by Joshua
"Where’d you get it?" he asked.
"These people are serious," she said, draining her drink with a final gulp. "And it looks like I may be going with you."
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Apparently, I look weak because I allow your vigilante antics," she said, sitting up in her seat. "You know, I'd just deputize you if I didn't think that would stir up even more shit."
"They do this all the time," Alpha said, placing his hand on the table. "Trust me, it'll work out."
"Trust you?" she asked as her face lightened up a bit. She got up from her chair, and turned towards the cabinet behind her seat. She lifted a bottle of brown liquor from behind a set of files and examined it. "I still remember the first time you said those words to me."
"Oh yeah?" Alpha said, sitting back. "I remember it too. That building fire was the first time we spoke. Why did you run into that burning building?"
Turning back to him, she smirked while twisting the top. She poured the amber fluid into her mug, then put the bottle down.
"Looking back, it wasn't my best idea," she said.
"You saved those kids," he said, reaching for the bottle.
Rose's hand snapped out and knocked it away. "I consider you to be on duty," she said, then took a large drink. She winced as she swallowed and exhaled the pain.
“You’re hitting that bottle pretty hard yourself,” he said.
"Problems at home," she said through gritted teeth. "About those kids..." she said, but took another swig. “Did I really save them? And if so, from what? One's a junkie now, and the other ran the streets stealing until he dared to pull a gun on an off duty police officer."
"I heard about that. It was Reedy, right?" Alpha asked.
"Yeah, he had to take three months off to get his head on straight. The kid was barely fifteen; flashing his gun in people’s faces. Stupid asshole. If I hadn't of saved him, maybe Reedy would have been spared that bullshit," she said, pouring more whiskey into her mug.
"There are too many variables to even consider any of that. The possibilities are nigh infinite. You not saving those kids would have set off a whole new chain of events. Who knows if you'd even be chief," Alpha said, grabbing the mug with a forced smile as she glared at him. Her eyes lit up as she thought about what he said.
"Holy shit," she said, her grin growing wider. "It's true isn't it? That stupid show my kid watches. You're some kind of scientist aren't you?"
Alpha chuckled and said, "You’re way off."
"Don't tell me the rumors are true," she said, scrutinizing him. "You aren't an alien right?"
"No," he said, stilling grinning. "Not an alien."
"Bah," she said, waving her hand, dismissing the conversation. "Did Beta boy really leave to go to college?" she asked with renewed interest.
Once again, Alpha smiled, but he didn't answer. She glared at him for a moment, raising her lip.
"What do you plan to do about this crazy shit?" she asked, before taking another drink.
"There's not much I can do," he said, with a slight shrug. "The sewers are a maze, most of which isn't even mapped anymore. I hate to say this, but we might have to wait until something happens."
"We'll, I suggest you get out there and start waiting," she said, grabbing up her purse. She dropped it on the desk and started digging through it. The rattle of keys brought her attention back to Alpha. “And come see me tomorrow evening. I'm gonna need an update."
"Yeah," he said, getting up and walking to the door. He turned and looked at her and said, "Have a good evening."
*****
Officer Reedy held the cellphone up to his ear, while driving his police car through a green light. He was cruising down Main Street, passing the neon lights of the shops with no particular destination. His police radio was quiet, and his computer still. The only noise he could hear over the ringing in his ear was the muffled voices on the radio station.
"Baby?" he said. "Nah, I'm just driving around. Hold on, let me put you on speaker. "
Pressing the button, he set the phone down in his lap. "Can you hear me?" he asked.
"Yeah, baby. I can hear you. When you coming home?" she asked. “I need you so badly.”
"Ha, now you're just teasing me!" he said, flashing a smile. "I've been at work, what, two hours now?"
"You know I want you," she said, her breath getting heavy, her voice getting low. "Come home."
"You bitch," he said, smiling, with a clenched fist. “You know I can’t, not after that explosion the other day.”
