Hunter (21 page)

FIFTY

Sam

           
Keeping tabs on the ever-changing
emotions that roiled around in my brother’s mind was difficult at the best of
times, and right now was not the best of times. He was obviously in the middle
of something, which was dredging up so many different feelings I almost had to
give up on picking one or two to adjust. Hunter was feeling strong and
triumphant, but over the last hour or so there were moments when his terror
levels rose significantly. When Hunter felt most scared matched the times when
Jason felt the strongest. But even at his strongest, my brother seemed resigned
to feeling afraid. He also seemed regretful and angry.

           
Hannah
shook me out of my musings. Her eyes were wide with worry. “What’s going on?
You haven’t told me anything in over an hour.”

           
“Sorry.”
Pushing Hunter and Jason’s warring emotions as far from my mind as possible, I
tried to focus on my fellow prisoner.

           
The
full impact of what I sensed finally hit me, and it became clear that some of
the terror I’d attributed to Jason was my own. “Hunter has Jason.” My voice was
barely a whisper, but as soon as I spoke the thought, I knew it was true.

           
“What?
Sam, are you okay? You’re white as a ghost.”

           
My
head was shaking in denial of what I knew was true. My meddling accomplished
nothing. After everything I did to try to weaken Hunter’s focus and strengthen
Jason’s confidence… Hunter still managed to get Jason. “Hunter has Jason.” I
repeated just loudly enough for Hannah to hear me.

           
“How?
Alice and Mark wouldn’t have let him out of their sight.” Hannah obviously
didn’t want to believe it. The sharp spike of terror I felt from Jason was
strong enough to make me wince, and I shook my head again.

           
“Sorry.
My brother needs me right now. Don’t talk to me for a little while, okay?”

           
She
wanted to ask more, but I hadn’t yet told her about my ability to influence
emotions. Now wasn’t the time to explain to her that I needed to help my
brother pull out of a panic attack. If he was going to help himself, or us, he
needed to be able to think clearly. Pushing at his panic, I fought it with a
dose of courage and determination. The strain as I fought against such a
strongly ingrained sense of terror scared me. What could be happening to cause
it?

           
My
brother was damaged enough without another psycho adding to the scars and
emotional turmoil. I had to pull away before the panic fully receded, but he
was doing better. “I don’t know exactly what’s happening.” My admission came
softly after a few moments. “But I do know that whatever it is drove Jason to a
panic attack. He isn’t handling this very well.”

           
“So
how are you helping him? Understanding and sensing his emotional state isn’t
all you can do, is it?”

           
She
already guessed as much, so nothing could be gained by hiding it. “I can adjust
the levels of his emotions, at least to some extent. Just now I was able to
turn down his panic, and help block it by turning up his courage and
determination. But, until I know exactly what’s happening, I have no idea if
what I’m doing will stick.”

           
“You
can do the same to Hunter?”

           
“Yeah.
I’ve tried to make him more afraid of Jason, and more hesitant to go after him.
Unfortunately, it seems like my adjustment made him want to fight through the fear,
and win anyway. I don’t know how to work with the limited emotions of someone
who would normally be considered a sociopath. He doesn’t know true fear or
compassion, because he’s never felt it before. I have no idea how to manipulate
him to our advantage, especially now that he has all of us.”

           
Hannah
seemed to hesitate a bit before asking quietly, “How exactly did you discover
this ability? And when? You said Jason doesn’t even know, and I can’t imagine
you would be able to keep a secret like this from him for long…”

           
Snorting
in disbelief I rolled my eyes at her. “Look, my brother does care about me, but
he is definitely too distracted by his own stuff to notice everything I do. You
know him well enough to know that.”

           
She
cringed, and nodded once. “Yeah, you’re right. Even this long after everything
that has happened, he’s still letting it control him, isn’t he? Or he would
have realized asking for help, or accepting it from people who care about him,
doesn’t make him weak. Or unworthy of the accomplishment. All it means is he
has someone behind him every step of the way.”

