Holocaust (The Deadwood Hunter Series Book 3) (10 page)

It was late when she finally felt ready to see Alice. Sitting beside her, she had no idea what to say. Sorry just didn’t seem a strong enough word to explain how she felt. As the hunter genes took root within Alice, they fixed the damage she’d received by being brought here. The bruising around her eye had faded to day old bruises and the deep cut on her thigh had started to heal and no longer looked infected. In a way, the hunter gene was remarkable, but there was always a price. Even the shifters with their strength and speed had to battle daily with the animal inside of them.

The door opened on the other side of the room. A nurse walked in but froze as she saw Lexia. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize anyone was here,” the woman squeaked.

Drawing her mask around her, Lexia looked up when she felt the power inside of her ignite. “It’s fine. I was just leaving.” Lexia stood up to leave, stepping away from Alice.

The nurse came forward, checking her vitals.

“How is she?” Lexia asked, pausing her departure.

“Oh. Her vitals are strong. I suspect she’ll have finished the transformation by tomorrow night.”

“Do not let her leave without my permission. Do you understand?”

“Y-yes,” the nurse stuttered, nodding.

On her walk back to her room, Lexia’s mind wandered to the moment she’d entered Lucy’s office unannounced. Lucy had been caught off guard, and it was the first time she’d looked ruffled.

What does she write in that journal?

We should find out.

Lexia stumbled as Maura’s presence entered her mind. Shaking her head, she bent from the energy it took to force her out.

“Boss?”

Lexia looked up. “Hey, Marcus.”

“You all right?” he asked, looking concerned.

“Yeah, just a headache,” she answered, standing straight, forcing herself to appear strong.

“So where are you heading?” he enquired, the look on his face showing he clearly didn’t buy the ‘headache’ excuse – she was a hunter. She didn’t get ill.

“To my room.”

Marcus frowned. “Erm, you’re kinda heading in the wrong direction,” he stated with a smile.

“Oh.” Lexia looked around her, realizing where her subconscious had been leading her. “I wasn’t really paying attention. I’ve a lot on my mind.” She started walking, nodding to indicate for Marcus to follow. Lowering her voice, she glanced around her to make sure they were alone. “When I walked into Lucy’s office this morning she was writing in a journal. You should have seen her face, Marcus. There is something in there she doesn’t want me to see.”

“Okay, but how you gonna get it? Not like you can just walk in and take it,” Marcus said, frowning as Lexia stopped. His eyes widened when he saw they were outside of Lucy’s office.

Lexia tried the handle. “No, guess not, but it was worth a try. I’m going to get that journal,” she stated, walking on.

“If anyone can, it’ll be you, boss.”

Lexia smiled. “Thanks. Best call it a night. I need to be ready for whatever Lucy has planned next.”

“What makes you think she has something planned?”

“She’s my mother. She always has something horrible planned for me.”

Chapter 13

There was a knock at her door early the next morning. Lexia sat up in bed, stretching out her senses to see who was there. The aura read as human. Before she’d climbed from bed, a slip of paper passed under her door. Walking over on light feet, she bent to pick the note, reading:
The person you meet today has the answers you seek.

The note wasn’t signed by anyone.
Who the hell was that and what do they mean?

A quick glance at her clock revealed it was only four am. The sun wouldn’t have risen yet. She looked at the note again, beginning to worry.

Does somebody know what I have planned?

Pacing her room, her mind whirled with question after question. So many questions with no answers. Unable to stay within the confines of her room, Lexia found herself pulling clothes on at random. Her feet padded lightly through the quiet compound. Her mind stretched to maximum feeling for the auras of anyone wandering the corridors as well. She’d not even realized she’d been heading outside until the frigid morning breeze whipped her hair across her face. The second she was outside, her body began to relax, but it wasn’t enough. The forest beyond the chain-linked fence called to her.

Staying within the shadows, Lexia quickly ran to a loose section of fence; she’d noticed the day before it had broken free from the electric wires arming the rest of the fence. Another scan for auras to make sure she was alone, and she dropped to the ground rolling beneath the fence. Jumping to her feet, Lexia ran away from the compound, up the hill, winding through the trees as she once had with the panther she loved. The wind whipped her hair off her face. It flew behind her as she pushed her legs to work harder.