"I'm your bitch, and I'm naked," she said, trailing off into a pattern of long, deep breathes that got shorter and quicker until she was moaning into the phone.
"You know my supervisor is here right?" Reedy said with a large grin.
"What?" she asked. “You’re kidding, right?”
Reedy laughed, "Got you!"
"You prick!" she replied. "I was just messing with you anyways. I'm in my sexy blue robe."
"You mean the one with the sexy food stains?" he asked.
"You know it baby," she replied. "Speaking of food, I've gotta go. My dinner is ready. I love you, Mr. Reedy."
"I love you, Mrs. Reedy." he replied, just as a bulletin came over the laptop.
"Damn," he said, looking at the words "armed robbery".
"Stan, this is car 30, I'm responding to the robbery on Lee," he said.
"Roger,” said Stan on the other end.
Relying on the laptop’s GPS navigation, he turned on the siren and gunned it, racing through red lights and dodging around the cluster of taxis that often cluttered the streets.
It took him a few minutes of weaving through traffic to make the trip to his destination; 1228 Lee Street. The small market, Kirby's, was also a deli with plastic tables out front. Reedy grabbed his radio and pressed the button, leaning into the handset on his shoulder.
"Dispatch, this officer is Reedy. I've reached Kirby's," he said.
"Proceed with caution Reedy," said a woman over the radio.
Reedy unsnapped his holster, exposing the Glock .40 he kept on his side. With his hand resting on the grip of his gun, he moved to the front door of the business and peeked in. The small grocery store was trashed. The shelves were almost empty save for a few items. The floors were covered with the contents of each shelf. Reedy pulled his gun and stepped over the threshold.
As he moved in, canned and boxed foods, tissue, diapers, and other groceries crowded around his feet. He shuffled each step, trying his best to stay quiet. He pivoted, gun posed, as he scoped out the store. Behind the counter, the clerk sat on the ground, knees up to his chest. He was calm, but distant.
"Hey, you OK?" Reedy asked with his gun still up.
"They went out the back," he said, not looking up at the officer.
"Stay here, I'll get someone out here to help you," Reedy said, grabbing his radio. "Dispatch, send an ambulance to my location."
"Roger," came back over the radio.
"Don't go after them," the clerk said, looking up at Reedy. Reedy saw the confused look on the Asian boy’s face, and let his guard down a little. The boy was dumbfounded, and struggled to get out his next words. "One of them can do stuff...with his mind. You shouldn't go after them."
"Someone will be here to help you," Reedy said, walking towards the back.
The storage area and back office had been spared the destruction of the front. The back door stood wide open, and a young woman stood there, peering down the alleyway.
"Are they out there?" Reedy asked. The girl jumped at his voice and grabbed her chest.
"Holy shit, you scared me," she said, breathing heavy. "They left about five minutes ago. You just missed them."
"Left or right?" he asked, moving up to the doorway with her.
"They went left," she said, and stepped aside.
"Are they armed?" he asked, peering around the corner.
"No. It’s like
two homeless guys, but one has a…power," she said.
"He can move stuff with his mind?" Reedy asked.
"Exactly!" she said. "I think they might still be out there."
"Stay inside," he said. He could hear shouting coming from around the corner, but he couldn't see in the dark alley. Grabbing his flashlight, he slid out the door and pressed up against the adjacent wall.
Staying in cover, he moved up the wall until he got to the corner. Leaning out, he took a quick glance into the adjacent alley. Sitting on top of a dumpster was a raggedy old man with a beard chugging a bottle of liquor while another man sat on the ground, stuffing packaged snack cakes into his mouth, washing it down with a large bottle of water. He gobbled up the food like it was his first meal, and moaned in satisfaction with each bite.
"Put your hands above your head," Reedy said, coming out from around the corner with his gun held high.
