“Do we? Something tells me you could leave any time you want. I think we’ll keep your dear friend as leverage.” He smiled sweetly but it never reached his eyes.
“I want to see that she’s okay or I’m gone.” Lexia smiled sweetly back at him.
He laughed, “I like you, follow me. And no funny business.” Lexia shivered; she didn’t want to be liked by him, she was nothing like him.
As they walked past the groaning Hunters on the floor he kicked them shouting, “Get up you worthless bunch.”
Lexia followed him upstairs; he carried on past her dad’s room and stopped in front of her room. “Here she is,” he said, opening the door. “Only a few cuts and bruises, she put up quite a fight you know,” he chuckled.
She rushed past him, pushing him into the doorframe. Alice sat slumped against the wall in the corner of her room, her hands and feet were bound and there was a scarf tied over her eyes. She whimpered and cowered away as Lexia touched her.
“Shush, it’s me.”
“Lex?” Alice whispered.
Lexia pulled the scarf off her face; a dark purple bruise marked her cheek bone. She turned to glare at the Hunter behind her, “I’m going to fucking kill you for touching her!”
He laughed again, fuelling Lexia’s anger. “Now, now it wasn’t me; in fact it was the guy whose nose you broke.” He laughed again like his fellow soldier being hurt was rather funny. “Come on. Then. I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
“I’ll come back for you,” Lexia whispered to Alice’s frightened face. She nodded once, a tear sliding down her face. “I promise, Alice, you will get out of this.”
Lexia stood and walked to the door. “Blindfold,” he snapped.
“You put that back on her and I snap your neck,” Lexia growled.
“Hmm, we’ll see.” But he moved from the doorway to let Lexia pass.
As she followed him down the stairs he said, “I’m Derrick, by the way.” Lexia said nothing. Derrick would be dead soon enough; she didn’t buy his I’m- a-nice-guy routine.
Derrick put a pair of handcuffs on her and bound her legs, and then he sat on a chair at her kitchen table, picking up the book that laid there. “Titanium handcuffs by the way. Don’t hurt yourself trying to break them.”
Lexia glared at him as he picked his book back up, propping his legs on the table. She leaned back against the wall and smiled to herself; soon she’d hear her panther’s calls.
Lexia couldn’t get over how odd this situation was. Here she was, tied up in her kitchen, while a stranger sat at her table reading... Is that my book?
“Hey, that’s my book you’re reading!” Lexia cursed herself the second the accusation left her lips. This man was a Hunter and she was tied up, defenseless. What’s wrong with me?
Derrick looked up, his gold eyes staring right at her. As she looked into them, she realized his eyes were different; yes, they were the same gold as every other Hunter’s she’d seen but his eyes held a deep sadness. She wondered who this man had lost.
“Is it? Sorry about that, but it’s really quite boring around here.” Amusement twinkled in his eyes for a second before the sadness returned and he looked down to read the book again.
“Why are you here if it’s so boring?” Why am I talking to him?
He looked back up, seeming to consider his answer before he said in a low voice, “Not everyone has a choice over what they do. I ... I have a family to protect.”
“But ... I don’t understand? If you have a family, then why are you here?”
His eyes hardened. “Because I’m dead to them, the government made sure of that. And Lex is it? These people, they are far worse than the government.”
A cold chill slivered down her spine at his last words and the cold, dead look in his eyes as he said them. Lexia didn’t ask any more questions, she could feel he was done talking.
She looked around the room and as her eyes settled on the spot just outside the kitchen door, she was sucked back in time. She could see his bleeding, broken body; she remembered the way her heart twisted in agony as he took his last breath. Yes, the Hunters were far worse than the government but she’d been created to be stronger than the Hunters and they would regret that she was ever born.
She looked up at the sound of the back door opening and a man walked in. He was a lot shorter then Derrick and his face was scarred; his eyes trailed over her body making her skin crawl.
“Jack has the boss on the phone.” He spoke to Derrick but his eyes never left Lexia. He looked at her with a sick, greedy hunger and just for a second Lexia wanted to beg Derrick not to leave her alone with this man.
