Broken Dreams

by Rissa Blakeley

  “Get your useless arse up. Pack your shit. Meeting in five minutes in the conference room.” Gunther turned on a dime and walked down the cold, sterile white hall. Liam rubbed his out-of-control hair for a second.

  “What did he say?” Gabriel groggily jumped off of the top bunk. He, too, pulled on his black track pants over his boxers.

  “Pack my shit.” He grabbed his pack and neatly filled it with all of his possessions, which was next to nothing. There were a few clothes, his journals and, the most important item, the picture of his five-year-old self with his mother. He looked at the picture for a brief moment and then stuffed it in the pocket of his pants.

  “Where are you going?”

  “Haven’t a clue. Out of here, I hope.” Gabriel held out his hand and Liam shook it. “Thanks for helping me when I needed it.”

  “Yeah. No problem. See you around…I suppose.”

  “Yeah.” Liam walked out of his dorm room with a flutter in his stomach. He stood outside of his door and looked down toward Sophie’s room. His chest ached, knowing that he may have to leave her.

  Liam felt gutted.

  He turned and headed toward the conference room as instructed, wondering where he was going and what the fuck was going on. He hoped that if he was leaving the complex, Gabriel would take care of Sophie because he knew how Liam felt about her.

  As Liam reached the conference room, he paused at the door. He almost felt as if he was walking into an ambush. He rapped on the door, and Gunther yanked it open with his usual enthusiasm. “Come in and sit.” Gunther stepped away from the door, and Liam saw that everyone was there…Gunther, Drew, Kellan, and Roger. The four assholes with a major case of the head-fucks.

  The conference room was quite a large, posh room. The glass table stretched from one end of the room to the other with ten large, plush black leather chairs pushed up against it. The walls were covered with mahogany panels, and acid-washed concrete covered the floor. Those luxuries, which were a stark contrast to the rest of the complex, were something Liam wasn’t used to.

  He quietly sat down in the chair Gunther waved to, which just so happened to be right next to him. Great, he thought. He prepared himself mentally for a physical blow or two.

  Roger was staring at him, with his usual dark and hollow eyes, from the head of the table. He sat forward, bracing his weight with his elbows on the long conference table. He steepled his hands in front of his mouth and quietly tapped his fingers together. Liam didn’t break his stare. Instead, he held it with zero effort. Roger threw him a smug grin after a few minutes of the ego-filled contest. Finally, Roger decided to address him.

  “After speaking with everyone in this room at great length, I have decided you are fit for the job. At first, I wasn’t on board because you seem to have a slight…issue with authority. But, for some bloody reason, I have agreed to allow you to be the one who makes this whole program come to fruition. Do you understand?” Liam firmly nodded once. “I expect your full cooperation, or you will pay the consequences. This job is of the utmost importance to me and to the program.”

  Kellan quietly slid a folder and a cell phone at Liam. “Here is your new phone. Roger’s, Drew’s, mine, and Gunther’s contact information is already pre-programmed. You are to answer when any one of us calls, no matter what time of day it is. I don’t care if you are fucking some bird’s brains out. You answer the motherfucking phone. Clear?” Liam nodded.

  Kellan continued, “Here are your papers to get into the USA and live as an American citizen. From the moment you board the plane, you are to speak with your American accent at all times. You will live with Harold and Margaret Daniels as their son. They have already been briefed and are living in the States. They’re just waiting for the stork to drop your sorry arse on their doorstep.” Liam looked at each sheet of paper as they were pushed at him.

  “How did you get me citizenship? I’ve never been there.”

  “I have my ways. You will act as if you are home from university until you find a job. But, as we all know, you are too fucking stupid to attend university.” Kellan grinned at Liam. Laughter filled the room.

  “If I’m so fucking stupid, why would you trust me with such an important task?” he growled.

  Gunther grabbed him by the back of the neck. “Shut your gob, lad,” Gunther said in a gruff voice. Roger smirked and leaned back in his chair with his hands behind his head. Conflict was one of his favorite things, especially when there was no resolution for the weaker party.

