Chapter 8

“THE AREA IS safe.” Niail walked into the rock shelter. “The road is near. Can you walk?”

Marissa put her shoes on. “Of course.”

She stood and wobbled with the first step she took.

“We cannot be seen with these weapons. We must leave them here.” Niail started to put his pistol down when Marissa stopped him.

“Nevada is open carry.”

“What does that mean?” Firbin hitched his pack onto his back.

“You’re allowed to carry the gun. Rifles have to be empty of bullets though.”

“That will make it easier for us.” Firbin reached for her. “I will carry you.”

He sensed her hesitation.

“We must hurry.” Thero’s voice was a low whisper. “The next patrol will arrive soon.”

Marissa didn’t resist when Firbin picked her up. He held her close to his chest and followed Niail and Thero down the foothills. When they reached the flatlands, they increased their pace to a jog. Marissa clutched Firbin’s shoulders as they jostled across the ground. In the distance, they heard the sound of traffic.

“A road is near.” Firbin tried to keep his voice steady. “We will find a ride then.”

“Good.” Marissa’s voice was low. “The first thing I’m doing when we reach Las Vegas is getting a new pair of shoes.”

“As you wish.” Firbin felt a constriction in his chest at her words. “I will carry you for as long as you need.”

Firbin sensed more than saw Marissa smile.

“I’ll feel less of a burden when I can walk on my own. It would look ridiculous if you carried me down the streets of Las Vegas.”

“It is not a problem.”

“I know you guys mean well, and I’m grateful you saved my life, but you’re wrong about Douglas.” Marissa’s voice was insistent. “There is no way he would be involved with weapons.”

“You will stay with us until we have found the source of the staff.” Firbin felt a strange compulsion to keep her near. He didn’t want to consider the fact that something might happen to her. “You are still in danger.”

Niail raised his arm for them to halt. Firbin lowered Marissa to the ground and fought back the strange sensation of loss that swept through him as she moved away from him. He didn’t understand the connection he felt to her, but he knew it was important.

“There is a vehicle parked off the road.” Niail pointed at a pickup truck. “I will see if it is occupied.”

“Are you going to steal it?” Marissa’s voice was hesitant.

“If necessary.” Niail turned away and ran to the truck. It was several seconds later when he motioned for them to follow.

Thero swung his rifle onto his back and reached for Marissa. “I will carry you now.”

The truck was driven by a young couple who were out stargazing and they were heading back to Las Vegas. Apparently they were on the outskirts of the small town of Coyote Springs. From what Firbin could see, it was a patch of green in the middle of nowhere. They climbed into the back of the truck. After about thirty minutes of driving, the lights of a huge city in the distance came into view.

This must be Las Vegas.

“What do you know about this city?” Firbin turned to Niail. Marissa was sitting on the opposite side of the truck and he didn’t want her to hear their conversation, so he used mind connection.

“It is a place of money.” Niail hitched his rifle closer. “It is also very close to several Air Force Bases.”

“It’s strategic.” Thero added.

“There has to be a connection with the weapon.” Niail looked at Firbin. “Does Marissa remember anything?”

“No.” Firbin frowned. “She insists that her boss couldn’t be involved.”

“It sounds as if she walked in on a conversation she wasn’t supposed to hear.” Niail said. “I’ve spoken to Jehon and he agrees.”

“The weapon could make a difference in our ability to destroy the Albireons.”

“That is why it is important to find it.”

Marissa looked in their direction.

“I want to go to my house first.” Her words floated toward them on the wind. “I need to change before I face my boss.”

Niail leaned over to her. “Is it safe?”

“Yes.” Marissa moved back to looking over the side of the truck.

Firbin sensed that she was still confused over what was happening. He wished they had time to convince her of the seriousness of what they were doing, but that was a luxury they didn’t have. Everything depended on their getting the information about the weapon before the Albireons were aware that they knew about its existence.

They were dropped off at the north end of the city beside a quiet residential street on the outskirts. Marissa seemed comfortable with the area and she hobbled off in the direction of a main intersection to flag down a cab.

“Do any of you have money?” she asked as she waved her hand at an approaching vehicle.

Thero reached into his camouflage vest pocket and pulled out some bills.

Marissa glanced at it and nodded. “This should do.”

A cab stopped and they piled inside. Thero sat up front with the driver and Firbin and Niail were in the rear with Marissa. After she had given her address, she leaned back in the seat and closed her eyes. Firbin sensed her exhaustion and sent her energy.

The cab stopped in front of a small house. There was a brick driveway with a blue car sitting in front of the garage. The yard was stone covered. Toward the center was a large palm tree surrounded by pampas grass and smaller bushes. The house was beige in color with a red tiled roof. It was a quiet neighborhood.

The sun was just rising in the sky.

Marissa paid the driver and waited until he’d backed out of the driveway before turning to the blue car. She walked over and looked in the window and then over at her house. Firbin sensed that something was upsetting her, so he went to her.

“Is everything okay?”

“I left my car at work.” Marissa crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t remember driving home.”

“We will scout the perimeter of the house. Do you have a key for the door?” Niail’s tone was serious.