Derrick got up with a sigh and headed for the door. The Hunter who’d brought the message took a step towards her with a twisted smile on his face. Lexia shuffled back which only made him laugh, but as his hands bent to touch her Derrick’s head popped back in the door.
“Dave, you are to watch, her not touch her! Do. You. Understand?”
“Yes,” Dave sighed, stepping away and taking a seat.
Lexia let out the breath she had been holding. For a minute there she’d felt helpless and vulnerable and she didn’t like it. She sat in silence, not looking at him, but never once did she feel his eyes leave her. She hoped he’d do as Derrick said.
After a few minutes he pulled his chair close to her smiling and he pulled out a long knife. The knife was almost as long as a sword, the hilt decorated with red rubies and filigree. Lexia thought the knife was rather feminine but as the blade neared her skin she stopped admiring the weapon and took a deep breath.
“He said I wasn’t allowed to touch, but this can.” The blade glistened in the light as it travelled toward her chest, the sharp edge sliced through the material of her top.
“Like my knife? I took it off this woman I killed,” he smiled at the memory making Lexia want to throw up. “She was real pretty... like you.”
As the fabric of her top split, the blade sliced her skin; Lexia sucked in a breath at the sharp sting. “Oops, sorry,” he said as he continued to lightly cut her, trailing the blade down between her breasts.
Lexia felt sick; fury and revulsion rose up her throat like vomit. Her heart pounded in her chest as the monster kept slicing into her top and exposing her skin for his viewing. She felt dirty and weak; why didn’t she do something? But she couldn’t get her mind to respond; her body felt frozen, her muscles had locked, and her breath was caught in her throat. She’d never felt so alone, so violated.
Now he stood above her admiring his work; a slow trickle of blood trailed between her cleavage and down to her navel. He’d successfully cut away all the fabric that covered her chest revealing her plump, lace-covered breasts. His hand stretched out to touch her and Lexia pressed further back into the wall, her skin crawled with revulsion. A little voice in her head kept telling her to do something, not to let this monster taint her but he kept coming; any second his dirty, repulsive hand would touch her.
A single tear slid down her face and his grin grew wide. She looked into his eyes seeing greedy hunger there and in that second she just gave up, accepted that his hands would feel her flesh. His eyes lit up with her defeat and a single finger touched her collarbone making her quiver; he trailed it slowly toward the curve of her breast, savoring the anticipation.
Lexia bit back a cry, tears flowed freely down her face and she was shaking. She felt so ashamed; she was a Hunter, more than a Hunter, but right now she was just a frightened girl, lost and alone.
She thought she heard a faint call; hope blossomed and she listened harder. There it was again, the faint, distant call from her panther. Lexia’s blood boiled to life; she wasn’t alone, she had her panther and he would never leave her. The rope around her legs tore apart and for a split second she sat stunned, looking at the monster that had been touching her moments ago. He lay curled on the floor, groaning and clutching at his groin from the kick she’d given him.
Lexia shuffled over to his blade
that he’d dropped to the floor; she picked it up with her hands still bound behind her back. No matter how hard she pulled they wouldn’t come free.
Dave started to stir, Lexia scrambled up and walked to him, she stood above him looking down on him like the low-life he was. The kick to his head knocked him out cold and she ran for the stairs, clutching the knife at her back.
The air was now filled with the cries and growls from the fight outside, she could hear the pounding feet of Hunters running towards the back yard; Lexia sent a silent prayer to her panther before heading to Alice.
She’d nearly reached the top when a loud gunshot reverberated around the hall. White-hot pain pieced through her thigh causing her to cry out and fall. Someone grabbed at her ankle and with her hands bound at her back, Lexia couldn’t stop her head from hitting the step. Her vision blurred as her head kept bumping the steps as she was pulled down. The pain in her leg was so intense and her jeans were becoming wet from the blood seeping out of the wound.