It would have been so simple to keep running. She could have covered miles before anyone noticed she was gone, and in these forests, they’d struggle to find her. Yet Lexia knew Lucy would find her eventually. She’d hunt her to the ends of the earth, destroying anyone in her path. Part of her longed to escape, to find Lincoln and be on the run with him forever, but what kind of life would that be? Lincoln would never have the things he deserved, and everyone else she left behind would suffer. It was those people, those faces she pictured as she climbed a tree at the top of the hill. This journey wasn’t about escaping to her freedom; it was simply to reset her mind. To help her endure another day, and allow her to see a path through the many obstacles in her way. 

There, perched on its large branches, Lexia watched the sunrise as it cast its warmth over the mound of dirt that hid the compound. She clung to the beauty around her, the forest, the song of birds, the flurry of a rabbit; each one a reminder there was still hope left in this world.

Returning to the compound in time for breakfast, Lexia, Derrick, Marcus and Belinda ate in silence until someone approached with message for Lexia.

“Maura, you’re mother has requested your presence in the conference room, at nine hundred hours.” He scurried away before she had chance to ask where that was.

The conference room?

“Any ideas?” Lexia asked the table.

“It’s near the main entrance. I’ll take you there,” Derrick replied.

Lexia glanced at her watch. “Wonderful. I have a full hour to wonder what torture she will inflict on me today.”

I wonder if it is to do with my mystery note this morning.
Briefly, she thought to tell them, but decided against it. No use in worrying them further.

“Whatever it is you’ll handle it, boss.”

“Please lend me some of your confidence, Marcus.” Lexia smiled, pushing her food around her plate. The prospect of meeting her mother made her queasy.

“Just play the game,” Derrick said.

“I hate games,” Lexia muttered. “Oh, can you take this morning’s training? Push them. They need to be ready.”

“Yes,” Derrick replied to Lexia. Turning his attention to Belinda, he asked, “Are you back to full strength?”

Belinda looked up from her plate. “Given a clean bill of health this morning.”

“Good, you and Marcus can start the warm up. I’ll be there once I’ve shown…Maura the way.”

9:00 am came around too quickly. Lexia walked next to Derrick as he showed her the way. They didn’t speak but there was no need to. Lexia knew he cared; she knew he wanted to save her. She didn’t understand why, but she trusted Derrick, trusted him with her life and the lives of those she loved.

“Can you go check on Alice for me before training? Belinda and Marcus can handle it a little while longer.”

“She’ll be fine. Don’t worry,” he answered, stopping outside a door.

Lexia swallowed the sadness trying to consume her and replied sadly, “She’ll never be fine again, Derrick.”

Derrick never had the chance to answer. The door behind him swung open and they were greeted with Lucy’s sweet smile. Her blonde hair was tied neatly into a bun and she wore a fitted black dress instead of her normal trouser suit.

Lexia put on her mask, greeting her mother with a smile to match her own. “Mother, I didn’t realize we were dressing for the occasion.”

Derrick smiled at Lexia before slipping away.

“Maura dear, you are funny. Come in. There are some people I’d like you to meet.”

The person you meet today has the answers you seek. Was this the person?

As Lucy stood back to allow her to enter, Lexia realized the room held humans. Not the human scientists but a man and a woman, both wearing simpler attire to her mother. Across the back of the room stood four men dressed in black, rifles in their hands and handguns strapped to their legs. Lexia’s gaze passed over them, noting the weapons and her best options of taking them out. They saw her looking. One raised his gun at her, ready for action.

Lexia smiled at the man, feeling Maura suddenly push against her mind. The words that slipped out of her mouth, not her own. “It will take more than a bullet to stop me. You’d be dead before you were able to fire a second round.” Her words dripped with menace.

“Maura, these men are not here to hurt you,” Lucy snapped.

Lexia glanced at Lucy’s cross face and regained control of her mind.
Go away, Maura. I do not need you anymore.

You have no idea what you need.

“Oh, well, my apologies then,” Lexia replied, in what she hoped was a non-threatening tone.

“Please sit. I’d like you to meet Sarah and Anthony. They are scientists who work directly with the government.”

“Nice to meet you,” Lexia replied politely, still wondering why she was here.

