Blood Hunter

  Blood Hunter

  A Thunder City Novel

  Debra Jess

  Contents

  Preview

  Praise For…

  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

  Special Bonus!

  Other Books By Debra Jess

  About the Author

  Acknowledgments

  "Are you sure you want to do this?" McNamara asked.

  "Yes." Hannah punched the number for the floor she wanted.

  "They won't let you leave, you know? The law is very clear and very specific. It's not like before, when you ran away before you committed yourself to training. You're making the deliberate choice to break the law after you'd been warned. They will put you in jail."

  The elevator headed up one more floor. She didn't shake in fear for the entire ride. "They'll try. If you want to return to your office, I'll understand."

  McNamara laughed. "Oh, no. I'm not missing this for the world. Watching you use your ability is a privilege Hannah. Too bad the rest of the Committee can't see it that way."

  To my mother, Bonny, my father, Michael, and brother, Eric. I love you all so much and I couldn't have written this book without you.

  Praise for

  BLOOD SURFER

  (A Thunder City novel, Book 1)

  * * *

  BLOOD SURFER delivers a fast-paced tale of danger and romance set in a world well-imagined world of vivid characters, superhuman and otherwise. Recommended. ~ Richard Lee Byers, author of The Reaver and Blind God's Bluff.

  * * *

  Praise for

  BLOOD HUNTER

  (A Thunder City novel, Book 2)

  * * *

  The latest novel by Debra Jess is full of fast-paced action and intrigue. BLOOD HUNTER is a roller-coaster of fantastic action and star-crossed romance in a world where...everyone believes that justice is on their side...The Thunder City series takes a hard look at the social and political issues in a universe straight out of the comic books. Blood Hunter reminds us that not everyone with super powers is a hero. ~ Sylvia Spruck Wrigley, author of Domnall and the Borrowed Child

  1

  One week after the events in Blood Surfer.

  "Scott, they have guns." Hannah Quinn curled into Scott Grey's embrace. They were standing on the deck of the Elusive Lady while the crew guided the yacht toward the dock at the north end of Thunder City's harbor, near the commuter ferry. His strong arms wrapped around her shoulders to pull her even tighter to his chest. What had they done to warrant what looked like an entire squad of police officers armed with rifles to meet them here? She hadn't been expecting a parade — just some peace while the harder-to-see emotional wounds scabbed over. She was desperate to hold back the flood of memories of the horror show she'd left behind, the body of her fake mother lying face down in the dirt.

  "I don't know what this is all about." Scott let go of her and reached for the comm unit hooked to his jeans. "Let me call Thomas."

  Hannah kept her eyes on the harbor's boardwalk as the yacht's engine slowed. She wasn't the only one who'd seen the guns. The crew must have noticed as well, and now the yacht floated just out of reach of the slip. Thomas must have seen the guns, too, and ordered his men to keep her and Scott out of reach of whoever waited for them.

  They had dressed carefully that morning, Scott wearing Thomas's clothes and Hannah wearing Catherine's. Long pants, shirts with long sleeves, and ugly brown gloves Thomas had stashed in an emergency kit. All the better to keep them from touching each other, skin-on-skin.

  Thunder City laws were clear about preventing alternative humans who hadn't proven they had control over their abilities from touching anyone and accidentally triggering their powers.

  Even though they'd been trying so hard to obey the laws of Thunder City and not touch since they had rescued each other from the quarry prison, Hannah had made a point of healing Scott of his wounds. Miranda Dane's mercs had given her just enough time to heal Scott of the worst of his injuries before they kidnapped her. She had wanted to finish the job before she returned to Thunder City, where the opportunity would be taken out of her hands.

  As the Elusive Lady drifted closer toward the harbor, Hannah saw still more police. Some stood out in the open, dressed in dark blue. Others shifted positions among the rooftops of the shops lining the boardwalk. She scanned the roof of the hotel at the far north end. Just because she didn't see anyone, didn't mean they weren't up there.

