waistband. Before he had a chance to aim his weapon,
a figure appeared at the door. It was the judge.

He
had a gun in his hands and he was pointing it straight at them. Catal pushed
Selena and
Tarrin
behind him just as the man fired.
Catal raised his gun just as another shot ran out.
Breanon’s
aim was true. The judge dropped dead.

Catal
stumbled as a searing pain in his arm forced him back a step. He put his hand
up to his arm to stop the flow of blood that gushed from the wound.

He’d
been shot.

Catal
lurched against her.

Selena
looked up at his face. Her heart stopped when she saw his grimace of pain. He’d
been hurt. She grabbed him before he could turn away, her hands patted at his
body in a frantic effort to find the wound. She gripped his arm and he groaned.