Moments later dozens of blinding lights and just as many cameras were pointed at the conference table the Governing Board of Directors of the Variant people sat at, along with General Ferriday, General Howard, Lieutenant General Kent, and Colonel Bates. Behind that table, against the wall standing at military attention stood Lethal, Two, Scorn, Steel, Valor, and Nina. They all stood perfectly still with their helmets on.
General Ferriday stood from the table and walked over to a podium just to the right of the table, and addressed the camera as though he was speaking to a person.
“Thank you for joining us this morning. I am retired General Ferriday of the United States Army. With me today are General Howard, Lieutenant General Kent, and Colonel Bates. We are here today to bring to your attention, a travesty that has been visited upon our men and women in uniform over the last several years.”
From that point General Ferriday explained in detail how the men and women the Alliance had rescued had been physically changed. How their DNA had been manipulated and mixed with the DNA of predatory animals, both natural steroids and synthetic and various chemicals. He explained that their long term memory had been destroyed and most of them had no idea who they were or even what their names were. He explained that these men were turned into super soldiers, undefeatable on any battlefield. Fierce and more highly skilled than any had ever guessed. Then he dropped the bombshell on everyone watching. He informed them that these atrocities were carried out by members of their own government and military.
At that point General Howard took the podium. “Everything you will learn about here today has been approved as a military mission by myself and those who lead our military. Well, those who can be trusted that lead our military. We already have multiple individuals in custody, and we’re following every lead every mission turns up. That’s right, I’ve said mission. We’ve formed SOT teams of any who wished to participate. For those that don’t know, SOT stands for Strategic Offensive Team. As General Ferriday explained, these men are soldiers the likes of which have only been dreamed of in movies. The medical procedures and training have taken the core of who they are from them. But it left them with abilities that are before this point unheard of. And we’ve given them the opportunity to use those abilities against those that created them.
Those responsible for these atrocities are now on our radar. They’re being hunted by not only those of our military that stand with us, but by the very males they created. These males are no longer like you and I. They are Variant. They are Variant in their DNA makeup, in their mannerisms, in their skills, and in the fact that they no longer have a past. They will never again be who they once were, and for that reason, they’ve chosen the name Variant as the collective group of people that they are. There are females included in this group as well, some were military, some were not. We’ve been supporting the Variant people in their bids for freedom and for justice, and will continue to do so.”
Colonel Bates rose and moved to the podium. “I’m Colonel Bates, oversight for our elite trained personnel around the world. We’ve assisted the Variant people in liberating squads of males like themselves in many countries. To date, we’ve found more than twenty squads of captive males who were subjected to the torture and abuse these people have survived. We’ve found them in the United States, Europe, Russia, Asia, Africa, South America. We even found a squad in Switzerland. We’ve found facilities with males still in training that had not yet been sold. Yes, these males were sold to the highest bidder and forced to carry out anything their owners demanded. We want to bring them all home. We will continue to provide any support they need until we are absolutely sure we have freed every soldier at the mercy of those responsible for their captivity. These people served our country. And this is the thanks they were given.”
Lieutenant General Kent took his place at the podium. “I am Lieutenant General Kent. In simpler terms so that even the layperson can understand, I am in charge of all the intel kept on all the leaders around the world,” he said. He smiled into the camera. “That includes our country. I know more than I care to know. And I’m appalled at the things that have been uncovered here. I’ve given the Variant free access to all my dossiers. I’ve given them unfettered access to information on those they’ve identified as participating in any actions leading to their incarceration and subsequent abuse. I’ve even ordered my men to investigate those who hold high offices in our military and our government to be sure that when we take you down, we take all of you down. And make no mistake, we will take all of you down.”
General Ferriday took over the podium again. “Thank you, gentlemen, for your continued support and assistance. For now, I’d like to introduce you to some of the Variant people. If you’ll pan over to the conference table,” he said to the cameramen, “may I introduce Law. Law has been elected leader and representative of the Variant. Assisting Law in governing the Variant people are Stone, Roar, Worth, Ice, Rise, and Crave.” As each male was introduced, they raised their hand slightly for recognition. “Each of these males has been elected by their peers and since their inception have done a phenomenal job of providing a safe community for all who call it home.
Further to that, if you’ll pan this way again,” General Ferriday said. “We have one of our SOT teams here. They’ve agreed to be here today so that you could get a look at one of our teams. If you, the common citizen encounter one at any time, please do not be alarmed. They are professional at all times.”
“Unless they’re hunting. Then if you’re their target, you better hide,” Lieutenant General Kent remarked.
“Now, if there are any questions,” General Ferriday said, opening the floor for any and all of the press corps present to begin shouting questions.
Thirty minutes later the questions were still being asked. All of the military brass present, and Law, were standing at the podium and answering the questions that were fired at them as quickly as they could.
One of the reporters asked a question about Nina. “Is that a female on that SOT team?”
General Ferriday looked over his shoulder at Nina. “Yes. She is one of our Variant citizens and is far more deadly than most would like to admit.”
“Are their identities hidden? Can we speak to them?” another reporter asked.
Law looked back at Lethal.
Lethal removed his helmet, the rest of his team followed suit.
General Ferriday grinned at Lethal, knowing full well what he was about to say.
Lethal approached the podium, but passed it by, continuing to walk until he was almost touching the center camera focused on him. His team, including Nina, followed and stood right behind him. He didn’t smile, he didn’t bother with pleasantries. He simply spoke, his claws and fangs on display, his eyes jet black.
