The Deathtaker

by S. L. Baum

  The Deathtaker

  (a Paranormal Romance)

  Deathtaker Series – Book One

  By

  S.L. Baum

  Description:

  Krista walks through life being able to pinpoint exactly what is physically wrong with the people around her. She can smell disease and decay. From a simple inhale she can instantly tell if Death is nearing, she knows whether or not someone has long to live. She’s moved from town to town, constantly looking for someone to help… someone who could truly benefit from a second chance at life. Help and move on, that’s been her pattern. She never planned on staying in a small town, and she didn’t plan on finding someone to love… in fact, Krista didn’t plan for anything that Cedar Creek had in store for her.

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Copyright 2015 by S. Baum

  All rights reserved.

  Reading order for this Series:

  Deathtaker Series

  The Deathtaker (book one)

  The Deathtaker’s Daughter (book two)

  The New Deathtaker (book three)

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Prologue

  Linda was perched on the edge of the bed, her body stiff from the nervous energy that had taken hold of her. She tried to relax her fingers as she held the young woman’s hand. “I can’t thank you enough for this.”

  The other woman tried to smile, but she couldn’t.

  Linda blinked her eyes rapidly; it was a feeble attempt to keep her tears in check and she knew she was about to fail miserably. She was too overcome with emotion. “That’s such an overused phrase, I can’t thank you enough, and I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but I mean it. I really mean it! There is no possible way I could ever express the enormity of my gratitude for what you are doing for her, for me, for our family. You are truly an angel.”

  The young woman turned her head to the side, to stare at the child in the bed next to her. “I’m no angel, Linda.”

  “You are. You really are, Jesse.”

  “Remember what I told you?”

  “I remember. I won’t tell anyone. Ever.”

  “Not even her,” Jesse said and pointed to Linda’s daughter. The little girl was asleep; a forced sleep that was brought on by Jesse’s presence, because the time was near. They always fell asleep; it was just the way it worked. It happened every time.

  Jesse didn’t know exactly how it worked; she just knew it did. She watched the young girl’s chest rise and fall with slow steady breaths. Her dark eyelashes fluttered slightly against the tops of pale cheeks, which were just starting to become rosy again. Her mouth was slack and the room was filled with the sound of the air rushing in and out of those little lungs.

  Linda looked at her daughter and smiled. “I won’t tell her it was you. I’ll just say it was a miracle. It’s not a lie. This is a miracle.”

  Jesse nodded her head. “And you’ll make sure that I am completely undisturbed? I can’t be found after this, not for at least twenty-four hours.”

  “I paid for three nights, the Do Not Disturb sign is on the door, and I called the front desk. I told them that unless the hotel is burning down, no one is to enter this room.”

  “Good.” Jesse thought back, remembering something from her past, remembering the lessons her grandmother had taught her. “As soon as my eyes close, and my breaths slow, her eyes will open. You have to get her far away from me, as quickly as you can. The sickness always wants its original home. It will look for her.”

  Even though a large part of her was having an extremely hard time believing what Jesse had promised to do for her little girl, Linda’s eyes narrowed, her face hardened, and she shook her head with sharp determination. “It can’t have her. I won’t let it.” The words were uttered in a quiet, hushed tone, but there was nothing soft about them.

  “That’s right. You just take your girl and walk out. Make sure the door locks behind you and you keep on going.” Jesse managed to smile at the woman she’d become friends with over the last few months, a woman she would try her hardest to never see again. Distance was best. “What time is it?”

  “Eleven fifty-eight.”

  “I didn’t think it was so late. But I guess we have been in this room for quite some time. It’s about to happen, I can feel it. We are almost there,” Jesse grimaced.

  Linda squeezed Jesse’s hand again. Every crease in the young woman’s face filled Linda with concern. “Does it hurt?”

  Jesse closed her eyes and thought about the pain. It hurt. The searing pain screamed inside of her, but she tried to never let it show. It made her feel strong to hold it in, hiding it from Linda and her child. It was worth it. When the process began, Jesse spent weeks with simply minor pain; only a few of those days, at the very end, became excruciating at times. The last hour, the one she was in, was the killer. She opened her eyes and nodded her head. “A little.”

  “Thank you,” Linda whispered, as her tears finally broke through. She was unable to hold them back any longer.

  “You’re welcome,” Jesse whispered in return. Her eyes, too heavy to keep open any longer, closed again.

  “Jesse isn’t your real name, is it?”

  Linda heard a quiet moan. She turned toward her daughter and discovered that the little girl’s eyes were wide open. “Momma,” she squeaked as she gasped for breath.

  Linda let go of Jesse’s hand, which had gone suddenly limp, and she grabbed her daughter, lifting her small frame from the other bed. She crushed the little girl to her chest. “We gotta go, baby,” she whispered as she walked away from the beds and reached for the handle on the door.

  “Isn’t that my nurse, Momma?”

  Linda backed out of the room. “That is an angel, baby. A real, true, angel.”

