Holocaust (The Deadwood Hunter Series Book 3) (17 page)

Turning a few more pages, she read on…

From the studies I have conducted, Maura is by far superior to the other hunters. Being born with the hunter genes has made her far stronger and more resilient than I ever could have imagined. The only problem is both sides of her DNA are in harmony. This is why she has such control and why she feels so fiercely. I must correct this problem. Maybe if I reconditioned her as we do with the others? Yes, maybe it will work.

Feeling sick, Lexia turned over more and more pages.

My daughter is strong willed. I’m beginning to wonder whether I can break her. She still clings onto that stupid animal as if he will rescue her. There have been reports from those I have watching her, of her screaming his name in her sleep. I do not understand why she hasn’t given in yet.

It seems the more I try to break her, the more human she becomes. I’m beginning to think mutating her DNA will be the only way forward, the only way for me to have the daughter I so desire…

Unfortunately, I need to leave the compound for a few days. The board insists on us meeting. I long for the day I no longer need them, for the day they die…

I’ve returned only to find Derrick has let her out. I do not know what to say. I am beyond angry. Derrick is becoming a problem, one I must address soon. But on a good note, Maura seems to be an asset. She’s free. She has been covering the training of the new recruits. My daughter may be stronger than the others, but she also has another advantage; she was trained by the animals. She knows how they think, how they hunt. Now if I could get her to truly join me, we could destroy the animals once and for all, and I can move on to my ultimate goal.

Creating a serum to mutate her DNA is harder than I first thought. I need more samples but how do I get them now she is walking free? I’m beginning to wonder if the key to breaking her lies in the love she has for that animal.

It worked! She is everything I hoped for.

My daughter suppressed her emotions in order to save her animal, but in doing so, she follows no one. She doesn’t take orders and has no desire to work by my side. I am so close; I can feel it. What am I not seeing? What is the key to getting what I want?

Maura is becoming increasingly erratic. The human doctor who has been watching her says I have only created more problems. She talks of multiple identity disorder. Is it really possible she is both Maura and Lexia? I see leaving her with Johnathon was a mistake. She should have never been allowed to be Lexia; to feel so much…

Lexia struggled to read on. The words before her shook as her hands trembled. “Get a grip, Lex,” she chided herself, taking a deep breath. Looking back at the words, she read on, aware time was running out and Lucy’s ramblings hadn’t given her much but more nightmares and questions.

It seems the only way I can get Maura to work with me is to manipulate her. I realized today, she knows what I have done. I’m not sure if she knows every detail. How I set Belemy up and had her poisoned so that Derrick would make a deal. Why does she feel friendship toward them? Does she sense who Derrick really is? Does he? He follows her around, watches her, and protects her. I do not understand it but nevertheless, she is working with me, even if she knows I planned for her to be in this situation. I’m liking this new side of her. She challenges me, her snide remarks, the way she is twisting things to work her way. Oh, she reminds me so much of myself. She might still be broken. Her mind is clearly fractured but my daughter is nothing but strong. I’m looking forward to seeing what the future holds. Will she be by my side when I get my revenge? I hope so. I’d like her to deliver the killing blow.

Closing the book, Lexia placed it back where she’d found it, her mind a jumble of information. The last entry was from the day she’d let Sahara out.
She knows I’m not working beside her willingly…and she likes it? Mother, you truly are insane.

Lexia kept looking through the shelves. What she had read only created more questions.
What experiments did she do on me in those first weeks? What does she mean, ‘sense who Derrick really is’? Who is he?

“Who are you hoping I deliver that killing blow to, Mother?” Lexia whispered.

Finding nothing else hidden within the books, Lexia glanced at her watch.
Ten minutes left.
Opening a cupboard, she looked through its contents finding nothing. “Damn it,” she muttered angrily, pushing a box back inside the cupboard a little too roughly. The box hit the back of the cupboard, banging against the board, sounding hollow.