“Well then, shall we get started?” Anthony asked.

“Lets. Maura,” Lucy said, pulling out a chair for her.

Lexia sat down, feeling a little bewildered. The three of them started talking, discussing things Lexia didn’t understand. Listening intently, her eyes traveled from one person to the next, her mind trying to grasp the situation.

“How is our humanity problem going?” Lucy asked Sarah.

Wow, wait, humanity problem?

“The degrade, as you know, has been sufficiently less this year and I won’t know why until I study them further. Hopefully it will shed some light on the situation,” Sarah replied.

Sarah’s words blended into the background as Lexia was sucked into a memory from the past. A conversation between her dad and the mystery woman in the kitchen.

Lexia felt like she’d been sucker punched in the stomach. She rasped in a breath, clutching at her middle. It was her. Sarah was the woman who had stood in her kitchen, the one her dad had ordered away.

“Maura, are you all right?” Lucy asked.

No…
She was coming apart at the seams. Her precariously held together mind started to shatter. Lexia felt her power slip away, her mask crumbled like rubble around her.

“Maura?” Lucy said, sounding annoyed.

“Yes, fine, fine, just a headache,” she mumbled, keeping her head down, trying desperately to get a hold of herself.

“Headache? Do you have them often? It is unusual for hunters to have common human aliments,” Sarah explained, sounding concerned.

Her concern relit the rage within Lexia. She looked up at the woman who’d come to her home, who could be the very person who lead her mother to her. “I’m no ordinary hunter,” she replied coldly.

Lucy jumped in before anyone could comment. “Shall we carry on? I’m quite busy today.”

The conversation continued, most of which made no sense to Lexia, but from what she gathered, Sarah and Anthony were to spend a few weeks taking samples of the hunters who’d shown no signs of the degrade. What Lexia didn’t know was what ‘the degrade’ was; though she guessed it had something to do with the long term mental health of the hunters.

There was a knock at the door. “Come in,” Lucy called.

A male hunter stepped into the doorway. Lexia knew his face but not his name. “The room is ready,” he said, looking at Lucy only.

“Brilliant. Well, let’s wrap this up for today. Sarah, Anthony, please follow Mr. Adams. He’ll be escorting you to where you’ll work, and help you with your subjects.”

“Who exactly are these subjects,” Lexia cut in.

Lucy’s eyes widened with anger before she regained her composure, but Sarah answered Lexia before Lucy could. “A lot of the last recruits.”

“Why have they not been informed of your presence?” Lexia asked coldly.

Lucy’s hand slammed onto the tabletop. “They did not need to know. They are here to follow orders. That is all.”

Lucy’s words angered Lexia and she snapped back without thinking of how her words would sound. How they would sound nothing like Maura’s words. “They are still people,
Mother,
and they deserve to know if you are studying them.”

The room was doused in stunned silence, all eyes on Lexia.

“Rest assured, I only require blood samples for now,” Sarah replied.

“Very well,” Lexia answered coldly, trying to sound more like Maura.

“As interesting as this meeting has been, I’m afraid I must leave. Again, Sarah, Anthony, Mr. Adams will provide you with whatever you need. Maura, I suggest you go find something useful to do.” Lucy’s smile was polite and pleasant, the look in her eyes anything but.

Oh, I plan to do something useful. Don’t worry, Mother.

Sarah and Anthony looked a little startled at Lucy.

“Shall we go?” Mr. Adams asked.

“R-right, yes,” Sarah replied, getting to her feet. She paused as she passed Lexia. “It was lovely to meet you, Maura. I’m sure we’ll meet again soon.”

Lexia took the hand Sarah held out to her and shook it. As they touched, she expected to feel some darkness within her aura; an indication that her intentions weren’t good. Yet what she saw was fear, guilt, and the sadness of loss, which Lexia knew all too well.
Oh, we’ll be meeting soon. Don’t you worry.

Smiling politely, Lexia waited until they left and then followed at a safe distance. As she expected, they were to be working on the human side of the compound, only one corridor down from her room.

She slipped silently into her room and waited by the door; her senses opened to the energies around her. Using her ability to read and sense auras was a useful one, but she was out of practice. It drained her quickly but she persevered, waiting for her chance to find out who Sarah really was.