Chapter 6

“GREAT.” MARISSA CLASPED her hands together. “This way I’ll be able to find out what happened.”

Firbin sensed Marissa’s uncertainty. For her sake he hoped they would find out more than the reason she was at Nellis. It couldn’t be a coincidence that she’d overheard talk about a device and they’d found her and an Ancient’s Staff in the same place. Legend said that the Ancient’s Staff was the most dangerous and powerful weapon in the universe. As much as he wanted to help Marissa, they needed to stop this weapon from being reproduced and distributed on Earth.

“Our priority will be the weapon.” Firbin kept his voice steady.

“Of course.” Marissa shrugged. “I know that my boss isn’t the enemy. He might even be in danger like I was.”

“There were no other humans on the restricted levels.” Firbin didn’t want to give Marissa any false hopes. “We made a thorough check and the only other human was the one who killed Gus.”

A shiver went through Marissa, and Firbin swore he felt it himself. He glanced at Jehon who was staring at Marissa and frowning. Captain Barton had returned to his men and Niail and Thero were now standing beside Marissa. None of his fellow warriors seemed effected by Marissa’s anxiety.

“This is a serious mission.” Jehon’s tone was soft. “We can protect you, but I will not have my men’s lives put at risk because of foolishness. They will be in charge of your safety and that means you must listen to them.”

“The last thing I want is more trouble.” Marissa sighed and leaned her head back against the seat. “This whole thing has to be a mistake. I’m just a working girl struggling to survive in the business world.”

“You were kidnapped and brought to a secure alien station. Is that part of a normal working day?” Firbin’s voice was harsher than usual, but somehow he had to convince Marissa of the seriousness of her situation.

Marissa’s eyes widened and she straightened in her seat. “Is that what that place was?”

“Yes.” Jehon crossed his arms over his chest. “They were also in control of a weapon that has the potential to destroy everyone on this planet.”

“Once we speak with Douglas everything will be explained. It has to be a mistake.”

“I hope so.” Firbin sensed that fear and panic were warring inside of Marissa despite her appearance of calm. “We will defend you. Hunters do not fail.”

She gave him a slight smile. “After what I’ve seen, I’m not certain anyone can keep me safe.”

“Hunters are the best in the universe.” Jehon pointed to Niail. “You will be in control of the mission. Thero may be needed for the computer system if you don’t find Douglas Norcott.”

Firbin felt protective of Marissa. He didn’t understand why, but he needed to be certain that she didn’t fall into Albireon hands again. Perhaps, he felt more responsible because he had rescued her. It was the first time he had experienced it, but he couldn’t ignore the sensation. This uncertainty and connection with a human would never have happened on his home planet of Cygnus. Earth had a strange effect on Hunters. It was good that Niail was in charge. He was the unit’s best marksman and his time spent with his mate meant that he was also familiar with how humans reacted.

The train came to a sudden halt.

Jehon motioned them to the exit. “This is as close as we can get to the city. There should be an escape hatch that takes you above ground.”

Firbin assisted Marissa to her feet and guided her to the open door. Niail exited first and helped her off the train. Firbin and Thero jumped off just as the door swished shut.

The train left in a blur of motion.

Firbin turned to Marissa. “Do you need help walking?”

“I’m fine.” Marissa shook her head. “These shoes looked wonderful in the store, but they’re useless for walking in a place like this.”

“I will carry you.” Firbin realized that there was nothing he’d rather do than hold her in his arms.

Marissa smiled.

Firbin inhaled a sharp breath.

It was as if the light had been turned on. It was the first time she’d looked happy and his heart twisted. She was beautiful. He didn’t know why she was being held by the Albireons, but in that instant he promised that he would keep her safe from them no matter what it took. All he wanted was to see her happy.

“There’s scuffle marks here.” Niail’s voice broke the spell that Marissa had woven around Firbin.

He glanced toward where Niail was shining his light and noted the same markings. “They may lead to an exit.”

He pulled a cylinder from his pack and shook it so that light was dispersed around them. A quick glance at the walls showed that there were no cameras in this area. It was secure for them to continue searching for a ventilation shaft to the surface.

“Here.” Thero shouted. He was about twenty feet further down the tunnel. “There’s a ladder.”

“Any camera on it.”

There was a faint bang and then a grunt. “Not now.”

Marissa giggled. “I don’t know who you guys are, but if you go around destroying property like that, you’ll soon find yourself on the wrong side of the law.”

“We are already in hiding.” Niail reached back and guided Marissa to the opening. “There is nothing more your planet can do to us.”

Firbin sensed a shock rush through him. At first, he thought he was imagining it, but then he realized it was coming from Marissa. He had never felt any emotions from other humans before. It wasn’t because she was a woman either. He’d been surrounded by women ever since their craft had crashed on Earth.

This was new.

Something different.

For several seconds he let the essence of Marissa surround him. It was gone the moment he tried to hold onto it. He shook his head. They were in a serious battle for not only their own lives, but that of this planet. He should not be allowing anything other than military strategy and survival to cloud him brain.

He could not allow his judgement to become impaired.

He might make a mistake that would cost the lives of not only him, but his team. He had to focus on their mission. Marissa was just a human who was in the wrong place. They needed to use whatever information she had access to and find out how the Ancient’s Staff had found its way to Earth.