Lexia still had the knife clutched in her hands and it dug into her flesh as she was flipped over by the Hunter that had shot her. She kicked out, hitting him in the gut, but the pain in her thigh weakened the blow and he lashed out, hitting her across the cheek.
She felt dazed and the more she struggled, the more the knife at her back dug into her skin. But she didn’t stop fighting, she wouldn’t give in. Her panther was coming, she just needed to stay alive until he found her; he would come. He always came to her rescue. So many things in her life changed, so many people had lied to her but this one thing, this one belief. It was the foundation of her strength, a truth that ran to her core.
With the panther in her mind’s eye, she kicked with her good leg and caught him between the legs. He called out, his eyes watering in pain as he bent over gasping, clutching his crotch. Lexia ran up the stairs tripping and hitting her shoulder against the banister but she gritted her teeth against the pain in her leg. Just as she reached the landing another shot sang into the air.
She felt the bullet graze her arm, the burn of hot metal making contact with her skin. His heavy foot falls pounded up the stairs and as she reached the door to her bedroom, she heard him grunt and fall. The sound of fighting drifted up the stairs and then a gunshot went off leaving behind only silence. A silence that spoke of death, a silence worse than the cries of a fight.
She didn’t wait to see who had taken him out. Lexia jumped into the door, her shoulder hitting it first; smashing through, splinters of wood flying everywhere. Alice’s eyes widened in fear but she seemed incapable of speech. Lexia raced to her friend turning and holding the blade down near her feet. “Cut the rope against this, careful of your skin.”
Alice obeyed moving her legs up and down against the blade. Lexia could hear footsteps slowly coming up the stairs, each heavy foot fall more deadly than the last. “Hurry,” she hissed.
The rope split and Alice started on her hands. The boards creaked on the landing.
“Alice, quick out the window.”
“What?” her voice was hoarse with fear.
“Alice, look. Linc is down there waiting, you need to leave now.”
Alice climbed out the window; her hands shook with fear and she looked into her friend’s eyes, “What about you, Lex? Your hands, how will you climb?”
“Yes, Lex. How will you climb?” Derrick said from the doorway.
“Go now,” Lexia ordered. Turning to face Derrick, she heard Alice sob as she climbed down.
“I don’t need to climb, I’ll jump,” she answered Derrick; her voice was calm and deadly.
“Really? Even with all those injuries?” He spoke back in the same indifferent tone he always used. “Hmm, you really must be something.” Emotion flashed in his eyes, but before Lexia could work it out they became sad and haunted again.
Lexia took a step back towards the open window, limping with the pain in her leg. She heard Alice calling Lincoln’s name and his answering roar.
The pain in her body was a constant hum, her head felt slightly fuzzy but she smiled, Alice was safe and Lincoln would protect her.
“What’s so funny?” asked Derrick.
“Are you going to make a move then?”
Derrick took a step forward and Lexia sat on the window sill, for some reason she didn’t feel threatened by him. His hand touched his gun in its halter and Lexia swung one leg out the window.
“You’re really going to jump?” he asked, not moving.
“Yes, you best shoot me, Derrick.” Lexia smiled.
“Not today,” he said, and Lexia swung her other leg out dropping towards the ground.
The air whipped past her face, twisting her hair in the air. She heard Alice scream her name and then met the ground. The air whooshed out of her body and she screamed in pain as she met the ground; her knees buckled and Lexia fell forward.
For a second Lexia just laid there in stunned silence, then she heard her panther growl and more gunshots fire.
Everything came into sharp focus. She rolled over seeing Derrick standing in the window, he nodded once and she jumped to her feet running across the lawn towards Alice and Lincoln. With each step pain shot up her body. Limping as she ran, her heart drummed loudly in her ears. She was nearly there, freedom just seconds away. Lincoln took out two more Hunters before his eyes rested on her.
“Go!” she screamed at him. He hesitated then turned into the forest, Alice running ahead.
The sound of a car crunching on gravel made Lexia force her body to go faster; the tree line was yards away, she was nearly free.
“Maura baby?” Lexia slowed, she knew that sweet, soothing voice.
