The Huntress (31 page)

Stone moved toward the other control panel with a nonchalance that he didn’t feel, studying the techs for any signs of suspicion. They seemed as oblivious as ever. He and Regan paused by the other panel an even shorter length of time before turning toward the lift.

Stone’s heart stopped when a tech came behind him to check on the control panel they’d just left, but the man only ran his hands over the controls and walked away. Not one of them seemed curious about the access panels.

He started breathing again and stepped into the lift with the kid. “We’re gonna have to move it. When the lights go out, I’ll carry you.”

She nodded, face pale and eyes worried. He ran a gentle hand over her head and got a strained smile in response. “I’m okay,” she said, but didn’t sound like she believed it. He nodded and wished it were true.

When the lift stopped, Stone grimly stepped out into the corridor and moved along it at a faster clip than he’d gone before. Regan trotted to keep up with him, but he couldn’t slow down. They received the occasional curious look, but no one stopped them.

They were only about halfway to the presentation room when the floor shivered under their feet and the lights flickered once, twice, then went out. Stone yanked his goggles off, picked Regan up, and ran.

Chapter 26

The unrelenting blackness was difficult even for Stone to negotiate at speed, especially when it was broken by a guard with a hand-held light, but he didn’t slow down. As he ran by, guards would call out to him, but he didn’t stop and luckily no one came after him. He knew Maulkin was likely to go to the presentation room to check on his prize, and Mea’s only hope was for him to get there first. With reckless abandon, he careened off walls and stumbled around corners, counting on his memory to be his guide through the black corridors.

When they made it to the cage room, Stone had to force the doors open. With the power out, they wouldn’t open on their own. Once inside, he could see Mea’s shadow standing in the now open room, the bars gone. She was putting all of her weight on the good leg and had a length of chain held in her hands. Ready for battle.

Grinning fiercely at her show of strength, he pulled Regan quickly across the room toward her. “You gonna clobber me with that?”

At his voice, she sagged and leaned weakly against the wall. His optimism evaporated. “Stone,” she sighed.

Regan stepped uncertainly toward her voice in the dark. “Mama?”

Stone watched the textured shadows of Mea’s face crumple into tears, her anguish like needles in his skin. He had no idea how she kept her voice so steady. “I’m here, baby.”

A moment later the girl was in her arms, sobbing like a lost child found.

Stone palmed the laser cutter, breathing shallowly around the knot in his chest and trying not to feel like an intruder. “I’m cutting your chains,” he muttered and knelt at their feet, willing his hands steady as he burned through the chains on her ankles. He didn’t bother with the manacles. They were a thicker metal than the chains, and it would take too long to cut through them. Besides, he didn’t know if he could do it without hurting her.

When he stood to cut the chains on Mea’s arms, Regan shifted away, tears quieting down to sniffles. “Mom, you’re naked.”

Stone cursed under his breath while Mea gave a tired chuckle. He should have grabbed something for her to wear. She needed warmth about as much as she needed healing, rest, food—her flesh felt chilled under his fingers.

When the last chain clattered to the floor, he pulled off his jerkin and gently settled it over her shoulders. “Slide your arms in.” When she did so, he fastened the front quickly. It was sleeveless, but should provide some warmth since it covered her almost to mid-thigh. “I’ll carry you.”

“No, you won’t. You’ll wear out. I’m heavier than I look.”

“We don’t have time for you to gimp outta here. Shut up and put your arm around my neck.”

She complied without further argument, and he lifted her into his arms, trying not to jar her leg. She gasped and shuddered anyway, curling into him. She seemed lighter than he remembered, and her skin felt like ice against his, almost as cold as the metal of her manacle.

“Sorry,” he murmured in her ear. “You okay?”

“Just go,” she rasped.

He winced. “Grab my belt, kid. We’re leaving.”

“What’s wrong with Mom?” she whispered as she fumbled her way towards him and hooked her little fingers in his belt. “Why do you have to carry her?”

Stone started at a fast clip toward the corridor. At first Regan stumbled, but then she caught her stride and shifted her hand to a better position on his belt.

