Holocaust (The Deadwood Hunter Series Book 3) by Rachel M Raithby

getting to her feet. She paused as she passed Lexia. “It was lovely to meet you, Maura. I’m sure we’ll meet again soon.”
    Lexia took the hand Sarah held out to her and shook it. As they touched, she expected to feel some darkness within her aura; an indication that her intentions weren’t good. Yet what she saw was fear, guilt, and the sadness of loss, which Lexia knew all too well. Oh, we’ll be meeting soon. Don’t you worry.
    Smiling politely, Lexia waited until they left and then followed at a safe distance. As she expected, they were to be working on the human side of the compound, only one corridor down from her room.
    She slipped silently into her room and waited by the door; her senses opened to the energies around her. Using her ability to read and sense auras was a useful one, but she was out of practice. It drained her quickly but she persevered, waiting for her chance to find out who Sarah really was.
    Her phone vibrated in her pocket. Lifting it out, she glanced at the screen seeing Derrick’s name. Ignoring it, she let the phone slide back, but he only called back, again and again until she answered.
    “What?” She hissed.
    “L– I’ve been informed your meeting finished. Why are you not here training your unit?”
    “I’m busy, Derrick. You’ll have to be me today,” she replied in a hushed tone.
    “Lexia,” Derrick whispered into the phone annoyed, “what are you up to?”
    “Revenge,” she replied, the word rolling off her tongue with a smile. Lexia ended the call. Sarah had just walked past her door.
    Sweet revenge.
    Opening the door, careful not to make a sound, Lexia stalked Sarah through the compound pouncing on her when she’d entered a part of the compound that very rarely had traffic.
    Sarah’s breath blew out of her in a startled gasp. Her eyes went huge as she stared at Lexia.
    “Tell me, Sarah, was it you who lead them to my father?” Lexia asked in a quiet, menacing tone, her hand gripping around Sarah’s neck.
    Sarah trembled, her head shaking in answer.
    “What were you doing in my kitchen then?”
    “I c-came to warn him,” she rasped, trying to suck in a breath.
    “I’m going to take a step back. Do not run or shout. You’d be dead before the first syllable left your mouth.”
    “Okay,” Sarah whispered hoarsely.
    Lexia let go of Sarah and took a deliberately slow step back, her eyes ever watching. Studying Sarah, Lexia made a decision and allowed the power inside of her to slip away. She let go of her anger and need for revenge, the emotions keeping her together, and allowed Sarah to see what was beneath. Broken, fractured Lexia.
    “My God,” Sarah whispered stunned, looking a little horrified. “You’re really still the girl he raised.”
    Her words cut more than she could have expected. She saw the image of herself from just a year ago and longed to be that girl again. “No, Sarah, I’m not. Too much blood coats my hands to ever be her again, but I’m not like my mother. I wish to stop her, to stop everything around you. Can you help?” Lexia waited nervously, wondering if she’d just made a vital mistake. Would her hands be coated with more blood by tonight?
    Sarah contemplated her words, the look in her eyes saying she wanted to help but was choked by fear.
    Lexia added, “If you’ve a family to protect, I understand. After all, I’m here right now because going with Lucy was the only option I had to keep my mate safe.”
    Sarah frowned at the word ‘mate’ but shook it off. “I have family but I fear I will never save them. Ross and Zac, they are here.”
    “Here?” Lexia asked shocked, Zac, Zac…Why is that name so familiar? Then she pictured him. He was quiet, kept under the radar, but inside he was full of sadness. “You turned your own sons into hunters?”
    “You must remember when I joined this program, we set out to save the men and women who fight for this country. My first son, I lost him on his first tour. I wanted no one