THE DEAD ZONE ~ Marhinki

.11

I know I'm a little late to the party, but in honor or Mari and Peter's engagement, I created the video above and happily releasing this chapter. Congrats to Mari and Peter and I hope you all enjoy the chapter.

~Jo

Using the rope that Wes had been using as a belt, the tied their hostage's wrists together, well the boys did. Mari was a little busy. A little busy with Sohinki. The rest of the boys pretended not to notice as she threw her arms around him. And the boys pretended not to notice as she gently cleaned his wound of blood. The boys pretended not to notice a lot when it came to them, because although they would never admit it, they weren't brave enough to say anything. They knew that Mari had a soft spot, but they also knew that the soft spot could vanish in a matter of seconds. They also knew that she killed people without a second thought, and they didn't want one of those people to be them.

Finally she stiffened, pushing herself away from Sohinki, shifting herself from caring to cold in a split second. She stared at the woman with a hard glare, studying her. She nodded her head once and spun on her heal.

"Bring the hostage," She ordered, and Wes grabbed the woman roughly, shoving her in the direction that Mari walked. Mari brought them back towards the direction they came, towards the room that she first found herself in. She yanked open the door and pointed to the chair that she was previously secured to.

"Put her there."

Wes dragged her over there, stepping over the body of the man that killed Joven. The blonde woman locked eyes with Mari, pure hatred replacing any fear that was previously held in them. Pure hatred filled every fiber in this woman's being. Her eyes screamed murder, but her situation screamed 'help me'.

"You killed Noah." She stated, her eyes still not leaving Mari's. Mari felt her lips form a smirk.

"I did." Mari turned away from her, addressing the people that came into the room with her. "Leave, I'll handle this."

"Should we move the..." FLitz trailed off, gesturing to the body of the man formally known as Noah. Mari dropped her eyes to the dead man, her eyes lingering on the bullet holes through his head.

"Leave it," She finally decided. "It helps the mood." FLitz nodded and turned, the four boys leaving her alone. She turned to the blonde woman. She walked towards her, stepping over the body, making sure to paint bloodied footprints behind her.

"Isn't this nice," Mari said, bending over so that they were eye level. "Now that they boys are gone we can really talk... girl to girl." She winked at the woman, watching the fear seep back into her eyes, before straightening and walking around the chair. She raked her nails through the woman's hair, listening as the woman drew in a sharp breath.

"What do you want, you crazy bitch?" The blonde woman finally snapped. Mari wrapped her fingers through her hair and yanked.

"Do you really think trying to insult me will help your situation?" Mari snarled. "But don't worry, I am crazy, and I most certainly, am a bitch." She released her hold on the woman's hair before walking back around the chair to face her. "Who do you work for?"

"Myself," The woman spit. Mari narrowed her eyes, before raising her leg and kicking the chair over. The woman released a small yelp as her head crashed against the cement as the chair toppled over.

"You're going to have to do better than that. Who told you it was worth going after me? Who is the leader of your little group? Who is trying to kill me?"

"You're going to have to do better than that," The woman mocked. "Everyone is trying to kill you. The entire fucking government is trying to kill you."

"Let me rephrase," Mari snarled, towering over the woman. "Who is your leader?"

"Do you really think that I would tell you?" The woman laughed, which turned into a wheeze as Mari delivered a swift kick to her ribs.

"I know that you will tell me."

"Keep dreaming." Another kick. Mari ran a frustrated hand through her hair, returning to what she previously thought. This woman was strong, but she was still on the wrong side of this war and it was up to Mari to break her.

~*~

Mari stepped outside of the room, leaving Lasercorn to watch over the woman as Mari took her break. She thought that this would be easier. She wished that this was easier, but she needed to know who was hunting her. She needed to know who was standing in her way.

"Are you okay?" She jumped at the sudden intrusion to her thoughts. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." She recognized the voice now. Sohinki.

"I'm fine," She snapped, before grimacing at her tone. Sohinki was the last person she wanted to be short with. "Sorry... she's just not breaking."

"Maybe you should let me try?"

"No!" She grimaced again. "Sorry, it's just that I think that I should do this." In reality, she didn't want Sohinki anywhere near that woman. Not after what she did to him. Not after she almost took him away from her. He wasn't going anywhere near her, not if she could help it.

"No, no, it's fine. I understand. Just... tell me if you need anything?"

"Of course."

~*~

And then she was back at it again. Screaming at this woman, wishing that she would slip, wishing that she would give something up. But two black eyes and a broken nose later, the woman still had nothing to say and Mari was getting increasingly frustrated. But nothing in her entire imagination had she prepared for the door to open. And the last person she wanted to see in this room entered.

"Mari?" Sohinki asked, obviously avoiding looking at the blonde woman. "Wes has something he needs to talk to you about... it's about the king..." She gave Sohinki a sharp nod.

"Tell him that I'll be out in a second, I just need to finish a few things up." Mari said, turing back towards the woman. Once the door clicked shut the woman smirked up at Mari.

"I'm glad I didn't kill that one," She said. "He's much too pretty." Mari's face darkened and she slammed the chair down onto the floor. She pressed the bloodied sole of her boot to the woman's neck, and glared down at her.

"Mine."