Hiding Behind A Mask | Maskless Trilogy Book 1

HBAF CH. 1 - SAMPLE

Black masks fall to the ground, some landing and rolling, others landing with the sounds of bones snapping.

Becca still points the gun at the Leader of the Nation, her eyes wild.

Banshee is the last to drop, landing just before the stage. He stands slowly and takes his plain black mask off, the long scar glowing in the growing night. He smiles and looks around at the terrified mass of people, letting out a soft chuckle at the nervousness crackling in the air. Victory. He can almost taste it.

He spots Eduard just a few feet away, and locks eyes with him. Eduard's body is rigid, and Banshee's smile stretches wider.

"Attention all citizens," Banshee shouts over the commotion. The people around hush themselves to hear. "Everyone put your masks back on."

Eduard and the Maskless start to protest, but Banshee holds his hands up to quiet them. The black masks lift up theirs too, guns of various sizes aimed at the crowd they've encircled.

"But, Banshee, wouldn't that-"

He turns back around to Becca and interrupts her with a threatening "Beccaaa."

"But this isn't what was planned-"

"Becca," he says softer, more annoyed.

"Banshee! They'll all die!"

"Becca!" Banshee screams.

"I won't be responsible for the death of a city."

"Fine, Becca Reed." Banshee turns around to face the crowd. "It's a sacrifice we need to make."

"What?"

Banshee nods once. The black masks all around the crowd aim their weapons at her and begin to shoot. She takes off into the city hall building, unscathed, except for the wound from a bullet in her right calf. She leans up against the inside of the doors and breathes as the gunshots disappear.

Everyone is going to die, she thinks as she sinks to the floor.

Outside, Banshee stands still, now pointing his gun at the Leaders, watching as some people reluctantly put on their masks.

"You will all do as I say," Banshee says over the speakers to his left and right as his words enter the microphone. "Or I will kill everyone here and I will kill anyone who gets in my way. Masks. On."

There are protests, but soon every mask is on. Every mask but Eduard's. Banshee looks at him with a smile, knowing everything is falling into place. It can only go up from here.

Banshee brings a hand up to his ear, pressing down the button on his earpiece so that Victoria can hear him.

"Now," he says, his eyes still on Eduard.

Suddenly, sounds of gunshots fill the air and people drop to the ground as if they were dead. Eduard looks around, the street now filled with collapsed bodies. His gaze refocused on Banshee, whose face is filled with a smile that holds a million secrets.

"Go help Becca," he says quietly. "Before she has the same fate."

Eduard looks at the steps leading up to the city hall building. Banshee nods his head towards the building, telling Eduard to follow where Becca had gone to.

Eduard walks around the stage, his eyes focused on Banshee as he stands over the Leaders who have fallen.

He pushes open the doors. Becca sits on the opposite side of the room, pressing on a bloody spot on her calf. Her head snaps up and her eyes focus on Eduard. Something flashes in her eyes and she scrambles up, favoring her left leg. She hold a gun up to Eduard with a shaky hand.

"Don't move or I'll shoot!" She cries, emotions confusing her tone.

"You wouldn't shoot me," Eduard says, but something in her eyes tells him she would.

Something has changed in her, in a big way.