  Scott released his comm and returned to holding her, the pressure around her shoulders comforting. "I'll bet you they aren't just any cops, either. Thunder City would have sent Division Six."

  "What's Division Six?" Hannah's heart skipped a couple of beats. The last thing they needed was to get on Thunder City's bad side. Thunder City was the one city where alternative humans could live in safety, out in the open, just like their normal counterparts.

  "They're a subdivision within SWAT, trained to handle Alts."

  Why would Thunder City send Division Six to the harbor to meet the Elusive Lady? How did they even know she and Scott were on board the yacht? Had Thomas called ahead? Why would he tell Thunder City anything?

  The Elusive Lady's crew slowed its engines even more, just feet now from pulling into the slip. Thomas had chosen the harbor because it was closer to Harbor Regional Hospital. Doctor Rao had stayed behind at the quarry to help take care of the wounded but insisted that Hannah get proper medical care at the hospital as soon as possible.

  At least her ribs hurt less than they had immediately after the quarry raid, and Doctor Rao had determined she had no broken bones. Despite his medical talents, though, there was only so much Thunder City's Alternative Human Medical specialist could do on the yacht. Only time would heal her still swollen cheeks, by now only lightly blushed where Miranda Dane had hit her. If only she could heal herself the way she'd healed others, the way she'd healed Scott so he wouldn't have to go to the hospital too.

  "At least they're not pointing their rifles at us." It was a stupid thing for her say, but she was determined to not panic. She was bruised, but not broken, not the way Miranda Dane had wanted her broken. "This is because of me."

  "Maybe." Scott's hand left her shoulder to pull out his comm unit again.

  "I'm right here." Behind them, Thomas Carraro surfaced from below deck. He'd changed out of his T-CASS uniform into beige khakis and a white polo, more or less what she and Scott had borrowed from the Elusive Lady's wardrobe, albeit in different color variations.

  "Did you arrange for a security escort?" Scott asked his father.

  "No, I didn't. I don't know what this is all about."

  "Maybe we shouldn't dock here." Hannah swallowed back her fear as the yacht glided into the slip. "We should dock at your estate. It's private property, right? They can't follow us there."

  Thomas stepped in front of Hannah and his son, blocking their view. "They could follow us, but no one gets onto the estate without triggering our defense systems, so why don't we stick to the plan and see what they want. It could all be just a misunderstanding. If trouble starts, we'll deal with it. I can't imagine they want anyone dead. That's not the way the Thunder City police work. You two might not want to stand so close together, though."

  Scott unwrapped his arm from around her shoulders, but Hannah grabbed h
is hand in hers, the gloves making the gesture no less intimate. He squeezed, his long fingers strong and gentle. The message was clear: he hadn't left her side since the raid, he wouldn't leave her now.

  "I'll go first." Thomas started down the plank his men lowered onto the dock. "Don't follow until I give the signal."

  Hannah watched Thomas descend to the dock. From Scott's belt his comm unit crackled.

  "Gentlemen, what seems to be the problem?"

  Thomas had turned on his own comm so both she and Scott could hear what was happening below. A man in a dull brown suit, with thinning hair, approached from behind the police, his tie blowing in the breeze off the harbor.

  "I'm Doctor Johnson. We've met before, at the Medical Society gala last year. I'm representing the Oversight Committee and I've reviewed the preliminary report submitted by Captain Spectacular about the quarry raid. I'm here to make sure that Hannah Quinn and Scott Grey are secured in the hospital."

  "How convenient." Hannah could see Thomas place his hands behind his back. "I was about to bring both of them to the hospital myself. I don't believe we need an escort, however."

  Scott leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Thomas wants us to stay put."

