The Hunter

Chapter 2 - Heaven or Hell

After eight years in the Blood’s service, Squad Leader Kyle Banner felt like he was selling himself short.

“Cheer up sir, she normally doesn’t stay up beyond midnight,” Miles bellowed over the music.

Selling. My. Ass. Short.

It had taken him a whole year to get to Lady Lola’s detail, and retirement didn’t seem close enough. The woman was the most selfish, vain, self-important, royal pain-in-the-ass person he had ever met.

They were in Poison, one of the exclusive of exclusives night clubs that lined Carnival street. Having been born into the Tekal Council era, Kyle wasn’t surprised at what he was seeing.

The candle lights had been filtered by green paper and the ceiling was covered in strands of black velvet, low enough for anyone to touch. Nobles from every kind of land were dancing to the slow seductive sounds of the Old Tongue that came out of the petit blond headed Kalian woman.

Kyle almost wished one of the men around Lola would pull a knife out. He hated nobles with a passion and, if it wasn’t for the fact that his skill set was limited to protecting others, he would have chosen a different profession when he had fled the Empire.

Watching Lola and her new dance partner flowing across the dance floor in slow deliberate steps, Kyle let his eyes wander to the mage standing next to the minstrel. Times had changed greatly, or so his father had told him once. Even the mages had started butting heads against one another. The new generation of mages was less inclined with the old ways of thinking. Ten years ago, Kyle was certain no mage in their right mind would have been caught dead creating unworldly music out of thin air. For profit no less.

The tension between the two sides was building and Kyle’s instincts warned him to be wary.

“I almost regret the promotion,” Kyle muttered as Miles turned to watch the other nobles’ guards that lined the walls. None of the guards were allowed past the black line drawn into the ground, creating a five span buffer to the dance floor. He guessed Lola picked Poison because of it. She was one of the nobles that didn’t believe in guards, that they were only good for showing off or getting in the way.

“So what’s your story?” Chad, the only other squad member assigned to Lola, asked casually as he watched their Lady like a hawk. Kyle was glad that his new companions were competent. Babysitting duty often left men bored and unaware of their surroundings.

“Just a guy trying to make enough coin to retire.”

“Retire? What are you, thirty?”

“Twenty-nine,” Kyle muttered. Louder, he said, “Make another round outside.”

“Yes sir,” Chad sighed.

Chad, halfway to the door, stopped when a man’s voice topped over the music.

“Let me in, I say!”

“You’re Lord Duncan’s man. I’ve already told you and your friends. You are not welcome in my establishment.” The Mistress of Poison boldly stood her ground in front of the Lord that Kyle recognized as Sean.

“Don’t tell me where I can or can’t go, wench,” Sean sneered.

The commotion had reached the ears of the other guards around them. Since Poison was a known Imperialist establishment, every soldier there turned to the Traditionalist, their hands involuntarily going to their weapons. Thankfully, none of them drew their swords.

“Don’t make me call the Peacekeepers, Lord Sean. They don’t take it kindly to being called here if they don’t have to.”

Sean looked passed her and scanned the crowd. When his eyes met Kyle’s, he grinned. “Don’t worry, you southern whores. You will all get what’s coming.”

The noble gave a smartass salute to Kyle before turning away.

“What the hell was that all about?” Chad said between clinched teeth.

A sudden sinking feeling filled Kyle as he turned to the crowd behind him. His eyes searched for Lola’s green dress.

“Miles!”

The soldier’s head whipped around to the crowd as well, he had been looking at Lord Sean too. Cursing, Kyle leaped out the door, yelling behind him, “Chad with me!”

Outside, the rain had subsided to a drizzle. Frantically he looked around for signs of Sean.

“Sir!”

Chad pointed down an alley where they saw a glimpse of a shadow fading. Their feet sent puddles of water spraying as they bolted down the street, Poison’s music dwindling behind them to a hum.

Upon reaching the alleyway’s mouth, he found Sean backing away from a shadowed figure.

“Get out of my way bitch.”