  “I am trusting you with this mission because you know that we will hunt your arse down and make you obey. Plain and simple, yeah?” Kellan smirked at the thought of hunting Liam down. He looked down at the thick, two-inch scar on the underside of his forearm. Liam looked back up at Roger when he heard Roger chuckle.

  “Have I shown one lick of fear with any one of you?” Liam deadpanned everyone in the room. “No, I don’t think I have. And, if my memory serves me right, every time you beat me, I was tied up to a fucking chair! I have beaten every recruit here, blindfolded, on more than one occasion.” Roger smiled. He almost looked proud, but then his face shifted and fire overtook his hollow eyes.

  “If you do not obey, I will personally hunt down every-fucking-one you come in contact with and torture them in my very own personal way. I will make them pay for your trespasses. We all know you have a bleeding heart.” Roger’s lips curled up into a smirk. “I fancy that Sophie quite a bit.”

  “You stay the fuck away from her!” Liam spat his anger-rich words at him.

  Roger leaned toward Liam. “Try and stop me, bleeder.” His eyes danced with danger. Liam wasn’t going to let anything happen to Sophie. He had protected her for years.

  “I’m not going.” Liam stood up to leave, only to have Gunther push him back into the chair.

  “This is not an optional mission, and there is no negotiation. This is a direct order,” Roger growled.

  “If you so much as harm one bloody hair on her head, I will kill every-fucking-one of you. Am I clear?” Laughter erupted throughout the room again. It was more humiliation for Liam, but he didn’t allow it to outwardly faze him.

  “Well, isn’t this priceless? We should have videoed this for entertainment purposes later on.” Roger chuckled at Liam’s seething. “Continue, Kellan.”

  “Here is your degree in phlebotomy.” Kellan continued to hand Liam paperwork from the folder. “This is the New York Blood Bank. We own it now. You can get your supply from there, once you start working there. Until then, you are on your own. The bank is already well established with employees. Approximately two months after your arrival, you will step in as manager, but you will continue to be an active phlebotomist.”

  Liam worried about his cover being blown with the whole management angle. He could barely manage himself, let alone an entire blood bank and employees. Then he worried how he would get his supply prior to that. He thought that maybe he would have to jack the blood bank and steal his supply. He refocused his wandering mind when Kellan spoke again.

  “Once you move out of your ‘mummy’s and daddy’s’ after two months, you will stay in active contact with them. Also, when you arrive at JFK, Xander Mead, who is working as a fixer for us, will be there with your vehicle and your cache of weapons. He is clueless about the weapons and thinks you are a collector. He will help you find a flat when the time comes, if you wish, and give you any information you need about the area. He doesn’t know about the program. He just thinks he is part of a procurement team. He will only be in the area until you go out on your own. We have him set to fly south to set up Gunther.”

  Liam looked at Gunther, who looked back at him with a ridiculous smirk. Liam shook his head because he knew exactly what that would lead to.

  “He will be available in a heartbeat to take care of you if you so much as blink wrong. Are we clear?” Liam firmly nodded once again. “Once you have your own place, Xander will deliver the virus to you. Again, he won’t know what’
s going on. He will just think it’s a package from your lovely family back in the UK.” Another chuckle rolled throughout the room. “Instructions for proper storage will be in the box. You are to form alliances and create an ‘army’, so to speak, who will fight with you. That means you will have to make friends, Liam. We know how difficult that will be for you.” Yet another jab, and even more laughter from the four head-fucks. Kellan nodded at Roger, signaling that he was finished.

  “You have two years from…” Roger looked at his Omega. “…tomorrow.” He grinned. “Once your job is complete, you are to head south toward Gunther. Once we see him heading north, we will send out a ship to collect your arses from the South Port in North Carolina. You are to eliminate anyone in your group, as they may have too much knowledge of the program by then.”

  Liam looked at Roger with some confusion. “Why so far south?”

