Holocaust (The Deadwood Hunter Series Book 3)

by Raithby, Rachel M

  Derrick didn’t correct her. There was no point. Marcus and Belinda would be in danger whether he said anything or not. I’ve just played right into her hands. Regardless, he knew it was too late – the deal agreed upon. Taking off at a run, Derrick stopped for no one as he made his way through the compound to save Lexia.

  Chapter 5

  When she woke, it wasn’t from the pain of her wound – although that was a dull ache in her side – no, what she felt existed deep within herself, at her very core. The kind of pain that festered over time, devouring her from the inside out. A pain born from guilt and self-hatred, and an unimaginable loss that no amount of time could ever heal.

  Lexia’s agony consumed her. She no longer sensed the dark shell of Maura encasing her, suffocating her. Maura’s darkness numbed Lexia’s pain, so as the poison worked its way through her bloodstream, it stripped away the dark power that had kept the crippling emotions at bay.

  She wished for it to come back. She didn’t want to be Lexia. She didn’t want to remember all the horrible things she’d done. Didn’t want to wake every day knowing she could never go back to the man she loved.

  Only she had no choice. It was time to wake and face the things she’d done. It was time to be Lexia again.

  Lexia kept her eyes shut for a second longer and breathed deeply through the pain. Opening her eyes, she saw Derrick watching her, always watching her. Emotions evident in every gold fleck of his eyes.

  “Welcome back, Lexia,” he greeted, his cool, controlled mask slipping back into place. “It’s been a while,” he continued with a smile.

  Lexia sat upright, grimacing as her wound stretched. Looking around at her friends, who’d stuck by her even as she’d become a monster, she felt a flicker of happiness to have met them. “So what did you have to do to get the antidote, which by the way, doesn’t work all that fast?” She felt like crap.

  “Well…” Derrick started, turning away and avoiding eye contact.

  “Derrick, what did you agree to? What did she want from you this time?”

  He turned back. Clasping his hands behind his neck, Derrick released a long low breath, then faced her. “She’s lost interest in me. She wanted something from you.”

  “Just spit it out!” Lexia snapped, her head pounding.

  “You are to join Lucy. Be by her side. You’re to be a team so no one else will dare question your authority. You are to stand united.”

  Lexia stared at him. She stared and she waited to be sure this was a nightmare. Surely, she was going to wake up any moment. “United? You agreed that I would stand by her side? Mother and daughter ruling as one?”

  “Well, that’s a little extreme. She just wants you to stop killing off her best soldiers, and to maybe stop questioning her every order. But she said you’d be her equal. She’d share her plans and knowledge with you.”

  “And if I don’t agree?” Lexia knew it was bad before he even spoke. The guilt on his face was there for everyone to see.

  “She’ll take her anger out on us.”

  “By us, you mean me and Belinda, too?” Marcus piped up from the back corner.

  “Yes,” Derrick mumbled.

  “Wonderful, what exactly does, ‘take her anger out on us’ mean?” Belinda asked.

  “What he means is you’ll all be dead, and if she can get her hands on Lincoln or any other shifter I used to know, she’ll kill them too! Perfect, Derrick, just freaking perfect.”

  “Don’t get mad at me. It’s not like I had much choice. I couldn’t just let you die.”

  “Yes, Derrick, that’s exactly what you should have done. God knows it’s what I deserve,” Lexia shouted.

  “Well, there could be an upside to all of this, boss,” Marcus said, stepping forward.

  “What, we all get to die together?” Belinda muttered.

  Marcus cast her a look of annoyance before continuing. “Well, Lucy said you’d be her equal. You may finally be able to learn something of use to us.”

  “And what is it you hope I will learn?” Lexia asked.

  “A way out of this God-forsaken place! And not just a life on the run, but a real plan to bring this compound down, and to make sure no more hunters are ever made again.”

  Lexia looked at him shocked. Is this what they expect from me?

  “Oh, come on, boss – there’s a reason why so many follow you, and it’s not just because they fear you. It’s because they made it through the tests with their humanity intact and now they wish for a way out. You’re our best chance.”

  “And here I was thinking you were my friends,” Lexia muttered.

