aHunter4Life (aHunter4Hire) (3 page)

“We
will kill them.”

Selena
inhaled a sharp breath. It was as if she were transported to the past. Instead of
the jungle, the posh surroundings of a Beverly Hill’s mansion surrounded her.
Catal had often said those exact words. He had a code he lived by. It was what
had helped him survive.

Nikki
cleared her throat. “Can you promise that?”

“Yes.”
Partlan’s
voice was firm.

Steve
turned to her with wide eyes. “You’re not serious? We can’t have these men kill
someone.”

“Why
not.” Nikki shrugged. “They didn’t consider what they were doing to Gates when
they took him. Our son is in the hands of monsters. Who knows what they’re
doing to him. He’ll be scarred for life.”

“Then
let the law deal with it.”

“So
they get away on a technicality?” Nikki shook her head. “No. I want justice.”

“There
has to be a better way.”

“This
is it. They are the last resort and we can’t wait any longer.”

Selena’s
voice was low and pleading. She had to make these people understand that the
only way for the boys to be returned, was with help outside of the law. Already
she was sensing that
Tarrin
was weakening.

Catal
put his hand on her arm. “We will find them.”

A
rush of peace and calm filled her.

For
a few seconds, she surrendered to the comfort he gave. It had been a week of
hell. Every waking moment had been consumed with trying to connect with
Tarrin
. To feel his presence surround her was what she’d
relied on to get through each day. As long as she knew he was alive she could
force herself to function. When her connection started to weaken, she’d
contacted the Hunters.

“How
did you find these men?” Steve walked to a couch and flopped into it. “I’m
beginning to think we made a mistake when we chose you as Gate’s nanny.”

“I
had contact with them when I lived in Columbia.” Selena straightened her
shoulders. “You can find them on the internet.”

“We
are for hire.” Catal walked to a window and looked out.

Selena
watched him from narrowed eyes. As much as she needed their help, she didn’t
trust him. A shiver went through her as she considered what
Catal’s
reaction would be if he knew how much she was deceiving him. It couldn’t be
helped. Her son had to be found and she would do anything to make that
possible.

“So
what did you look under, HitMenRUs.com?”

Selena
shook her head. “I knew they called themselves Hunters.”

“You
mentioned your past.” Nikki spoke now. “Do you know these men from there?”

Selena
looked at the other men in the room and shook her head. “I’ve only met Catal.
These others are strangers to me. I know that they’re the best, though.”

“How
can you be certain?” Nikki hesitated a second. “This is my boy’s life we’re
talking about.”

“It
is my son too.”

Catal
turned away from the window. “Selena contacted us. We will do what is necessary
to bring her son back to her. If you have no wish for our help that is fine.”

“Your
so called efforts might interfere with my son’s safety.” Nikki’s voice dripped
sarcasm. “I’ll stop you before that happens.”

“You
can try, but you will not succeed.”
Partlan’s
voice
was a growl. “We do not fail. It would be a mistake to interfere.”

“You’re
just overgrown louts on steroids.” Steve rolled his eyes. “You’ve watched too
many of my action movies, and now you think you’re heroes. One word from me and
your butts will be thrown in jail.”

Selena
glanced between the two men and fought the urge to run. A cloud had descended over
Partlan’s
face and from the corner of her eye, she
could see that Catal had edged away from the window. If she didn’t do something
soon, they would be at each other throats. Past experience had taught her that
the Hunters would win.

“Stop.”
Her voice cracked. “If you don’t want these men helping, I understand. I want
them to find my son.”

“I
have vowed to always protect Selena.”
Catal’s
voice
was low and sincere. “That includes her son. Nothing will stop me from doing
that.”

Silence
followed
Catal’s
words.

Selena
fought back the sense of déjà vu. Catal had said those same words in the past
and she had been foolish enough to believe him. She’d been wrong. Dare she risk
trusting him again? She looked at him and her stomach clenched. Determination
and strength emanated from him. She looked at the other Hunters and saw the
same resolve in their faces.

“You
promise you’ll find him.” Selena looked at Partlan.

“By
Cygnus and Warrior.” Partlan crossed his arms. “No woman or child has ever been
hurt on my watch.”

Selena
believed him.

“Just
how long has that watch been?” Steve’s voice broke the spell that
Partlan’s
declaration had woven.

“Eighteen
years.” Partlan turned to the actor. “I have been fighting since the year I
turned fifteen. I killed my first man when I was thirteen. My ability in battle
saw me promoted to the High Council’s personal guard.”

Steve’s
mouth gaped open for a second and then he leaned forward. “That’s impossible.
Nobody goes to war at that age.”

“A
Hunter does.”
Partlan’s
voice was firm. “We are
trained from birth to be the best.”

Steve
laughed. “You’ve been watching too many science fiction movies. What planet are
you from anyway?”

“We
are from Cygnus.”

“You’re
good, I’ll give you that.” Steve shook his head. “You should be writing
screenplays.”

“We
do not jest.” Partlan turned back to Selena. “We need the details of the
abduction.”

“Wait.”
Nikki’s voice was urgent. “I want you to rescue Gates too.”

“What?”
Steve grabbed his wife’s arm. “These guys are lunatics.”

“No.”
Nikki shook her head. “I believe them about being the best fighters. That is
what we need to get our son back.”

“They
just told you they’re from another planet.” Steve’s voice rose. “They’re
certifiable.”

“We
do not lie.” Partlan gave Steve a look of disgust. “That is a trait only humans
have. We are the best warriors in the universe.”