Kyle saw a glint of steel but, before he could give out a warning, the mysterious person had Sean on the ground, his knife hand pinned behind him in an unnatural way.

“Where is she?” To Kyle’s shock, it was a woman’s voice.

“I’ll take it from here.” he said, advancing the woman. Chad had his sword out, watching their six.

The lady looked up from her prey and green eyes met his. She was Caprian. Kyle had his dagger halfway out before he stopped himself.

“You have nothing to fear from me, Squad Leader Kyle Banner.”

Kyle hesitated. There were few people in Kalian who knew his last name. “Who are you?”

“Lord Victor thought you could use our help. We saw four men dragging a Lady dressed in green out the back. My partner is tailing them now. I’m guessing she was Lola?” when Kyle nodded, the man under her squirmed violently.

“You have no right--“ Lord Sean was cut off by his own sharp inhale. From Kyle’s perspective, he was on the verge of loosing his arm.

“I’ll ask you once more before you start loosing digits,” the unnamed woman whispered.

“I am Lord Sean. You can’t do this to--” This time he screamed and Kyle took a step back when he realized she had cut off his pinky finger.

“The next thing out of your mouth better be what they are going to do to her,” the woman said calmly. The effect was terrifying.

Kyle heard the word ‘bitch’ again before the Lord lost his ring finger. The Lord thrashed uselessly against the woman, screaming. Slowly, the screaming died away to sobbing as the Lord’s pain became bearable again. Kyle heard Chad shuffle behind him uncomfortably and he became acutely aware that he was frozen in shock.

“You have eight more chances before I start on your toes.”

The Lord’s eyes widened in terror. “I--They--They plan on breaking her so she--she can’t be Q--Queen.”

Queen? What is he talking about?

“Who told you she would be Queen?”

The Lord winced in pain as he held his three fingered bloodied hand.

“Sir…” Chad said nervously. It was a crime to hurt a Lord or a Lady. Kidnapping was as common as a dinner party in Cohpa. Nothing ever happened to the kidnappie, though. In fact, they were normally treated as an honored guest until their demands were met. Usually money.

“Make like a deaf mute, private.” Kyle said stiffly.

Break her? They were going to rape their Lady?

Royal pain-in-the-ass or not, Lola was still a woman.

“I’m going to take your middle finger now,” she spoke the words as if talking about the weather.

When she drew her dagger to his hand he screamed, “They call him the Archmage! I--I don’t know anything else. I swear it!”

For a long heart beat she starred him down, and Kyle thought she was about to start taking off more fingers, until she wiped her bloody dagger against the Lord’s silk vest.

“If I don’t hear you didn’t accidentally loose those fingers of yours, I’ll be back to take the rest of them. And that’s not a threat.” She rose and started walking south.

Blinking, Kyle kicked himself mentally. Stop acting like a nugget.

“Where are you going?” Kyle demanded as he started after her.

Not bothering at stopping, or even turning to him, she said, “Getting your Lady back. Are you coming?”

He looked down at the withering Lord and almost felt bad for him--almost.

“Aye. But I want answers.” He fell into step with her and heard Chad doing the same.

“If I can,” she said as she stopped at a small intersection. Looking both ways, she turned left.

“What is your name?”

“Tina.”

“How do you know where you are going?”

“Call it a woman’s intuition.”

Kyle eyed Tina’s back suspiciously. Technically he had no reason to trust her except from what he had heard from the Lord--yet, he didn’t have any leads.

“Heaven or Hell. We protect.” The Blood’s motto sounded off in his head like a bad song.

“Fine. You said Lord Victor sent you. What is the password?”

She was quiet for a time, and Kyle started to size up his opponent. He wasn’t sure if he could take her, even with surprise on his side and Chad, and that scared him.

Stop doubting yourself. You have taken on five trained men at once, he told himself as he reached for his dagger. If she didn’t have the right password, then it was a trap.

“Jasmine.”