  "I disagree," Doctor Johnson continued. "They're both dangerous. The Oversight Committee saw the security footage from the quarry, how easily Ms. Quinn crippled Miranda Dane's mercenaries. We also saw Mr. Grey translocate a bullet already fired and direct it into Mayor Dane's head. Both need extra protection for their own good."

  "Protection or detainment?" Hannah could see Thomas turn his head giving Division 6, which had surrounded him, a long, slow gaze. "There's a difference between protecting someone and detaining them. What I see here is an attempt to detain Hannah and Scott."

  "What does he mean?" Despite Thomas's warning, she stepped closer to Scott. "Are we going to be arrested?"

  Scott's hand drifted up to stroke her hair, the glove not smooth like Scott's skin, but clingy and tugging at the strands. "Not while I'm around."

  "You can use whatever word you wish." Johnson pointed to the Elusive Lady. "Nevertheless, the Oversight Committee has ordered both Hannah Quinn and Scott Grey to be taken into custody."

  Custody. The word balled up in the back of her throat. She stepped back into Scott's embrace, damn the laws. Miranda had had custody of her, had murdered her real mother for it.

  Custody also triggered images of locked doors. Every night, while she'd tried to sleep in the bedroom of the Elusive Lady, she'd insisted on the door remaining open. The one time Scott had closed it, to give her privacy while she washed herself, she'd suffered a panic attack. Miranda had locked her in one of her prison's freezers to prevent her from escaping. She couldn't escape the cold even in the bright heat of late summer.

  "No one is going to have custody of me." Her anger melted her frozen fear. She knew exactly what she had to do, only this time she'd have Scott with her. "Not now, not ever. We have to get away from here."

  Custody. The word froze Scott to his very core as he pulled Hannah closer to his heart. The heat from her body added to the sweat pooling under his long-sleeved shirt. His mother had surrendered custody of him to Thomas when he was thirteen. He couldn't have guessed that she and Thomas would fall in love and get married.

  Even though Thomas had become more than just a father to him — a true champion in Scott's mind — the sting if his own mother giving him up without an obvious fight had hurt more than he had realized.

  "No one is going to have custody of me." Hannah raised her chin, even as she lay her head against his chest. The conviction in her voice matched his own. "Not now, not ever. We have to get away from here."

  "No one is going to get their hands on either of us. Not like this, but let's wait and see what Thomas has to say."

  Hannah relaxed against him once more. Scott wished he could give her assurances everything could be worked out, but he didn't know for sure. He hadn't lived in Thunder City for years; he'd never had Alt abilities until a few days ago. He'd never had to tangle with the Oversight Committee, a committee his own mother had created to work with the Norms of Thunder City to ensure the safety of all Thunder City citizens — Norms and Alts alike.

  Voices rose from his comm unit, Thomas's voice soothing despite the harsh conviction. "Neither Scott nor Hannah have been convicted of any crimes. They're no different from the Star Haven Newcomers. None of the Newcomers were detained when they crossed Mystic Bay."

  "They should have been," Johnson said. "If we had detained the Newcomers, Electrocyte wouldn't have taken a man hostage and nearly electrocuted him to death. Electrocyte would still be alive as well."

  Scott winced. He'd shot Electrocyte to stop the Alt from killing the president of the ferry company. He'd also almost killed his own brother, Nik, in the process. If Hannah hadn't bloodsurfed through Nik, his brother wouldn't have survived. Scott wondered what else the Oversight Committee had planned for them. For him?

  Johnson waved a piece of paper in Thomas's face. Thomas snatched it and read it. "One moment," he said, then he turned his back on Johnson, forced his way between the Division Six team members who blocked him, to return to the boat.

  "Scott, Hannah. I'm sorry, but the Committee has given Johnson the legal authority to take you both into custody. The situation with Electrocyte was never settled because of Miranda's interference. I can launch a legal challenge on Scott's behalf on that angle, but," an anguished looked crossed Thomas's face, "Thunder City's laws are clear. Until both of you can prove you can control your powers, you're subject to the Oversight Committee's supervision."

