Hannah's Warrior: Cosmos' Gateway Book 2 Read online

  Hannah’s Warrior

  Hannah’s Warrior

  By S. E. Smith

  With thanks to:

  My husband, Steve, for believing in me and being proud enough of me to give me the courage to follow my dream. A special thanks to my sister and best friend, Linda, who not only encouraged me to write but read it as well.

  -S. E. Smith

  IMPRINT: Science Fiction Romance

  HANNAH’S WARRIOR

  Copyright © 2012 by Susan E. Smith

  Smashwords Edition

  First E-Book Publication August 2012

  Cover Design by S. E. Smith

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters, places, and events in this book are fictitious or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is strictly coincidental.

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  Synopsis

  Hannah Bell, the oldest of the three Bell sisters, spends most of her time in the remotest parts of the world photographing endangered animals. She is also gifted with an extraordinary sixth sense which has saved her life on more than one occasion. When she senses something has happened to her littlest sister, Tink, she will do whatever it takes to protect her. What she doesn’t know is her sister’s best friend Cosmos' new science experiment has opened a portal to another world. A world she is about to be taken to whether she wants to go or not.

  Borj ‘Tag Krell Manok is the calmest of his four brothers, or so he always thought. The second oldest, he has been assigned the task by his father and the counsel to bring the sister of his brother's bond mate to their world. Borj knows deep down that Hannah is destined to be his bond mate, something he has hoped for since his first mating rite ceremony. What he doesn't expect when he meets her is her resistance or her independence.

  When she is kidnapped by a rival clan, Borj will do anything to get her back. Hannah and Borj's escape into the vast forest of Prime draw them together in a fight not only for their lives but for a deeper understanding and trust between two vastly different worlds. Borj discovers Hannah is a fierce and cunning mate while Hannah discovers Borj is the perfect warrior to protect and love her.

  By reading any further, you are stating that you are at least 18 years of age. If you are under the age of 18, please get a refund for this book. It is designed for the entertainment of mature readers only.

  Chapter 1

  Hannah Bell slowly focused the lens on her camera. It was the first time she felt like everything was just right. She had waited patiently for the past month to get a shot of this particular pride of lions. The male was a huge son-of-a-bitch and meaner than her sister Tansy when riled up. And that, thought Hannah with a small smile, was pretty damn mean. The lionesses were lying under the shade of a lone tree, absently keeping an eye on the cubs. The huge male was covered in scars from previous fights and was prowling around the females as if he could sense Hannah’s presence. She hoped not. She was a good distance from the safety of her Land Rover and would never be able to reach it in time if he should decide to attack. She had left her guide back in the vehicle, reassuring him she would be fine. By now, she would have thought he would get tired of asking her to come along. She always told him ‘no’. He would just get in her way.

  Hannah zoomed in taking several more photos. The lighting was perfect and she knew she was getting some award winning shots. She was about to take another series with a different lens when a shiver went down her spine. Hannah let the feeling come; keeping her eyes focused on the lions as she mentally sought what the shiver could mean. Tink…It was the first image that popped into her head and she knew something had happened to her littlest sister.

  Hannah slid the lens cover over the lens of her cameras and slowly crawled backwards across the dry, arid ground. There was still another hour of good lighting to take more photos but the Bell family had one rule they lived by…family came first, always. Hannah’s instincts were always right. Those instincts were what saved her life on more than one occasion during some of her more dangerous photo shoots. Once she felt she was far enough away from the lions to move faster, Hannah jumped to her feet and began jogging back to the Land Rover ignoring the sweat running down her back or the thump of the camera bag against her side. One thought kept running through her mind; something happened to Tink.

  “You are back early.” Abasi said in Swahili. “Were the lions not there?”

  Hannah pulled her camera bag off her shoulder and carefully packed the two cameras around her neck in it. “They were there. I need to get back to camp. We need to get to the closest village. Something has happened to my baby sister.” Hannah replied.

  Abasi didn’t say anything but quickly moved around to the driver’s seat sliding in just as Hannah slid into the passenger side. He didn’t question Hannah’s knowledge that something was wrong. He had worked with Hannah for the past two years and knew if she said there was a problem, there was a problem. He believed Hannah was touched by the spirit held within the Earth itself.

  The drive back to camp was long and dusty. There was a mild drought in the region but Hannah could smell the rain in the air. Storms in Africa were as unpredictable as the wildlife. It could be calm one moment and violent the next. Hannah slid out of the Land Rover and jogged over to her tent.