Selena’s
head felt as if it was full of cotton balls. Her stomach churned with nausea as
Partlan’s
words echoed in her head. It was obvious he
didn’t understand Steve’s sarcasm. She glanced over at Catal and found his dark
obsidian eyes boring into her. There was a flicker of emotion within their
depths and something that looked like an apology. It couldn’t be true. She’d
made love with the man. He was definitely not an alien.

“Selena,
you contacted these men. Do you trust them?” Nikki’s strident voice interrupted
her thoughts.

She
glanced at Catal and then moved her eyes to Nikki. Did she believe them? She
knew they were the best soldiers on the planet. Her brother Juan had sworn he
had never seen better fighters, and Juan knew what he was talking about. He’d
been fighting since he was a young man.

She
had been eighteen and innocent when she’d first met Catal, but even then she
knew he wasn’t like other men. As the younger sister of the leader of a paramilitary
group she been exposed to men her whole life. She’d warded off their passes
since she’d turned sixteen. Catal was different. There was a connection. He
made her feel safe and she couldn’t’ resist him. Her whole world had revolved
around him until he had betrayed her.

She
cleared her throat. “I have seen them fight. They are better than anyone else
in the world.”

Nikki
nodded. “I’ve decided. I want you to find Gates also. I will hire you no matter
what the price.”

“There
is no fee in this case.” Partlan crossed his arms. “Catal has declared Selena
his mate. We are sworn to protect the mates of our brothers. Her son is family
now.”

“But
Gates isn’t.” Nikki’s voice was soft.

Partlan
glanced behind at the other two men who nodded. “The boys were taken together,
so we will find them both.”

Nikki
heaved a sigh. “Thank you.”

Partlan
nodded. “Tell us where the boys were abducted from.”

Before
Nikki could speak, the door opened and one of the FBI agents who had invaded
the house rushed in. “We’ve received more information.”

He
came to an abrupt stop when he noticed the other men in the room. His eyes
bulged and he reached for his gun before shouting, “Intruders.”

Firbin
grabbed the agent’s arm that held the gun and pushed it up. A shot fired into
the ceiling before
Firbin
had wrestled the weapon out
of his hand. He elbowed the agent in the gut. The man dropped to his knees on
the rug.
Firbin
kneed him in the chin and sent him
sprawling backwards before dragging him upright by his jacket lapels.

Racing
footsteps came toward the room. Catal, Partlan, and
Ranon
stationed themselves at the door.
Firbin
dragged his
opponent to the far wall.

One
by one, the warriors disarmed and subdued the ten agents that rushed into the
room. The men were relieved of their guns and pushed against a wall.
Firbin
kept a pistol trained on them. The last agent at the
doorway was Special Agent Kelly. She was in charge.

She
scanned the situation before entering the room with her gun drawn. She stood at
least six feet tall with blond hair that was scraped back into a tight bun. Her
navy blue pant suit hung loose about her body, but Selena suspected she hid her
beauty behind nondescript clothes. It was probably the best way to maintain her
authority over so many men.

Partlan
grabbed the weapon out of her hand. Deep blue eyes flashed anger. She reached
for a second gun behind her back, but Partlan clasped her arm and held his hand
out for the weapon. She sighed and handed it over. He didn’t let her arm go.
Instead, he led her into the room and closed the door behind them.

“We
mean no harm.” Partlan glanced over at the other agents against the wall. “If
we did, these men would be dead.”

Agent
Kelly gave him a long look before she nodded, and then eased her arm out of
Partlan’s
hand. “Why are you here?”

“I
called them in.” Selena’s voice was hesitant. “You’re working hard to find
Gates, but I needed someone to find
Tarrin
.”

“We
are working to save both of the boys, Ms. Duarte.” There was a mild reproof in
Special Agent Kelly’s voice.

Selena
didn’t care if she had upset the FBI. Life had taught her that the rich and
powerful were the only ones that got taken care of. No one was really looking
for
Tarrin
. He was just the illegitimate son of the
nanny. If the son of two famous movie stars hadn’t been kidnapped, Selena
doubted that there would have been any FBI agents looking into the case.

“I
know these men’s reputation. They’ll find the boys.”

“So
shall we.” Agent Kelly glanced at Partlan. “Let my men go.”

“Do
I have your word they will not attack?” Partlan crossed his arms. “I do not
want to hurt them.”

Agent
Kelly nodded. “We’ll hear you out before I decide what to do. You broke the law
by breaking into here, but I’m impressed. Not many could breach our security.”

“It
has holes.” Partlan nodded to
Firbin
, who started to
hand the weapons back to the agents.

Agent
Kelly only raised an eyebrow when Partlan gave her back her guns. She holstered
them and turned to Selena. “Explain about these men. Do they have anything to
do with your brother’s activities?”

“What
are you talking about?” Selena asked.

Agent
Kelly tilted her head at Selena. “Are you going to tell them about your life in
Columbia or should I?”

“What
life?” Selena’s breath caught in her throat.

“A
life that included murder, torture, drug smuggling, and the targeted
disappearances of people considered undesirable.” Agent Kelly’s voice became
stern. “You were a member of one of the most notorious paramilitary groups in
Columbia. You are well versed in kidnappings.”

“You
think I know something about the boys’ abduction?” Selena could barely get the
words out.

She
felt as if the floor had dropped from beneath her. She swayed, and if Catal
hadn’t put an arm around her shoulder, she would have fallen. She had put that
life behind her. She should have guessed that nothing was forgotten, especially
by government agencies. They’d probably been waiting for the right moment to
pounce.

She
had been a young girl and sheltered from her brother’s activities. They lived
in a splendid house and had every luxury. She had never thought to question
where that money came from. The land had been in her family for years. Handed
down from father to son for as long as they could remember. Political turmoil
had never touched the Duarte family until her parents had been kidnapped and
killed by guerrillas.