           
“Right.
I wish he wasn’t so stuck in his belief that he has to do everything himself.
He needs to pull out of his own head in order to see the people around him.
But, that’s not important right now. I don’t know how to help him, and they’re
almost here. I can always sense Jason, but for Hunter my range is a little more
limited. His feelings are getting stronger.”

           
Hannah
shuddered. “I can’t even imagine what Hunter’s feeling right now. I don’t envy
you the ability to know for sure.”

           
Feeling
strangely pragmatic, I shrugged. “I prefer knowing, honestly.” At her
questioning glance, I explained, “Without this ability, I would never know what
Jason is feeling, or how he’s coping with things. And with Hunter… well, it’s
easier to know what kind of mood he’s in before dealing with him.”

           
“And
now?” she asked. “How is Jason doing since he encountered Hunter?”

           
Frowning
in concentration, I answered, “He seems calm, or at least calmer.”

           
“Isn’t
that what you were going for?” She asked, sounding confused at my bewilderment.

           
“Yeah,
but I was failing miserably to bring any sense of calm to him. Jason’s panic
was overwhelming.” I scratched the side of my head with my free hand and
waited.

           
“Okay,”
Hannah said after a moment. “So what happened?”

FIFTY-ONE

Hunter

           
The
mystery man was mine. I finally captured the one whose gifts rivaled my own and
I still had no idea what to do with him. He was worth a lot if he was kept
alive. I would get much less if he died. It was a conundrum, but I was leaning
toward hunting him. My enjoyment is paramount, and monetary gain isn’t as fun.

           
Jason’s
panicked expression when I placed the collar around his neck was intoxicating.
The pure terror indicated that, somewhere along the line, he had a similar
experience. He seemed ill prepared to go through it again. I figured he would
be scared, but his absolute terror was a bit unexpected.

           
Not,
however, as unexpected as the rush of pride I felt about winning against an opponent
who inspired me to feel fear. Just as the dread was new to me, so too was the
feeling of overcoming that fright and winning. I could only hope to come across
others in the future who could make me feel as strongly. “Not likely,” I
muttered to myself, pulling into the garage of the house I had appropriated.
The high was already starting to dissipate. Realizing I was unlikely to come
across another opponent like Jason was a downer. I fought the feeling, not
ready to give up my delight about catching him.

           
“Ready
to come out, kid?” I asked before opening the trunk. He remained silent, and I
popped the trunk. The control to the electrical collar was in my hand, ready to
use in case he decided to try anything.

           
I
was only slightly disappointed when he didn’t.

           
My
guess was that he was unwilling to risk his chance to see his little brother
and the girl in order to try an ill-fated escape attempt. After all, he was
still handcuffed and probably still reeling from the electrical shock earlier.
I will admit, if only to myself, to feeling some embarrassment that it took
drawing a gun and electrocuting him to beat him. But I’m also still okay with
using any means at my disposal to go against a worthy opponent. “What’s next?”
he asked, acting subdued as I pulled him from the trunk.

           
“You
get to see little brother.” I kept my voice matter-of-fact, and gestured to the
door leading into the house. He shrugged a little and turned toward the door.
He paused to let me open it, since his hands were otherwise occupied.

           
He
paused again in the entryway, unsure where to go. Jason seemed content to wait
silently until I decided to share. Watching him, I thought he looked strangely
in control for someone who had just been abducted at gunpoint. The trepidation
was building again, and for the life of me I couldn’t figure out why. What was
it about this kid that led me to believe he could beat me? That even handcuffed
and kept under control with electricity, he was still a threat?

           
I
nudged him in the back with the gun barrel, and was rewarded with a slight
flicker of concern on his otherwise impassive face. He moved in the indicated
direction without a fuss. His flash of worry about the gun proved he wasn’t as
stoic as he was trying to pretend to be. Jason was completely docile and silent
as I led him through the house. His reaction made me wonder if something
snapped when I hit the button on the electric collar. It obviously brought out
some horrible memories, and I was eager to figure out what had happened to make
him so afraid.

           
The
simplest way to find out would be to ask, but I doubted he would be willing to
open up to the man who would most likely just kill him anyway. I may have to
figure out something a little more creative. Bringing up the subject now might
be useful in making him tell me later.