  She quickly packed the few odds and ends that were out while Abasi started breaking down the rest of the camp. She had very few possessions, mostly just her camera equipment which she took extreme caution with as it was her lifeblood. Her clothing was always packed and ready to move at a moment's notice. Storms and wildlife was not the only thing unpredictable in the regions she went to. More than once, Hannah found herself in the middle of a government change. She had won a few awards and international recognition for her photographs of the effects of those changes on the people, land, and wildlife and two scars from bullets from disgruntled rebel leaders who did not like what she was showing the world. Hannah pulled the strap of the canvas bag with her cameras over one shoulder while picking up her backpack with her clothing in the other. She glanced around to make sure she had everything before heading out to the Land Rover. She placed both in the back seat. She turned and headed back to get the low, folding cot she used as a bed. She quickly folded it and placed it and the lantern in the very back. By the time she did that, Abasi was already breaking down her small canvas tent. She quickly helped him.

  In less than half an hour, they were bumping over the rugged terrain heading for a distant village in the lower regions of the mountains. Hannah glanced at her watch. It would be late when she called Tink but her little sister was just going to have to deal with it. Hannah wanted to know what was going on. The feeling something dire had happened was getting stronger causing Hannah's gut to twist in unease.

  Hannah waited impatiently, pacing back and forth in the small village on the border with Tunisia. It was the closest village to where her last shoot was. Abasi was talking quietly with a small group of men. He had been against them coming so close to a c
ountry known for its instability and wanted to see if any of the local tribesmen had noticed anything recently.

  Hannah growled in frustration when she heard RITA’s voice come on the line. “Good afternoon. This is RITA. I’m sorry but neither Tink nor Cosmos can come to the phone right now. May I take a message?”

  “RITA, this is Hannah. I need to speak with Tink as soon as possible. Tell her to call me as soon as she gets this message. I don’t care what time it is. I have the satellite phone on and am in a small village right now.” Hannah said impatiently.

  “Oh, Hannah…How are you doing, dear? Are the pictures of the lions turning out nicely?” RITA said in an exact replica of her mom.

  Hannah gritted her teeth and bit back an expletive. Why her sister would create an exact duplicate of their mother Hannah would never know. It wasn’t like the world needed, or could even handle, another Tilly Bell in it. Hannah thought as she fought to control her frustration. The feeling eating at her gut was beginning to piss her off.

  “Everything is fine here, RITA.” Hannah said drawing in a deep breath to calm herself. “What is going on with Tink?” Hannah glanced over at Abasi as he followed her with his eyes. From the look in them, they might need to move to another village pretty soon. Hannah gave him a brief nod, watching as he turned and spoke quickly to another man.

  “Oh, Tink has been on the most marvelous adventure. I know she will want to tell you all about it when she gets home. You aren’t going to believe it! I’m so excited.” RITA began before her voice faded. It was the fading part that caught Hannah’s attention.

  “But…” Hannah bit out waiting for RITA to finish.

  “Well, there was one slight problem…but I think it might be resolved soon.” RITA said with a slight upbeat note to her voice.

  “Just tell her to call me ASAP.” Hannah ground out before disconnecting the call.

  Hannah let her head fall back in frustration and stared up at the slowly darkening sky. Something was wrong. She knew it. She could feel it all the way through to her bones. RITA was a combination of her baby sister, Tink, and her mom’s new software programming. RITA stood for ‘Really Intelligent Technical Assistant’, a self-adapting voice recognition computer program that could learn and adapt to the changing environment. It was the beginning to an artificial intelligence program her mom was working on the last time Hannah had been home. Hannah frown at that thought. It was almost two years since she last saw her family. This was the longest she had ever gone without seeing one or more of them. Hannah jerked back to the present when she felt a slight weight on her shoulder. Looking over it, she saw Abasi watching her intently.

  “We need to leave here as soon as possible. Soldiers have been spotted about ten miles out heading this way. The villagers are sending their younger women and small children into the mountains to hide. The last time the soldiers came five men were killed, several of the women were raped, and almost a half-dozen young boys taken. It is best if you are not seen.” Abasi said quietly but firmly.

  Hannah bit her lip and nodded. She knew all too well the dangers for women in any part of the world. A dark memory flashed through her mind before she pushed it away. She believed in all the teachings of her parents. They could spout mottos and words of wisdom like no one else she knew and they proved right every time. Nodding again, she followed Abasi to the Land Rover. She glanced around at the small group of women and children being escorted out of the village.

  “Will they be alright, Abasi?” Hannah asked sadly. She hated this part of humanity. It was one reason she preferred to be on her own away from everyone.

  “Yes.” Abasi said as he turned the Land Rover around and headed out of the village. “They have learned to take precautions. I spoke with several of the elders of the village and the soldiers will find nothing in the village but old men and a few head of undernourished cattle.”

  Abasi took them about twenty miles away, parking the Land Rover in a small gulch. He and Hannah quickly covered the outside of it with dried branches. Abasi explained the gulch was high enough that even with the rains to the north they should be safe enough for the night. They piled what they could in the back of the Land Rover and made a bed in the back seat. Hannah would take the first watch for the night and Abasi the second. They had done this numerous times over the past two years and had it down to a science.