  Roger slammed his fist down on the glass top table, rattling it from one end to the other. He gritted his teeth. “Why are you questioning me?! What happens when you question me? Or have you forgotten? Because I surely am in the mood to fucking remind you!”

  “Let’s just get this finished so he doesn’t miss the flight, boss,” Drew said as he nodded at Roger, then handed Liam the one document that he was holding. “This is your financials. We will deposit money every month for you to live on.” Liam looked at the balance and nearly choked. He never had two pennies to rub together, let alone several million pounds. “Use it as you see fit. Buy supplies that you will need, more ammo, weapons, people… Do what you have to do to get it going.”

  “Your plane leaves in two hours. There will be a cabbie here in less than ten minutes to take you to the airport,” Kellan added.

  “I want to say goodbye to Sophie,” Liam said so quiet that it was almost inaudible.

  “No time for that. Head out front immediately.”

  He sat there for a second, looking around the room, and then got up. He headed out toward the front of the complex, passing several fellow recruits who looked at him in a curious way. Liam raised one hand in an attempt to wave goodbye, but there was no response. Instead, heavy whispers filled the quiet in the hall behind him.

  Liam pushed open the glass front door and stepped out onto the damp sidewalk. He stood outside under the awning, waiting for the inevitable. The cool drizzle in the air made him shiver. He looked over at one of the benches in the small courtyard off to the side of the entrance. Sophie found him there many times after he had gotten shitfaced and passed out. He looked back toward the dorm room windows, focusing on Sophie’s. He thought about the night they lost their virginity together in that very room. He shook his head and sighed.

  Liam hoped that he could grab a drink, or five, while on the plane. He felt he needed it to shut down the chatter that echoed through his mind. He kept hearing the venom in all the head-fucks’ voices as they would call out his name. At that moment, he decided he was going to go by Henry, his now stated middle name.

  He hated the name Liam, hated everything about it and everything it stood for. He hated the way Liam sounded rolling off of Roger’s tongue. Plus, he hated the life Liam lived. He wanted to start fresh and hoped he could rid his tainted mind of all the head-fucks’ voices. Changing how he was addressed could be the key to some peace that he needed.

  From that point forward, he was Henry.

  He looked back when he heard the front doors of the complex burst open.

  “Liam!” Sophie was running to him, crying. She grabbed him and pulled him into an unyielding hug. “I heard they are making you leave. I had to find you. Please, please stay!” she cried into his neck. He held her tight, running his hand through her blonde ponytail that was pulled back from her slender face.

  “I can’t. I tried. They won’t let me stay,” Henry said, just above a whisper.

  “I’m scared.” Those words made his heart ache. If she was scared, then he should be fucking terrified over leaving her behind.

  “Someone will protect you.” He held her with one hand on her back and one hand on the back of her neck. He inhaled her scent one last time. She smelled of citrus body lotion. He let out a loud exhale, trying to suppress what he feared most...his emotions. She pulled away, knowing he was struggling and held his face in her cool hands. It was a comforting gesture.

  “Call me any time,” she said and he nodded. Sophie stood strong, even though she was scared. This was something he needed to do himself. She kissed him on the cheek. “Take care of yourself.” The cabbie pulled up. “I love you, Liam.” Her hands slid down his muscular shoulders to his hands.

  “Love you, too. Call me Henry from now on, please.” She looked at him with confusion, but she didn’t question it. He started to walk away, but she wouldn’t let go of his hands. He had a thought of taking her with him, but he didn’t know how he would do it. “‘Bye, Sophie.”

  “‘Bye, Li -- Henry,” she choked out as she let go of him. She held her hands over her mouth. He got into the cab and put his head into his hands. He knew she was in trouble. The guilt had already crept into his tainted mind. It would haunt him forever.

  “Where you off to?” the cabbie asked.

  “Airport.”

  “Leaving your lady friend?” Henry looked up at him.

  “You could say that,” he mumbled. The cabbie turned around and pulled away. Henry rested his head back and shut his eyes for a moment, trying to hold back his emotions.