  “We are your friends, but we still hate it here as much as you do,” Belinda said.

  “You’ve all forgotten one thing. I could agree to this but there is no guarantee Maura will.”

  “Lex, I wish you wouldn’t talk like that. You sound insane,” Derrick mumbled.

  “I am insane, Derrick! I’m a passenger within my own body. I might have control right now, but there is no telling when Maura will resurface and I can tell you now, she’ll not follow Lucy and she has no interest in leading.”

  “What does she have an interest in then?” Marcus asked.

  Before Lexia could answer, a voice crackled loudly over the PA system.

  “ATTENTION, THIS IS BELEMY. I HAVE A MESSAGE FOR MAURA. I’VE ROUNDED UP YOUR PEOPLE. IF YOU CARE AT ALL ABOUT THEM, YOU’LL COME UNARMED AND ALONE TO THE MESS ROOM. YOU HAVE TWENTY MINUTES BEFORE I START SHOOTING.”

  The message finished with a laugh, which crackled and faded to static before an eerie silence settled over them.

  Lexia felt sick. She wasn’t in any position to go to the mess room, let alone fight, and what would they say when they saw her eyes were now blue?

  Derrick broke the silence. “Belemy thinks you’re either dead or wouldn’t care if he started shooting anyway. He’s trying to undermine you, so everyone follows him. He wants control of the compound. He’s the one behind your poisoning.”

  Lexia took a deep breath. Biting her lip with the pain of the simple task, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood. The world tilted.

  “Whoa!” Marcus gasped, grabbing her.

  “Lexia, get back in bed,” Derrick ordered.

  Shooting him with an irritated glare, Lexia then glanced around for her boots.

  “I mean it, Lexia!” Derrick said, pushing her back onto the bed.

  Tensing, Lexia tried to push him back and received a rush of pain.

  “See, you are in no state to face Belemy.”

  “Derrick, I can’t just let him kill people because of me. I’m not Maura. I can’t just abandon them.”

  “We’ll stop Belemy.”

  “We will?” Belinda queried.

  “There are three of you against God knows how many!” Lexia snapped. “At least let me come as a diversion.”

  “No! You are in no state to get to the mess room. I’ll think of something. Come on, you two.”

  Lexia dragged herself up and out of bed. She’d been hurt worse and still fought; this time would be no different.

  Derrick let out a sigh but Marcus jumped in before he could speak.

  “Look, boss, I get it. You’re suddenly all noble and loyal to your followers.” He held his finger up as Lexia started to protest. “Can’t let people die, blah, blah, but whether you can fight or not, what do you plan to do with those eyes?”

  Lexia caught her reflection in the glass picture frame; he was right. Lexia stared back at her. Blue eyes full of emotion, she wasn’t Maura anymore, and they’d all know it, and so would Lucy.

  The three of them walked out leaving Lexia alone with her thoughts and ever present emotions.

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

  “I’m going to talk to the elite. I’m one of them and I rank higher than Belemy. They’ll have no choice but to follow orders, whether they like it or not.”

  “What! Are you insane?” Belinda spluttered.<
br />
  “No.” Derrick stopped, his eyes going stern. “Do you have a better plan? You may be close to Lexia but you are still a novice. Soldiers fall in line and follow orders.”

  “Yes, sir,” Belinda replied.

  Chapter 6

  Lying in bed while others cleaned up her mess didn’t sit well with Lexia. She stared at the ceiling, at the crack that had haunted her for all the weeks she’d been there. Unable to stay in bed, Lexia gritted her teeth and sat up. A groan hissed out through clenched teeth, yet she pushed through the pain stood. Waiting for the world to level out, Lexia inhaled a few deep breaths and then paced the room. With each lap, the chaos of her thoughts were smothered under the pain of her injury.

  Coming to an abrupt stop, the PA system crackled again. “SENDING YOUR LAP DOG TO DO YOUR DIRTY WORK. TUT, TUT, MAURA. NOW SOMEONE NEEDS TO DIE.”

  The message finished with the sound of gunfire and screams. It echoed around her room as her mind became a jumbled mess. “Shit, shit, shit!” she muttered, gripping her head, trying to still the swirling emotions threatening to rip her apart permanently.