  Hannah pulled her jacket closer around her as she settled down on the top of the Land Rover. She felt it rock a little as Abasi settled down inside before all was quiet. Truth be told, Hannah loved this part of her life. She enjoyed the peace and quiet of the night and the beauty of the stars untouched by artificial lights or pollution. In the distance she could hear the sounds of the night predators as they moved. The sounds of the snorts from wildebeests and the faint roar of a lion filtered through the cooler night air.

  Hannah let her mind wander as she stared out into the darkened landscape. She wondered what type of ‘marvelous adventure’ her baby sister had gone on. Jasmine ‘Tinker’ Bell was the light in the Bell family. Her petite size and infectious personality lit up any room when she walked in. She was three years younger than Hannah’s twenty-five, although, Hannah often felt much older. Their parents had the three girls within three years of each other. None of them were planned but all of them were loved. Their dad, Angus, was a successful science-fiction writer while their mom was a bit of everything. Tilly Bell could work on any motor in the world if given a wrench and ten minutes and program a computer any hacker would have a problem getting into. She was just as hyper as Tink was while Hannah was more reflective like their father. Tansy, Hannah thought for a moment with a soft smile, well, Tansy was probably an invention of their mom’s as she didn’t really fit under any category Hannah had ever figured out. Even as a kid, Tansy had always been different. She was the strong, quiet type that could see right through you or scare the shit out of you depending on the situation. It was almost like she came from one of their dad’s science fiction stories. But, then again, Hannah couldn’t say too much as she was different too, especially since Nicaragua.

  A shudder went through Hannah as she let the memories come. She learned a long time ago to just let them flow through her so she could let them wash away the pain and guilt. She used to try to bury them but found it just made it worse. Each time she let the memory come, it seemed to help make it a little less painful. At least they weren’t coming near as often, Hannah thought with relief. Her parents spent the better part of a year trying to get her to open up about what happened but Hannah never told them everything, she couldn’t. Hannah knew they felt extremely guilty about what happened but Hannah never blamed them. In a way, it became a blessing. Her parents always said there was always a silver lining to everything that happened in a person’s life. In this case, Hannah learned to trust that feeling she gets when something is about to happen or when it tells her to do something. She would have been dead or worse dozens of times if she hadn’t learned to accept it.

  Hannah let her eyes move over the darkened landscape as she let the memories flow through her to when she was fifteen. Her parents were in Nicaragua for a meeting with an oil conglomerate to discuss some new power generator her mom was working on. Her mom had her degree in mechanical engineering with a specialty in power grids and generators…probably a throw-back to working in her grandfather’s garage when she was growing up, Hannah thought distractedly as she watched the shadows of a group of hyenas go by.

  Hannah pulled the jacket closer and folded her arms around her knees. She knew as long as there were predators and the night sounds around them, they were alone. She refocused on the memories determined to let them run their course. She remembered how excited all three girls were to be at the big function the oil company executives were giving. There was a huge reception with dinner and dancing. When you spent most of your life in a home with ten wheels and one closet size bathroom, it was a dream come true to have a huge bedroom all to yourself. Hannah being the oldest wa
s allowed to stay up an hour later than the other girls. There were several handsome young boys in attendance and Hannah was surprised at all the attention she was getting. Her parents made sure they never let her out of their sight, which truthfully, Hannah was perfectly happy with since she didn’t know how to handle all the attention she was getting.

  It was as she was having her last dance when the gunmen burst in. Hannah remembered staring in shock as the dark red splatters of blood covered her dress as the men opened fire on several of the guards. The boy dancing with her was hit by one of the bullets. Hannah watched in horror as the life faded out of his eyes and he collapsed in front of her. Several of the guards had grabbed her parents and the two top members of the oil company and their wives and thrust them into a ‘safe room’ sealing them inside while the gun battle raged outside in the ballroom.

  Hannah remembered as if it was yesterday being knocked down by the people fighting to escape the bloodshed. She lay in the blood soaking the floor near the body of the young boy who moments before held her in his arms. When the gun fire stopped, the masked gunmen began jerking up those who were not hurt and pushed them out into several trucks. Hannah had been one of the ones grabbed. She was numb with shock and unable to understand most of what was being said as her Spanish wasn’t good enough to understand it when it was spoken so fast. She didn’t remember a lot about the actual trip to the rebel camp deep in the jungles but she remembered the crying, the fear, the dark, and the never ending twists and turns the trucks took to get there. It was dark again by the time they arrived.

  The women were lead into a small wooden hut while the men were placed in open cages. Hannah remembered looking around and realizing she was the youngest one there. There were two other girls a couple of years older and their mother and two other women she vaguely remembered being introduced to. She spent three days living in terror as one by one the women were taken out. Hannah could hear the screams before the silence. As each one was brought back, the blankness in their eyes scared Hannah more than anything else. She could hear the laughter of the men as they brought them back and the anguished screams of the men in the cage as they were tortured.