  Roger was correct. He did have a bleeding heart.

  -October 2012-

  That fateful day was like every other day for Henry. He found a place to hang out and observe the people around him. Some days it was the coffee shop; others, the bar. Sometimes he would watch people at the gym; at other times, he would peruse the aisles of stores, pretending to be interested in what they were selling.

  He was still looking for more physically and mentally strong individuals to recruit for the task that he had been given. His instructions were to form alliances. That way, he would have people to fight alongside him when everything unfolded. He still had so much more planning to do.

  He felt that he had befriended quite a few people who would fit the role. There were several men from the gym that qualified, a couple from his place of employment at the blood bank, and a few more at the bar he frequented more than he would care to admit. But he needed more people if he wanted a fair shot. Plus, he wanted some females in his little army, as well.

  Henry walked into a locally owned bookshop in his neighborhood that he had seen during his usual stalking sessions. The shop was quite popular in the area so he felt he may find someone worthy in there. He usually hit up the big chain further into the city to buy his reading material, but he thought he would try the smaller shop for a change.

  How ironic, he thought. He was hanging out in a bookshop when he didn’t have much more than an eighth grade education. He was street smart, and could rock a businessman persona with ease and believability.

  In his off time, when he wasn’t working out, stalking innocent people, or at the firing range keeping himself fresh, he would read educational material until the words blurred together. He felt like he was doing a halfway decent job of educating himself. There was no purpose behind it except that it was something he wanted to do for himself. Everything else that he did was for the program; educating himself was just for him.

  He walked up and down the compact, book-laden aisles, not really seeing what was on the shelves. A woman, who he pegged to be in her late forties, came around the end cap and approached him. “Good morning!” Her tone had an air of insincerity. Plus, she was ridiculously cheerful for nine a.m., considering the night he had. The whiskey had flowed more free than usual the night before. He wasn’t sure if he had it in him to throw out a bogus jovial impression.

  “Morning.” Henry returned the smile, but it was much less sincere than hers. He had on a black Nike ball cap, pulled down tight over his eyes. He didn’t want to be remembered for his chemica
l-laden emerald green eyes.

  He always wore nondescript clothing, as well. They were all designer, but only ever in a palette of navy, white, gray, or black. He looked fit in any clothing he wore. His charcoal gray hoodie was near taut over his broad shoulders and chest. He worked hard to stay in shape, and worked daily to add on more muscle at the gym. So far, he was rather successful and quite proud of everything below his neck. Above it? That was an entirely different story.

  Henry’s dark brown beard had grown into more than a five o’clock shadow. Between the hat and the beard, he felt he was hidden enough.

  “Is there anything I can help you find?” Her fake chipper voice was chapping his ass. Normally, he would have said that he was all set, but her insincerity made him want to fuck with her just a tiny bit.

  “Hmmm…” He tapped his forefinger on his lips. “You know, I am looking for something for my girlfriend’s birthday today. She is thinking about jumping on the bandwagon of vampire and zombie romances, and post-apocalyptical dystopian-style reads. I thought I would pick her up a couple so she could decide what she would like.” He hoped that sounded convincing.

  Henry hadn’t had a real girlfriend in a while, not since he left England. For the most part, he would partake in one-night stands, or a quickie in the back room of the bar he frequented. Although he did date one clingy psycho for about a month, he got out of that as soon as she started asking too many questions.

  “Right,” she said. The great toothy grin and irritated tone in her voice spoke volumes. “Well, there are several selections that I can show you. Follow me.” She turned around, and he smirked about the zombie romance. It was a nice private joke.

  The sales associate, or possibly the owner, showed him a selection of books. He claimed that he couldn’t decide so he would purchase all of them. What did he care, considering that it wasn’t his dime? She pointed out the cash register, and he headed in that direction at a slow pace. He paused at the art history section and thumbed through a few books. He was truly interested because it was one subject that he hadn’t dove into yet. He decided to grab one of those, as well.