aHunter4Saken (aHunter4Hire) (5 page)

Niail
smiled. The simplicity of Wil’s mind was new to him. A Hunter never associated
with children, even when protecting them. The Kaladin, the former rulers of his
home planet Cygnus, had feared that conversing with a warrior might damage or
scare children.

Niail
leaned back in his chair. “You have choices and that makes a person free.”

“You
sound like our teacher.” Peta took her hands off the table. “He’s always saying
we should be thankful for the freedom we have in this country. I don’t think
that’s true.”

“Why?”
Kimi put a large bowl of pasta on the table.

“We’re
not the same as other Americans.” Peta handed her mother her plate. “We once
owned all this land, but we’re treated differently now.”

“Where
did you hear that?”

“Daddy
used to tell me that all the time.” Peta stretched her hand out for her food.
“I think that’s why he left. He didn’t think we were good enough.”

Kimi
inhaled sharply. “That’s not true. Your daddy didn’t want to stay with me. He
loves you kids.”

“Then
why doesn’t he visit us?”

“He
doesn’t have the time. He works very hard and is always traveling.”

“He
was here yesterday.” Peta thrust out her lower lip. “He only wants to be with
his new family.”

“He
is a fool.” Niail held his plate out to Kimi. “He is less a man for not
behaving with honor.”

“What
does honor have to do with this?” Kimi frowned.

“No
man of principle would desert his responsibilities. He would never leave his
woman and children.” Niail shook his head. “You people do things differently,
but some laws are universal.”

“Is
that part of your sacred code?” Wil’s voice was solemn.

“Yes.”
Niail looked at the boy. “A man of honor does his duty always.”

Kimi
laughed. “Is there no room for spontaneity in that code?”

“No.”
Niail knew that wasn’t the answer she wanted, but he didn’t evade the truth.
“We always follow the code.”

“What
about being happy?” Kimi sat at the table. “Everyone needs joy in their lives.”

“We
do not care about such things.” Niail took a mouthful of pasta. It warmed his
hollow stomach. “We have been bred to follow orders and the Code.”

“That
sounds dreary.”

“There
is no time for sadness. A Hunter’s reward is death.”

Kimi
hesitated as she put pasta on her plate. “What about family?”

“We
do not have such things.”

Peta
frowned. “You don’t have children.”

“No.”
Niail leaned back. “It might distract us from our duty.”

“Then
your duty sounds stupid.” Kimi pulled the salad toward her. “People are more
than following orders.”

“It
makes me glad that you have that freedom.” Niail took another mouthful of food.
“We make certain that is possible.”

“So
you sacrifice your own lives so that others can be free?” Kimi’s voice shook.

“That
sounds like a superhero to me.” Peta’s voice held a note of awe.

“We
have no super powers.” Niail rubbed his head. “As you see, I can be injured. It
took two people to help me stay alive. I will be forever grateful.”

“There
is no need to thank us.” Kimi relaxed in her chair and started to eat.

Niail
continued to fork the pasta into his mouth, but his eyes never left her face.
Just looking at her gave him a joy he had never known before. She took his
breath away. He would keep her safe and happy no matter what it took.

The
meal continued in companionable silence. Niail ate everything that was put in
front of him. A warrior never knew when his next meal would be, so he didn’t
waste. The last few months on earth had meant a steady flow of food, but old
habits were hard to forget. He had spent too many years on the front lines to
believe that his life was different. He was always on guard.

Niail
stood to help clear the table. The room started to spin and he grabbed onto the
table. He would have fallen if Kimi hadn’t grabbed his shoulder and guided him
back into the chair.

“You’re
still weak.” Kimi rubbed his shoulder. “Give it a second and then I’ll help put
you back to bed.”

Wil
came to his side. “You should have rested after fighting with Uncle Jake.”

Niail
grimaced. “You are right.” He gripped the table and took a deep breath before
forcing himself to stand. He exhaled and pushed back the pain.

“Have
a care.” Kimi put his arm around her shoulder. “I won’t be able to lift you if
you fall.”

Peta
came over to his other side and grabbed his waist. “It’s very uncomfortable on
the floor.”

The
three of them made their way to the bedroom. Once Niail felt the side of the
bed, he relaxed his weight against it and fell onto its soft surface.

“There.”
Kimi pulled the covers over him. “I’ll let you get your pants off on your own.”

Niail
heaved a sigh. “That blow to my head has left me weaker than I thought.”

“Do
you still have a headache?” Kimi walked to the night table and reached for a
medicine bottle. “It might be best if you took a couple of these.”

Niail
held out his hand. He would take anything if it meant the room would stop
spinning and the cotton wool in his head would disperse. He didn’t know how
long this was going to last, but as long as it did, he wouldn’t be able to
contact the other Hunters.

Kimi
and Peta left, but Wil stayed behind. He sat on the chair next to Niail, his
eyes wide with concern. Niail was too weary to do more than smile and then
close his eyes. Sleep was the only thing that did not take any effort. There
would be time to leave when he woke up.

The
soft patter of rain against the roof soothed his head. He was weary with
exhaustion and pain. Sleep was a welcome relief. A shuffling noise and the
whisper of a door closing were the only things that disturbed him before he
fell into utter oblivion.

The
first thing he noticed when he awoke was that it was daylight. The second thing
was the silence. Nothing stirred either inside or out. He glanced at the chair
beside the bed. It was empty. Wil had probably spent the night in his own bed.

