We Are The Hunted [Demetri Volturi]

Chapter 26

Kahlen left the interrogation to Jane, having tied up the accountant in their hotel room. They wouldn't leave the area until gaining answers, but the hunter was sure it wouldn't take long. Humans were weak, even if that meant insulting herself being a mortal as well. Normal humans could feel fear easier and eventually break no matter how tough they appeared to be. The young woman wasn't surprised when the guards showed up at her door barely twelve hours later. Alec's eyes were the most prominent red out of them all. It didn't take a genius to realize who his meal had been.

"I take it you've found what you're looking for," the hunter stated. Once behind closed doors.

"They are moving cargo tomorrow," Jane stated. "A shipment to Madrid."

"How much?" Demetri asked.

"Three or four vans it looks like," Felix said. "There will be a lot of bodyguards around. A mixture of vampires and humans."

"We have small numbers, it'll be easy to hide out and wait," Kahlen stated. "Still, the target will most likely be suspicious if the brothers were in constant contact before."

"Very regularly from what we've learned," Jane relayed. "And you snapped his neck."

"There wasn't much of a choice. You can't honestly tell me we'd be able to shut Yakov up. Or threaten him to talk to his brother to check in and nothing more." No, that would be impossible and they knew that. "Where will they be loading up?"

"We know the general area, but not the exact location," Alec muttered. "They were smart not to tell him everything."

"There's no telling who this brother will be with," Demetri said. "More vampires from the north or possibly worse criminals part of the underground."

"For now we're blind and we'll have to deal with it when the time comes," Kahlen said.

"Is there any way to track them at all?" Alec asked.

No, otherwise Demetri would've picked up on them a lot sooner. The brothers were very careful so no one in their coven was followed. Making the tracker unable to grab hold of their tenor to track their current movements.

"We'll have to do it the old fashion way," the hunter sighed heavily. "Search every street in the area. And contact two more people."

The guard members looked at her questioningly. Who else needed to get involved? The twins hoped the hunter didn't mean more mutts.

"Estela and Galo live in Madrid," she said. "If something goes wrong we'll let them know to keep an eye out for suspicious movements and new arrivals."

"Are you doubting our skills?" Jane questioned, brows narrowing.

"No. But I always like to have an ace up my sleeve in case something goes wrong."

They spoke for hours devising a plan with the map Felix splayed out on the small table tugged into an open area of the room. It was a fifteen-block radius, which would take no time to scout with their abnormal speed. But other vampires would pick out their movements easily with their enhanced eyesight and hearing. The Guard needed to travel at a normal speed to avoid suspicion and that could take a while. Better to start sooner rather than later.

When Alec, Jane, and Felix left the bed and breakfast, Kahlen pulled on her jacket. Her quick movements around the room in preparation to go out caused the tracker to cock a brow.

"Are we going somewhere?" the tracker asked.

"I was... but I guess you can come. As long as you stay two blocks behind me."

He snickered. "Where are we going?"

"I need to make a run. But if the owner catches sight of you, you'll lose your head and I'll be in deep shit."

She entered a store in a back street of Barcelona off the main hub of the city. It was dimly lit, and unwelcoming in appearance. Kahlen had no trouble walking through the shadows to the door and entered without a second thought. An elderly woman with clear signs of age on her face looked up from the book in hand only to be instantly interested in the customer.

"Well, well, well," she spoke in a thick Spanish accent. "It's been a while, my dear."

"Yes it has," Kahlen said. "Something's come up in the nearby area and I couldn't go off without visiting my favorite supplier."

The older woman's hand slipped under the counter and flipped a switch. A wooden section of the back wall opened up as the front door locked behind them so they weren't bothered.

"Take your pick," the owner said.

Just over a dozen clips for the hand held dueling firearms, new equipment to sharpen her blades, a short knife with concentrated metals to cut through diamond hard skin that could fit in a boot, and half a dozen smoke bombs.

"Quite a haul," the older woman noted.

"Well, I'm getting rid of some parasites that have been a thorn in people's sides for too long," Kahlen said. Without giving away too much.

"So it seems."

"This is strictly off the books, Marta." Kahlen began shoving the items into a large satchel. In order to move the items through the city undetected.

"Ah, one of those. Why am I not surprised? There's been a lot more like that lately. The Council is getting lazy, not wishing to write up missions. As if they are trying to hide more of their dealings."

Kahlen grinned. She removed a wad of cash from her pocket and counted the bills. "Things aren't the same without you at headquarters anymore," she said.

The old woman huffed. She flipped the switch behind the counter for the wall full of weapons to fall back out of sight.

"Those stuck up old farts," Marta said. "None of them are any fun or willing to change. Got a stick so far shoved up their asses..."

As the woman continued her rant, it made the hunter smile wider. She placed the cash for her purchase on the glass countertop.

"Always a pleasure, Marta. Your next drink is on me."

Kahlen slipped in some extra cash to the original total, which always put the older woman in a good mood. She was one of the few weapons dealers that would do business with the hunter, given Kahlen's history amongst the community. And was once an advocate for the young woman when Marta remained active in the field and frequented headquarters. Making her way towards the door as it unlocked allowing her to exit. A few blocks away Demetri joined the hunter's side.

"You're in a good mood," he noted.

"Got to see an old friend," she said. "It's been a while." The hunter sighed. "I missed her."

Glancing over a shoulder towards the disappearing street, he asked, "How do you know her?"

"She taught me how to take apart my gun and gave me my first blade when I came of age to be active in the field. She's another mentor of mine. Would come and go as she pleased. Always made time for me when I was growing up. She's retired now and deals weapons for hunters passing through on missions."

Which explained why Kahlen didn't want him getting too close. An ex-hunter with an unlimited supply of weapons at her disposal would be very detrimental to his well being.

"Admit it, you like me more than you let on," he smirked.

The young woman didn't deny it. "It's a good thing you didn't annoy me. Had you been Jane it would be another story."

Demetri laughed.