  Hobbling to the bathroom, Lexia turned on the water and splashed her face. Looking at herself in the mirror, the terrified girl emerged where once had stood a monster. “Come on, Lex, get a grip. You can do this. Clear you mind. Find the power inside.”

  She closed her eyes and took deep breaths. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t still her emotions; she couldn’t make her eyes turn golden.

  Come on. Think. Think! Emotion… If I… Yes, that might work!

  Lexia had so many emotions trapped inside of her, so much guilt from all she’d done; she’d repressed them for so long, she couldn’t control them. But maybe she could channel them.

  Picturing her mother’s face, the first trickle of anger swirled. She thought of all the things taken away from her. Dad, Alice, Caden, Caleb, Lincoln, Home… She’d stolen her life, her happiness. Lucy had taken her heart and ripped it from her chest and every day since she battered it down until there was nothing left of the happy, carefree woman she’d once been. Lexia hated her. She hated Lucy Hunter so much. Her anger raged a storm so fierce no other emotion could compete.

  Opening her eyes, she saw gold.

  It worked! But having tapped into the powers, Maura tried to gain control. She gripped her head, shaking it from side to side.

  No, no, no, Maura, go away!

  Why would I go away? You need me, Lexia. I’ll kill Belemy. You’ll be too concerned about everyone else to complete the job.

  The statement gave Lexia the willpower to keep control of her mind. Maura would only care about killing Belemy, about showing everyone that no one crossed her. She’d not care if anyone else died but Lexia did.

  Embracing the pain, Lexia pushed through the mess doors so hard they hit the walls with a crash. The sound vibrated around her as she strode to the center of the room.

  “You called?”

  “M-Maura,” Belemy stammered, his eyes going wide. It confirmed he expected her to be dead.

  “What’s wrong? Wasn’t expecting me to make it after you had me poisoned?”

  Whispering erupted around them. “Silence!” Belemy shouted.

  “Come on, now, Bel. They deserve the truth, do they not? Or did you plan to take my people by insinuating I didn’t care? I can see how I, being here, clearly not dead, could ruin your carefully laid plans.” Lexia smiled as she spoke, her words filled with arrogance.

  “I- I don’t know what you are talking about. It’s all lies!” he shouted to his people as they whispered once again. Flustered, Belemy fidgeted, while his hands balled into fists, anger and frustration lacing his features.

  “Really? Well, okay then. You called for me. I’m here. Shall we get this over with?” she asked, sounding bored.

  Belemy jumped down from the table he’d been standing on and strode forward, drawing his gun. “I see you’re injured. Losing a lot of blood there, Maura. Sure you’re up to fighting?” he spat.

  Fighting broke out around them, but Lexia had just one target.

  “I can still kill you!” She smiled, forcing her face to remain a cool mask.

  He fired. Lexia dropped and rolled. Leaping to her feet, she spun and kicked around, knocking the gun from his hand. Swearing, Belemy drew his sword circling Lexia.

  “What are you waiting for, Bel?” Lexia taunted. Her hand reached up, gripping the hilt of her sword strapped across her back.

  He rushed her, raising his sword. Lexia twisted out of his path and brought her blade down across his back; he yelled, stumbling forward.

  “You’ll pay for that, bitch!” he bellowed, coming at her again.

  Blocking his sword, her feet light and agile, she could have been dancing as she moved her sword with ease. Deflecting hit after hit, Lexia was starting to enjoy herself until someone knocked her from behind. Stumbling, she missed the edge of his blade by millimeters.

  Regaining her footing, she turned but was unable to avoid his fist. Hitting her face, she lashed out blindly catching Belemy’s arm. Belemy didn’t falter and his foot connected with her side.

  Hissing, the pain cut through her anger, stealing her strength. Belemy knocked her sword away as they tumbled to the floor. Rolling, Lexia managed to hold Belemy in a lock, slamming his hand to the floor until he’d released the grip on his sword. His knees came up, pushing her forward and she lost her hold on him. Elbow to her side, connecting with the injury she already had, Lexia gasped. Losing her balance, she was pushed down, his arm wrapping around her throat.

