aHunter4Trust (13 page)

“It’s called flirting and it’s fun.”

The tension eased out of Darrogh’s
shoulders. “You are not upset by what I have told you.”

Tamsin picked up her brush. “You said we
are bonding, so you already know what I am feeling.”

“You wish to play?” Darrogh tilted his
head. “Now is the time for planning.”

Tamsin leaned back against her dresser.
“What’s the point of this pair bond if there isn’t any fun?”

“I did not say that.”

“So far all you’ve told me about is having
to protect and guard me.” Tamsin “I crave happiness and pleasure in my life.”

Darrogh frowned. “I do not understand.”

“You’ve spent your whole life fighting and
that is all you’re focused on.” Tamsin took a deep breath. Somehow, she had to
make Darrogh understand that there were other things in life besides war. “A
couple share the good and the bad times.”

“You are not concerned by the Albireons or
their threats.”

“I’ve decided that you can do the worrying
for both of us.” Tamsin pointed the brush at him. “I trust you to protect me. I
will do whatever you decide.”

Darrogh took a step toward her.

A knock on the door stopped him.

“Come,” Darrogh barked.

Firbin opened the door. “Kerm has reported
activity at the stakeout.”

“We had a pickup, but it was not Peter’s
client.” Savis showed Darrogh the video playback on the computer.

Darrogh watched as a young man in a black
hoodie, opened the mailbox and took out Peter’s envelope. He kept his back to
the countertop so there was no chance to see his face. He opened the note, and
then left the building.

“Is that all?”

“We followed him and were able to get some
photos.” Savis clicked on the shots. “He called someone after leaving, and then
threw the phone away.”

“It was probably a disposable cell at the
other end.”

Darrogh kept his frustration in check. When
he and Breanon had arrived at the van, he had expected to find out who the
client was. He wanted this man found so that he could ensure Tamsin’s safety.
The sooner that was done, the better. If he stayed much longer with Tamsin, he
would never leave her side.

“That is what we thought.” Savis continued
to scroll through the photos. “We followed him for over an hour. He led us
nowhere.”

“He went into a pub and was buying rounds.”
Kerm added. “He had lots of money to spend.”

“So he was paid to make the pickup and call
with the information.” Darrogh felt like gnashing his teeth.

“Probably.” Peter looked down at his watch.
“It’s a good thing I arranged to meet up with the client in person. I said
eleven tonight at the Joy of Life Fountain, in Hyde Park. It should be private
at that time.”

“How will you recognize him?” Darrogh
turned to Peter.

“I just assumed that he’d know me because
he hired me. I said I’d be sitting on the edge of the fountain. Nobody’s there
at night.” Peter’s voice was hesitant. “Did I do wrong?”

“No. We will monitor everyone who is at the
fountain. We have two hours to prepare.” Darrogh motioned to Savis to drive.
“We will go now and find a vantage point to observe you.”

“What am I supposed to tell him?” Peter’s
voice was unsteady. “I don’t have any photos from today because you guys took
them.”

“Tell him your cover was blown, and you
cannot work for him anymore.” Darrogh said.

“I’ll add that you guys took my camera.”
Peter chuckled. “At least that’s the truth.”

“Ask for money.” Savis looked up from his
computer screen. “That way he will not suspect a trap.”

Peter nodded. “Good idea.”

There was silence as they drove to Edgware
Street and then east along Park Lane, looking for a parking space close to the
Fountain. A quick surveillance of the area showed paved pathways and lights. The
only real cover they would have was the darkness of night. The strategist in
Darrogh did not like the location. It was not ideal for a covert operation.

They parked the van some distance away from
the fountain.

Darrogh, Savis, and Peter walked the area.

It was a cool, summer evening and the moon
was bright in the sky. There was very little cloud cover, and with the
streetlights and moon, the area was too bright for them to go unseen. The
fountain’s spouting water and its dancing, bronze statues were illuminated with
blue-tinted floodlights. The buildings across from the park, and the road,
provided enough additional light that a person could almost read by it. If
someone was watching the grounds, they would be spotted right away.

“Why would you choose this place?” Savis
was looking around at the open area surrounding the fountain.