He blinked, hand frozen to his dagger. Looking back at Chad, the man was as bewildered as he was. Turning back to Tina, he took in her black Caprian style long coat and military boots. Knowing Lord Victor only took on Kalians--or men who could pass off as one--made him wary to begin with.

Roughly his height, she walked with grace and power. He could tell she was comfortable and aware of her surroundings--not the average soldier. She being a woman soldier alone raised enough red warning flags in his head to cause him to doubt the password. Only in the Empire were there women soldiers.

“Lord Victor sent you?” Kyle asked incredulously.

“Quiet.”

Taken aback by the order, he looked passed her. They had come to the end of their alley. When she got within a span of the ally’s end, she flattened her back to the wall and inched her way to the corner. Both Kyle and Chad followed her.

“Seven men total. Five are trained,” Tina whispered as she peered around the corner from knee height.

“She is there?” he whispered.

“Aye. My man is on the rooftop. He has visual on the two guards that are stationed at the doorway. We have a span of dark before we are in lamp light. Seven spans to the door. Once the guards are down, we storm it. Are you two ready?”

“Sir…” Chad managed to sum up all the questions in one word.

The so called Tina was rushing it. But he didn’t think she was a nugget, but that she knew what she was doing. His gut told him to trust her, at least for now.

Sighing, Kyle nodded. “Aye. We are ready.”

Tina looked up toward the rooftop across from them. Kyle didn’t see anyone but he did hear the faint sound of a bow string being pulled back. Almost as if there were two bowmen up there, two arrows were airborne in quick succession. Tina was on the move just as the first arrow was released. Kyle and Chad were right behind her.

When he rounded the corner, Kyle saw a dead body and the second guard’s body falling. Both of them had a black fletched arrow sticking out of an eye socket.

“Damn,” Chad whispered as they reached the front of the large warehouse. Their new lady friend motioned for Chad to the other side of the door. Backs to the wall, Tina eased the shutter to the only window up by a hair with her dagger. With her other hand, she held up a fist, signing them to hold. Using her free hand, she knocked. She waited a few seconds before lowering the shutter and motioned for them to hold again. When the door opened, a black arrow came down from the rooftop across the street a hundred paces away.

One hell of a shot.

Chad was in first. He grabbed the falling body and lowered him silently to the ground. Tina was right behind him, watching his back. No one else was there. When Chad was done, he advanced with Tina and Kyle behind him.

Boxes were stacked high, blocking their view, and the air was filled with smells of salt and wheat. Kyle closed the door behind them and the sound of drizzling rain stopped.

“Who was it?” Lord Duncan’s voice met their ears.

Tina tapped Chad’s shoulder. The private nodded and said, “We have a problem.”

“What is it?” the Lord demanded.

They continued their exploration of the warehouse as they tried to locate Lola’s ex and his men.

“Lord Sean is dead,” Chad said.

Lord Duncan hissed, “Do they know who did it?”

Kyle saw soft lamplight ahead of them and Tina motioned Kyle to circle around. Not wanting to argue who was in charge, Kyle obediently started circling around. A gagged woman’s gasps came from somewhere off ahead to his left and his fist tightened on the bared dagger he gripped.

When Chad didn’t respond, Lord Duncan demanded, “Who killed him, Dean?”

Glimpses of four men, two Lords and two soldiers, flickered in between the boxes that stood between Kyle and Lola. Lola was on the table, bound and gagged, her dress torn.

“Dean? Who’s Dean?”

Like a hell bent demon, Tina came out of the shadows, cutting down the first guard. Chad was next to her, cutting down the other man. Kyle stayed back and watched, waiting for an opportunity.

The other Lord, one Kyle didn’t recognize, leaped up onto a box and started to climb toward a window at the top. Lord Duncan, who had his pants around his ankles, reached for Lola and pulled her toward him. The dagger in his hand made Chad and Tina pause their advance.

“I wouldn’t.” Lord Duncan sneered.

“You are surrounded. Give up now and I won’t kill you.” Tina said in her calm--almost bored--voice.

Lord Duncan laughed. “You can’t kill me.”

