aHunter4Life (aHunter4Hire) (23 page)

“Are
you real?”

“Yes.”
Catal let his mind connect fully.
“You mother sent for me. My brothers and I
have come to rescue you and Gates.”

Catal
knew that the more specific he was with names, the more real it would seem to
Tarrin
. The first mind connect was always met with doubt
and concern, even for a young child.
Tarrin
was older
than most for his first connection, so the doubts would be greater.

“
How
can you help us?
” This time
Tarrin’s
voice was
stronger.

“
I
am a warrior. I’ve been trained since I was younger than you to deal with the
situation you are in, but I need your cooperation.
”

“
What
can I do?
”

“
We
know which road the truck holding you, is driving on. Has it made any stops?
Have you been let out?
”

“
It
stopped once for about ten minutes
.”
Tarrin’s
voice faded away for a second and then came back stronger. “
We didn’t get
out, but the driver did. I heard his door slam.
”

“
Has
the truck made any turns?
”

“
Yes.
The truck swayed to the right for a bit and then a few minutes after that we
stopped
.”

“
Did
he talk to anyone?
”

“
I
didn’t hear voices.
”

“
How
long ago was the stop?
”

“
Gates
and I counted to over one thousand before the truck started moving. Right now
Gates is counting to six hundred.
”

“
Good.
”
A surge of pride went through Catal. If they counted at a steady pace that
meant at least fifteen minutes had passed. “
I’m going to use your counting
to figure out where you are. What I need you to do is tell me when you stop
again. Just shout out my name and focus. I will hear you.
”

“
Okay.
”
There was a slight pause. “
You won’t leave Gates and I alone, will you?
”

“
We
will be there to rescue you.
”
Catal’s
voice
hardened. “
These men will pay the price for taking you, so don’t be
frightened when we arrive.
”

“
I’ll
tell Gates.
”

“
Be
strong.
” Catal broke the connection and turned to Partlan. “They turned
right and then stopped for about fifteen minutes. Since then they’ve driven
about ten minutes. Is there a rest area?”

Partlan
pulled a mapping device toward him and started to punch in numbers. He frowned
and shook his head. “No. I am going to calculate the approximate distance they
traveled in the time since they left Castaic.”

Catal
reached over and clasped Selena’s hands. “We will find them.
Tarrin
is able to mind connect, so that will make this
easier.”

Selena
gave him a weak smile. “Thank you. Knowing that you’ve been able to speak with
him, gives me hope.”

“
Firbin
we are on the correct road. It will lead to the
freeway.” Partlan looked up from the mapping system. “I think the most likely
place the driver turned was onto a road going east. It’s a trucking route that
bypasses Bakersfield.”

Firbin
nodded. “I should be there in a couple of minutes.”

Firbin
increased their speed. They might have lost time following the wrong truck, but
they could catch up. Going cross country between the two highways would save
time. Within a few minutes, they had reached the junction with the Golden State
Highway. Now all they needed was to find the truck.

“Keep
along this road.” Partlan looked up from his calculations. “This is the most
likely route.”

Just
then Catal heard
Tarrin’s
voice in his head. “
We’re
slowing down.
”

“
Is
it stopping?
” Catal held his breath. They still hadn’t found the truck. If
they stopped now, they might be too late to rescue the boys.

“
Yes.
”
Tarrin’s
voice came stronger. “
I can hear honking
and other traffic. Now the truck is starting to drive again.
”

“
Good.
”
Catal forced his muscles to relax. There was still hope. “
Is there anything
different about how the truck is driving?
”

“
It
is moving slower.
”

Catal
turned to Partlan. “They have slowed down and the truck made a stop, and then
started.”

Partlan
tapped the map. “We are on the right road. It runs through a built up area and
that would mean stoplights.”

A
few minutes later
Tarrin
connected again.

“
The
truck has stopped.
”

“
It
is important you give us every detail now.
”

Tarrin
was silent for a few seconds. “
We are turning right.
”

Catal
let out the breath he’d been holding. They weren’t at their final destination.
That was good. They were close behind, but the truck wasn’t in sight yet. The
longer the driver kept moving, the better chance they had of catching them.

“
I
need you to start counting so we know when you stop or turn again.
”

“They’ve
turned right.” Catal looked at Partlan. “
Tarrin
is
going to keep time by counting so we’ll know where they turn again.”

“I
think they are going south.” Partlan looked up from the map. “We are close
behind. A few more minutes and we should have them in sight.”

A
sob from Selena had Catal moving beside her. He pulled her close and brought
her head to his chest. He let his hand smooth over her hair. Her suffering was
his. He felt it to the very core of his being. The sound of her steady
breathing soothed him.

“We
are close.” His voice was a soft whisper. “We will have them soon.”

“
We
turned left
.”
Tarrin’s
voice sounded in his head.
“
I only had to count to three hundred.
”

“
I’ll
put that into our computer,
” Catal answered.

“They’ve
turned left. It took about five minutes.”

“They’re
going north to Caliente.” Partlan leaned toward
Firbin
and showed him the map. “Follow the same route. He should be in sight soon.”