“There is one on the back patio underneath one of the white planters.”

“Stay here until we’ve secured the house.”

Niail went in one direction and Thero went in the opposite.

Firbin waited beside Marissa.

“Do you think I forgot driving home?” Marissa’s voice was filled with concern. “Or did someone else bring my car here?”

“Either is possible.”

“Why would they do that?” Marissa didn’t hide the distress in her voice. “You don’t think I’m going crazy?”

Firbin shook his head. “I think it was meant to look as if everything was normal.”

“A cover-up.”

“Perhaps.”

Firbin hesitated to say anything that might frighten Marissa more than she already was. He didn’t understand what was happening to him, but he sensed her every emotion. He knew that Earth had strange effects on Hunters, but there was only one reason for a Hunter to feel another human’s emotions. That only happened between a Hunter and his mate.

He was connecting to Marissa.

That meant he was bonding with her.

Niail returned. “The house is undisturbed. Thero is entering from the rear and will check that it is safe to go inside.”

Marissa shivered. “I can’t believe anyone would do this.”

“We will find out what happened.” Niail’s voice was definite. “Once you’ve changed, we will pay a visit to your boss. He was the last person you remember and that is the best place to find out the truth.”

“I hope so.” Marissa rubbed her arms. “He never seemed the type of person who would harm anyone.”

Thero walked out the front door and motioned them inside.

“He has a business and an organization to protect.” Firbin guided Marissa up the front walkway. “You know nothing about what the secrets of his business are.”

“I’m his assistant. I should know.”

“Not if it was meant to be hidden.”

Firbin waited while Marissa kicked her shoes off before following her inside the house. A blast of cool air was the first thing he noticed. The lack of furniture was the next. There was one cushioned chair in the living room, a small table with two wooden chairs in the dining area and one stool at the kitchen eating bar.

On top of the bar was a set of keys and beside it a blue purse. Marissa picked up the keys and shook her head. “I would definitely not leave my house keys lying around. They are hung up at the front door or thrown into my purse. I don’t have a clue how my purse got here either.” She opened it and rifled through her belongings. “Everything seems to be here. It makes no sense.”

Marissa went straight into the kitchen and opened her fridge. She pulled out a pitcher of orange juice and put a couple of glasses on the bar. After she’d poured herself a tall glass of the fruit juice, she offered the beverage to them.

“If you don’t like the juice, there’s water and soda in the fridge. Help yourself. I’m going to get a shower and change.”

She’d taken off before any of them could stop her.

“The house is secure,” Niail said when Firbin raised an eyebrow. “We need to see if there is anything here that could help us find out what happened.”

“Marissa didn’t drive her car home. I will start looking there.” Thero left through the front door.

“Do you think it was the Albireons who engineered the weapon?” Firbin dropped his pack of explosives on the carpeted floor.

“They have never been known to have that technology.” Niail opened the cupboard doors in the kitchen. “If they do, then the whole universe may be at risk, not just Earth.”

“Understood.” Firbin slid open the closet door. “The legends were right about its effectiveness.”

“How difficult was the weapon to use.”

“It was very intuitive.” Firbin looked at Niail. “I didn’t even have to aim and it still destroyed all the soldiers who were blocking our exit.”

“It could take out whole units of warriors.”

“It must not fall into the wrong hands.”

Niail finished in the kitchen and walked over to Firbin. “We must find out what Norcott knows and then make certain that the woman is safe.”

“I am unsure about what is happening to me.” Firbin put his hands on his hips. “I feel strange around Marissa. Do you feel it?”

Niail frowned. “I did not sense anything. Did it happen when you were carrying her?”

“Sooner.”

“Explain.”

Firbin hesitated for a second. “When I touched her, there was a jolt of energy.”

Niail crossed his arms. “Anything else?”

“At times I think I know what she is feeling.” Firbin cleared his throat. “I have an overwhelming need to be near her and keep her safe.”

Niail nodded. “You may be bonding.”

Firbin clenched his jaw. It was as he suspected. “Are you certain?”

“No.” Niail’s voice held no emotion. “You are the only one who will know if it is real. Sometimes humans experience an attraction that is not true. This may be happening to you.”

“That has not been the case with the others.”

“You may be more susceptible than the rest of us.” Niail frowned. “You are younger and have adjusted to this planet.”

“I am still a Hunter.” Firbin’s voice was gruff. “It did not occur with Lorcan’s unit and they’ve been on the planet since they were ten.”

“Then it has to be the beginnings of the connection with your pair bond.”

“What do I do?”

“If you are bonding, then you will not have a choice. It will happen.” Niail turned as Thero walked through the door.

Firbin would have to accept this for now. From what he knew of the others who had found their mates, they were able to sense their pair bonds emotions and thoughts. So far all he knew was that Marissa was afraid and that was reasonable given what had happened to her.

“These keys were in the car.” Thero dangled them from his fingers. “There looks to be a certain amount of blood on the floor mat also.”

Just then an ear-splitting scream came from the hall.

Firbin’s heart skipped a beat and then started to race.

Marissa was in trouble.