Justice (A Science Fiction / Fantasy Romance)

by Fall, Carly

  “Good girl,” he whispered in her ear as he slipped something hard into her hand and then put his fingers around hers, forcing her to grasp it. He stood very still for a moment, and she wondered what it could be. Her hand closed around it fully, and she realized it felt like some type of handle. But to what? She also recognized a wet and sticky sensation.

  He stepped away and quickly moved in front of her, leveling a gun at her forehead.

  She glanced down at what she held and saw a bloody knife. At the same, the coppery smell of blood wormed its way into her olfactory senses and she glanced around the room.

  “The guy is dead,” her attacker said. “I did you a favor and killed him.”

  Tears of fear stung her eyes, and her body began to shake. He’d killed Billy?

  “I heard your argument before you left. I can’t stand loud noise, and you definitely let everyone hear exactly what you thought.”

  She dropped the knife, barely able to stand. Her hand looked crimson, and she absently wiped it on her shorts and t-shirt as she remembered she hadn’t locked the door when she left.

  “See, some people are so simple. Your feelings are basic, almost rudimentary.”

  Glancing around the room again, she saw Billy’s bare foot hanging over the edge of the arm of the sofa, just as it had been when she left.

  “If you doubt that he’s dead, please … go ahead and check for yourself.”

  She looked from the intruder to the couch.

  “Please. Go ahead.”

  She inched toward the couch, but she already knew the answer as the smell of blood had become so pungent, her throat constricted and she felt light-headed.

  Peeking over the back of the sofa, she saw Billy lying there, blood pooling from his throat and dripping down the couch. His dead, blue eyes stared up at her, and she realized that they hadn’t looked much different when his heart had been beating in his chest.

  The life had gone out of him long before he’d been murdered.

  She sank to her knees and brought her hands to her face. The tears came in waves, the guilt eating at her with each passing moment. Her chest ached, and for a moment, she forgot about the intruder as she remembered her last words to her brother—fuck you.

  “Although I appreciate the theatrics, get up.”

  Placing her hand on the back of the sofa, she did as instructed and fully expected to meet her own demise. She studied the intruders’ disheveled black hair, his intense blue eyes, and terribly average face and body, and she longed to find the energy to lunge at him, to do to him what he’d done to her brother. However, it seemed with each passing second, the life drained out of her as well.

  “See, the thing with people like you is that you have a conscience. My guess is right now, you are feeling horrible that the last words you spoke him were, and I quote, ‘fuck you’.”

  Her chest heaved, laden with guilt and morose, leaving her unable to speak.

  “Well, I took care of your problem for you, so actually, instead of standing there in front of me like a meek little troll, you should be thanking me. You should be thrilled that I don’t have a conscience and it doesn’t matter who I kill.”

  She looked to the ratty, brown carpet.

  “Yes, I heard the whole thing. What an ungrateful piece of shit he was. You can thank me at any time.”

  The lightheadedness returned, and she fought the urge to sink to her knees again.

  “But see, here’s the thing, Holly.”

  She glanced up at him at the sound of her name.

  “Oh, yes, he told me your name before he died. I actually think he appreciated what I did, but that’s a different discussion, one I’m not going to have with you.”

  Had Billy wanted to die?

  “Anyway, like my master says, there are people like you, and there are people like me. I don’t have that little voice inside me telling me right from wrong. Now, I’ve taken the life of your brother, but my master says that I can also make your life terrible, absolutely awful, without laying a hand on you.”

  He approached her, standing directly in front of her.

  As she gazed up at him, she trembled, and fear immobilized her further. Her whole being turned cold with terror, and she felt as if she gazed directly into the eyes of pure evil. The Devil himself couldn’t have scared her any worse.

  “Guilt,” he whispered. “The guilt that is bubbling up inside you will slowly eat at you. You will never be able to forgive yourself for what took place here.”

  She shook her head, the tears unstoppable. “You did this, not me.”

  He grinned at her, and her knees weakened yet again as he leaned in close to her ear. “Yes, I did. But here’s the thing, Holly. You are the one with blood all over you. Your fingerprints are on the knife. You will rot in jail for the rest of your life, your physical form decaying away slowly, day by day, while the guilt eats your soul.”

  He stepped back and grinned, his crooked teeth gleaming in the low lighting.

  “No!” she yelled, pushing him away from her. “People will believe me when I tell them what happened!”

  He chuckled as he removed his bloody gloves and shoved them and the gun into his pocket. “You go ahead and see what the police say, Holly.”

  Pulling out his phone, he dialed. As his words sank in, she realized he may be right. All the evidence led back to her as Billy’s murderer. Glancing down at the knife, she knew she had to incapacitate the intruder, then call the police and tell them what happened.

  In a quick succession of movements, she bent down and retrieved the knife then lunged at him. He stepped aside, then slammed her headfirst into the wall.

  Pain exploded in her skull, and the impact made her head spin. She dropped the knife and sank to the ground.

  “You try anything like that again, and I’ll cut you up into a million pieces, Holly. Don’t fuck with my plans. My master will appreciate this killing so much!”