Lexia moved the things aside, getting a clear view of the backing. Knocking quietly against the board, she smiled at the hollow knocks. Pulling her knife from its strap, she pried the board back and pulled the file hidden inside.

Inside were documents. Not much of it made sense to Lexia but one name stuck out—Ethan Wake. Her watched beeped once, indicating her time was up. “Shit.” Taking the files to the copier, she scanned the papers with Ethan’s name. The noise of the machine made her heart lurch and her fingers tapped against her leg as she waited. Stuffing the file back and making sure everything looked as it had before she arrived, Lexia slipped the papers inside her jacket and exited her mother’s office.

Just as she let out the breath she’d been holding, someone called her name. “Maura.”

Oh, God.

“Yes?” she snapped, making sure the expression on her face looked like Maura’s glare and not Lexia’s fear.

“I’ve been looking for you,” Bruce answered, sounding annoyed. “We’ve received a message from Lucy. She’s requested your presence at these coordinates,” he finished, handing over the information.

Lexia frowned at him before hiding her smile as she read the information.
Wolf problem, Mother?

“Just me? Not a team?”

“She sounded distressed. I suggest you go now.”

Lexia nodded. Turning on her heel, she walked quickly to her room, wanting to stash the papers before rescuing her mother.

“Lex,” Derrick said, almost colliding with her. “Everything all right?”

Lexia carried on walking. “Yes, just on my way out. Lucy requested my help.” She looked at him with a smirk.

“Do you need assistance, Maura?” Derrick asked, his tone becoming formal as they entered the cargo hold.

“No, thank you. Nothing I can’t handle.”

Bruce met her as she walked across the large space. “I’ve had a look on the satellite and I think the terrain will be too rough for a vehicle. You’ll have to go on foot. Your com,” he said, handing her the small communications device. “We’ll follow your movements and send in reinforcements if needed.”

“Thank you, Bruce, but they won’t be needed. Do not forget who I am.”

“O-of course, ma’am. No offence intended.”

Lexia didn’t answer. Striding out into the early morning, she smiled.
Sometimes being Maura is handy.

Grey met her halfway between the compound and the coordinates Lucy had given.

Taking the piece from her ear, she covered it with her hand, to ensure no one overheard. “Grey,” Lexia nodded as he walked toward her.

“She’s managed to scramble up a tree. Done more damage to herself running through the forest. She sent for backup?”

“No, she sent for me.”

“Does she suspect anything?”

“I don’t think so. I think she doesn’t want anyone else knowing what she’s been up to.”

“And she’ll tell you?”

“No. She’ll smile and threaten me, and then she’ll tell me just enough to keep me satisfied. Or so she thinks anyway. You realize were going to have to fight.”

“It will be the best part of my day,” Grey smiled.

“I’ll have to draw blood,” Lexia stated.

“Superficial wounds only. Agreed.”

Lexia started to walk away laughing. “You can try.”

His voice whispered toward her. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Lexia found Lucy clinging onto a tree. Her trousers were torn. Her normally immaculate hair had come free from its bun. Dirt and the odd leaf clung to the blonde strands. Lexia climbed a nearby tree, not alerting Lucy of her presence.

“I’ve located Lucy,” Lexia said into her com device. “Going Dark.” Now with no chance of being overheard, Lexia called out, forcing the smile from her face. “Are you having fun, Mother?”

Lucy gasped, her grip faltering as she looked up startled. “Maura. This is not funny.”

“I know I’m not one for humor, but, Mother, this is a little funny,” Lexia replied, her lips quirking up slightly.

Lucy glared at her, and then burst out laughing, stunning Lexia. She had no idea how to respond.

“Yes all right, I suppose I look rather silly. Now stop messing around. There are wolves around here,” Lucy said.

“I know there are wolves, Mother. That’s why I’m in the tree. So why did you send for me? Why not the elite?”

“Get rid of the wolves and I’ll tell you,” she replied crossly.

