aHunter4Fire (aHunter4Hire Book 7) Read online

  aHunter4Fire

  By

  Cynthia A Clement

  Text copyright © 2017 Cynthia A Clement

  Kindle Edition

  ISBN: 978-1-988019-24-6

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without prior written permission of the copyright owner and publisher. For the purposes of a reviewer, brief passages may be quoted in a review to be printed in a newspaper, magazine, or journal.

  This book is a work of fiction. The characters and incidents are from the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual incidents or persons, living or dead, is coincidental and unintentional.

  Cover designed by RomCon® www.romcon.com

  Cover Image: Deposit Photo,

  www.depositphotos.com

  Dedication

  To Fidgal.

  Thanks for the wonderful conversations and guidance.

  A special thanks to Jan Carol Abney, Kim Barrows, and John for editing, proofreading, and inspiration.

  Your Free Book is Waiting

  Thank you for choosing to read aHunter4Fire. The Prequel to the aHunter4Hire Series, aHunter4Exile is available exclusively to my newsletter subscribers. To learn about my future releases and to get your free copy of aHunter4Exile, please sign up for my NEWSLETTER.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Thank You

  Author’s Note

  Books Available

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  BLACK SMOKE FILLED the air.

  Aftershocks from the explosion still echoed through the tunnels.

  Firbin took a deep breath of the acrid smell of seared metal and grinned. It was an odor he never tired of. He was a Hunter, an elite soldier genetically modified to be the best in the universe. He was selected before birth to be clan Boryh and bred to excel in all the finer points of weaponry, including explosives and fire. He was in his element when the world was bursting in flames around him.

  Finally, a battle he could sink his teeth into.

  Their mission was to destroy a nest of aliens that had taken control of this planet.

  The aliens were Albireons, and considered the scourge of the universe. They had been manipulating the humans on Earth for the past seventy years. No more. Ardal, the leader of the Hunters on Earth had declared that they must be destroyed. It was an honorable and worthy battle.

  Firbin had just shattered the first blast door blocking their advance. It was a simple demolition even with the primitive explosives he had available. He longed for some AemnoX, which was the preferred explosive on his home planet of Cygnus, but not all of the materials to make it were available on Earth. Instead, he had managed to come up with an explosive formula that was close. It melted through steel, but left large chunks of the metal intact. AemnoX would have reduced it to ashes.

  The rest of the team huddled around him in a semi-circular formation to provide defense against any retaliating forces. So far they hadn’t encountered any resistance, but this was their first blast. Fierce opposition was expected. If the intelligence from their human allies, the Human Resistance Force, was accurate, there were a series of tunnels and rail systems that connected numerous underground military bases throughout the United States.

  Military troops could arrive at any moment.

  They wanted to avoid a battle with the humans.

  Their main objective was to blast their way to the military bases where the aliens were hiding. The rest of the underground structures and transportation system were to remain intact. They had no intention of interfering with any country’s military capabilities. All they wanted was to destroy the Albireons.

  Nellis Air Force Base was their team’s destination.

  Their reconnaissance data said that at least two levels at Nellis were restricted and used by the Albireons. Security surrounding the military base was intense and it was located in a large populated area. Ardal didn’t want to attract too much attention or publicity to their mission, so a covert underground attack had been decided upon.

  Once they knew where the tunnels ran, it was easy to find an air chute that would take them below ground. They’d entered from a shaft in the foothills of the Sheep Mountain Range. From there they had commandeered an empty train and used it to transport them here. They were within a few miles of Nellis Air Force Base.

  Jehon was in command of their unit. After their mission was completed, they had orders to clear the tunnels until they reached Ardal’s team. It was fortunate that the Albireons had helped the humans construct such an effective tunnel system to connect their bases. It made finding them that much easier. They had not planned for an armed force to follow them underground to their lairs. It was foolish to think that mere steel was enough of a blockade against Hunters.

  Firbin stepped across the rubble.

  One door down.

  Another door blocked them one hundred feet further down the tunnel.

  It was an easy target without the additional reinforcements of the blast door. He could use the human munitions for it. Firbin grinned and set the detonator in a block of gray explosive and ran a wire from it to several other blocks of C4. He continued to set charges at regular intervals until an opening big enough to let them enter was outlined. He would not be defeated by mere metal.

  Captain Barton, a man of about six feet tall, with short-cropped, dark hair, and blue eyes walked up to the door. He smacked his hand against the cold metal and frowned at the echo that returned to him. He glanced back at Firbin.

  “Do we have enough?” Captain Barton asked.

  Barton was the commanding officer of the Human Resistance Force who had been assigned to Jehon’s team. There were a hundred humans in the team. The humans, along with the seven Hunters in their group, were more than enough to defeat their enemies. Barton was a competent soldier. Firbin’s only complaint was that he didn’t accept that Hunters were superior soldiers in every way.

