Hunter Read online

  HUNTER

  S.J. Bryant

  Copyright 2015 Saffron Bryant

  Published by Saffron Bryant at Smashwords

  Smashwords Edition License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Visit:

  www.saffronbryant.com

  To Alberto Martin.

  http://www.saffronbryant.com/free-books

  CHAPTER ONE

  Corvus leapt from the ledge, his black cloak whipping out behind him, and slammed into the woman walking below. He stifled her screams with one hand and wrapped the other firmly around her waist. He breathed deeply through his nose, enjoying the smell of her, tasting her scent on the air.

  She struggled against his arms, writhing, her blonde hair lashing from side to side, but he was too strong. She tried to cry for help but he tightened his grip, crushing her lips against her teeth.

  He relished in the feel of her body thrashing against his.

  The city streets were quiet in the early hours. There were no witnesses to see their struggle, with a single streetlamp casting a yellow glow over the scene. Their back and forth struggle was like a staged tango; loose gravel crunching under their feet and cool wind whistling through the cold dark street.

  In the distance the inner city lights sparkled up the sides of skyscrapers. Somewhere a siren sounded. Corvus paid it no attention; he was invincible. He was high on his previous kills and full of energy. The rest of his coven wouldn't be far behind and in the meantime he could enjoy this tasty morsel.

  Oh how good she smelled!

  He opened his mouth to reveal pointed teeth. Every fibre of his being was completely and utterly focused on her. His ears strained to hear her gasping breath, his nose and mouth sensed nothing but the flavour of her. He closed his eyes to fully enjoy the meal.

  "Stop right there. Keep your hands up, leach." The voice was hard, commanding.

  Bright lights burst into life around Corvus. They burned his pale skin and illuminated the macabre scene. He screamed with pain as the lights scorched the backs of his eyes, and fell to his knees, releasing his victim.

  The woman ran stumbling from him. She sprinted to the police where she was engulfed in a warm blanket and a wall of people.

  Corvus snarled and struggled to his feet. He pushed himself up and whirled in circles. There were at least thirty guns aimed at him, filled with wooden bullets no doubt. He searched the darkness for any sign of the rest of his coven, but they were nowhere to be seen.

  "Corvus Vadova you are under arrest for multiple counts of murder. Under the Alien Relations Act you will be sentenced to fifty year's imprisonment here on Boullion Five."

  "Who dares speak to me like that?" Corvus snarled. Using their primitive language left a foul taste in his mouth.

  "I am Inspector Briggles. Put your hands up and surrender or you will be killed." The voice was firm, commanding and, worst of all, unafraid.

  Corvus glared around. He was surrounded and the lights stung his eyes. He had to narrow them against the glare, yet even then it burned. He sent out his senses and sniffed the air but he couldn't sense his coven. His insides clenched; they should have been here. The fact that they were nowhere in sight reeked of betrayal.

  There was only one way he would get out of this alive. Sneering, he lifted his hands into the air and locked eyes with the inspector.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Five Years Later…

  "They're here! They're coming!"

  The security guard's voice echoed down the empty hall, but there was no response.

  A bead of sweat dripped down the man's forehead as he stared into the darkness for any sign of movement. His heavy breaths made his name-tag bounce on his chest, the name Felix flicking in and out of the shadows.

  Felix's gun was levelled into the darkness at the end of the corridor. The screams that had echoed about the stone passages just moments before had stopped. He was alone in the silent darkness. He tried his communicator chip again, but the signal was dead. No one was coming to save him.

  "Come out, come out, wherever you are…" A smooth female voice weaved its way to Felix.

  "You're under arrest. You will lay down your weapons this instant," Felix stuttered.

  "Oh, I don't think so."

  Shapes appeared out of the darkness and darted straight for him. He pulled the trigger and wooden bullets sprayed out. Just one of the approaching figures collapsed, before they were on him.

  Felix's vision filled with dark eyes and pale skin.

  "No!"

  It was the only thing he could get out before the creatures surrounded him, opening their mouths. In the place of tongues, thick black leaches extended out. The leaches were as long as Felix's forearm, folding out from each of the gaping mouths.

  The leaches opened mouths of their own as they reached Felix's exposed flesh. Tiny teeth punctured his arms, legs, and neck, and he began to bleed. The leaches ripped into him with fiery bloodlust. Their jaws bit and slashed through to his vital arteries. Blood sprayed in an arc from his neck, soaking his attackers.

  The last thing he saw was a leach lunging for his face.

  ***

  "A little fatty," Laticia said, wiping a stray drop of blood from her crimson lips.

  "Well look at him," Renet replied, poking Felix's protruding stomach.

  "You won't hear me complaining. Delicious," said Trevalon, licking his lips.

  "Maybe that explains the extra weight you've put on." Laticia said, arching an eyebrow. Her big eyes were heavily shadowed with mascara and stood out against her pale skin.

  Trevalon frowned at Laticia and glanced down at his stomach. He withdrew his tongue and sat back on his haunches.