“She’s banged up.” He hesitated. “Has a bum leg.” The details would freak the kid out and they didn’t have time to calm her.

“But what’s—”

“Hush!” Mea’s low voice was stern. “We need to move quick and quiet if we’re to get out of here.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The kid’s voice was meek and Stone took a quick glance down at her. He didn’t think she was crying, but she looked up into the darkness in the direction of Mea’s voice, her little face a pale, ghostly smear in the darkness.

They were moving down the corridor at a good pace when flashing lights and echoing voices broke the dark silence behind them. Needing no further encouragement, Stone launched into a slow run. He didn’t want to lose Regan, and even at this pace he jostled Mea unmercifully.

She took it like a hunter, though. “Go!” she hissed in his ear. “Left!”

He’d forgotten that she’d also memorized the schematics. He went left. It was a smaller hallway, but they needed to stick to the back ways through the fortress and not take the main corridors or they’d be caught in an instant.

Their dash through the fortress was a nightmare. No sooner did they make some progress than they’d encounter a group of people or a guard unit and have to double back to take a different route. Twice he let Mea down to rest his burning arms and shoulders, but not for long. He’d watch her hop along the wall on one leg, holding the other out at an awkward angle, and he’d have to pick her back up again. Not only could he not stand the snail’s pace, but watching her hurt him more than he was willing to admit.

Finally they reached an exit, only to find that it was guarded. Their hallway T-ed into another corridor, at the end of which was a direct avenue to the port. The flashing lights and subdued voices told Stone that the way was definitely not clear. He slowly lowered Mea until she could stand then slid along the wall toward the intersection. Mea was right behind him, the kid trailing them both.

One quick look around the corner and he turned to Mea, holding up two fingers. This close to the guard’s lights, she was able to see him.

She nodded, held up one finger, then pointed to herself.
I’ll take one.

He frowned and shook his head, pointing to her leg. Then he held up two fingers again and pointed to himself.
You’re too slow. I’ll take both.

She rolled her eyes and mimed pulling out a gun and shooting him with it before shaking her head. Bracing on his shoulder, she pulled herself close enough to whisper urgently in his ear, “I can distract them and get close. They won’t shoot me right away like they would you.”

True. If they didn’t recognize her, they wouldn’t shoot a wounded and helpless looking woman, but even if they did recognize her, they wouldn’t want to kill Maulkin’s prize. That didn’t mean he had to like it.

He glowered at her, but she ignored him, turning to Regan and whispering briefly in her ear. The kid nodded a couple of times, biting her lip. Then Mea slipped past Stone and stepped out into the other corridor, leaning heavily on the wall as she went.

She caught their attention immediately. Stone saw the lights swing around and focus in their direction. “Hold it!”

“Oh, thank god. Please help me.”

Mea’s voice was tremulous and weak and almost enough to make Stone dive around the corner to catch her. He gritted his teeth and hoped like hell she was acting.

“Hey, I think that’s the hunter.”

“No shit, we caught her? I can’t believe it!”

“Please. I need help.”

Mea sounded further away from Stone, which meant she was closer to them. He slipped his goggles on in preparation to face the guards’ bright lights.

“Man, she don’t look too good.”

“Don’t get so close. She’s dangerous.”

“Shit, right now she couldn’t hurt a—”

A muffled thump cut off his words, and one of the lights swung crazily. That was Stone’s cue to spin around the corner, low and fast. Mea had the struggling man in a headlock while the other guard fumbled with his gun and shouted an incoherent protest. With a running dive, Stone took the man’s legs out from under him. He heard the gun clatter away but didn’t see where it went, too busy subduing the guard. He got a kick in his side for the trouble, but after several blows to the body and two good ones to the head, the man slumped bonelessly away from him.

Rolling quickly to his feet, he spun to see Mea down on the ground next to an unmoving guard. The man’s head was at a twisted angle—she’d snapped his neck. It was Mea that riveted his attention, though. She was propped on one elbow with the other hand braced against the body, panting, head down. Blood seeped from around the manacles on her arms and her skin was so pale against the black jerkin that it appeared translucent. She looked like death warmed over.