  “Of course.” Firbin packed the explosive into the center seam of the door. “This is a primitive compound, but effective.”

  Barton snorted. “It’s one of the best.”

  “On Earth.” Firbin reached for another block of the gray material, lodged the detonator and ran the wire through the door crease, stabbing the end into another block of explosive. “On Cygnus these walls would have been liquefied until nothing was left but ashes.”

  “It’s too bad you didn’t bring some of that technology with you.” Barton’s voice was sarcastic.

  “Who says we did not.” Firbin couldn’t resist teasing Barton.

  “Have a care.” Jehon mind connected with Firbin. “Humans do not have a sense of humor about battle.”

  “He refuses to understand our skill.” Firbin answered.

  Telepathic communication was a closely guarded secret between Hunters. It gave them an advantage in comb
at, especially when they were coordinating several missions across a whole planet. They had no need of electronic communicators or implants. It allowed their attacks to be fluid and precisely timed.

  “True. He has not seen us in a full-scale battle such as this.” Jehon’s tone was dry. “Ardal has reported that his team has met with much resistance in Dulce.”

  “We will have the same here.” Firbin bent his head as he connected his wire to an electric starter. “It is best the humans do not know. The security will only increase the closer we get.”

  Firbin stood and motioned the team back.

  Ideally, a blast-proof barrier would have been safer, but they didn’t have that luxury. Distance was their best protection. Even the compound he had created kept the outward discharge to a minimum, but junks of debris still flew back. It would be worse with the C4 he had set. As a precaution, Firbin placed his backpack of explosives at a safe distance from the metal door and then joined the rest of the team further down the tunnel.

  “Hug the walls.”

  When they were in place, he hit the ignitor and turned away from the blast.

  The deafening ear-popping sonic blast reverberated through the tunnels.

  Dust choked the air.

  The gagging stench of ammonia burned his nostrils and then seconds later the odor was sucked into the vacuum of the newly opened tunnel beyond the now decimated blast doors.

  Flames sputtered around the edges of the opening, but died away within seconds. Metal and concrete weren’t good burning materials. Firbin picked up his gear, eased it over his shoulders, and then sauntered to inspect his handiwork. It wasn’t pretty, but effective.

  Jagged metal edges jutted out of what had once been the door.

  Twisted rods of rebar hung from the concrete lining of the tunnel walls.

  The electromagnetic rails of the transportation system were damaged beyond repair. They would not be able to use it as an escape route from the base. Once their mission was complete, they would have to travel back here to find the undamaged track. Using the military rail system was the only way they would be able to join Ardal’s team in a timely manner. Firbin turned as Jehon joined him.

  “I’ll let Ardal know that the rail system close to the base has been damaged.”

  “We’ll have to walk from here.” Captain Barton put his hands on his hips. “We’re still a few miles away from the Nellis.”

  “We might get lucky.” Firbin hitched his backpack higher and pointed to the side of the newly opened tunnel. “There is a large platform running beside the rail system.”

  Barton nodded. “It’s for loading the railcars. There may be trucks parked further down the line. I’ll send my men ahead to scout the area.”

  “Have them keep away from the security cameras.”

  A quick order and ten men set off down the now opened tunnel. They hugged the walls and kept their faces covered as they sped away. The lights in the tunnel flickered, but were still operating. That was a good sign. It would have been brutal for the humans to continue down the tunnel in the darkness. Hunters had the advantage of better night vision, and the added bonus of the increased abilities this planet gave them.

  A shout echoed down the tunnel. “Captain, we have vehicles.”

  Seconds later, five trucks came roaring down the side platforms. It would be enough to get them to their location quickly. Time was important. The Albireons would already have been informed of their intrusion.

  They needed to reach the base before any of the aliens escaped.

  Jehon motioned for the others to stay behind the ruined door.

  “Thero,” he called.

  Thero was a fellow Hunter and the team’s computer expert. Thero gave a glance at the security camera mounted on the tunnel wall and had one of the vehicles back up to it. He clamored up the side of the truck and pulled the cover away from the camera base. He pulled a couple of wires out and readjusted the camera so that it was pointed further down the dimly lit tunnel. He reconnected the wires to a small electronic device and then reattached the base.

  “We’re in a loop now. I bypassed all the other cameras on the circuit.” He climbed down from the truck. “They know something has happened, but they won’t be able to see our progress.”

  Jehon nodded. “I’ll inform Ardal.”

  Captain Barton raised an eyebrow. “You keep informing him, but I don’t see any communication equipment.”

  Firbin grinned. “Trust us.”

  “That’s what I’ve been doing since Turkey.” Barton sighed and walked to the lead vehicle.