  "You haven't changed at all." The silky voice drifted to them from down the corridor. "A voice like that could only be my sweet Laticia."

  Laticia pushed past her companions and strode down the passage. Her hips swayed in time with her footsteps and a smile crept over her face.

  "Corvus. It's been too long," she purred.

  "Indeed. I hope your plan included a way to get me out," Corvus said.

  "Of course," Laticia replied.

  She clasped the heart-shaped locked around her neck, silently grateful that she'd get a chance to explain the past five years in person, rather than relying on the recorded message the locked contained.

  She stood outside a massive metal box but she knew that inside it was wood. She pulled out the key she'd taken from Felix's body and slipped it into the metal door. It was an old fashioned locking system; modern ones were too easy to access remotely. The key clicked into place and the door swung open on rusty hinges.

  Beyond the metal door was an immense wooden one. It looked to have been cut from a single tree, judging by the lines and woodwork tracing across its surface.

  Laticia nodded her head towards the door and two of her companions stepped forward brandishing large axes. They cut at the wooden box, careful to avoid any flying splinters.

  They made quick work of the cell and soon a hole opened to the room beyond.

  The coven stepped away from the space, their eyes wide with anticipation. They each drew in a breath of awe as their leader stepped out of the shadows. He was just as Laticia remembered. Corvus's hair was jet black, darker even than the shadows all around him. His eyes were rimmed with red and glinted in the darkness. Even after being imprisoned
for years he managed to look elegant. Wearing a long, black trench-coat, he adjusted the sleeves as he stepped forward.

  He smiled at his coven, revealing his own pointed teeth.

  Laticia's stomach clenched tight. He looked so calm, so composed, but she knew there had to be a storm brewing under the surface. Sure enough, it erupted far too quickly.

  "What the hell happened?" Corvus roared, leaping forward.

  All composure was gone, as his body slammed into Laticia and they both crashed against the far wall.

  Her back slammed into the cold stone and pain tore through her spine. His fingers clasped tight around her throat. His eyes were wide, furious. Spittle dripped from the corner of his mouth as he glared at her.

  "Where were you! Why have I been stuck in this hell-hole for years! You call yourself my female!"

  "Corvus, there's more to it than you know. I'll explain but we have to get out of here."

  Laticia tried to keep her voice steady, to keep the panic and guilt from gushing out with every word she said. Her eyes flickered to the rest of the coven. They were staring at her and Corvus with a mixture of horror and disbelief.

  She had to get control of Corvus. Such a loss of composure would only be seen as weakness and then they'd have another uprising on their hands. She had to keep him focused; she could explain it all later.

  "You left me here to rot."

  "I never would," she whispered.

  "I could have died."

  "I would have died with you."

  Corvus's hot breath traced across Laticia's face.

  "More guards will arrive soon. We have to get out of here."

  "This isn't over," Corvus said, his gaze deadly. He turned away from Laticia and glared at the rest of the coven. "This isn't over for any of you."

  CHAPTER THREE

  "Are you really planning on entering that thing again?" Cal asked.

  Nova was underneath the hood of her racing craft, her fingers covered in oil.

  "I'd be stupid not to. The prize money is five hundred credits."

  "Yes, but it's also illegal," Cal pointed out. The Class Four Labourbot hovered above Nova's legs, his round panels reflecting the dim light of Crusader's engine room.

  Nova held out her hand and Cal dropped an electric charger into her slippery grasp. She attached it to the racer's engine.

  "Maybe, but there's no reason for it to be. Think about it, what harm does it do? It's just another case of the Human Confederacy putting their noses where they don't belong."

  "Even if that were the case," Cal replied, his tone terse. "I'm sure that won't make a good defence when you're caught and thrown into jail for two years."

  "Cal, I promise not to implicate you if I get caught," Nova said, smiling. Her voice was muffled due to the wrench held between her teeth.

  "I should hope not. Robots don't get the option of a nice prison. Recycling, that's where I'd end up."

  "You have nothing to worry about," Nova said.

  "I don't understand how a bunch of yahoos flying around space in tiny ships is even a sport," Cal said. "Artificial intelligence chess; there's a sport you can really appreciate."

  Nova snorted as she pulled herself out from under the vehicle. She stood and smiled at the racer that looked like a metal seed pod. She'd bought it three years ago from a wrecker and did it up herself. In her first bounty hunter space-race the engine had died just after the starting line. The second year she'd finished in the top ten and, more importantly, beat Kero. This year she was going to win.

  "Looking sharp," Tanguin said as she stepped into Crusader's loading bay.

  Nova always kept the racing craft safe inside Crusader, away from prying eyes and hands.

  "Yep, this year is it," Nova said, rubbing her hands together. "This baby can fly in and out of atmosphere, has a shield strong enough to take on an asteroid and is faster than anything the Confederacy has put out in years."

  "Have you taken her out for a test run yet?" Tanguin asked.

  "I was just about to. You keen for a ride?"

  "You know it." Tanguin grinned as she grabbed hold of the side door and swung up into the passenger's seat.