  She glanced around the room as he giggled, trying to calm the ache in her skull. The laugh sounded like something from a villain out of a horror movie.

  “Yes! Operator! I think there’s a problem with one of my neighbors! They were screaming at each other, then she threatened to kill him! There was just a bunch of banging around—you need to send someone!”

  He gave the address, then hung up the phone. “Goodbye, Holly. I will get great pleasure thinking of the misery you’re experiencing at my hands.”

  Staring at her a moment, he shook his head. “And to think I didn’t even have to kill you to feel so satisfied. That’s never happened before.”

  He slipped out the front door, and she was left alone with Billy’s body.

  Placing her head in her hands, she tried to think logically about the situation as the sobs wracked her body, the tears never-ending. Yet, she couldn’t clear her clouded mind as her brother lay dead mere feet from her.

  She heard the sirens in the distance and got to her feet. Her prints were on the knife. She had blood on her hands, her shirt, her shoes. She’d fought with Billy, and people had heard it. Certainly, no one would believe she’d be capable of taking his life, but all the evidence pointed that way.

  Images of a prison cell flashed through her mind. She’d watched enough television to know she didn’t want any part of it. She was innocent, and she wouldn’t spend a second locked behind bars for something she didn’t do.

  Racing into her room, she pulled on a sweatshirt and quickly washed her hands and face, then grabbed the keys to the car. The sirens drew closer, and her chest tightened as panic welled within her.

  Staring at the keys to the bunkers, an idea began to form. She needed to hide until she worked out how she would get out of this mess, until she could figure out who that psycho had been and turn him over to the authorities. He obviously lived in the apartment complex close by, and she should be able to find him without too much trouble.

  The bunkers could provide her refuge, so she shoved that set of keys into her swea
tshirt pocket along with the others.

  Opening her bedroom window, she climbed out onto the fire escape and jumped over the edge, landing on the cement. She cursed as sharp pain radiated up her legs and she looked around to make sure she hadn’t been spotted.

  “Goodbye, Billy,” she whispered, and then took off a dead run for her car parked two blocks away.

  Chapter 16

  Justice leaned against the wall of the War Room, concentrating on the large white screen hanging from the ceiling. He didn’t feel comfortable taking any of the Saviors’ chairs at the large table, and had instructed his group to stand throughout the meeting.

  It had been an interesting afternoon as his crew and the Saviors tried to merge together. They’d trained downstairs in the gym as Titus watched. He’d learned some new moves, and received some weapons training, as well. They’d also received a crash course in driving, while Macy spent some time with Cohen, the Six Saviors’ Healer, and the females of the house. He’d check in with her later to see how everything went, but the look of contentment on her face as he met her gaze across the room let him know her day had gone well.

  “So, this is the weird thing,” Noah continued as a pie chart came up on the screen. “In the past couple of days while we’ve been dealing with Justice and his crew, the city has gone completely quiet. There’s nothing going on.”

  “No murders?” Annis asked.

  “None.”

  The room went silent for a moment, and Justice considered the information. It seemed like good news to him. If the Colonist offspring weren’t committing the crimes, perhaps they’d realized the error of their ways.

  “This is not good,” Hudson said, rubbing his face.

  “Agreed,” Blake chimed in.

  “Why not?” Kade asked. “No one is being hurt or killed. It seems like good news to me.”

  Noah shook his head. “Yeah, I suppose it is, but in our experience, it’s the calm before the storm.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means that things are going to blow up in our faces and get a lot worse in the near future,” Cohen murmured. “It’s happened before.”

  Justice furrowed his brow. “It certainly seems like a negative way to view the situation.”

  “I prefer realistic,” Noah countered.

  “Are you sure these killings are related to Colonist activity?” Justice asked.

  “Yeah, we are. Daniel, the Colonist, has organized his followers. They’re doing his bidding. He says ‘jump’; they ask how high, how far, and when. Right now, with the murder rate hovering at zero compared to just a couple of days ago, he’s told them to lay low.”

  “What will happen next?” he asked.

  “He’s reorganizing, probably finding new ways to terrorize the humans. But who knows. He could have moved on to another city by now. He could be anywhere.”

  “So, if he’s still in this area, it would seem our main objective would be to find Daniel.”

  “Yes. That’s why we were patrolling the streets, hoping to see him, or at least catch one of the half-breeds and get information.”

  Justice frowned. “You had a half-breed in your hands the night we met, Noah.”

  Noah stood and glared at him. “Yeah, I know. I had every intention of doing something about it, of finding out what the fucker knew, but then you and Titus stepped in and kind of threw everything into a tailspin. Then the cops were on their way … I had choices to make, my friend.”

  He nodded, grasping the decision Noah had made, as well as the irritation in his voice. The male could have left him and Titus out there to be picked up by the cops, but he hadn’t. He’d given them a chance to explain themselves, keeping his own close.

  “Understood,” he murmured, nodding at Noah. “Understood, and appreciated.”

  Noah’s face softened, and he looked back to the screen.

