aHunter4Trust (14 page)

“Breanon you are the only one of us who has
not been seen guarding Tamsin. Get ready to follow in case we cannot get a
visual on the client.”

Breanon put his rifle down and stood at the
door.

Just then, the man came within camera view.

His face was clear and there was no
mistaking his identity. The man who had hired Peter to follow and photograph
Tamsin was her father’s assistant, Henry Kingsley.

“Why would he want Tamsin followed?” Savis
adjusted the sound on the computer speakers.

Peter’s voice could be heard. “You got my
note.”

“This had better be good. It’s dangerous to
meet.” Henry’s voice was clear.

“I don’t have any more photos. My cover was
blown.”

“You dragged me here for that.” Henry’s
voice was a low growl.

“Those bodyguards are Hunters. You should
have told me that.” Peter’s voice sounded irritated. “It only took them a week
to discover I was following her. They grabbed my camera and destroyed it.”

“You’re off the job.”

“No kidding.” Peter’s voice rose. “I want
money for my equipment. We agreed to expenses.”

“I don’t want to see you again.” Henry
shoved a bundle of bills at Peter. “Forget that we ever did business if you
want to live.”

“Easily.” Peter pushed the bills into his
upper pocket, sending the camera careening off to the side. “I’m going to give
you some friendly advice. Don’t fool around with those guys. They’ll rip you
apart.”

“They’re no match for the people I work
with.” Henry’s tone was boastful.

“You do know what Hunters are?” Peter
asked. “They follow a code and if you harm Tamsin Creighton, they’ll kill you.”

“They can try.” Henry gave a low chuckle.
“They won’t know where the attack comes from.”

Peter shrugged. “It’s your funeral. I’ve
done my part and warned you.”

Henry walked away. Within seconds, he’d
faded into the background of the muted lighting of the park. Darrogh motioned
to Breanon, who left the van to follow. They needed to see if he met anyone.

Kerm started the van. He had shifted the
vehicle into gear and was about to drive away when a sharp knock at the side
stopped him.

“Let me in.” Peter banged the van again.

Darrogh nodded. When the photographer was
inside they drove off in the direction that Kingsley had taken.

“
He’s crossed Park Lane and is entering
Grosvenor House.
” Breanon reported through mind connection.

“Grosvenor House.” Darrogh told Kerm.

“How can you possibly know that?” Peter’s
voice was suspicious.

Darrogh turned back to the man. “If you
continue to interfere, we will drop you off here.”

Peter put up his hand. “I’ll be quiet.”

“Give me the camera you are wearing.”
Darrogh held his hand out to Peter.

Peter raised an eyebrow, but unclipped it
from his collar and handed it over.

“
Breanon, meet me at the Grosvenor
entrance.
” Darrogh issued his order through mind connect.

“Kerm keep driving around the block.” Darrogh
stood and gripped the handle of the side door. “I will meet up with you.”

When the van was in front of the luxury
hotel, he opened the door and jumped out. Breanon was standing at the side of
the Ballroom entrance. Darrogh ran to him and passed him the small camera.

“Keep as close as possible without being
seen.”

Breanon nodded and walked to the hotel’s
entrance.

Darrogh went in the opposite direction.
About five minutes later, he saw the van turning the block. He jogged over, and
when the side door opened, he jumped in. Peter was shaking his head at him when
he landed with a thud on the metal of the vehicle floor. The door was slammed
shut and they continued to drive around the block.

“You guys are crazy.” Peter crossed his
arms and leaned back in his seat.

Darrogh ignored the comment and turned to
Savis. “Has Breanon found him?”

“Kingsley is seated in the lobby. Breanon
has him in his sights.”

“Good.” Darrogh stood.

Darrogh watched the computer screen.
Kingsley was sitting in a luxurious leather seat in the main reception area. He
was tapping a foot, and every few seconds, he would swing his head around as if
he were looking for someone. It took another five minutes before there was any
change in his behavior. His head turned at the opening of the elevator doors.
He stood and straightened his jacket before walking over to the elevator.

Three men dressed in long black coats
exited the lift.

Albireons.

Darrogh had seen enough. He could not risk
putting Breanon in any more danger. The Albireons were unaware that Darrogh and
his men knew about them, and he wanted it to remain that way as long as
possible. For now, it was enough to know where the leak was in Creighton’s.

“
Return.
” He relayed the order to
Breanon.

“Make certain we have a copy of this. Sir
Robert will want evidence.” Darrogh straightened away from the computer. “Send
it through to Ardal. He needs to know how far-reaching the infiltration is.”

The van continued to circle the block until
Breanon was within sight. Once the last team member was onboard, they left the
area for Tamsin’s house. The sooner they were able to delve into this new
evidence, the better.

Darrogh’s anxiety over Tamsin’s safety was
increasing. Knowing that the Albireons were directly involved in threatening
her had heightened his concern. Worse, they had been doing it for months, and
the degree of their infiltration into Creighton’s, was chilling. This menace
must be dealt with. He would not rest until Tamsin was safe.

“Are you guys going to tell me what’s
happening?” Peter asked.

Darrogh had forgotten about the
photographer in his hurry to return to Tamsin. “We will take you home.”

“No. I go with you.” Peter rubbed his arms.
“Whatever has you moving so fast, is something I need to be afraid of. You’re
not keeping me out of the loop now.”

Darrogh considered the human for a second.
He was unkempt and irritating, yet he had managed to elude their surveillance
for almost a week. He was observant and quick to understand a situation. He
might be useful as long as he could be trusted.

“If Kingsley or the Albireons discover that
Peter is working with us, then his life is in danger too.” Savis’s voice was
matter of fact. “We need to protect him.”