“Mea—” Stone took a step toward her.

She snapped, “The door! Open the goddamned door,” without lifting her head.

Resolutely Stone turned away, clenching his jaw. She didn’t need him to waste time fussing over her when there was nothing he could do about her condition. To help her, he needed to get her the hell out of there, but it was still painful to turn his back. While he pried at the door, he heard the kid barrel around the corner.

“Mom!”

“I’ll be fine. Go help Stone get the door open.”

Once again he was amazed by the steadiness of her voice when she spoke to Regan. She was at the end of her strength, but for the kid she still found reserves somewhere to reassure her. The girl appeared at his elbow, face as gray as her robe and eyes big enough to swallow him whole. He could get the door open by himself, but helping him would hopefully keep her mind off Mea and the dead guy.

He pulled the cutter out of his pocket. “Here, try to wedge this in the door when I crack it.”

She took it and held the tool against the door seam, hands shaking so badly that the cutter jittered against the metal in a series of tuneless clinks. Stone pried at the door again, knowing he couldn’t take the time to fuss over the kid either. If they could just get the hell
out
of this hole…

He managed to get the door open a crack, and Regan shoved the cutter in to hold it open until he could get a better grip. Muscles bunching, he forced the door on its track. A cool night breeze wafted in through the opening, dancing over his overheated skin.

When Regan saw that he didn’t need the wedge anymore, she dropped the cutter and hurried over to Mea while he finished shoving the protesting metal into the wall. “Come on, Mom. We’ve gotta go.”

The kid started to help Mea to her feet, and Stone was just turning toward them when Maulkin stepped around the corner out of the dark, grinning like a demon and pointing his gun at them. “Go? So soon?”

He wasn’t alone. Five guards arrowed behind him, and all of them had weapons trained on the escapees. Maulkin clicked on the hand-held light attached to his arm and held up a small device.

“Your metal’s still betraying you, Hunter. Though it was a bit harder to track you with this little thing—not as accurate. Still, it let me sneak up on you. Not an easy feat to do to a hunter, so I understand.”

While he spoke, Stone saw Mea slowly straighten away from the wall and push Regan down onto the ground next to the dead guard. Then with agonizing little hops, she moved away from the girl. Drawing their fire.

Stone feverishly wracked his brain for a way out of this mess, but wasn’t having any luck. He could dive backward through the open door and probably make it, but he’d be leaving Mea and Regan behind. That wasn’t an option.

The bastard was still talking. Stone could see he was getting his rocks off on the situation. “Very clever, killing the power. But don’t worry—I don’t mean to take it out on you or the girl. You’re still useful to me. Him on the other hand—”

The gun swung toward him, Maulkin’s face murderous. As Stone lunged to one side, he saw with horror that history was about to repeat itself. As if she’d been miraculously healed, Mea twisted quick as a cat and launched herself at him, diving into Maulkin’s line of fire and taking the blast that was meant for him. Just like Kate.

She crashed into him. Already twisted off balance, Stone went down hard
with Mea on top. She didn’t move. Ears ringing with panic and dread, Stone put trembling fingers against her throat, groaning his relief to feel a thready pulse. She was alive, but for how long?

He suddenly realized that his ears rang with more than emotion. The sounds of a high, sustained scream and pulse fire were deafening in the small space. Stone jerked his head up to see chaos. Regan lay across the dead guard, firing rapidly into the group of guards and shrieking like a berserker. In her inexperienced hands, the blasts should have gone wild, but she’d braced her arms against the dead man and the space was confining.

Stone saw guards fall. He also saw the side of Maulkin’s head disappear in a mist of blood and bone.

Leaping to his feet and hoisting Mea over his shoulder, he lunged at the kid and lifted her under one arm like a carrysack before staggering out into the night. Horrified cries and stray shots followed him into the dark, but he didn’t go far before putting Regan on her feet. “Give me the gun.”

His voice was harsh, but he couldn’t help that now. She slapped it into his palm, and he shifted Mea so that she was across both shoulders before he set out at a dead run toward the port. The kid sprinted next to him, somehow keeping pace with his longer strides.