Pawn (The Blackcoat Rebellion #1)(23)
Author: Aimee Carter

The driver weaved between the trees expertly, and the bitter wind made me grateful Celia had bundled me up. Once I was positive I wasn’t going to fall off or lose my balance, I loosened my grip on the railing. I could see why Daxton enjoyed it so much. Besides the chill, it was almost fun.

After nearly fifteen minutes, we reached a massive chain-link fence guarded by dozens of Shields with guns that looked even more deadly than the one Daxton held.

The gate opened for us, and I frowned.

“To sort the game I requested,” said Daxton, answering my unspoken question. “Wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt, would we?”

He flashed me a dazzling smile, and I looked away, keeping my eyes peeled for any signs of movement on the ground.

A minute later, Daxton raised his rifle and aimed. As I craned my neck to see what it was, he pulled the trigger, and the sound was deafening. I clamped my hands over my ears, but the noise didn’t seem to bother Daxton.

Cursing to himself, he lowered his rifle and instructed the driver to slow down.

Shortly after, he raised his rifle again, and this time I was ready. I covered my ears as something pale flashed in the distance. A rabbit, maybe, or a light-colored deer.

I couldn’t see well enough to be sure.

“You should watch,” said Daxton, his eyes shining.

“You’ll like this.”

I obediently leaned against the rail to get a better look.

He held his gun at the ready, his finger on the trigger as he waited, but nothing appeared.

“What—” I said, but Daxton shook his head, and I fell silent. We’d all but stopped now, and the hum of the platform was barely audible. I noticed something out of the corner of my eye, but by the time I turned my head, it was gone.

“Aha,” said Daxton. “There!”

The driver pulled the platform around, and finally I saw what had caused the flash of something pale.

Crouched in the bushes, her face dirty and her clothes torn, was a woman.

I blinked. Was that— It couldn’t be.

“Nina?”

Without thinking, I sprang forward. I was halfway over the railing when Daxton grabbed my wrist and pulled me back onto the platform. “Don’t move.”

I struggled against his bruising grip, and when he let go, cold metal bit into my skin. He’d handcuffed me to the railing.

“Nina!” I shouted, yanking against the chain. “Over here!”

Instead of running toward us, she froze in fear, her eyes wide as she stared at us. As she stared at me.

“Please don’t,” she cried as tears streamed down her face. “I’ll do anything.”

For a moment our eyes locked, and all the air left my lungs. Desperation and fear were written all over her face, and she clung to the tree beside her as if it would protect her.

I didn’t understand. Why wasn’t she coming toward us?

“Lila,” she choked. “Please.”

“Nina,” I said, stretching my free hand out toward her.

“It’s safe up here, come on—”

“Keep watching, Lila,” said Daxton as he aimed. “I want you to remember this moment.”

“But—”

And then it dawned on me.

I launched myself toward Daxton, but the cuff bit into my skin and nearly wrenched my shoulder out of place.

“Stop!” I cried. “She’s—”

Bang.

The tree behind her splattered red with blood, and Nina crumpled to the ground.

She was dead.

“Got it,” he said, smirking as he started to reload. The world spun around me, and I leaned over the railing and retched.

“Welcome,” said Daxton, “to Elsewhere.”

Chapter 7

Time seemed to slow down as the platform raced through the forest, away from Nina’s dead body.

She was gone. Nina was gone, and it was my fault. Her being here today, Daxton killing her— I couldn’t breathe. The trees felt as if they were closing in around us, slowly suffocating me as reality set in.

Nina was dead. She was really dead.

The only thing that kept me from kicking the life out of Daxton was what Celia had told me that morning. If I upset him, I would become one of them for sure, no matter who I looked like. And it wouldn’t change anything anyway.

I buried my face in my free hand and sobbed. Celia had known this was going to happen. Maybe she’d even known about Nina. She’d known, and she hadn’t warned me. She really was no better than Daxton.

For the rest of the afternoon I sat on the edge of the platform, closed my eyes, and tried to ignore the shots from the rifle and the howls of joy that followed. I tried not to picture their faces. I tried to forget watching Nina die and not think about what she could’ve possibly done to wind up here—what any of them could have done.

Steal an orange, maybe, except they hadn’t been lucky enough to have Lila’s eyes and get away with it.

Daxton unshackled me before we returned to the lodge, a rustic building full of overstuffed armchairs and trophies in cases. I didn’t wait for him to show me around. The moment I spotted the door, I headed outside and back to the plane. Daxton didn’t stop me, and as soon as I was alone in the jet, I went into the bathroom and was sick.

This was Elsewhere. All those elderly people, all the criminals, all the people who weren’t smart enough to meet the standards of the government—this was their fate, to be sent Elsewhere and hunted like animals.

Lying there on the cool tile floor, I wondered how many people knew about this place and had never said anything. Lila had been here, and Celia knew, as well.

This was why she’d wanted me to go, I realized. This was why she’d wanted me to think about her offer before I answered—so I would see this and understand exactly how twisted Daxton was.

It wasn’t only Daxton, though. It was Minister Bradley, too, and Minister Creed. Every minister, as far as I knew—would Knox one day stand on the same platform and hunt people whose only crime had been to speak their mind or steal a pair of shoes when theirs fell apart?

Had he done so already?

No. I refused to believe he could have gone along with this. If he hunted, Daxton would have invited him along. Besides, Knox had been there when I’d watched Lila’s speeches. He was as much a part of that as Celia.

But how many children of ministers changed their tune once they had power? How many stopped caring when they no longer had to worry about becoming one of the hunted?

By the time Daxton returned, I was curled up in the armchair in front of the fire, shivering despite my layers of fur. He said nothing as the jet took off, and it wasn’t until we were well on our way that he settled into the seat next to mine.