“
I
can hear a train whistle.
”
Tarrin’s
voice sounded
more like a whisper. “
We’re slowing down again.
”

“They’re
near a train.”

Partlan
nodded. “Definitely Caliente.”

Firbin
came to a stop and then turned right. A few minutes later he turned left. They were
close now. The road was straight for a bit and
Firbin
sped along until they started to hit curves and steep hills. They slowed and
then sped up again. They came into a small town, which was Caliente. Now all of
them were looking outside for sight of the truck. It should still be travelling
on the road according to
Tarrin
.

Suddenly
Firbin
put the brakes on.

The
red running lights of the rear of a transport truck were visible in front of
them.

They
went around a curve and the van’s headlights illuminated the word Diamond. The
truck that held the boys, was in front of them.

“Turn
our lights off.”
Partlan’s
tone was tense.

“I
have.”
Firbin’s
voice was low.

“Good.”
Partlan squatted down beside
Firbin
. “We do not want
him to know we are following.”

The
mood in the van became sombre. Always ready for battle, now they had increased
their concentration tenfold. As long as the driver of the truck was unaware of
their presence, they should be able to follow him to his lair.

Catal
rubbed Selena’s arm and kept his eyes glued on the red taillights of the semi.
It was a quarter of a mile ahead of them. The lights brightened and
Firbin
eased the van to a stop. The truck turned right and
they followed.

“
We
just turned
.”
Tarrin’s
voice echoed in
Catal’s
head.

“
I
know.
” Catal kept his thoughts calm. “
We are directly behind you.
”

“
Are
you going to stop him now?
”

“
No.
I need for you to be brave.
” Catal knew that
Tarrin
wouldn’t understand, because he hadn’t had any training, but they had to let
the truck get to its destination. It was the safest way to rescue the boys. “
When
the truck stops, we will be there to free you.
”

There
was a few moments of silence and then he heard
Tarrin’s
voice. “
You want to make sure he won’t get away.
”

“
We
can’t risk losing you. When he stops we’ll have the advantage.
”

“
I’ll
let Gates know that there is nothing to be afraid of.
”

After
that there was silence. Catal watched the vehicle weave and turn on the winding
road. Sparse plantings of trees along the shoulders could be seen from the
glare of the truck’s headlights, but no houses. They were definitely going to
an isolated area.

They
slowed after twenty minutes. Catal exhaled, stretched his neck from side to side,
and eased his heart rate as he prepared for battle. He gave Selena’s hand a
reassuring squeeze before moving away. He picked up two pistols and secured
them in his jean’s waistband. Partlan handed him a rifle and he checked the
ammunition before resting it across his knees. He was as ready as possible.

The
truck went down a gravel laneway. There was a marker at the road stating it was
private property. The semi bounced up and down, and side to side, in front of
them. It would not be comfortable for the boys inside the truck. They had to be
near the location for the exchange. There was no other reason for a large
tractor trailer to travel such a rutted and narrow laneway. Soon the boys would
be freed. Then he would exact justice on those who were responsible for this
crime.

Firbin
parked at the edge of the paved road.

Everyone
jumped out of the vehicle.

Selena
tried to leave, but Catal held her back. “It’s not safe for you to come with
us.”

“I
can shoot. My brother insisted I learn.”

Catal
clenched his jaw. “That’s not the problem, I don’t want you hurt. It’s a
dangerous situation.”

“I’ll
be careful.” Selena’s voice was determined. “I won’t be left behind a second
time, especially when I know that my son is definitely on that truck.”

Catal
looked over at Partlan. He knew the others still believed that women were to be
obeyed, yet his time on earth had shown him that they weren’t used to
commanding on this planet.
Partlan’s
expression gave
nothing away.

Catal
gazed at Selena for several seconds and then nodded. She was his pair bond. He
couldn’t refuse her. There was nothing he could say to stop her either. She had
always been stubborn. Once she’d made a decision, nothing would deter her from
it. That’s how she’d been able to block him for so many years. All he could do
was ensure she remained safe.

He
handed her a pistol.

“Stay
behind me.”

The
transport truck they had been following had continued for several hundred yards
on a driveway that circled a large building that was hidden beneath a stand of
pine trees. The place would be invisible from the road and the air. There were
at least ten vehicles parked along the edge of the drive, amongst the trees.
The semi had stopped, and was facing the road, when they reached the building.
It was still running. It looked as if the driver didn’t plan to stay long.

Partlan
motioned
Firbin
and Malac to the vehicle.
Breanon
moved off to the side and lay beside a large pine,
assault rifle aimed and ready.
Ranon
and Partlan
moved to the side door of the building. Catal and Selena went to the front.

Partlan
signaled for
Firbin
and Malac to enter the truck. The
door was unlocked. The first thing they did was shut the vehicle off. A few
seconds later, they climbed down from the cab and shook their head.

The
boys weren’t there.

They
took the keys and went to the rear of the semi. It wouldn’t take the people
inside the building long to realize the truck had stopped running. Time was
important. The wind caught the back door of the trailer and sent it slamming
against the side of the truck.