  “We need to push ahead.” Jehon scanned the area and then motioned for Weise and Firbin to follow Barton. “You two best go up front.”

  Firbin marched after Barton. Weise was a fellow Hunter and clan Obair, which was skilled in mechanics and engineering. They needed to be ready for anything. Firbin was prepared with more explosives if they required any more blasting. The Human Resistance Force or H.R.F. hadn’t been able to give them a full surveillance report on the tunnel systems between the military bases. They knew of their existence, but that was the extent of it.

  They’d walked into this battle blind.

  That was normal for a Hunter.

  On their home planet of Cygnus, they were seldom given easy operations. There were other more expendable soldiers for those conflicts. Hunters were reserved for the most difficult and highly sensitive skirmishes. Not knowing the complete intelligence on the area was a minor inconvenience. The humans were less comfortable with it.

  They drove at least two miles before coming up to their next barrier.

  This time it was soldiers and not metal blast doors.

  “Use the vehicles as a barricade.” Barton shouted his orders as he left the truck.

  Bullets were flying through the air before the team had disembarked. Firbin kept close to Weiss as they moved around the truck and started firing. Once a body had fallen, they moved closer to the enemy by using the fallen soldiers as a shield. Each shot that Firbin took was a hit to the forehead of his target. They had hoped to minimize the number of human deaths in this battle, but there was no escaping a frontal attack. They had to get past this resistance in order to kill the real enemy.

  The sound of a high-powered sniper rifle filled the air. Niail had taken up position and was now cutting the enemy down with exacting skill. He was a fellow Hunter and clan Giath. He was also the most expert marksman among the Hunters stranded on Earth. The number of soldiers killed increased.

  The smell of spent ammunition filled the air.

  Screams of wounded and dying men surrounded them. Firbin focused on the mission and shut his ears to everything else around him. One by one, he shot his opponents, moving forward with each soldier killed.

  “Stop.” Captain Barton’s voice roared above the thunderous noise of gun blasts.

  When Captain Barton yelled, the shooting ceased. Firbin moved back from the battle and took a crouching position with his gun aimed at the opposition. The soldiers had their arms up and had thrown their weapons down. It was as a wise decision. Even though their numbers were higher than the H.R.F. and Hunters, their training lagged behind. It would have been a complete slaughter if they hadn’t surrendered.

  Firbin eased his neck from side to side and stood. He moved with caution through the dying and wounded, kicking weapons away and gathering them together. There was always the chance that the surrender was feigned. They couldn’t risk an attack from behind. When the soldiers had been disarmed, those who were still living were gathered against the tunnel wall.

  That was when Yagar, another member of their Hunter team, stepped forward. Yagar was Leigh clan and their medic. He and a couple of medics from Barton’s troops checked the dead for signs of life. A couple were still breathing and they were given aid and then moved to where the rest of the defeated troops were.

  “What should we do?” Barton’s voice was low. “We aren’t prepared to take prisoners.”

&nbs
p; “We will tie them up and leave them here. There is no honor in killing a warrior once they have surrendered.” Jehon’s voice was matter of fact.

  Barton exhaled loudly. “Is everything about honor?”

  Jehon didn’t bother to answer. Instead, he motioned to two of the younger members of the H.R.F. to come forward. Barton shook his head and put up his hands to stop them. There was going to be a discussion about options. Firbin turned away.

  Firbin didn’t wait for the decision. He needed to assess the area for possible weaknesses before they moved forward. He walked several hundred feet down the rail line. Niail and Weise joined him. There was a stairwell about twenty feet ahead. Firbin stopped and listened.

  The hair on the back of his neck was standing on end.

  Danger was close.

  He had not seen much battle before landing on Earth, but enough to trust his senses. He wasn’t the only one. Niail looked back at Jehon and then motioned for Weise to move to the side. Niail jumped the track and started walking up the rails on the opposite side. He moved with a quiet and stealth of a trained sniper. When he had a good vantage point, he positioned himself.

  “Move slowly.” Niail mind connected with Firbin.

  Firbin took a deep breath and pulled out a container of powder-filled explosive that he had concocted before the mission. It wasn’t as efficient as the liquid version of AemnoX and the formula wasn’t quite perfected, but it would be effective enough to roust the enemy from its hiding position.

  He started to whistle.

  It was a habit he had picked up since landing on Earth.

  “You sound like Tarrin.” Niail’s tone was humorous.

  “He was the one who taught me.”

  Tarrin was the son of Catal, a fellow Hunter. Tarrin had been born on Earth and raised by his mother for several years before Catal had found them.

  Firbin caught the faint sound of a muffled cough. It was too low for most humans to hear. Hunters had advanced hearing and sight on this planet, along with slower aging and quicker healing. His instincts were right.