           
“So,
Jason. You seemed pretty familiar with my little electrical device. Seems like
there might be a story there. Care to share?”

           
Cocking
his head to the side incredulously he scoffed. “Like I would tell you? Why do
you even care?”

           
Shrugging
as if it were no big deal, I answered, “I like to know about my possessions
before deciding what to do with them. That’s all.”

           
 
His anger rose, and just as quickly he
trampled it back down until he was able to reply in a solid voice, “I am no
one’s possession.”

           
Shrugging
as if it were of no consequence, I said, “We’ll see.” It wasn’t necessary to
tell him that, since he was in my possession, I could do anything I wanted with
him. He was at my mercy. I could either kill him or sell him, depending on my
mood, and there was nothing he could do about it. “Keep moving, kid. You can
see your brother and girlfriend one more time.”

           
Pointing
the gun in the direction of the stairs, I herded him to see my captives. Before
making my final decision about what to do with them, I would even let them say
goodbye.

FIFTY-TWO

Jason

           
Finally,
I’m going to see my brother! Having our abductor attempt to get into my head
was driving me crazy. I knew my best chance to see Sam, and possibly figure out
how to escape, was to cooperate the best I could. Of course, cooperating didn’t
mean sharing every detail of my past with this psycho. If he wants to know, he
has to work for it. He seemed almost amused by my reluctance to share, and I
took that as a good sign. If he was amused, he could be less likely to turn
violent without warning. Hopefully.

           
The
house was… normal. There were family pictures up on the walls, and random
knick-knacks on shelves in the hallway. “This isn’t your place, I’d guess,” I
commented as we walked up the steps.

           
“Why?
Too nice for me?” he asked, still seeming amused.

           
Shrugging,
I replied, “Just doubting you would hold hostages in your own home, especially
if you have a family. Also, you aren’t in any of the pictures.”

           
He
grunted slightly in agreement. “You are correct. This is not my house, but it
has been useful since the owners left for an extended vacation.”

           
I
frowned, and paused at the top step glancing at him quizzically. “No, I did not
kill them. I simply watched until they left, and then took over their home.
Their paid house sitter, on the other hand… well, I needed to be able to use
the place without being reported. The cops haven’t found him yet. Now keep
moving.” He waved the gun again, and I continued to the upstairs hallway. Every
so often I glanced at the pictures on the walls, and hoped he was being
truthful about leaving them alive.

           
We
walked to a closed room at the end of the hall, and he reached around me to
open the door. My relief at seeing Hannah and Sam, unharmed, sitting on the
bed, was immense. I wanted to run to them and examine every inch to make sure
they were completely untouched. The hunter derailed that thought when he
grabbed my arm and steered me into the corner opposite the bed near the closet.

           
Hannah
and Sam sat up straight on the bed, and stared wide-eyed as the man took a
length of rope out of the closet and tied my feet together tightly. He then
made me sit on the floor. “You guys okay?” I looked around him to see them
nodding.

           
“We’re
okay, Jason,” Sam assured me.

           
“Enough,”
Hunter snapped, holding the gun to my forehead. “You can catch up in a few
moments. For now, you will sit here quietly and wait for me to make you secure.
I need to get some things from the hall. If anyone speaks while I’m gone, I will
shoot one of you. Oh, and Jason?” I looked at him past the gun he still held in
my face. “Any attempt to use your abilities, and I think you know what will
happen. So, just be patient, okay?”

           
My
throat felt a little dry as I nodded slightly, trying to avoid further pressure
from the gun barrel. He patted my cheek. “Good boy. I’ll be right back.”

           
He
left the room and I sat silently. Every so often I glanced over at the bed,
where Hannah looked terrified and Sam looked furious. I gave them a slight
smile, trying to assure them that I was okay. From the frowns and raised
eyebrows, I don’t think they bought it.

           
True
to his word, Hunter was back quickly with some tools and a large metal ring. He
held a drill and a stud finder. Before long the ring was solidly in place in
the wall. He even pulled on it to double check. “Get on your knees,” he
ordered, and I realized what the ring was for. If I knelt, it would be at neck
height, and he would be tying me to it by the collar already around my neck. It
was a position I wouldn’t be able to stay in for long, and if he didn’t give it
enough slack… I could choke myself.