Thero had a light shining up a darkened hole in the ceiling when they reached him. Firbin handed him his light and then jumped up to the first rung of the ladder. He reached back for his light and inspected the narrow cylindrical tunnel. He ran his hand around the edges and then up several rungs of the ladder.

“There does not appear to be any monitoring here.”

“No sensor?” Niail’s voice echoed up to him.

“No.” Firbin glanced down. “There may be something at the top. Do you want me to climb and then return?”

“Yes. Let me know when you reach the top.”

Firbin nodded and started the climb. There was barely enough room for him and his pack, but he needed his explosives with him. It took several minutes for him to reach the end. It was a small grate that was blocking the exit. He felt around the circumference and touched a tiny sensor alarm. He held the light in his mouth and very quickly disconnected the wires. They would have a small window of time to make their escape before a patrol was sent out.

His next concern was the lock. It was primitive and there were no explosives connected to it. He pulled out a small amount of the powder explosive he had formulated and poured it into the lock. A flash and a sizzle and the lock was broken. He pushed and the grate gave way.

Darkness met him.

He crouched low and scanned the area.

“The grate is blown. I disconnected the alarm, but it probably triggered a remote sensor. Time is important.” He communicated to Niail. “I’m going to secure the area. Wait until I give the all clear signal.”

The night air was cool and the stars in the clear sky provided the light he needed. He left his light hanging on the top rung of the ladder in the vent shaft before scrambling to the cover of a large boulder. Silence surrounded him. There was the faint sound of traffic in the far distance. He was encircled on all sides by the tall faces of mountains.

Several minutes later he heard the approach of faint footsteps.

“Someone is approaching.”

Firbin stretched his neck from side to side and steadied his breathing as he prepared for battle. He saw the approaching soldiers long before they were aware of his presence. They had rifles aimed toward the light in the shaft. There was no doubt they planned on shooting whoever made an appearance above ground. Firbin pulled a knife from his leg holder and readied himself.

He crept with quiet stealth.

He killed the first by twisting his neck.

The second heard the skirmish and turned just as Firbin cut his throat. The body made a quiet thud as it dropped to the ground. Firbin held his breath and waited. Usually there were two teams that investigated a disturbance. The second team would be expecting trouble. He scrambled behind another boulder and waited.

Five minutes later another two soldiers crept toward the shaft. They made their approach with more secrecy, keeping low to the ground and using caution as they moved forward. In the darkness they passed Firbin’s hiding spot. He waited until the second was a few feet away and then made his move. He pounced and slit his throat before his partner knew what had happened. The leader turned around and Firbin threw his knife, hitting him in the neck.

There was no time for a cry.

No warning going out to others at the base.

“It is clear.” Firbin sent his message through mind connect to Niail. “Come quick.”

They would have at least fifteen minutes to get away from the area before a bigger patrol checked in. Firbin retrieved his pack and dragged the dead bodies behind the boulders. If the area looked undisturbed, it might buy them a bit more time. When he had finished, he moved to the opening and waited.

Thero was the first to exit. Marissa was behind him and Firbin offered his hand to her. She hesitated a second and then grabbed him.

A shock of sensation traveled up his arm.

He held firm.

This woman was affecting him. It was too soon to know what that meant, but he had no intention of letting her out of his sight. He pulled her up out of the ventilation shaft and kept her close to him as he waited for Niail to exit. Then he shut the grate and reconnected the wires on the alarm.

“Is that necessary?” Marissa asked. “Don’t they already know we’ve escaped?”

“It may confuse them,” Niail answered. “We have to ensure that we can delay them. Anything that helps postpone our discovery is necessary.”

Firbin caught Marissa’s hand and moved away from the shaft. Thero had already started to walk in the opposite direction that the soldiers had come from. They didn’t need to find themselves facing another scouting mission.

They descended the foothills in silence.

The cool night air made the trek easier.

Marissa kept pace with them for several minutes, but as they reached the rockier edge of the mountains she started to stumble. Firbin didn’t hesitate. He clasped her close and lifted her into his arms. She was a tiny woman and light as a feather in his arms.

“You can’t carry me.” Her voice was a whispered recrimination.

“It is best.” Niail spoke from ahead. “Your footsteps were getting labored and loud.”

“Excuse me.” Marissa growled into Firbin’s ear. “Next time I plan on being hunted and kidnapped, I’ll bring better shoes.”

“There is no need.” Firbin smiled. “We are here to help.”

“You can’t expect to carry me all the way down this mountain?”

“Why not?”

“I’m too heavy.” Marissa turned her head so that she was closer to Firbin. “Besides, women like to fend for themselves.”

“That is why Hunters were created.” Firbin frowned. “It is no effort to carry you.”

“You guys don’t give up.”

“A Hunter never surrenders.”

Firbin sensed that she wanted to argue, but instead she sighed and leaned against his shoulder. It was comforting to have her close. It also allowed them to quicken their pace. Discovery was not an option. His breathing steadied as he continued the trek down the mountainside. When they had gone a couple of miles, the landscape changed. The solid rock gave way to a gravelly terrain with sparsely scattered mesquite trees and low-growing thicket plants.

They slowed.

Niail ordered a stop.

Ahead there was a small grouping of larger rocks that would provide shelter. Firbin put Marissa down when he reached the boulders. She straightened her skirt and took a step toward the rock. Firbin reached out and stopped her. She started to speak when he tapped her mouth.

There was a loud noise of machinery in the distance.

“We need to investigate.” Niail nodded at Thero. “Firbin stay and protect Marissa.”