Larry finished his drink, then wiped his face with the sleeve of his shirt. The man on the ground stopped eating and looked up with a mouth full of food. Placing both hands out, he tried to speak, but his mouth was too full. Taking a final second to swallow, he looked back at the police officer. White cream and black cake smeared the edges of his mouth.
"We didn't hurt anyone…" he said.
"Take him out Al!" Larry said, still sitting on the dumpster, bottle in hand.
"Hands above your head," Reedy said, turning towards Al now.
"Please . . . let us go. I promise . . . nothing will happen to you," Al said, stammering.
"Is that a threat?" Reedy said, taking a single step closer. His hands shook as he held the gun, and perspiration collected on his brow. "Boy, if you don't do what I say, I will shoot you."
"Do it!" Larry yelled. "This pig can't stop you!"
"No!" Al said, turning to face Larry.
Reedy jumped, pulling the trigger. The bullet exploded from the gun before he knew what had happened. The deafening ring echoed through the alleyway. Reedy was frozen, waiting for time to start again.
Larry jumped, dropping his bottle, while Al stood there, eyes wide. Everything sped up again as the clink of the flattened bullet hit the ground and the man named Al released a powerful scream. Fear and anger consumed his face as he raised up one hand towards Reedy. The officer flew back, pushed by an invisible force.
Reedy's body slammed against the wall behind him, forcing the air from his lungs. He landed on the ground and crumpled into a ball, coughing. Stars flashed before his eyes as he tried to pull air into his labored lungs. Water filled his eyes, but he could still see the man approaching.
Fire seemed to burn in the man’s eyes as he clenched his teeth in rage. Both hands were balled into tight fists as he marched up to the downed officer. Reedy put his hand out, pleading for mercy as he gagged on a breath. The man didn't acknowledge the gesture. Instead, he opened his palm and used the same force that knocked Reedy back to lift him into the air. Suspended above the ground, Reedy watched in horror as the man began to close his fist. The pressure around the officer began to crush him.
"Please!" he screamed. "Please!"
The man's eyes went red from the strain as a trickle of blood ran from his nose. His glare went from ferocious to guilty, and he dropped Reedy back to the ground, terrified of his actions.
Larry placed his hand on his friend’s shoulder and said, "Let's go Al. We shouldn't stay here."
Reedy watched them leave; his heart beating hard in his ears. He grabbed his radio and pressed the button. Static hummed over the speaker. He held it for a second, trying to formulate the words. His lips kept moving until he finally said, "officer down."
Chapter Five.
Eddy, a young man of twenty-four, stood on the edge of a pit with a torch held high above his head. The boy’s balance wavered every few seconds as the ground beneath his feet shook. His blond hair swayed in his face as he smiled, watching the group approaching. Ivy and Jon were at the head of the pack with a few others behind them. Eddy’s grin grew larger the closer they got until his excitement exploded forth and he ran up to them.
“You aren’t going to believe this!” he said to Ivy while pulling the hair from his face.
“Someone said you caught something,” she said, with a curious look.
“It’s incredible,” he said, pulling her along by her hand.
The two of them looked down into the concrete pit where a bestial man of abnormal proportions rammed its shoulder against the wall over and over. Cracks formed with each hit, causing them to race along the wall in all directions. It howled in frustration, slamming both hands into the ground with futile rage. The sounds of its scream echoed through the chamber.
"It gives you the shivers doesn't it?" Eddy asked.
"That thing...it's a monster," Ivy said, her gaze fixed on it.
With an amused chuckle, Eddy looked at her and said, "It's not a monster. Monsters only exist in movies.”
“Tell me, Mister Scientist, what is it?” she asked.
“I don’t know, it’s a genetic mutation, or something. Maybe a product of chemical exposure in the womb, or incest. Either way, it’s not a monster.” His eyes scanned it with intense fascination.
"How can you say that?" she said, hand cupped over her mouth. "It's more animal than man?"
"Isn’t man just a civilized animal?" Eddy asked, still watching the thing in the pit. “Maybe this is the opportunity we’ve been waiting for.”
