aHunter4Life (aHunter4Hire) (22 page)

Catal’s
arms were away from the man for a mere second, but it was enough for the driver
to free one hand. In less time than it took for a heartbeat, he had reached
behind his back and pulled a gun. His finger was on the trigger just as Catal
grabbed his arm and pushed it up.

The
shot echoed through the night.

Catal
squeezed the man’s hand and banged it against the wooden side of the building
until he dropped the pistol.
Ranon
picked it up and
shoved it into his waistband.

“An
innocent man wouldn’t have tried to kill us.” Catal strengthened his grip on
the man’s throat. “You must know we have no choice but to kill you for what
you’ve done to the boys.”

“I’ve
told you there are no boys.” The driver’s voice was a hoarse squeak. “I don’t
have a clue as to what you’re talking about.”

“The
two boys that were abducted in Los Angeles a week ago. They were seen going
into your truck.” Catal tightened his hands. “Kidnapping is bad enough, but
lying shows you’ve no honor at all. Do you have any idea what was intended for
the boys?”

The
driver shook his head. His fear was a palatable entity. The man had done harm
to children. He could not be left alive. He would only continue along the same
path and many more innocent children would be hurt. There was only one option
left to a Hunter.

The
man must die.

Catal
inhaled and lifted the man by his neck. He eyes didn’t waver from the terror in
the other’s gaze. At least he would make his end swift and painless, which was
more consideration than had been given to the boys.

“Wait.”
Partlan’s
voice rang out.

Catal
eased the man to the ground. He continued to hold him by the neck, but there
was no pressure in his grip. “What have you found?”

Partlan
halted beside him. “The boys are not in the truck.”

Catal’s
heart stopped for second. He turned back to the driver. “What did you do with
them?”

“I
told you, I don’t have anything but frozen food onboard.”

“You
were seen leaving Castaic. We also know the boys were being held hostage on a
Diamond Freezer truck.”
Partlan’s
tone was harsh.

“Do
you know how big the company is?” The man’s eyes shifted between him and
Partlan. “There is more than one Diamond Freezer truck. As a matter of fact, I
followed another Diamond truck out of Castaic.”

“Where
is that truck now?” Catal forced his voice to remain steady.

The
man shrugged. “He turned off toward Bakersfield.”

“Did
you know him?”

“Only
to look at. We drive for the same company, but our routes are different. I go
up along the coast and he takes the interior.”

“What
do you know about his sideline of transporting children?” Catal raised an
eyebrow.

“It’s
the first time I’ve heard anything about it.” The man’s voice cracked. “Hey,
I’ve got three kids of my own. I would never keep quiet about something like
that.”

Catal
eased his hand away from the man’s neck. There was no doubting the sincerity in
the man’s voice. Frustration and anger battled inside of him. He took a deep
breath and steadied his heartbeat. To have been so close to finding the boys
and then to be disappointed was almost more than he could stand.

“What
am I going to tell Selena?” Catal pushed back his anguish.

“
The
truth
.”
Partlan’s
voice was firm.
“
We
do not give up.”

Catal
nodded and took a step back from the driver. “Our information was wrong. I apologize
for frightening you.”

The
man rubbed his neck. “No worries, man. I’m sorry I tried to shoot you, but you
guys scared me. Are you sure that it was a Diamond truck the kids were put on?
It just doesn’t seem possible.”

“Our
information is correct.” Partlan spoke in a quiet voice. “We have no intention
of hurting the innocent. All we want is to find the boys before harm is done to
them.”

“I
understand.” The driver moved away from the wall. “I wish I could help more.”

“You’ve
told us what you know.” Catal sighed. “We will find the other truck.”

The
driver gave him a look of unease. “Can I go now?”

“Yes.”
Catal moved so the man could walk away.

Catal
crossed his arms and watched as the guy walk back to his truck. No one could
have guessed that two identical trucks would be leaving Castaic at the same
time. Worse, they were both going in the same direction. It was a hard blow.

The
sooner they were back on the road chasing the second truck, the better. The man
had a huge start on them, and they would have to make up for lost time. They
also had to consider where he was going to drop the boys off. Finding them now
was going to be difficult.

When
he reached the van, Selena was already outside. Her eyes were wide and her
hands were clutched together at her heart. Catal gathered her close. All he
could do was send her love and hope. Within seconds, he felt her body relax
against him. Only then did he ease away and look at her.

“The
boys aren’t here.”

“What
was the gun shot I heard? Was anyone hurt?”

Catal
shook his head. “The driver was trying to protect himself. I forced his hand
into the air.”

Selena’s
lowered lip trembled. “Now what?”

“We
know there was a second truck. It turned off toward Bakersfield.”

“That
was miles ago.”

“True.”
Catal touched his forehead to hers. “We will find the boys.”

Selena
looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears. “I’m frightened.”

“I
won’t give up until
Tarrin
is back with you.”

“But
will it be soon enough?” Selena’s voice broke. “The damage that could happen to
them is more than physical. They’re just young boys. How do they recover from
this?”

“
Tarrin
is strong. He is a Hunter.”

“But
I’ve raised him, not you.”

Catal
grinned. “You’re the toughest woman I know. You are my pair bond, which means
you understand the ways of a Hunter, even if you don’t realize it.”

“You’re
trying to make me feel better. I appreciate that. The only thing that will help
is to have my son in my arms and know he is safe.”