“If you stay, you must understand that we
will not tolerate any betrayal.” Darrogh’s voice was stern. “I will do my best
to ensure your safety, but I cannot guarantee it. The penalty for deceiving us
is death.”

Peter’s eyes widened. “You’re serious.”

Darrogh crossed his arms. “Do you want us
to take you home?”

Peter shook his head. “I’m a good investigator.
You guys need me.”

“We will discuss strategy when we are in a
secure area.”

They reached Tamsin’s house on Chelsea
Square less than fifteen minutes later. They parked the van in the street
behind and then took the rear entrance into the house. When they entered the
kitchen, Firbin was waiting.

“Jehon is in the lounge with Tamsin.”

“Make certain everything is secure and then
meet us there.”

Darrogh moved through the house to the
front reception rooms. The other men followed. When they entered the lounge,
Tamsin stood. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and seeing her
released the knot of tension in his chest. A surge of relief flowed through
Darrogh.

She was safe.

“What’s happened?” Tamsin made a move
toward him and then stopped herself.

“We have evidence of who has been following
you.” Darrogh nodded toward Peter. “Henry Kingsley is Peter’s client.”

Tamsin sank back into her chair. “How could
he?”

Savis brought the computer over to her and
showed the video they had filmed.

“My father has to be told.” Tamsin looked
up from the monitor.

“We will make him aware.” Darrogh crossed
his arms. “There is something else.”

“What?”

“Kingsley met up with Albireons.”

Tamsin frowned. “So he’s working with
Albirsion Corporation.”

Savis keyed in the video that Breanon had
taken. Tamsin’s eyes narrowed as she watched Kingsley meet up with the three
men dressed in black. The video followed the men until they turned toward the
lobby. The last image that Breanon had captured was the faces of the men
dressed in black overcoats with their sunglasses and fedora hats. The video was
frozen on their eerie faces.

“Who are they?” Peter leaned closer to the
screen. “Their faces don’t look right.”

“That’s because they’re not human. They
come from another planet.” Darrogh walked to the computer and pointed his
finger at the three figures on the monitor. “They are Albireons.”

Peter started to laugh. “That’s a great
joke. Aliens.”

“I think the hats and sunglasses make them
look almost human.” Tamsin’s tone was musing. “I would never have given them a
second look if I’d seen them on the street. Are they really behind the threats
to my father’s bank?”

“Worse.” Savis closed the video. “One of
our brothers escaped their clutches in Australia. His mate was being restrained
and ready to be experimented on when he rescued her.”

A shiver went through Tamsin. “How
horrible.”

“You guys are serious.” Peter’s mouth
dropped open as he looked at each of them. “There is no such thing as
extra-terrestrials.”

“Believe what you want.” Darrogh crossed
his arms over his chest. “Albireons, like Hunters, are not from Earth.”

Peter’s eyes narrowed. “Are you saying what
I think you are?”

“If you are working with us, you need to
understand what we are fighting.”

“You look human.” Peter’s voice faded away.

“We are genetically human, but we
originated on a different planet.” Savis’s voice was matter of fact. “Our genes
have been modified.”

“That’s not possible.” Peter shook his
head.

“Enough debate. We need to eliminate this
threat.” Darrogh’s voice was stern. There was no time to waste if they were
going to keep Tamsin alive. “With Henry Kingsley working for the Albireons, the
bank has been compromised. Savis can you determine how deep the infiltration
is?”

“I will need access to their computer
systems.”

Darrogh looked at Tamsin. Disbelief and
shock were written all over her face. The situation was serious and he did not
have the time to let her process Kingsley’s betrayal. He sent her a wave of
calm and then strength. If there was any hope of stopping the Albireons, they
had to act fast.

“Can you get access Tamsin?”

She looked up at him. “I don’t work there
anymore.”

“We will have to tell your father.”

“It will kill him.” Tamsin’s voice was
hushed. “He thinks of Henry like a son.”

“Losing you would be much worse.” Darrogh
did not try to soften his words. He needed to say something that would shock
her out of her stupor. It took a second, but she straightened her shoulders.

“You’re right.” Tamsin looked at Savis. “Is
tomorrow soon enough?”

Savis nodded. “I will see what I can do
from here tonight.”

“Rest first.” Darrogh’s voice was a
command. “Now that we know the level of our threat, we will double our watches.
Breanon and I will take the first shift.”

Breanon nodded and left the room. Darrogh
went to the windows and rechecked their locks before closing the curtains. His
men needed sleep. It was unlikely that the Albireons would strike immediately.
The news that their surveillance on Tamsin had been stopped would take them a
while to process. Albireons were notoriously slow at reacting to new
situations. In the past, Darrogh had used that to his advantage to defeat them.
Tonight might be their only reprieve, so he wanted everyone well-rested before
they battled the enemy.

“What about me?” Peter’s voice was a low
whine.

“You wanted to come with us.” Darrogh’s
voice was harsh. “Your skills will be needed.”

Peter straightened his shoulders. “I
understand, but I need to sleep.”

Tamsin stood. “You can have the den. It has
a comfortable couch. The rest of the rooms are being used by the men.”

When Tamsin and Peter had left, Firbin
looked at him. “Was it wise to tell the human?”

“We had no choice.” Darrogh pushed away his
own doubts. “His services might be useful and I think once he has processed
everything, he will be fine.”

“We still have his photos.” Savis stood.
“In the morning I will have him re-examine everything to see if there is a
pattern. We may be able to find out where the Albireons have stationed
themselves.”

“Look into Grosvenor House.” Darrogh leaned
against the fireplace. “If there is a nest of them there, we will eliminate it
first.”

Savis picked up his computer. “I will
access their files.”

“Work begins in the morning,” Darrogh said.
“We need to understand the full extent of the Albireon infiltration into the
bank before we can act. I will apprise Ardal of the situation in case we need
reinforcements.”