  “She’s a pretty angel.”

  Those were the last words Jesse heard before she died.

  Chapter One

  The air was without moisture. Hot. It was like the sauna at the spa, before someone poured water over the scorching hot stones to create a moment of steam. She should be wearing sunscreen to block the invading rays. She should be under an umbrella to remain somewhat shaded. She should be indoors with the air conditioner cranked way down; it seemed to be the only way people survived in this desert. But she didn’t want any of that. For some bizarre reason, she wanted to feel the sun bake her skin, heat up her whole body, and perhaps warm her soul.

  The pool near the entrance to the community center was empty, the children in the area having returned to school the week before. She pulled her long brown hair up into a quick, messy bun on the top of her head before she closed her eyes, leaned back in the chair, and lifted her chin up a little higher, so her face was turned directly toward the warm rays. The brightness penetrated her closed lids; she could see the sun through her skin. Sweat trickled down the sides of her face and the wet drops gathered in the crooks of her arms and behind her knees.

  “You’re gonna burn somethin’ awful, dearie. Make sure you’ve got
enough lotion on that pretty skin.”

  She brought her hand up to shade her eyes before she dared to open them. The woman standing in front of her had to be nearing her ninth decade. Her pink Bermuda shorts and floral blouse hung askew on pale, veined skin that looked like it hadn’t seen the sun in many years.

  “I’ll be fine. I never burn.”

  “Oh my, you have the greenest eyes I have ever seen, and I’ve been around for a very long time. Anyway, lucky you, about the sun I mean, I always burn. I get the highest SPF I can find and I put that lotion on thick, every morning, when I’m out here. Been visiting my daughter for near fifty years, and I never get used to it. Don’t know why she settled out here. Darn sun.”

  “It is bright.”

  “Too bright, if you ask me. Which you didn’t, I know. I don’t normally come this time of year. December – now, that’s a good time to visit. But my great-granddaughter’s been at the children’s hospital for near a month and I knew I had to get out here to let that girl know that she has to fight. And not just fight… fight hard. My daughter said I shouldn’t put that kind of pressure on an eight year-old, but I told her to fight. And it worked, I tell you. She turned a corner today. Doctor said things are looking real good. She might even get to go home in a week or two.”

  “That’s wonderful news.”

  “Yes. Yes, it is. Sorry for yappin’ away at ya. I’m happy as a clam in mud at high tide.” She paused to wipe her brow, which glistened with beads of perspiration. “Hey, I’ve seen you before. You work at the hospital, don’cha?”

  “I did, until yesterday that is. I’m moving out of state tomorrow, so this is my last day to soak up this bright, blazing sun.”

  “Then I won’t stop you. My daughter just dropped me off, and I need to get indoors and let the air cool me down before I melt. My, you do tan up nice, though. You be careful with that pretty skin.”

  “I will. That’s great news about your great-granddaughter. I think I remember seeing you with her. I knew she was going to pull through all along. The sickness didn’t have a strong enough hold on her. I have a feeling for those kind of things.”

  “That’s what I told her. I told her to beat that tumor to a pulp, because she’s one tough fighter.”

  “She is.”

  The old woman started to shuffle her feet toward the beige stucco building, but paused to ask, “Where are you heading? Somewhere cooler, I hope.”

  “I’m not sure yet. My plan is to get into my truck and drive. Just see where the road takes me. That’s what I usually do.”

  The woman blinked. “How often do you move around?”

  “This will be my second move this year,” she answered and then turned her face up to the sun again.

  As the old woman shuffled away she could hear her mumbling, “You need some roots. Trees grow better with deep roots.”

  Guess I’m not a tree, she thought. More of a bird in flight.

  Heading east on the deserted highway, well after midnight, the bright green pick-up increased its speed. It was loaded up with boxes and bags, the entirety of her belongings. A big black tarp covered the bed of the truck, keeping everything securely in place, and rock music blared from the radio, doing its best to help keep her awake. The next hotel on her current route was a little over an hour away, fifty minutes if she could drive faster.

  She pressed her foot down hard on the accelerator. “Maybe I can make it in forty-five,” she muttered aloud as she increased the volume on the radio.

  When the sign for the exit finally came into view, she released a sigh and a deep yawn immediately followed. Sleep. She needed to sleep. Pulling off the highway, she turned left; the direction the GPS had indicated for the motel. She hoped the bed would be soft and inviting, but it didn’t really matter; she knew she’d pass out the moment her head hit the pillow. She’d driven too far for too long.

  “Just a couple more miles down this road.” She tapped the screen on the GPS and then looked up ahead.

  A few seconds later, swirling lights behind her brought her to a halt.

  After putting her truck in park, she lowered the window as another yawn overtook her. Her hand came up to her mouth, blocking the officer’s view of the back of her throat as the man leaned toward the open window.

  “Ma’am, you do know what that eight sided red sign with the four white letters painted on it means, don’t you?”