  "They'll separate us." Scott looked at Hannah. He'd promised to stay by her side. They both needed each other's strength.

  Thomas nodded. "It's going to be a long haul no matter what sort of spin I put on this. Hannah might be able to pass in a few days because she's been bloodsurfing since she was a child, but Scott, your power is brand new. We don't know what you're capable of yet. Since you can push objects in motion away from you as well as pull them toward you, that's far beyond anything we've ever seen before."

  Thomas took the sting away from Scott's instinct to shove the piece of paper down Johnson's throat. "What about Electrocyte?" Scott asked. "Can they still arrest me for killing him?"

  "I don't know. It's complicated. Your extradition to Star Haven was illegal because the order was forged, but Thunder City had agreed to it on principle." Thomas reached out to touch Scott's face, a show of affection Scott had grown accustomed to over the years, but this time Thomas pulled back at the last second, with a quick look over his shoulder.

  Scott's anger burned away his shock. Thomas had been the bedrock through Scott's teenage life. No one should make him withhold his touch, but they both had Hannah to consider. Scott looked down at her. "What do you think? What do you want to do? If you want to run, we'll run."

  Sadness, tiredness, disgust — it all crawled across her face. "Thunder City was supposed to be different. I was supposed to find shelter here."

  "I'm so sorry, Hannah." Scott risked a light kiss on the top of her head, hidden by Thomas, who blocked Johnson's view of the two of them.

  "If we run," she said, "we'll really be burning our bridges with Thunder City. There is nowhere else where we can live in the open as Alts. There will always be someone chasing me." Her heavy sigh shattered his heart all over again. "Let's do this and get it done. I can prove my control easily enough. I'll show them what a Blood Surfer can really do."

  Scott couldn't hide a small grin of pride. He could always lean on Thomas, but Hannah's strength would see her through with or without Scott by her side.

  "All right," he said. "We'll do this. Together."

  2

  They descended to the dock, Thomas in the lead, Scott by her side.

  They won't hurt us, they won't hurt us, they won't hurt us, Hannah chanted to herself. It didn't calm her down because she wasn't afraid this time. Not like when she and Scott had first escap
ed Star Haven, when Miranda had chased her out of Star Haven Memorial Hospital. This time, she let her anger lead her.

  She'd known Thunder City had its own laws about how alternative humans were to be treated, but she hadn't understood what those laws would mean to her. The reason Star Haven and Thunder City clashed so often was because of how differently they treated Alts. Star Haven wanted alternative humans deported or dead. Miranda had achieved that goal with the Alt ban. Thunder City, led by Catherine Blackwood, Captain Spectacular, was supposed to be a sanctuary city where Alts could live without fear. Alts didn't even have to wear masks if they wanted to use their abilities in public.

  Division Six surrounded the three of them as soon as their feet hit the ground, rifles not quite raised, but at the ready. Thomas stayed within the tight circle, putting himself between Scott and Hannah and the police.

  "Separate them."

  Hannah couldn't see Johnson, but already the authoritarian voice grated on her nerves. Rough hands, gloved like her own, grabbed her and pulled her out of Scott's grip. Pain shot through her rib cage. Her face and neck muscles refused to flex with the increased pressure of keeping her balance. A half-scream escaped her lungs.

  "Stop it! You're hurting her!"

  Scott's voice. She could hear him through the roar of blood in her ears, but the spots swimming before her eyes made it impossible for her to see anything. More hands yanked at her clothes.

  "Enough!" Thomas's voice. "What the hell kind of doctor are you? You're hurting her. You're hurting both of them."

  "You know the laws, Carraro. I saw them on the deck of your yacht. You've allowed them to violate our laws long enough. Untrained Alts cannot touch or be touched. It's too dangerous."

  Hannah staggered. The death grip on her upper arm cut off the blood flow to her forearm. Her fingers throbbed.