“It’s easy to get to, and safe.” Peter
shrugged. “He won’t try anything out in the open.”

“Good.” Darrogh patted the front of Peter’s
jacket. “You will have to wear a microphone and camera because we will not be
able to get close enough to protect you.”

“You said I’d be guarded.”

They returned to the van.

“You picked the location.” Darrogh motioned
for Savis to take over. “If this is someone who has been following Tamsin, then
they will recognize us.”

Once inside the vehicle, Peter unbuttoned
his shirt and let Savis wrap a wire around him. When that was finished, a small
camera similar to the one they had used for the mailbox, was placed on the
underside of his shirt collar.

“That should give us the information we
need.” Darrogh gave Peter a nod of approval. “Remember you are angry because
you have lost your equipment. Do not give him a chance to think about anything
else.”

“Right.” Peter straightened his shoulders.
“If I get some money out of this, great.”

“The important thing is for us to see who
it is.” Darrogh’s voice was firm. “Do not try and get any evidence. Tell him
and then leave.”

“The sooner you are back at the van, the
quicker we can find out who your client is,” Savis added.

“You guys could ruin my reputation if
anyone finds out I’ve helped you.” Peter ran his hand under his collar.
“There’s such a thing as confidentiality agreements.”

“You have never met the person so he could
not have signed a contract.” Darrogh’s voice was dry. “That alone should have
alerted you to the fact that this was not an honest operation.”

“It’s hard being a private investigator.”
Peter’s voice rose defensively. “I take the work where I can find it.”

“That is why you are helping us. Tamsin has
agreed to find a position for you at the bank.” Darrogh turned to Savis. “Is
the equipment ready?”

“Yes.”

Darrogh opened the van door. “It is time
for you to leave.”

Peter looked down at his watch. “I still
have an hour.”

“It is better for you to be in place before
he arrives.” Darrogh’s voice was firm. “We do not want him seeing you leaving
this van.”

Peter sighed. “It’s a good thing it’s a
nice night.”

“We will be listening. If there is a
problem, we will come.” Darrogh waited until Peter was outside before
continuing. “We will follow your mystery client after the meeting, so you need
to get back here fast.”

“Or you’ll leave me?”

“Exactly.”

“I was kidding,” Peter protested. “You
can’t abandon me.”

“We move fast. If you want to work with us,
then you better keep up.”

Peter nodded. “If I miss my ride, I’ll meet
you back at Tamsin’s house.”

Darrogh watched Peter until he reached the
fountain and then he slid the van door closed. Soon, he would find out who was
having Tamsin followed. Hopefully, that would lead to the people who were
threatening her life. It would be the longest hour of his life. When he turned
back to his men, they looked up from their work with solemn expressions.

They deserved to know the truth.

He cleared his throat and sat. “You have questions.”

Breanon went back to examining his rifle.
“You will tell us when you are ready.”

“I do not know if that will ever happen.”
Darrogh’s voice was gruff. “I am forming a bond with Tamsin.”

“You sound as if this is a bad thing.”
Savis’s voice was matter of fact.

“I do not trust the effects this planet has
on us.”

“You’re still new to Earth. In time, your
body will adjust.” Kerm spoke in a quiet voice.

“You have been here thirty years.” Darrogh
looked at the other man. “How have you reacted to being near women?”

“They’ve never affected me.” Kerm’s voice
was devoid of emotion. “Until your unit arrived, we never considered the
possibility of finding a mate.”

“Ardal accepted his bonding.” Savis’s tone
was one of reason. “So have Niail and Partlan. There is no shame in admitting
that you have formed a pair bond.”

“Catal denied his mate, and that caused him
pain and grief for many years,” Kerm added.

“It is not easy for me.” Darrogh clenched
his hands into fists. “Until I joined Ardal’s unit, I had never been near
women.”

Breanon paused in cleaning his rifle. “You
must have had some contact.”

Darrogh shook his head. Only Ardal, their
leader, knew of his previous military deployments. The other men in the unit
had accepted that Darrogh had earned his position as second in command. They
had never inquired about his experiences before he had joined their unit.

