Refuge In The Shadows

6.

Hunter Robert Jones sat behind his desk, his eyes switching from James to the Hunters waiting for him to speak. "The Hunters of the London chapter require assistance in taking down John Carraway, Beckett's close colleague. He runs a metalworks enterprise consisting of several factories on the outskirts of London whose workforce is made up of kidnapped men, women, and children forced to remain imprisoned there without compensation."

Hunter Jones's office was silent as the Hunters learned more of the target. "But why look to other Hunters in a different country? Your forces are not enough in London?" Cadeyrn demanded. "We have reason to believe that Carraway is all too familiar with the Hunters of London. With unknown Hunters and with it, a fresh perspective on how to end him, we might fare better. I was tasked by Hunter Wright to find a few Hunters in Wales to accompany me back to the city." James's hazel eyes swept over the four Hunters in front of him, "and I trust that you have made your decision."

"I allowed James to accompany you all to Beckett's manor when he told me he needed reinforcements. Allowed him to observe you all work to determine whether or not you were who he was looking for," Hunter Jones cut in, but not without noticing how the four Hunters deliberately stationed themselves by the door to his office, away from him as possible, and avoided his eyes. Jones had not been head of the Dolgellau chapter when Carys, Cadeyrn, Bryn, and Rhys were tortured by their own fellow Hunters. The leadership immediately changed hands once Carys determined, on behalf of the four of them, that enough was enough that one night. To this day, the four still had not found it in them to fully trust Jones, ready for him to reveal himself as the indifferent and cruel head his predecessor was.

Hunter Jones leaned back in his loudly protesting chair, "I give you four permission to work with the London Hunters to stop Carraway, if you so choose." James stood by Jones's desk expectantly, "Carraway is one the most prominent businessmen in the country and has been on the hit lists of many and is therefore nearly inaccessible to anyone save for an extremely select few of family members and associates. However, we have a chance of taking him out with your help." He let his eyes wander to Carys who stood beside her brother with impassiveness. James did not dare mention the other reason for his trip, not here, not now.

Jones regarded silence and rubbed a hand over his worn face. Years of a high risk life have not been kind–lines indicative of intense stress and pain etched themselves permanently across his forehead and around his eyes. He glanced at the stack of books leaning precariously to the left of his desk as Cadeyrn, Carys, Bryn, and Rhys looked at each other.

It was their chance to leave behind the horrors and pain that still haunted them in the castle, an opportunity to start afresh. Carys noticed such sentiments in each of the boy's eyes and made the decision on behalf of all of them. She took a small breath and images of a dark cell, iron chains, and sneering boy retreated into the depths of her consciousness. "We will go," she said so quietly that they almost did not hear her.

James looked relieved and gave her a smile, but Carys had already turned her attention to a loose thread in her shirt. Jones rose from his seat. "I will have hunters sent into the city to assist you, if you so desire. A courier will ride back and forth to deliver correspondence from me." With the finality in his voice, the boys filed out with Carys close behind. She was just about the cross the threshold when she heard Jones call out her name. She turned around and looked at Jones with a challenging stare. Although he was not Davies, the betrayal by the one authority figure that should have protected her, should have protected all of them still left scars on her heart as prominent as the ones that ran down her spine.

Jones opened his mouth as if to try to bridge the wide chasm that separated the young hunter and himself, but the unforgiveness in Carys's eyes told him the damage was already done and would forever remain. Instead, he gestured to the door where seconds ago, Cadeyrn, Bryn, Rhys, and James had went through.