“Maura, don’t go,” the said voice again.
Lexia stopped. That was the voice from her dreams, that voice sung her lullabies. But who’s Maura?
“Maura?” Lexia turned.
There stood a petite woman; she had pale skin and long, straight hair the colour of corn fields, and her eyes were a warm gold. She looked so pale and beautiful; she seemed to glow in the moonlight.
“Mom?” Lexia whispered. So many emotions bombarded her mind: confusion, disbelief, hope, fear.
“Yes,” she replied, and time stopped.
“But...”
“Maura, my dear, come to your mother.”
“But my name’s Lexia.” Anger flashed across her face and Lexia watched as she balled her hands into fists before relaxing them again.
She felt confused by her reaction and the Hunters around her seemed to tense. Lexia’s every nerve felt alert, ready, waiting for someone to make a move.
“Well, I see Jonathon did more than just take you away from me.”
“I don’t understand,” she whispered.
“Did he tell you nothing? How stupid he was to think hiding you away and giving you that name would change your fate. I designed your fate, Maura, there is no escaping it.”
“Jonathon? What do you mean, changed my name?”
“My dear, sweet, stupid Maura, your father wasn’t who you thought he was.”
“My father was Mike Granger.”
“No, he was Jonathon Michael Burton. Come with me, Maura, and I will tell you everything; I will show you your true destiny.”
Lexia looked at the arrogant woman who stood before her and wondered how she could be her mother. She was small and petite where Lexia was tall and curvy. With her pale skin and blond hair, they looked nothing alike and yet the way she now fidgeted in impatience and how her eyes blazed with anger seemed so familiar. But there was one thing Lexia was certain of, this woman was surrounded by darkness. As she stood there waiting and her impatience grew, the dark swirls of energy grew stronger and stronger; her aura was nothing but darkness. Lexia was nothing like this woman and she had no interest in the things she had to show her.
“I’m sorry but I’m going to have to decline.” Lexia slowly turned to leave, every sense following the dangers around her.
“You dare defy me? You are mine,
Maura.”
Anger swirled through Lexia’s veins. “Yours! I am no one’s and my name is Lexia.” She turned and walked towards the tree line, the Hunters around her moved with her but didn’t close the distance between them.
“Lexia!” bellowed Lucy.
Lexia froze, suddenly frightened by the anger in her mother’s voice. The air around her felt charged with power, with darkness.
“I created you! I created you to be man’s destroyer, not man’s defender! You are named Maura for the darkness you will bring to this world!”
Silence seemed to have settled around them at Lucy’s words, not even a breath could be heard from the Hunters around her. Lucy seemed to be trembling with rage; a volcano ready to erupt.
Lexia felt frozen in time, the whole world moving around her while she was stuck in a nightmare where she was created for evil. She saw movement to her right; her heart started to pound even louder but still she couldn’t move. She watched in horror as a twisted smile crossed her mother’s face, and caught the glimpse of black velvet in the tree line.
Her dad’s voice spoke into her mind, Whatever you do don’t trust her, and the sound of a gunshot broke the silence.
In that moment Lexia realized she’d made the biggest mistake of her life. How silly she was to think a voice from her dreams could be the mother she’d always wanted. For just a split second, Lexia had forgotten what her father had told her, she hadn’t wanted to believe she’d been manmade to kill. She wanted a mom who actually loved her; she became the little girl that wanted a family.
Lexia had never realized until that moment how much she’d wanted, needed, a mom.
Standing frozen, Lexia watched her panther, her life, collapse to the ground, and listened to the screams of her best friend; she turned and looked at her mother one last time. Saw the satisfied smile that lit her face; she was a monster and Lexia would never be fooled again. She only hoped that it wasn’t too late.
“Lex! Lexia!” Alice’s frightened screams blasted through the haze.
She looked around to see the Hunter who’d shot Lincoln aim his gun at Alice who stood frozen, a rabbit in headlights.
Lexia (The Deadwood Hunter Series) Page 22