Page 4 of Hunter's Valentine

“Hey! Let me go!”

“You will come with me,” he said. Well, to be precise, he made a scary-sounding string of growls, and a device on his belt translated.

“What? No!”

I yanked again, but he caught me by the wrist instead. Then he tugged, and since I was balancing on a piece of debris to get as close to eye level with him as possible, I lost my footing and fell. I flung my arms out, trying to stop the inevitable tumble, and ended up plastered all over his front, clutching his leather armor.

“I am glad you agree.” Thick arms wrapped around me.

Before I could protest, I was tossed over his massive shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and he was strolling away, not even reacting to the broken glass under his feet.I clutched onto my rifle sling, hoping I wouldn’t lose it or my backpack.

“Wait! My supplies.”

“Where are they?”

“Inside that building.”

“I will return for them.” He started walking again.

“No! Let me go!” I struggled, thumping on his back with the fist that wasn’t holding my things and trying my best to kick him in the face from my precarious perch on his shoulder. I didn’t escape from the bunker just to be kidnapped immediately by some purple freak.

“You have ruined my hunt once already. I will release you once my hunt is successful.”

“Hold up. You said that before. What exactly do you mean that I ruined your hunt? I still don’t understand how this is my fault.”

“I spent days planning this. Setting traps, putting up barriers to funnel the scourge into them. Everything was perfect. I turned on my lure. The scourge all followed the right path until you showed up. This was supposed to be the hunt of the century. I could’ve killed hundreds of scourge today.”

Oh shit! Now it made sense why there were so many bugs out even though it was winter. He’d called them in. And now that he mentioned it, I had thought it strange that so many of the streets had been blocked by debris. The only reason I’d made it through was because I was on a bike and not a larger vehicle. Mindless groups of alien bugs wouldn’t bother weaving through and around obstacles; they’d simply find an easier, unobstructed route.

“Okay. First off, I apologize for ruining your plan. But can’t you just call them back and have your hunt anyway?”

“Negative. The barriers and traps only work if the scourge all come from one direction—their nest. Because I used therepellent,they have now scattered everywhere.”

It took me a moment to figure out why the sentence sounded so strange. Then it hit me: the word “repellent” was spoken in English. A heavily accented English, but still English.

“Repellent?”

“Affirmative. I traded for it with humans fromNew Franklin.”

That too was spoken in English. Jack had mentioned on his show that their group worked with Xarc’n warriors to fight the scourge nest at the center of their town. Their plan was to destroy the nest completely and free the town of the invertebrate menace. It was a lofty goal, one Jack claimed could only happen if Xarc’n and humans worked together. It was this that had stopped many of the others in the bunker from listening toStaying Alive, even though the radio show gave amazing tips on how to survive in the post-apocalyptic landscape.

“Do you work with the humans there?” I asked, hope flaring within me. “Do you know Jack?”

“I do know Jack. But I do not work with New Franklin. Only trade. I am a lone hunter.”

Oh. That was too bad. But he knew where New Franklin was. And he did know Jack.

“Is it true that Jack’s wife is pregnant?” That was one of the reasons why I was heading there. I figured I would be needed.

He suddenly released me, and I slid down the front of his body only to be caught again, his palms on my ass this time.

“Hold on tight, female. I must climb.”

We hadn’t gone far, just to the building I’d seen him on earlier. We were at the fire escape, and I realized that the hunter planned on climbing it like an oversized ladder, rather than going up the stairs like a normal person.

“I don’t think this is a good—” I was cut off when he started ascending the metal deathtrap.

Not wanting to fall to my doom, I flung my arms around his neck and held on tight. There was that pleasant smell again. At least he didn’t stink.

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