  “So, what’s the plan?” Hudson asked.

  “I’m not sure. We’re kind of in a holding pattern, waiting for the bad guys to make a move.”

  “I think we still need to make our presence known,” Hudson said. “Kind of use ourselves as bait.”

  “I agree.”

  “So, we’ll start patrols together tomorrow night. Blake, hang with me here to help figure out the schedule and break up the city into grids.”

  “Yup.”

  Justice wished he had more to do as he had started to feel antsy, as though he were in some type of holding pattern with a lot of questions still unanswered. They needed to find a place for him and his crew to live. The cots in the gym had already grown tiring.

  He also realized that he found it difficult to acquiesce all the leadership to Noah. He’d been in a leadership position for a long time, his crew looking to him. Now, he needed to stand down and let them know Noah held the reins.

  All of it felt wrong.

  “Okay, then everyone go about their afternoon, and Blake and I will get things set,” Noah said.

  “I could use some help in the kitchen to prepare dinner tonight,” Hudson said. “No experience necessary.”

  He needed some down time away from people. At least when they stayed in the bunker, he had his own room. Yes, it had been small and damp, and the bed had been carved out of the wall, but it had still been his own space. Now, he had nowhere to go to get any alone time.

  He appreciated everything the Saviors had done, but he still missed the quiet and solitude he’d grown accustomed to.

  After everyone left the room, he approached Noah, who made notes on a pad of paper. Blake moved over to the bank of computers.

  “Noah?”

  “Yeah, Justice. What’s up?”

  He leaned against the table facing Noah and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m thinking I need to get out of here for a while.”

  Noah sat back in his chair and laced his fingers on top of his head. “Yeah? What do you have in mind?”

  Suddenly, Justice knew exactly where he wanted to be, even for just a few hours. “I’m thinking I’ll go for a drive.”

  Noah’s brow furrowed as he stared at him. “You’ve had one driving lesson.”

  “But I did well.”

  Noah nodded. “Okay. Just do whatever everyone else is doing. Don’t go faster than anyone, and remember not to cross the double lines. Stay on the back roads. Got it?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Where you headed?”

  “I don’t know,” he lied. “I just need some time alone.”

  Noah rubbed his face. “I know what you mean. We need to figure out something about the living conditions. I’ve got some ideas, but it’ll take time to look into them.”

  He nodded, thinking the situation should be addressed sooner than later. “Where are the keys?”

  “On the way out of the silo, right off the kitchen, there’s a key rack. Take your pick, and go. And make sure you stop by Rayner’s quarters to get some contacts if you’re going to be out past dark, and get a cell phone, as well.”

  “I’ve got one for you right here,” Blake said, opening a cabinet and handing one to him. “All charged up and ready to rumble.”

  “Thanks, man.”

  Yes, he would definitely get some contacts, but he didn’t want a cell phone. He didn’t want to be reachable. He just wanted to be alone. When he got the keys, he’d slide the cell phone into a drawer or something.

  No one would ever know.

  Chapter 17

  Holly slowed the car and tried to calm down and think rationally. Unfortunately, she found the whole process very difficult.

  Taking a deep breath, she attempted to put her thoughts in order, tried to think of her next move.

  Her brother had been killed by an intruder, someone who felt he’d done Billy a favor. He’d also framed her for the murder.

  Surely, she had the police after her. She questioned her judgment on running, but that psycho had been right—all evidence led right back to her. It would be her word against his.


  She needed to rest, to think. She needed to go somewhere quiet that allowed her the time to do that.

  No matter what options she considered—a hotel, a friend’s house, leaving the state—it all seemed too risky. Credit cards were easy to track, and if she shacked up with one of her few friends, she’d put them in danger as well.

  Pulling out the key ring for the bunkers, she fingered each one. She hadn’t run into Noah and Lieutenant Justice today, but certainly, they wouldn’t keep hanging out in the bunker they’d already checked, right?

  She’d be safe there for a little while. Yes, her superiors would wonder where the hell she had gone, but she couldn’t very well call in and say her brother had been murdered and she’d been framed for it.

  She just needed somewhere to go and lay low until she figured out where to go to get help, and the bunker seemed like the best option.

  Flooring the car, she made her way there while obeying all speed limit signs. She flipped on the talk radio, doubting she’d hear anything about her brother or her during the news breaks, but listening just in case. The sound also helped her focus.

  Good God, her brother had been killed. Murdered.

  A sob escaped her throat, and she swallowed it back as guilt literally made her heart hurt. She couldn’t let the tears flow again, not until she was safe. If she lost it, she could end up having to pull over, and she didn’t want to take the chance of a cop stopping to help her and then ending up arresting her. Taking a deep breath, she focused on the road ahead.

  To her right, the sun began to set, casting beautiful slashes of pinks and red across the sky and clouds.

  Veering off onto the dirt road, she drove a few miles and saw the bunker in the distance. If she hadn’t known it was there, she’d never have noticed it as it blended in perfectly with the desert surroundings. As she approached, she could make out the low rooftop.