Hunting Her

Chapter 13

I hadn't been long since I had last laid eyes upon this house. But I had never been happy to see its redbrick, wilted flowers and chipped green door. The house was old but happy. I paid the taxi driver with the money Mila had given to me, and walked down the path to the front door. 

It was nearing midnight now, the moon high in the sky. So knocking on the door and waking everyone up was out of the question. So, I reached for the spare key hidden underneath a fake rock that mum was convinced looked very real and went to let myself in. Yet, as I pushed the key into the lock, the door creaked open. 

I watched as it swung gently on its hinges, revealing the dark hallway leading to the kitchen. Leaving the door unlocked was so unlike my mum, especially we found my little brother standing in the road at aged 5 after discovering he could just open the front door. My heart started to pound in my chest as I pulled out the gun Mila had given me. 

I crept into the house, keeping even my breathing to a minimum as I moved. All the lights were off, there were no signs of anyone having broken in as I cleared each room but a heavy feeling in my gut made me keep my gun out. 

I finally turned the corner and found the stairs leading upstairs, and carefully walked up them. I avoided every creak on the steps that I had already memorised, due to once being a teenager whose mum didn't want her to leave the house after 10pm. 

The bedroom at the top of the stairs was my brother's. It was once my room, but once he reached the age of 13 and I had moved out, he decided he should have the big room. He picked out an ugly blue colour to cover up the green walls beneath and it had been his room ever since.

 The door was ajar but there was no lights on inside. I edged the door further open and slipped inside. "Archie." I whispered into the room, there was no reply. I placed my hand on the bed, to find no one inside of it. I threw back the covers and found the sheets were still warm. 

A cold sweat began forming down my back as I moved on to another room. My heart beating ever faster as it started to pound in my ears. My gun still leading the way, I walked towards my mum's room. 

"Mum." I whispered louder than before as I entered her room. "Archie." There was no reply, but I could make out their outline upon her bed. "Oh what a relief." I all but said to myself as I dropped my arm to my side. 

I sat down on the bed with a sigh of relief and let myself relax. "You guys aren't going to believe the week I am having." I said to no one in particular. There was no response. I grabbed Archie's foot and wiggled it a little, knowing how ticklish he was, but still nothing. "Hello?" 

I told myself it was fine. I moved to the light switched and flicked it on. And there they were. "Mum?" I uttered as I stared at the bed. Both of them were laying peacefully on top of the bedsheet. The pink bedsheets that were now a red. I swallowed shakily but couldn't look away.

My hands were covered in red. My clothes were stained red. There was wet on my face and I moved to dry it. Red. It was all red. 

"Lexa, welcome home." A familiar voice announced from behind me. I turned on my heels to be greeted by the cold grin of the head of MI6. My whole body froze. "Aren't you happy that your family is here to welcome you back to England." She said as her smile grew. 

"Justina?" Was the only word I could make out. 

Justina sucked against her front tooth in disproval as she looked me up and down. "And what a mess you've made of yourself. Blood is so hard to get out of clothes." 

My whole body started to shake. "What did you do?" 

"I think the real question, is what did you do?" 

I span back around to see them again. Their bodies mutilated. Archie's hand wrapped around my mum's as though it were the only protection he could offer her. "He was a child." 

Justina leaned towards me then. "You upset Dominic. I heard you broke a few things, killed a few of his men. He's returning the favour." 

"I am going to kill you." I muttered quietly, clenching my fists. 

"What was that, dear?" Justina asked politely. 

"I. Am. Going. To. Kill. You." I seethed through gritted teeth. Not waiting any longer as I twisted back around to face her. I grabbed my gun and pointed it at her, only to find it thrown across the room, I turned towards the bedroom window to find agents breeching it. 

A set up. This is what this was. Not just a message but a set up. But I couldn't find it in myself to care. I didn't need a gun to kill her. I turned towards Justina again, her face the picture of a concerned friend. 

"Lexa you need to come with me." She said calmly, backing away from me. 

"I am going to kill you." I repeated as I ran at her. She dodged my first punch but I landed my second, feeling her nose crack underneath my knuckles. She let out a shrill yell but I had already kicked her dead in the chest, cutting her off. The whole dam of restraint I had on myself had split wide open and I could only hear the blood in my ears as I unleashed myself on her. 

I grabbed her by the hair and threw her into the wall, launching my foot into her ribs as she fell to the floor. "You bitch." She groaned quietly. 

I had no room for a witty reply. I did not care. I only wanted her dead. More than I had wanted anything in my life. I slammed my foot down and she moved just in time for it to avoid her throat. I drew my knife from my thigh holster and held it to myself.

Her eyes widened as she realised what was in my hand. "Help." She yelled in a slight panic. But I was already moving. I sliced through the air and brought the knife down on her, it sliced across her stomach and she shrieked. 

I slashed again, catching her forearm as she blocked the blade's path. "Help." She screamed again. This time there was an answer, a slight pinch into my back. I turned to find a dart sticking out of it. These fuckers were drugging me. 

But I had time. I had used this drug before. I was swift as I threw the knife, it flew through the air as I dropped to my knees. My vision was off, it was the first thing the drug affected. My vision was off, my aim was off and the knife instead of finding its way into her heart, landed snugly in her shoulder. 

She screamed, loudly enough that the house seemed to rattle. And I could only laugh, I laughed as I slumped further to the floor, watching agents rush to her as my vision eventually went black. My body felt like it was floating in space. As the images of my mum and my brother circled my head, their bodies, their faces. The blood that still covered my body.