  Nova walked around to the other side, wiping tiny specs of dirt off the sides of the ship as she went. When she'd first bought it, the craft was rusted to a dull brown, but with a few sharp deals she'd managed to score some bright red paint. Now the racer's finish was something to be proud of.

  "Starting engines," Nova announced, flicking a series of switches. The engine at the back of the craft rumbled and the clear shield came up over their heads, encasing them in a bubble and blocking all noise from the outside.

  "Alright Tanguin, you're on commentary."

  "Ladies and Gentlemen," Tanguin said in a comically deep voice. "Today it is my pleasure to introduce Nova No-Brakes!"

  Nova chuckled and continued to flick switches and check the dials. The temperature remained steady and the engine's power increased. She'd already stocked up on solarium fuel for the race; it was expensive but worth it for the extra boosts.

  "Ready," Nova said.

  "The racers are at the starting line. Engines ready, get set, go!" Tanguin yelled.

  In response Nova shoved the throttle forward and grabbed hold of the steering wheel. The engine revved under their seats, roaring to be free.

  "Ahh!" Tanguin screamed, staring between the door and Nova with panicked eyes.

  Nova grinned, pressed a button above her head, and slammed the racer into gear. Crusader's back door dropped open and they shot out into space. Crusader's shield held the air inside as the racer burst out.

  "Nova that wasn't funny!" Tanguin said, her chest heaving up and down.

  "I disagree," Nova chuckled.

  A practice course had been set up around The Jagged Maw bounty hunter guild. It was a simple set up with a few fake asteroids and obstacles; nothing compared to the real track.

  Nova pushed forward and the ship gained speed. They rocketed through the open space and in an instant Crusader and The Jagged Maw were just a speck in the rear-view mirror.

  "Come on commentator," Nova said, nudging Tanguin with her elbow.

  "Commentator nearly died of fright," Tanguin said, before resuming her deep voice. "They're coming up to the first bend. It's a killer ladies and gentlemen, in fact we've already had three deaths in this race thanks to this particular corner."

  Nova shook her head. At the last bounty hunter race they really had lost three people to the first corner. The asteroid field was always a major hazard to newer riders.

  The imitation course at The Jagged Maw was nothing in comparison. It was just a couple of fake rocks held together by a thick chain.

  Nova gripped onto the steering wheel as she approached and when she was level she pulled hard to the right.

  The spaceship made an instantaneous right hand turn and cruised off in the opposite direction.

  Nova pressed the red button by her knee and released the first solar blast. The fire spurted out from behind her ship and they reached a new level of speed.

  "No-Brakes Nova is living up to her name as she annihilates the first corner. On the straight, she has no match and has already passed the rest of the field. The crowd is going wild!"

  Tanguin held her hand over her mouth and imitated a cheering crowd.

  Nova couldn't help but laugh.

  They raced the rest of the way around the course in much the same fashion. Nova pushed the ship to its very limits and it came through every time. They arrived back at The Jagged Maw in record time. Nova slowed the craft and landed inside Crusader's storage bay.

  "Nova that was incredible! What have you done to this thing?" Tanguin asked, her cheeks glowing.

  "Just a few personal tweaks." Nova grinned.

  "With a ship like this there's no way anyone will beat you."

  "That's the plan. But don't give the game away, okay? As far as everyone else knows I'm using the exact same ship as last year."
/>   "Nova, you know everyone's got cameras set up on this course. They are probably watching you right now and panicking."

  "Do you remember about a week ago I asked you to edit some video feeds for me?"

  "Yes."

  "Well let's just say they won't have seen anything. So now you just have to say nothing and I'm set to win."

  "You can count on me," Tanguin said, climbing out of the racer as soon as the shield lowered. "But you know, with your special abilities you could just play with time and make yourself win the race."

  Tanguin's eyes twinkled as she turned to face Nova.

  "Shh!" Nova frowned and looked around. "I don't want to even think about that, let alone play with it!"

  A hot flush crept up Nova's cheeks. She'd done her best not to think about the Ancients or the haunting ability they'd given her. As far as she was concerned, if she ignored the problem it would eventually go away, and she wouldn't have to worry about falling through time ever again. Tanguin was the only person she'd told about it and even then she'd left out the terrifying details.

  "Just a suggestion," Tanguin said, holding up her hands.

  "A terrible suggestion," Nova said, tapping Tanguin's shoulder with her fist. "Come on, I'm starving."

  ***

  Nova and Tanguin sat in the eating hall of The Jagged Maw with Aart, Orion, and Gus.

  "So, I'm chasing this guy and we have a shootout in a brothel. I chase him through a church the size of this place while he's got a bullet wound in his arm. The idiot dives through a glass window and breaks his leg so I tackle him. He's got the thing stuffed down his shirt and a fake travel pass, plus all those injuries. You know what he says?" Aart's face glowed as he recounted the story. His hands waved across the table to illustrate each detail.

  "Dude, get off me?" Orion said.