aHunter4Gotten Read online

  aHunter4Gotten

  By

  Cynthia A Clement

  Text copyright © 2016 Cynthia A Clement

  Kindle Edition

  ISBN: 978-1-988019-15-4

  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: Period Images,

  http://www.periodimages.com

  Dedication

  To Maria

  May all your writing dreams and personal aspirations come true.

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

  Table of Contents

  Table of Contents

  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

  Chapter 26

  Thank You

  Author’s Note

  Books Available

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  Chaos surrounded him.

  They’d crashed and somehow he’d survived.

  Twisted metal littered the ground, and the odor of burning flesh permeated the air. Flames from the spacecraft that had brought them to this planet, reached high into the sky and broke the darkness of night. One of the mission leaders pulled him to a large contorted box of wreckage and commanded him to stay. Another survivor, Catal, joined him. The two of them were decoys while the rest of the unit escaped.

  Their commanders ordered them not to resist arrest.

  He and Catal were left as bait.

  The steady breathing and beating of Eogan’s heart marked the passage of time as he waited for his fate. Within an hour, a helicopter’s light illuminated the night and caught him in its beam. He readied himself for battle. Men jumped out of the aircraft, and the crunch of their boots on the debris-filled ground sounded like death approaching. Adrenaline rushed through his body and he knew with a certainty that he could defeat these men and escape. He had only one problem.

  Orders had to be obeyed.

  There was honor in giving his life for his fellow brothers. He would die knowing they would be safe. Whatever his future, he had upheld the Sacred Code that all warriors lived by. It was reward enough for a Hunter.

  Someone grabbed his arm.

  “Mission time.”

  The command shattered through his nightmare. The sharp voice of his handler pierced through his sleep.

  Eogan shook off the lingering tentacles of the recurring dream that haunted him every night. It was the last moment of freedom he’d known. The moment his destiny had changed. He’d gone from a warrior, honored and respected, to a killing machine, forced to obey the orders of human and Albireon conspirators. He looked up at the man scowling down at him. A pistol was aimed at his head.

  General Carter.

  A man obsessed with violence and power.

  Carter was of average height, barrel chested with a large neck and steely gray eyes. His cropped hair was salt and pepper, and the frown-lines on his forehead suggested his age to be mid-forties. He was the last in a long line of humans who’d used and abused Eogan since his capture thirty years ago.

  “They’re ready to trust you with an assignment.” The general’s voice was harsh as he waved the gun at him. “Don’t screw up. You’re still on probation.”

  Eogan had been under lock down at the Pine Gap facility in Australia for almost six months. He’d helped a fellow Hunter, Partlan, and the woman he was with, Grace, escape. His handlers couldn’t prove that he’d aided them, but they hadn’t been willing to take any chances. They’d thrown him into isolation in a cell on the lowest level of the underground military base. Even with implants and chemical restraints, Eogan was capable of destroying them before they would have a chance to terminate him. This new assignment must be too dangerous for them to risk sending one of their own men.

  He sat and stretched his arms above his head.

  Anticipation flowed through his veins.

  Most of his life had been spent on Earth even though he was originally from the planet Cygnus. He was a Hunter. Hunters were an elite warrior race bred to obey the Kaladin who ruled Cygnus. He was also clan Rioge, which meant he was genetically modified and trained to lead men. Since crash-landing on this planet when he was fifteen, he’d been coerced into following the orders of his human handlers.

  For thirty years he had obeyed them.

  No more.

  Their lies had been exposed. He was not alone on this planet. Other Hunters had survived and he intended to find his brother warriors. The humans who used him were allied with an alien race known as the Albireons. The Albireons had seduced his handlers with promises of technological advances and power. Little did the humans realize that the Albireons had no intention of keeping their word. It was all lies. Once the Albireons had what they needed, they would kill every human on this planet. No one would survive.

  “When do I leave?” Eogan kept his voice neutral. He didn’t want to give Carter a reason to suspect his real motive until it was too late.

  “Immediately.” General Carter stood back and straightened his green military jacket. “There is a helicopter waiting above ground to take you to the plane. You’ll be briefed about the mission en route.”

  Eogan nodded. “Will you be accompanying me?”

  “No. I can’t be connected to this operation. If you’re caught, no one will rescue you.”

  “Understood.”

  Eogan pushed aside his regret that Carter wasn’t coming with him. He’d kept sane these past six months in isolation by envisioning exacting justice on the general. The man had no ethics and had broken the Sacred Code numerous times. There was only one recourse for a man such as General Carter.