  She shook her head as her mind processed his words. “Are you talking about a stop sign?”

  “So, you do know what it means. Stop. The opposite of go. And exactly what you did not do at the intersection back there.”

  “I’m so sorry, officer. I’ve been driving a long time and… well… I have no excuse. I simply didn’t notice it.”

  “Tired driving is a dangerous thing, ma’am. I shouldn’t have to tell you that.”

  “I completely agree,” she said, knowing better than to argue with an officer.

  “Can I please see your driver’s license?”

  She reached for her purse and grabbed the wallet from the top, opening it to extract the card. “Absolutely. Again, I am so sorry.” She handed her license to him through the open window.

  “Where are you heading?”

  “To the motel. Right there,” she said pointing to the sign, clearly visible up ahead.

  “Addy’s been asleep for,” he turned his wrist to examine his watch, “well over two hours. She’s going to be grumpy when you wake her.” The officer looked from his watch, to her, to the plastic card in his hand. “Kristanta J. Vita. What’s the J stand for?”

  “Jessmina... Who’s Addy?”

  “Kristanta Jessmina Vita. That’s a mouthful.” The officer smiled, and the wrinkles near his weathered eyes deepened as he handed the license back to her. “Addy’s my sister, she owns the motel. I’ll escort you, just to make sure that you get off my roads and into a bed, Kristanta Jessmina Vita.”

  “You don’t need to do that.” She frowned at his use of her full name. “I can even see it from here. I promise, I’m going straight there,” she told him. Adding, “and you don’t need to use all three of my names, Krista will do,” in a whisper.

  “I can also see it from here, bright neon sign and all. And we are going straight there.” He turned around. “Follow me, Krista.”

  “But…” How had he heard that?

  He reached up and pinched the rim of his hat and then ran his hand around the front of it. “Young lady, would you like a warning, and an escort to a comfortable bed, or…

  “Officer…”

  “Sheriff. Sheriff Tucker,” he called over his shoulder, after he’d turned to walk back to his vehicle. A moment later, the lights on the roof of the car flashed as it pulled up next to hers. The sheriff motioned with his hand. “Follow me,” he called through the open window. “That’s not a request. That’s an order.”

  “I’m coming,” Krista mumbled as she shifted her truck into drive and pulled out behind him.

  Sheriff Tucker stopped in front of the glowing office sign and by the time she had parked her truck, he was standing in front of the door with his hand resting on the metal frame. He swung the door open wide as Krista approached, and a loud chime rang out, announcing their arrival. “Adeline!” he shouted into the empty space. He turned to Krista and smiled. “Be ready for one grumpy woman. Adeline!” he called out again. “Where are you coming from?” he asked, nodding his head toward the back of her truck.

  “Arizona. The hot part,” she answered and walked through the open door.

  “Isn’t it all hot, out there in the desert?”

  She shrugged. “Not really. You’d be surprised.”

  A door opened behind the counter, and a woman shuffled into the room with pink slippers on her feet. She wore a blue floral robe, which hung open, exposing a comfortable looking, striped pajama set. Krista sighed. She wanted to take off her belt, shed her jeans and t-shirt, and slip into her own comfy pajamas… minus the pink, fuzzy slippers.
Krista preferred to walk around barefoot.

  “Albert. Really? At this time of night? Or should I say morning?” Adeline blinked, trying to focus on the two people that stood in her lobby. “Did you use your key again? I swear I locked up before I went to bed. Every time you do that, I think it’s a burglar. I should take that key away. I’m going to shoot you by accident, one day.”

  The sheriff laughed. “You couldn’t hit me if you tried. Terrible shot. Let’s focus on factual items. As you can see, I brought you a very tired customer. This girl is in desperate need of a bed.”

  “I could absolutely hit you. One factual item we can focus on is that I’m an excellent shot, and the target is getting bigger every year,” she chuckled. “What’d she do to deserve a police escort?” she asked, nodding toward the girl in front of her.

  “Ran a stop sign.”

  “That’ll do it.” Sheriff Tucker’s sister scratched the back of her head and yawned. “Name?” she asked, as she brought her computer screen to life.

  “This here is Miss Kristanta Jessmina Vita,” Sheriff Tucker supplied, having placed the girl’s full name in his memory banks. He’d always been good with names. “Or Kristie, or Jesse, maybe K.J., and she seems to like Krista, but then there’s always Miss Vita.”

  Krista’s brow furrowed as she stared at the sheriff, too tired to come up with a witty comeback, and too smart to tease an officer after being treated to a warning instead of given a ticket. “Krista is sufficient.” She turned her attention back to the woman behind the counter. “I’m so very sorry about waking you. I guess I didn’t think about the fact that there might not be an attendant at this time of night.”

  Adeline began typing. “K. Vita. That’s all my brain has time for right now. And missy, this is Cedar Creek, not the city. We keep normal hours ‘round here.”

  “Addy, the hours may be normal, not sure about the rest of it.”