Catal’s
chest tightened.
Tarrin
was lucky to have known a
mother’s love. It was much more than he’d ever had as a child. He pulled Selena
close. To have her love was more than he deserved. He was blessed. Selena
trusted him to find
Tarrin
and he wasn’t going to
disappoint her. He wouldn’t stop until his son was found. It was a vow and a
promise that went deeper than his obedience to the Sacred Code.

“You’ve
said that you can sense
Tarrin
. Is that still
possible?”

Selena
moved back from his chest. “Yes, but it’s getting weaker.”

“I
can’t contact him, no matter what I try.” Catal held Selena at arm’s length and
looked down at her. “I need you to do something for me.”

“Anything.”

“Does
Tarrin
know I am his father?”

“Not
exactly.” Selena glanced away for a second. “I’ve only told him his father was
a soldier.”

“Would
he trust me, even though I am a stranger?”

Selena
bit her lip. “I never told him anything negative about you, if that’s what
you’re asking. Even though I felt betrayed, I couldn’t let him believe that the
part of him that came from his father was less than perfect.”

Catal
closed his eyes briefly. Selena had honor. “Could you try and send him a
message that his father is trying to contact him?”

“I
can’t speak to him telepathically.”

“But
he can sense you?”

“I
believe so.” Selena rubbed her arms. “Do you think that if he is expecting you
then you’ll be able to communicate?”

“It’s
possible.” Catal put an arm around her shoulder and led her back to the van.
“Up to now he has only known you. He doesn’t understand about communicating
through mind connection. If you ease his fears about what to expect, he might
be more open to me.”

The
other men were already in the van. Catal helped Selena in and seated her across
from him in the rear. She seemed to sag against the metal side of the van, but
within a few seconds, she straightened up. She closed her eyes. He knew Selena
was sending their son positive energy and hope.

He
turned to Partlan. “Selena is going to try and connect with
Tarrin
.
Perhaps he will be more open to our communications afterwards.”

“It
will help. I know it was a long time ago for you, but remember your first
connection when you were little more than a babe.” Partlan shut the door and
held onto the back of the driver’s seat. “
Tarrin
will
feel the same way as you did.”

“It
was a shock, I recall that much.”

“And
you were surrounded by your brothers and clan members.” Partlan sat beside him.
“
Firbin
is going to take us back to the turnoff. He
is a fast driver, but we have lost a lot of time.”

Catal
nodded. “After Selena is finished, I will try and make contact with
Tarrin
again. Any information he can send us will help.”

For
the next ten minutes, they drove in silence.
Firbin
pushed the van to its limits as they retraced the miles. They were on the
lookout for a cross road to take them to Bakersfield. If they were lucky, the
truck wouldn’t have reached Bakersfield. Their best chance of spotting the
vehicle was in an isolated area, where it would stand out.

Catal
had his eyes glued to the outside, scanning every bit of highway and side road
they passed when Selena touched his hand. A jolt of heat seared him. He looked
at her face and noticed a lessening of the tension.

“Have
you connected with him?”

She
smiled. “Yes.”

“He
is alive. That is good.”

“I’ve
sent him thoughts about you. I don’t know if he understands my message, but I
sent it to him.”

“He
will sense that you are near.” Catal took her hand and squeezed it. “Let me try
now.”

She
nodded and moved back into her seat. “I pray you’ll be able to connect with
him.”

Catal
crossed his arms and leaned back. The other warriors in the van were busy
checking their weapons. They understood, like Partlan, how difficult the first
connection could be. They were giving him privacy, so he could concentrate.
Catal took a deep breath and focused.

He’d
been about three when he’d first heard the voices of his fellow Hunters. It had
meant the end of his childhood and the beginning of his training as a warrior.
The most disconcerting thing was that it had been so unexpected and painful for
the first couple of connections. After that, it had become second nature, but
he could still remember the fear and doubt the first time he’d heard his mentor
speak to him with thoughts.

It
was a secret that only Hunters shared. Not even their teachers, who were
Kaladin
, knew of the mind connection. Their telepathic
ability was probably the result of centuries of genetic modifications and
manipulation. Some of their legends said that when time began they had been
able to connect to others through their mind, but the ability had been lost.
Necessity and survival had forced their breed to remember how to speak to each
other without words.

Catal
didn’t care why he could connect, he just knew that it had saved his life many
times. It also made them unique. No matter how strongly the
Kaladin
held control over their lives and actions, there was still a part of them that
was private and secret. No one outside their brotherhood knew about it except
their mates, and until they had come to Earth, they hadn’t had mates.

Tarrin
might feel a connection with his mother, but he wouldn’t understand the voice
that would be pushing to be heard inside his mind. And that was exactly what
Catal had to do. He had to force
Tarrin
to hear him
and respond. It was the difference between life and death.

He
sent out wave after wave of mind connection. His words were simple. “
Tarrin
it is Catal, your father. I am here to
help you.”

He
sent the same message time and again. Along with words, he sent love and hope.
He knew from his first connection that it sometimes took days for the voices to
be heard. He fervently prayed that wouldn’t be the case. They didn’t have the
luxury of time.

The
van had turned off toward Bakersfield when Catal felt a glimmer of a response.
It was hesitant and a faint whisper in his mind, but he knew it was
Tarrin
.