ever does. Both of you need to be alert for the woman’s name and description. The Assassin will require that information to do his work.”
Porthos opened his mouth to speak, and Athos held up his hand. “No, you may not ask the soon-to-be-deceased on a date. And no, nobody else either. We need to be flying out of here no later than tomorrow night; The Leader has set us on an aggressive Hunting schedule.”
Porthos looked crestfallen. “I can’t believe it. I could have told her it would be the best time she’d have the rest of her life. When will I ever get the chance to use that line again?”
●●●●●
Clint Jones, the rogue Aliomenti who was the subject of the present Hunt, had purchased the large house and surrounding property for cash a year earlier, just as Athos had predicted. The house had been built in the nineteenth century, and the floor plan provided exactly what he wanted in a home. With wide, open staircases, ten foot ceilings, and ornate woodwork throughout, it provided ample space for his frequent social gatherings, and the vast surrounding grounds provided privacy for his continued practice and development of his Aliomenti abilities. He could practice without detection by anyone.
Or so he thought.
The Hunters had assembled in a hotel room three miles from Clint’s house to discuss the plan for the fugitive’s capture. The plan was straightforward. Maneuver the target into an area where humans were gathered in abundant numbers, preventing the target from using Aliomenti abilities to escape. All Aliomenti, rogue or otherwise, knew the importance of avoiding attention. Even Will Stark, the greatest rule-breaker of them all, would not practice skills such as teleportation in the presence of humans. Once the target was trapped, Aramis would apply his Damper to eliminate the possibility that a desperate fugitive might attempt to escape in non-human fashion. The suspect would be walked away from the human crowds to an isolated area.
Porthos would then recite the list of charges prepared by Aramis, which would stir memories of guilt or innocence at a cellular level that Athos could Read, and Athos would pronounce judgment. Porthos would record guilt or innocence at each pronouncement. The trio would escort the Hunt’s target into the Aliomenti-designed aircraft used to travel to retrieve the subject. The guilty party would be stowed in a waiting containment cell with full dampering. The Hunters and aircraft would return with the prisoner to Headquarters for a formal proclamation of guilt and the issuing of a sentence by The Leader. At that point, the guilty party would find their cell permanently installed in the prison wing buried deep under the massive Headquarters building, until their prison term was up.
If they recanted and repented for their errors, they’d be allowed out. If not, the cell would become their permanent home.
In their respective quests, The Hunters learned that Clint’s home had two entrances, and that no one person could watch both at the same time. That meant that if Clint was inside, he wouldn’t personally be able to watch both entrances for a possible appearance by the Hunters. The trio could go in through both entrances, and at least one of them would get in undetected.
Aramis’ research had turned up columns regarding the medical story of a young woman named Eva Elizabeth Lowell who had been diagnosed with an incurable form of cancer a year ago, and who had been resigned to her fate. However, doctors reported the cancer had vanished, and the woman was suddenly in perfect health. Reports were that the woman, who had fully expected to die in mere months, was struggling to adjust to her new reality of living. Further research turned up a photo of the woman, a woman of above-average height with platinum-blonde hair (”She’s off limits to you, Aramis,” Porthos had snickered. “The hair means she could be your sister!”) who appeared to be in her late
Porthos opened his mouth to speak, and Athos held up his hand. “No, you may not ask the soon-to-be-deceased on a date. And no, nobody else either. We need to be flying out of here no later than tomorrow night; The Leader has set us on an aggressive Hunting schedule.”
Porthos looked crestfallen. “I can’t believe it. I could have told her it would be the best time she’d have the rest of her life. When will I ever get the chance to use that line again?”
●●●●●
Clint Jones, the rogue Aliomenti who was the subject of the present Hunt, had purchased the large house and surrounding property for cash a year earlier, just as Athos had predicted. The house had been built in the nineteenth century, and the floor plan provided exactly what he wanted in a home. With wide, open staircases, ten foot ceilings, and ornate woodwork throughout, it provided ample space for his frequent social gatherings, and the vast surrounding grounds provided privacy for his continued practice and development of his Aliomenti abilities. He could practice without detection by anyone.
Or so he thought.
The Hunters had assembled in a hotel room three miles from Clint’s house to discuss the plan for the fugitive’s capture. The plan was straightforward. Maneuver the target into an area where humans were gathered in abundant numbers, preventing the target from using Aliomenti abilities to escape. All Aliomenti, rogue or otherwise, knew the importance of avoiding attention. Even Will Stark, the greatest rule-breaker of them all, would not practice skills such as teleportation in the presence of humans. Once the target was trapped, Aramis would apply his Damper to eliminate the possibility that a desperate fugitive might attempt to escape in non-human fashion. The suspect would be walked away from the human crowds to an isolated area.
Porthos would then recite the list of charges prepared by Aramis, which would stir memories of guilt or innocence at a cellular level that Athos could Read, and Athos would pronounce judgment. Porthos would record guilt or innocence at each pronouncement. The trio would escort the Hunt’s target into the Aliomenti-designed aircraft used to travel to retrieve the subject. The guilty party would be stowed in a waiting containment cell with full dampering. The Hunters and aircraft would return with the prisoner to Headquarters for a formal proclamation of guilt and the issuing of a sentence by The Leader. At that point, the guilty party would find their cell permanently installed in the prison wing buried deep under the massive Headquarters building, until their prison term was up.
If they recanted and repented for their errors, they’d be allowed out. If not, the cell would become their permanent home.
In their respective quests, The Hunters learned that Clint’s home had two entrances, and that no one person could watch both at the same time. That meant that if Clint was inside, he wouldn’t personally be able to watch both entrances for a possible appearance by the Hunters. The trio could go in through both entrances, and at least one of them would get in undetected.
Aramis’ research had turned up columns regarding the medical story of a young woman named Eva Elizabeth Lowell who had been diagnosed with an incurable form of cancer a year ago, and who had been resigned to her fate. However, doctors reported the cancer had vanished, and the woman was suddenly in perfect health. Reports were that the woman, who had fully expected to die in mere months, was struggling to adjust to her new reality of living. Further research turned up a photo of the woman, a woman of above-average height with platinum-blonde hair (”She’s off limits to you, Aramis,” Porthos had snickered. “The hair means she could be your sister!”) who appeared to be in her late
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