  “Lexia!” She heard someone cry as Belemy started to choke her.

  Her strength faded as her lungs screamed for oxygen. Black spots appeared in her vision and she went slack in his arms. Lexia yearned for the peace death would bring.

  Unconsciousness called.

  Belemy whispered in her ear, “Are you not going to beg like your pathetic father did?”

  Dad.

  She flipped Belemy under her, her hands wrapped tightly around his throat.

  “You bastard!” she yelled, gripping tighter.

  Belemy struggled. He punched her repeatedly in the side. The pain washed away her mask, taking her golden eyes and strength with it, yet she still didn’t let go. Tears fell from her eyes as she remembered her dad dying in her arms, his blood soaking her jeans, coating her hands. Belemy would pay for taking her dad away.

  His hands fell limp, his body giving up its fight for life. Lexia pushed herself away from him, scrambling across the floor, leaving a trail of blood behind her.

  “Shit,” she muttered, pressing her hands against her sides. Her breaths jagged, she struggled to get herself under control.

  Looking around, the elite and those who followed them were being rounded up. Some fought back but looked to be losing. Derrick took down anyone who resisted, Belinda by his side. Where’s Marcus? She looked around for him.

  Marcus met her eyes and rushed toward her “Boss! Shit!”

  “Get me out of here, Marcus,” she pleaded, struggling to her feet.

  Arm slung over his shoulder, Marcus helped Lexia out. Eyes cast down, she hoped no one would notice her very human, blue eyes.

  Feeling weaker the further she went, Lexia struggled to keep herself upright.

  “Boss, you okay?” Marcus asked, glancing at her. Drops of blood hit the floor as they walked. “Fuck, Lexia, you’re losing a lot of blood. Maybe we should go find a medic.”

  “No! Marcus, no one can know I’m not Maura. No one,” she replied breathlessly.

  “Okay, okay but…”

  She slumped against him as they pushed through the doors. “No one, Marcus,” she pleaded in a final gasp.

  “Brilliant!” Marcus muttered, lifting her up into his arms.

  Marcus turned back around, sticking his head back inside the mess hall and shouted for Belinda. Belinda turned in his direction. Seeing Marcus, she walked as quickly as possible without drawing attention to hersel
f.

  “What’s up?” she asked, frown lines marking her confusion. Marcus opened the door slightly, revealing Lexia unconscious in his arms. “Crap! Shall I get Derrick?” Belinda asked.

  “No, he has his hands full,” he said, looking in Derrick’s direction. “Come with me.”

  Together, they went to the infirmary. “Go in and find someone. Bring them out – by force if necessary,” he added as she walked in.

  Reappearing moments later with a medic half off his feet, she demanded, “Fix her!”

  “B-bring her inside,” the medic stammered.

  “No, not here, in her room,” Marcus instructed.

  “H-her room?”

  “Yes. Is that going to be a problem?” Belinda asked sweetly, angling her head to meet his eyes.

  The medic took one look at Belinda and shook his head, “No, no, just let me get some things.”

  “Be quick about it!” Marcus growled.

  Ten minutes later, Marcus hovered over the medic as he worked, his body trembling but his hands sure and steady. “This would be easier i-if you didn’t h-hover,” the medic stuttered.

  “Fine!” Marcus barked, stepping back. He just hoped Lexia woke before Derrick found them and realized they’d not consulted – before kidnapping a medic.

  Chapter 7

  “Kill him. Then there is no chance of him telling anyone.”

  “What?” someone squeaked. “I’ve nothing to tell. All I’ve done is treat Maura. Why would anyone be interested in that?”

  A medic.

  “See, told ya, Derrick, no need to get all trigger happy. Let’s get him out the room before L-Maura wakes, and then she’ll never have to know.”

  Marcus. Lexia smiled to herself, not drawing attention to the fact she was conscious.

  “I still think it’s better to be safe than sorry,” Derrick stated matter-of-factly, as if he wasn’t talking about killing someone in cold blood.

  “No one is getting killed, Derrick. Let the man go,” Lexia interrupted. Staying as she was, she made no attempt to open her eyes or move, knowing she wouldn’t have the golden eyes of a hunter.