He turned to look at her, but he could tell she wasn't being swayed by his enthusiasm.
"What are you talking about?" she asked, turning to face him.
“Look at this thing,” he said. “It’s huge, and strong too.”
"You aren’t considering siccing this thing on Alpha Male, are you? Please tell me that’s not your plan."
"The Omegas were started to hurt that super prick. I lost my family due to his reckless behavior! A lot of us did!" Eddy said, his face contorted into a frown. “Why shouldn’t we?”
Ivy placed her hand on his shoulder and caught his eye. “You started the Omegas in an effort to bring comfort to those who had lost their families. You can’t use this…this thing to hurt him. How would you control it? You’ll just bring more pain to those you’re trying to protect.”
“No, we’re going to do this,” he said, brushing off her hand. Eddy walked passed her, heading towards to tunnel. “We’ll just do it some place secluded.”
“This is a major city, Eddy!” she said, rushing after him. “There aren’t many secluded places. How will you even get it there?”
“Relax,” he said. “We’ll drug it or something. It’ll be fine.”
“Eddy, don’t do this,” she said, stopping. “I can’t allow my people to be a part of this.”
Eddy stopped and turned back, angry. “Your people? What were you before I came along? Nothing but a useless statistic. The homeless women and children of this great city; little more than garbage. I feed you, clothe you, and do what I can to protect you. If you try to leave, you will be going alone, because they won't give up this life for you."
Eddy stared into her shocked eyes as they started to water. Her lower lip quivered as she fought back the tears. His own angry visage began to break down and he sighed.
"Look," he said, taking a step towards her. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and forced her eyes to meet his. "I'm sorry, but this is happening. This is what we've been waiting for. That mindless thing down there is very powerful. It might be as strong as Alpha Male himself. We can't let this opportunity go."
"What if it kills him?" Ivy asked.
"Then good," he said.
"You don't understand what I mean. What if it kills him and there's no one else to stop it?" she asked, her face pleading for his understanding.
"We'll deal with that when it comes," he said, walking off.
*****
"How old are you?" Alpha asked the young brunette before him. The
two of them stood on the small strip of grass outside her townhouse. In her hands was a small orange kitten, nestled against the woman's chest.
"Twenty-four," she answered with a straight, white smile.
"Eh, that's a little young for me typically," he said, leaning against the tree.
"I'll be twenty-five next month," she said, her smile turning to a sly grin.
"Well," he said. "What are you up to tomorrow?"
"Uh, nothing," she said.
"Well, I've got this thing tomorrow. How do you feel about black tie events?"
"Can we fly there?" she asked.
"How about we go for a fly afterwards," he said.
"Sounds good," she said, touching his arm. "What time?"
"7 PM, here," he said. "I'll pick you up."
"Excellent, I'll be here," she said. "Thanks for saving my cat."
"It was my pleasure," he said. "I never get tired of saving kittens for pretty ladies."
She giggled and waved goodbye to him. Alpha lifted himself into the air and flew up above the tree line of the neighborhood. The city’s skyscrapers stood tall in the hazy smog just over the river.
Grabbing his phone from his belt, he clicked the button to turn on the screen. A notification for a new message from Rose came up on the display.
"My office, now!" it read.
"Great," he said, flying off in the direction of the police station.
It took only a few minutes before the roof came into view. A few seconds after that, he saw her standing there, glaring at him, arms crossed.
"How may I help you?" he asked, descending to the roof next to her.
"You hear about Officer Reedy?" She asked, her face stern, her voice stoic.
"Um, no?"
“He’s in the hospital,” she said, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. She placed one in her mouth and fumbled with her lighter until she got the flame working long enough to inhale some relieving nicotine.
"Is he OK?" Alpha asked.
"He's stabilized, but that’s not why you're here," she said, inhaling deep again. "He said he was attacked by a man who used his mind to nearly crush him."