Kyle lightened his footsteps and readied his dagger.

Chad mimicked the Lord’s laugh. “She sure as hell will.”

Lord Duncan backed away from them, uncertain.

“I’ll count to three. Leave now before then and you live.” Tina said.

“You do that and I’ll kill her.”

“One.”

Kyle moved passed the ring of boxes and into the light.

“You are bluffing.” The Lord laughed haughtily.

“Two.”

Reaching up, he angled his dagger in between the Lord’s third and fourth rib.

“Three.”

“Sorry love,” Lord Duncan hissed to Lola.

Lord Duncan pulled his blade around to slice her neck but Kyle caught his hand. Before the Lord knew what was happening, Kyle’s knife sunk itself into his ribs, piercing his lung. Lola fell away as he sent his knife in twice more for good measure.

Dress torn immodestly and sobbing uncontrollably, Lola balled up.

Pushing the dieing man away from him, he knelt over his Lady. Making soothing sounds, he tried to calm her as he sliced away her bonds. She shied away from him as if he were another of her captor.

“My Lady. It’s Kyle. You remember me don’t you?”

Her incoherent eyes slide over his before he saw a hint of recognition. Absently nodding, he offered his hand to her.

“You are safe, my Lady.”

She grabbed his hand and he pulled her up. When she teetered, he tried to steady her.

“The girl is in no condition to walk,” Tina said, surveying the warehouse. “Pick her up. We need to get back to the mansion ASAP.”

Kyle remembered his backbone. “She is Lady Lola, Tina. It is improper to pick her up and I will not take orders from you. Do I make myself clear?”

Tina arched an eyebrow at him and pursed her lips. Aside from the small scar that ran vertically from her left ear down along her neck, she was pretty.

Chad smartly moved to the perimeter, feigning interest.

“There--could be more men,” Kyle said slowly. “And it--would be best to move quickly.”

“What a great idea Squad Leader,” Tina smiled sweetly.

Kyle gently picked up his Lady as if she were a babe and looked sourly at Tina.

Ignoring him, she went to Lord Duncan’s body and pulled his pants back up before she removed his purse and jewelry. She went to the others as well and did the same.

“What are you doing?” Chad demanded.

“Making this look like a robbery. He owns this warehouse so it won’t be too suspicious.”

“Oh.”

“We are done here,” Tina said as she stood from the last body.

When they stepped outside, Kyle found her partner cleaning up. He was a Kalian man dressed in the same black long coat. By his feet were the meager purses of the men he had just killed along with the arrows he had used. The three bodies that went along with the arrows were nowhere to be seen, but Kyle suspected they had been shoved into the nearby ditch that sent excess rain water out into the sea.

“The other Lord?” Tina asked.

Her partner frowned. “I know I hit him T. I know I had.”

“What happened?” Chad asked.

The Kalian man shrugged. “It was a center mass shot. Should have gone through his heart. When the arrow came within a span of him, it was--reflected. I don’t know how the bastard did it.”

“You know what Top will say.”

Sighing, he nodded. “I’ll see what I can find but it will be a wonder if I can pick up his trail in this weather.”

Turning, the man heaved up an oil skinned incased bow across his back and started to collect the things at his feet.

Kyle shifted Lola in his arms and he felt her shudder. “Chad, give me your cloak.”

The large man immediately had his cloak off and was handing it to him when Tina said, “Mike…”

Her partner paused.

“If you find him, report only of his location. Let Top handle him. I don’t like this.”

Mike made a sour face but nodded. “Aye. I will.”

The mysterious sharpshooter stood up and headed toward the window the Lord had escaped from, disappearing into the night as he passed the lamp light’s domain. It made him shudder, watching the man melt into the darkness. Tearing his eyes from the man’s faint ghost, he finished wrapping his Lady with the waterproof cloak.

She settled herself into him and he suppressed a smile when he realized the pain-in-the-ass had dozed off.

“Who is Top?” Chad asked as Tina began to walk toward the Mansion.

“Your new boss.”