Lexia pretended to mull over her answer. “Hmm. Nope, tell me now. Then I’ll help you.”

“Maura,” Lucy scolded, her face twisting with rage.

For once, Lexia didn’t feel frightened to push her. “I can sit here all day, Mother. I’m quite comfy.”

“I don’t like this side of you,” Lucy muttered.

“Why? Are you the only one allowed to play games?” Lexia asked.

“Fine!” Lucy huffed. “How’d you climb up that high anyway?”

“Do they not teach tree climbing at hunter school?” Lexia responded sarcastically.

“That animal taught you?” she said, risking a quick angry glare in Lexia’s direction.

“He taught me many things, Mother. Do get on with it. I’d rather not sit here all day.”

“I’m not shouting. They could hear,” she answered, her eyes glancing down at the wolves circling below them.

Lexia looked up, judging the best way to get across to the tree Lucy clung too. She carried on up, scaling the trunk as if she were a monkey. Crawling nimbly along a higher branch, Lexia jumped. Her fingers dug into the bark as she landed, her skin splitting. She was out of practice; her landing wasn’t as soft as it could have been and as her chest slammed into the trunk, the wind was knocked from her, but Lucy didn’t seem to notice. Her smile was calculating as Lexia reached out to pull her up onto a branch she could straddle.

“Impressive. We could do with a shifter teaching those skills.”

“Cat,” Lexia muttered.

“What?”

Lexia met her eyes, “A cat, Mother, not all shifters can climb; hence you still being alive.” She gestured below.

“Oh, right, yes.”

“So,” Lexia said, hoping to pull the conversation away from shifters, “explain how you ended up in this tree.” Lexia waited, wondering what lie Lucy would tell.

“Back that way,” she said, pointing, “there’s another building. It’s smaller than the compound and not underground.”

Lexia didn’t know what to say. She was stunned to silence. Lucy had actually told the truth.

“I was on my way back when I was attacked by those beasts. I couldn’t take them all on alone so climbed the tree and radioed for help,” Lucy continued.

“Why me?”

“This building isn’t common knowledge. I can’t have people finding out its existence.”

“By people you mean the hunters?”

“And others.”

“What others?”

“Maura, I’m not telling you every secret. Now, I’ve been patient enough. Get me down,” Lucy snapped, her eyes holding a nasty edge Lexia knew all too well.

However, Lexia was feeling brave today. She had Lucy trapped in a tree and had been caught red-handed going to a place no one knew of. “What do you do in there?”

“Enough!” Lucy growled but Lexia cut her off.             

“We made a deal,” Lexia reminded.

“No. I manipulated Derrick into making a deal.”

“And now I’m manipulating you for answers. How does it feel?” Lexia smiled cruelly.

“I’m beginning to wonder if you need to be reminded of your place, Maura.”

Lexia’s comeback rolled easily from her tongue, her stare unwavering. “If we are to stand united, wouldn’t you rather have an equal than a sheep?”

Lucy considered her question. “When I first started this program, my original concept was to strip the men of all emotion. They wouldn’t fear death, feel pain. However, the government decided it would be inhuman to do such a thing. I disagree.”

Lexia stayed silent, not sure of an appropriate answer. Inside, she felt sick. She’d thought the hunters were emotionless…but these…things would be monsters.

“Is that what you have in there? Are you replacing us, Mother?”

“The concept has many flaws.”

“So it’s just a concept?”

Lucy smiled sweetly and Lexia knew she’d reached her limit of information for today. “Oh, my sweet daughter, sometimes you are so foolish. Now, please get rid of the filth littering my forest before I decide to kill one of your friends.”

Lexia dropped to the ground and the wolves attacked. As promised, she drew minimal blood. They came at her in pairs. Snouts drawn back and growling, they showed rows of sharp teeth. It had been a while since she’d had opponents worthy of her skills, and even though they weren’t fighting to kill, the wolves were determined to draw blood.