“Do you remember me, Waller?” he asked. “I am One. The first One. The strongest One. You created the basis of what I am today, of what we all are today. Squad A, your premier unit,” Lethal sneered. “All the pain, all the abuse, all the relentless training, all the cruelty, was not wasted. It’s now a part of us, and it’s being refocused on you.” Lethal smiled coldly. “But we’re stronger now, more well trained than you ever imagined us being. You will see for yourself very soon — you and everyone aligned with you will fall. You took our lives from us, our identities. We will take so much more from you. We know who you are. We know where you are. We’re coming for you,” Lethal finished on a growl.
Then he stepped back and took his place among Two, Steel, Valor, Scorn, and Nina. The males were all displaying claws, fangs and flashing eyes of amber or black, dependent on which animal’s DNA they’d gotten the most of. The cameraman was completely unnerved, but managed to get it together enough to film Lethal and his team as they turned and left the press conference.
Once they were gone, the attention returned to the military brass, Law and the Governing Board who now stood in the places that Lethal and his team had vacated as they tried their best to answer a new exp
losion of questions.
<<<<<<<>>>>>>>
Somewhere many, many miles away in the basement laboratory Dr. Waller had been driven to when forced to abandon his flagship lab in Minnesota, he watched the press conference that had been touted as the most publicized information to be released in the last century. And he’d scoffed at the high powered brass gathered there to condemn his actions when he knew full well some of those equal to them were his best customers. When they’d introduced Law and said that he was the elected representative of the Variant people, he’d laughed. “I made you! Now you think you deserve your own designation?” he shouted at Law. Variant… they’d even made up a name for themselves, like they deserved to be anything but weapons.
“You should thank me! Every single one of you!” he yelled at the T.V. “You’d be nothing without me!” he grouched, throwing the remote at the T.V. mounted on the wall in his office.
But then, his smirk fell when at the end of the press conference a squad of Variant removed their helmets and stepped forward. He recognized them immediately. He swallowed nervously when One stepped forward and called him out by name, staring into the camera as though he could see through it. He knew what they were capable of. They’d been the best he’d ever made. No matter how hard he’d tried, he’d not been able to replicate the results that he’d reached with this squad. And now the entire fucking squad was free, and they were after him. They were hunting him. It was time to disassemble and disappear again.
From The Author
Thank you for purchasing this book. I hope that my stories make you smile and give you a small escape from the daily same ole/same ole. I write for me, simply for the joy of it, but if someone else smiles as a result, even better. Your support is greatly appreciated. If you liked this story, please remember to leave a review wherever you bought it, so that more people can find my books. Each review is important, no matter how short or long it may be.
See you in the pages of the next one!
Sandra R Neeley
Other books by this author:
Avaleigh’s Boys series
I’m Not A Dragon’s Mate!, Book 1
Bane’s Heart, Book 2
Kaid’s Queen, Book 3
Maverik’s Ashes, Book 4
Bam’s Ever, Book 5
Vince’s Place, Book 6
Halloween Treats, Avaleigh’s Boys Holiday Short
Whispers From the Bayou series
Carnage, Book 1
Destroy, Book 2
Enthrall, Book 3
Lore, Book 4
Murder, Book 5
Haven series
Haven 1: Ascend
Haven 2: Redemption
Haven 3: Transcend
Riley’s Pride
Riley’s Pride, Book 1
Richie’s Promise, Book 2
Standalone Novels
WINGS
Short Stories and Novella’s
CAT
Only Fools Walk Free
Safe On Base: A Howls Romance
Blessed Curse
(Released as part of the E.V.I.E. anthology)
About the Author
My name is Sandra R Neeley. I write Paranormal, SciFi, and Fantasy Romances. Why? Because normal is highly overrated. I’m 56, I have two kids, one 34 and one 14(yes, God does have a sense of humor), one grandchild, one husband and a menagerie of animals. I love to cook, and was a voracious reader, though since I started writing, I don’t get as much time to read as I once did. I’m a homebody and prefer my writing/reading time to a crowd. I have had stories and fictional characters wandering around in my head for as long as I can remember. I’m a self-published author and I like it that way because I can decide what and when to write. I tend to follow my muse — the louder the voice, the greater the chance that voice’s story is next.
I am by no means a formal, polished, properly structured individual and neither are my stories. But people seem to love the easy emotion and passion that flow from them. A bit of a warning though, there are some “triggers” in them that certain people should avoid. I’m a firm believer that you cannot have light without the dark. You cannot fully embrace the joy and elation that my people eventually find if you do not bear witness to their darkest hours as well. So please read the warnings supplied with each of the synopsis about my books before you buy them. I’ve got four series published at this time, Avaleigh’s Boys - PNR, Whispers From the Bayou - Fantasy PNR, Haven - SciFi Romance, and Riley’s Pride - PNR, a couple of standalone novels, several short stories, and much, much more to come. I’m always glad to hear from my readers, so feel free to look me up and say hello.
You can find me at any of these places:
[email protected]
https://www.sneeleywrites.com
https://www.sneeleywrites.com/contact
https://www.sneeleywrites.com/blog
https://www.facebook.com/authorsandrarneeley/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/755782837922866/
https://www.amazon.com/Sandra-R-Neeley/e/B01M65OZ1J/
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