           
Hesitation,
as I should have learned from my experience when he put me in the trunk, was
not my friend. Once again, he pressed the control button. I screamed as the
electricity flowed through my body. At least I tried. Not much noise escaped as
the current temporarily paralyzed my vocal cords. I vaguely heard Hannah and
Sam in the background, yelling at him to stop. When he finally did, I lay
panting in a heap on the floor. My body shook, and I gasped for air. I was
really beginning to hate this guy, and almost hoped to be given the opportunity
to take him out.

           
He
waited with odd patience as I caught my breath. Once I was a little steadier,
he spoke again. “Get on your knees, Jason.”

           
Getting
to my knees with my hands behind my back and feet tied together was not easy,
but since I was
trying
to do what he
said, he spared me the electricity. Eventually, he grabbed my arm and levered
me up. He tied a length of thin rope, or some kind of strong cord, to the ring
in the wall and looped it through the collar. I could sit on my feet, but
changing position otherwise would not be an option.

           
I
stared at the floor, trying to quell the rise of nausea. Being electrocuted
twice in such a short time was rough on the system. In an unusual show of
concern, Hunter held a glass to my lips. “Take a drink,” he said almost gently.
“It should help you feel less shaky.”

           
The
water tasted odd, but it did help the nausea a little. I rested back toward the
wall, still keeping my gaze on the floor. “I’ll be back in a little while. You
can have more water then,” our captor said. “Feel free to visit now.”

           
I
glared at him as he left the room. I hadn’t wished for someone’s death so hard
since Trevor Mason. I didn’t even want Kindred dead as badly. At least the
assassin knew to leave my little brother alone. “Jason?” Sam’s voice was shaky,
and drew my gaze toward him.

           
“I’m
okay, kiddo.” My voice was scratchy. Based on the doubtful look on his face, I
wasn’t overly convincing.

           
Hannah
shook her head. “You don’t have to lie, Jason. We saw what he did to you. So
tell us the truth, are you okay?”

           
Sighing,
I dropped my head, bringing it up sharply when the rope dug into my neck. “No,”
I said truthfully. “No, I am not okay. And I’m feeling a little woozy.” The
room was blurring a bit, and I felt myself leaning forward again.

           
“Jason!”
Hannah called sharply, trying to reach me from her spot on the bed. Stretching,
she was able to graze my forehead with her fingers. “You need to lean back
toward the wall, or the rope will choke you. There must have been something in
the water. Lean back!”

           
Finally
understanding what she meant, but still hesitant to lean away from even the
barest touch, I slowly moved backward. I got as close to the wall as possible
before the weakness settled in completely. “I’m all right,” I slurred.

           
“Okay,”
Hannah said. “Hunter probably just wanted to make sure you could be safely
handled. He hasn’t used drugs on Sam or me, and you don’t seem to be losing
consciousness. Sam, is Hunter nearby?”

           
I
wanted to ask how Sam would know, but Sam shook his head. “It seems like he’s
downstairs. Not far, but enough that he can’t hear us. Why?”

           
“Jason,
can you concentrate enough to use your power?”

           
“Nah,”
I shook my head slightly. “Would bring the house down on us if I tried.”

           
Sam
winced. “Yeah, not a great idea. From a second floor he wouldn’t have much
control even under the best circumstances. Drugged and upset, he would almost
definitely knock down the whole house on top of us.”

           
“Right.”
Hannah was sitting on the bed again, but seemed ready to jump up if I
threatened to move forward and choke myself again. “So what can we do?”

           
“He’s
winning,” I said, closing my eyes. “He has my powers and a gun. He’s very
confident.”

           
“Jason,
you’re a genius!” Hannah exclaimed. Opening my eyes again, I raised my eyebrows
curiously. “Overconfidence! If he is too confident, he could start to make
mistakes.”

           
Snorting,
I shook my head, swallowing back a resurgence of the nausea. “He hasn’t made
many so far.”