He
focused his mind connection and reached out to Partlan, his team leader. A
shimmer of blue and red lights danced near his eyes and then a searing pain
knifed through his head. He clenched his jaw and forced himself to push through
the agony, but it was useless.

There
was no answer.

He
was alone.

Somehow
he must find his way back to his fellow Hunters. Reaching them was his only
chance of survival. Niail threw back his covers and sat up. He needed an alternative
way to contact his brothers.

Kimi
looked up from the lesson plans she had been preparing for her classes. Niail
stood in the doorway, shirtless. His short black hair was ruffled and there was
two days’ worth of stubble on his chin. His abdomen muscles tensed as he raised
a hand to his head.

“Where
are the facilities?”

Kimi
grinned and pointed to the open door on the left. “It rained last night so
there’s no problem with water supply.”

Niail
nodded. “Thanks.”

Kimi
pushed away from the table. “A quick shower might help you feel better.”

“I
don’t want to impose.”

“The
sun is shining so there’s plenty of hot water.” Kimi opened a closet and
started pulling things out. “Here are some clean towels, a razor, and a fresh
shirt.”

Niail
frowned. It looked like he was going to say something and then stopped. He
followed her directions and the door closed. Kimi went back to her work and
tried to concentrate, but the image of her guest kept intruding.

He
was gorgeous.

She’d
seen great looking men before. None of them had affected her like Niail. There
was almost an invisible connection with him. She sensed him all the time. That
was crazy, though. He was an ordinary man.

Extraordinary
was a better description of Niail. She shivered when she remembered how he had
manhandled Jake the previous night. Her brother never lost a fight. Even before
he had joined the Navy Seals, he had been unbeatable. He had finally met his
match with Niail, though.

The
sound of the shower filtered through to the kitchen. Kimi glanced back at the
lesson plan and sighed. Now that he was awake she wouldn’t be able to
concentrate on school. She gathered the papers together and threw them in her
briefcase. Niail would be hungry when he had finished showering.

She
had whipped up pancake batter by the time Niail came out of the bathroom. His
face was clean of stubble and he looked years younger. The shirt she had given
him was small and stretched over his chest. Every muscle was defined when he
lifted the damp towel toward her.

“Where
can I put this?”

“You
can hang it on the line outside, or leave it in the utility room at the side
door.”

“I’ll
take it outside.” Niail turned to the door and then stopped. “Where are my
boots?”

“They’re
in the utility room.” Kimi pulled a frying pan off the pot rack over the stove.
“Are you hungry?”

“Very.”

She
smiled and turned back to the stove. She lit the propane burner and within
minutes she had a stack of pancakes on the table. Syrup and some fresh fruit
completed the meal. She was pouring hot water onto ground coffee when he came
back into the house.

“Sit.”
Kimi put the coffee carafe on the table. “You can eat first and then I’ll call
the kids in.”

“Where
are they?”

“They’re
building a small fort at the top of the hill behind the house.” Kimi sat and
pushed the pancakes at Niail. “After a fresh rain they like to make certain
it’s still standing.”

Niail
filled his plate and started to eat. Kimi poured him coffee and then took a
couple of pancakes for herself. They ate for several minutes in silence. It
wasn’t until Niail had pushed his plate away and was sipping his coffee that he
looked up at her.

“I
need to contact my team. Do you have a computer I could borrow?”

“We’re
off the grid here.”

Niail
frowned. “What does that mean?”

“I
have no electricity, telephone, or internet.” Kimi put some milk in her coffee.
“I’m trying to raise my children as close to a traditional life as possible.”

“What
tradition is that?”

“I’m
Blackfeet.” When Niail still looked at her with a blank stare she sighed and
put her coffee down. “Native American?”

“I
do not understand these terms.”

“You
don’t know what a Native American is?”

Niail
shook his head. “No. I have not been here long.”

“The
Blackfeet existed long before the Europeans settled in North American. We lived
here when the Buffalo were plentiful and roamed the plains.”

A
surge of pride filled Kimi. Her heritage was important. Unlike Jake, she had
immersed herself in the ways of her people, keeping the language and traditions
alive for those who had forgotten. It was why she lived without most of the
modern world’s trappings.

“This
has been a long time?”

“Since
Na’pi, Old Man, created the world. Old Man gave the Blackfeet this land and the
buffalo.” Kimi lowered her voice. “Many have forgotten the old ways, but I
won’t let that happen to my children.”

Niail
nodded. “It is important to remember. Your people must have been here when the
Ancients visited.”

“Who
are the Ancients?”

“They
have been on Cygnus since the beginning of time.” Niail cleared his throat.
“They travel the universe, sometimes helping, sometimes taking what they need.
I believe they are what you refer to as Star People.”

Was
Niail saying what she thought? Did he come from the stars, or was he making fun
of her traditions? Her eyes narrowed as she continued to gaze at him. His
expression was open and there was no sign that he was lying.

“Are
you one of the Star People?”

“No.”
Niail glanced down at the table before looking back at her. “I am not an
Ancient.”

“Are
you from earth?”

“No.”

Her
mind swirled with the implications. If he wasn’t from Earth, then he was an
alien. A shiver went through her. The stories her people told of being visited
by people from other planets were true. Those visits were long ago, though. Why
was Niail here now? Did this mean the Ancients planned to harm Earth?

“Perhaps
if you gave me some information about your life and how you came to be here, I
would be less confused.”

Niail
leaned back in his chair. “I was bred and trained as a warrior.”