  Death.

  For ten years he’d done the bidding of this cruel and sadistic man. A man who took pleasure in causing pain, and delighted in exerting his power over others. He was a poor excuse for a human. Honor demanded that Eogan kill the general. If he’d been going on the mission to supervise, it would have been easy to do. Now, he would have to wait for another time.

  He pulled on a tee-shirt before sitting down to tie up his boots. It was the same as every other sortie he’d been sent on. No one would be there to protect or rescue him. He was disposable. If caught, they would terminate him rather than take the chance of him talking. They could not risk exposure of their secret organization even if it meant the destruction of a valuable weapon.

  Eogan would never break protocol.

  A warrior didn’t expose his mission, under any circumstance.

  They had spent years trying to make him disclose details about his unit when he’d first been capture
d. He had withstood their torture and abuse. He hadn’t given out any information on the others who had survived the crash. He lived by the code that all Hunters followed and he hadn’t broken his vow. He was clan Rioge; a leader of men. He would never disgrace himself or betray his brothers.

  He stood and shrugged into his camo field-vest. He towered over the general by a good foot and Carter jumped back. He kept his pistol trained on Eogan. There was a flicker of panic in the general’s eyes, but it was gone a second later. He was used to this reaction, not only with Carter, but also with the other men he was deployed with. The humans used him to do their killing, but his reputation as a skilled warrior meant they feared him also.

  “Any special instructions?”

  “Your mission supervisor will give you the details.” The general moved back and signaled for the cell door to be open. “Remember, one false step, and you’ll be eliminated.”

  Eogan nodded. He had two implants. One monitored and controlled him, the other was set to self-destruct once the command was initiated. He would only have a couple of hours to remove them before headquarters realized the assignment had gone wrong. It was a slight window, but possible. He’d been planning his escape for the past six months. He was ready.

  Once he fled, there would be no turning back.

  He followed the general through the maze of dank underground tunnels and up the elevator to the surface. There was a helicopter and several soldiers waiting for them. Eogan jumped into the copter and strapped himself in. He was unarmed. There would be no opportunity to overpower his guards until they landed at their destination. His best opportunity to escape would be once he was on the ground and knew his mission. For now, he would sit back, assess the weakness of his opponents, and plan his course of action.

  He arrived, eighteen hours and several aircraft changes later, in the darkened terrain of a Middle Eastern country. He joined the mission team minutes before they all boarded the stealth helicopter that flew them on the last leg of their journey. It took a few seconds for Eogan to acclimatize to the hot humid air once they had disembarked on the ground. The night was cooler than daytime, and that was probably why they were going in now. They also had the cover of dark to hide their activities. It was a moonless night.

  “Listen up.”

  The team leader gathered his soldiers around. There were ten in total.

  They left Eogan standing by the helicopter. As usual, they didn’t want him to know anything about the mission until it was time for him to kill. When they were upon the target he would be given instructions. Explanations were not necessary for him because his handlers considered him less than human. He was an alien who had no feelings or purpose. He mattered only as a weapon.

  Eogan was familiar with their secrecy.

  They never trusted him and for the first time they had a reason not to. He would neither hinder nor help their mission. They would be on their own. Escape and freedom were his goals and the sooner he accomplished that, the better.

  The team leader approached Eogan when he was finished with his instructions. He was young in years, yet his alertness and command of the men suggested he was a well-seasoned soldier. Eogan had been studying him since he’d first sat across from him on the helicopter. His epaulet announced his rank as captain and his name-tag said Barton. He was about six feet tall, with short-cropped, dark hair, and blue eyes that skittered away from Eogan.

  Barton stared off to the western horizon.

  “I understand you do the killing.” The man cleared his throat. “I’ve always worked as a team in the past.”

  “That is usually best.” Eogan’s respect for the man grew. “It’s your mission, so the decision is yours.”

  “I would prefer to let my men go in first.”

  “Understood.”

  “If there’s a problem then you can help.”

  “Do I get a weapon?” Eogan didn’t need one to escape, but it would be easier.

  “No.” The captain shook his head. “My orders are very clear about that. My superiors said that you would be able to fight even without a weapon.”

  A prickling unease skipped across the back of Eogan’s neck. His stomach tensed as his sense of danger was triggered. Something was wrong with this mission, but there was no time to examine it further. This was his only chance if he was going to escape.

  “Can you tell me where we are?”

  “Turkey. We’re on the southern border at Akcakale. It’s close to Kobani, Syria.”