“I was trained and fought on Cosnov. We did
not have women there.”

“It was known as the death planet.” Breanon
frowned. “It would have been severe.”

“Very few of the Hunters in my division
survived.”

A Hunter’s purpose was to fight. Death was
expected, and to die in battle was an honor. He had lived. Most of those he had
fought with, had died. He didn’t question why. He knew that his years of battle
had made him a superior warrior. Now, for the first time, he realized that
those skills could be used for something he cared about. Protecting Tamsin.

“I battled in the frontlines of many wars
until I was transferred to Thars Station. From there, I went to Ardal’s unit. I
was transferred one week before the Holman took over Cygnus.”

Thars Station was a prison planet; brutal
and primitive. Darrogh had been in charge of security and prisoner containment.
The main activity there had been the mining and processing of Monazite, with
most of its minerals being used for nuclear energy and weapons. It was a harsh
environment. Prisoners worked with compliance or they were killed. There were
no second chances.

“Guarding the High Council would have been
a drastic change.” Savis sat back from his computer. “You did not have time to
adjust.”

Darrogh clenched his jaw. “I arrived and
immediately we were helping the council escape from the Holman. Because of my
battle experience, I was left on Cygnus to defend the Council Chambers until
everyone was safely off the planet.”

Darrogh did not elaborate on the torture
that had followed once the Holman had discovered that the Kaladin High Council
had escaped. He was a Hunter. It was understood that he and his men had
defended and delayed the enemy until they had been ordered to surrender as a
delaying tactic. The Holman might have thought that they could break him, but
they were wrong. When Ardal and the rest of the unit had returned, that was
when they had been shipped off for execution.

“I can understand your concern about women
and this planet,” Kerm said. “It is not for us to question the pair bond. It is
a part of being a Hunter and you would be foolish to ignore it.”

“I had not considered that.” Darrogh paused
as he reflected on this new perspective. “To be a Hunter also means the
possibility of a pair bond.”

“It has made Ardal a better leader,” Savis
said.

“It is who we are.” Breanon clicked the
magazine back into his rifle. “We protect and obey women. Now we know we can
also form a pair bond and mate.”

“It’s part of our breeding.” Kerm spoke in
a firm voice. “If we hadn’t been given implants at birth, we would not doubt
it.”

“We would have accepted bonding along with
all of our other modifications.” Savis glanced down at his computer.

“You are right,” Darrogh agreed.

A weight had been lifted from him. He had
never considered that bonding was an extension of being a Hunter, and therefore
as natural as their duty to fight and die. There was no dishonor in accepting
Tamsin as his pair bond. The ability to form a bond with a woman and mate had
been a part of him since birth. It had nothing to do with Earth. The Kaladin
had denied him that right by using implants. He was now free of those
restraints.

“I will advise the others of what has
happened to me.”

Darrogh had wasted enough time with doubt
and questions.

He brought his focus back to the mission.

“Peter is bouncing up and down.” Savis
spoke in a hesitant voice. “I do not know if that means he has spotted someone
or wants our help.”

“Has he said anything?”

“No.” Savis looked up at Darrogh. “His
microphone is working because I can hear the sound of the water in the
fountain.”

“Is that masking his words?”

“I am uncertain.” Savis leaned closer to
his monitor. “His camera is pointing toward a dark figure that is standing by
the trees.”

“Tell me when it moves.” Darrogh eased the
tension from his shoulders. “It may be his contact and they are making certain
that Peter is alone.”

Years of battle had taught Darrogh
patience. It was better to wait for the enemy to come to him, then to be on the
offensive. If this was Peter’s client, then they would know soon enough who
their enemy was. The threat against Tamsin could only be defeated once they
knew the exact nature of what they were dealing with.

“The figure is moving toward Peter.”
Savis’s voice broke the silence.

“Good.” Darrogh walked to the computer. “It
is still too dark to make out the man’s face.”

The person moved closer. Lamplight lit the
features enough that they knew they were dealing with a man. He was dressed in
a dark overcoat and had a woollen cap on his head. It would make identification
difficult if he stayed at a distance.