  It was an area of civil war and turmoil. Eogan was familiar with the region. He’d been deployed on more than one operation here, and could only guess what the real purpose of this sortie was. If the Albireons controlled the district, then they were in favor of the unrest and wanted to accelerate it. A planet at war and living in fear was easier to dominate than one at peace. It was a classic stratagem taken from centuries of planetary conquest. It was effective and used often.

  “Do you want me to cross the border with you?” Eogan had no doubt that the mission was in Syria.

  “Yes.” The soldier shifted on his feet. “You are to come with us and then wait for further commands.”

  He straightened his shoulders and moved away from the helicopter. “As you wish.”

  Barton put his hand up to stop him. “I don’t know what we’re going to encounter once we cross into Syria, but I won’t let you face it unarmed.”

  “You are a man of integrity.”

  Eogan joined the others and followed them as they started their covert march to the beleaguered city. The helicopter took off as soon as they crossed into Syria. That meant no hope of a speedy rescue. These men would either die here, or have to find their own way home.

  It was callous and without honor, yet that was how the shadow government operated. The organization was comprised of humans whose sole function was to protect the Albireons. They couldn’t risk others finding out about the deals they had made with the extraterrestrials. It might expose the lies they’d told to hide their real agenda; which was to control the planet.

  They moved with a stealth and silence that only years of training and conditioning could hone. These men were experienced soldiers, hired because of their skills. Whatever the reasons for them being here, they had been chosen because they were an elite unit. Eogan questioned why he was needed. Something about this mission triggered his defensive instincts. All was not as it seemed.

  The attack came with speed and surprise.

  They’d walked into an ambush.

  Chapter 2

  They were caught in a narrow, man-made corridor of vehicles and buildings. There was no escape in front of them and when they turned to retreat, their exit was blocked also. Guns flared and grenades exploded around them. They were outnumbered and overpowered. Their presence had been anticipated and the only thing they could do now was fight for survival.

  If they lived through this, they might be able to complete their mission. Eogan suspected the mission was bogus. This elite unit had been sent into a well-planned trap so that they could be slaughtered. The question was why kill the members of this squad in such a clandestine fashion? The only reasonable explanation was that these men were suspected traitors and Carter wanted that possibility buried. The best way to do that was to have them die in battle.

  The fact that he was here, meant they were suspicious of him too.

  He’d been marked for termination.

  Eogan stayed in the rear as instructed. The moment the first grenade exploded, Barton handed him a pistol and then ran to the front of the line to lead his men. Eogan dropped to the ground and checked his weapon. He had only one round of bullets, so he’d have to make certain each one hit its mark. After that, it would be hand-to-hand combat.

  A team member was shot in front of him.

  Eogan crawled to the downed soldier.

  There were no signs of life. He picked up the abandoned assault rifle, rolled behind the wheels of a burnt out pickup truck, and took aim. Staying to
fight would lessen his chances of survival, but he was a soldier. Honor demanded that he help. His eyes had adjusted to the dark and his shots hit their marks. When the area was cleared he moved forward with the team.

  He sought cover behind building debris and abandoned vehicles. He kept hidden, shooting and killing their attackers. As soon as he killed one of the enemy, three more would take their place. The acrid smell of spent ammunition filled the night air and the loud retort of guns being fired continued in shattering repetition. The attack was relentless.

  The odds against them were enormous.

  The team members were being slaughtered.

  If the complete decimation of the unit had been the mission objective, then it had been successful. Eogan didn’t have time to ponder why these men had been targeted for elimination. A couple of the men were still firing their weapons in the distance. Soon, they became silent too. Now was his opportunity to escape and he turned his gun to the enemy who were still blocking his retreat. He took aim and started shooting. His targets went down.

  He turned and crawled toward the direction they had entered from. He took weapons from the team members he found, along with their name patches. These soldiers deserved to be remembered. It didn’t matter that they fought for an organization that was corrupt and wanted to see humanity destroyed. They had died in battle.

  He killed the last attacker and pulled the body into an abandoned building. He stripped off his own jacket and shirt before grabbing the military vest off the dead soldier and rifling through its contents. There were some emergency food packs, ammo, a flashlight, and a short-bladed knife.

  The knife was perfect.

  He had to remove the first implant.

  It was in his forearm and had been inserted at birth. This device was how the Kaladin on his home planet had modified and enhanced his physical capabilities. The Albireons and their human allies had been using it to follow and monitor him since he’d been captured. Now was the time to get rid of it.