by A. R. Ford
“How do you propose to gather everything you’ll need in that amount of time?” Joseph asked. The man was genuinely confused about our host's ability to procure needed items on short notice.
“Baron has his ways.” My explanation brought Joseph’s nod. “All we need to do is prepare for the team’s departure.”
The next few days were spent with all of us working together to prepare the team for their trip to the mainland. Maps were generated. Supplies loaded. We retrieved weapons, ammunition, and armor from Baron’s warehouses scattered around Jade Island. Two transports were loaded. Each one was assigned a pilot, and crew. The day of departure drew near. It gave us a final time to review every bit of information in the underground bunker. Joseph reminded us of the necessity of creating a contingency plan.
“Contingency plan?” I asked.
“What happens if the transports are damaged, or the pilots are unable to fly the crafts? You should consider all options. I apologize for mentioning this, but my AI has identified it as a possible fatal error.” Joseph bowed in that strange way of his. None of us could fault him for identifying a much-needed part of the plan.
“I’ll go. I’ve been to the area where the Walker family lives.” Volunteering was a double-edged sword. It would assist the mission. It also meant leaving Emmy behind. My hope was Emmy would not fault me for going with them.
On a sunny Monday, after summer faded into fall, the transports launched from the landing pad on Baron’s estate, with no difficulties. I left Emmy sleeping alone in bed with a letter I wrote explaining why I needed to accompany the team on the mission. I prayed she would understand, and tolerate my absence with few, if any, ill effects.
The pulsing tendril told a different story. Emmy was confused, hurt, and lonely.
Hours later, we landed on a plateau left behind by a mining operation. It placed us close to Prison One, on what was once the Virginia-Kentucky state line.
The terrain held us back. A thick morass of vines, and mountain laurel, grew between the location where the transport landed, and the prison. It took machetes to hack through the herbage. One bone-jarring whack, after another. Each man took turns. Continuing without a break was as torturous as breaking concrete with a sledgehammer. By the end of the first day, I had a much-improved respect for the people who thrived in this area. They were tougher than any of us knew.
It took a week of back-breaking labor to make it to the first prison. The gates of the chain-link fence stood open. The yard was overgrown with briars, and weeds. Our group proceeded with caution upon seeing the front entrance standing open. Smashed windows, and computers, contributed shards of glass on the concrete floor that crunched with each step taken. Signs of life existed. Trash. Medical supplies. Food that expired long ago. Signs of combat. Everything, from bullet holes in the walls, to the distinctive marking of explosive devices, and blood stains. It was difficult to tell how long the prison lay deserted. Cobwebs clung to the usual areas where spiders go to build webs. A thick layer of dust lay on all exposed surfaces. After an hours-long search, the team found the facility was deserted.
The transport rose in the air. It took several hours to locate Prison Two. We made camp on the site where the transport landed. I radioed Baron with a report. “We explored prison one. It was empty. No signs of life.”
Baron’s disconnected voice came through the headset. His somber face stared back at me from the monitor. “What are your plans for tomorrow?”
“We plan on visiting Prison Two. How is everyone doing?” My concern with Emmy continued to grow. The first few days were the easiest. A manageable level of dissonance filtered through my end of the tendril. It increased with each passing hour.
“Hailey is pacing the floors, and nesting more than ever before. Dr. Morris tells us she may deliver within the next few weeks. Emmy is in your room,” Baron sighed, the hissing breath amplified. “She hasn’t been out of the room since you left. Are you certain tagging along with the recon mission was the wisest decision?”
My head came to rest against the seat. Eyes closed, I willed Emmy to understand my reasons for coming with the recon mission. “I hope she’ll understand.”
“I’ll give her your love,” Baron responded. “Give me the report as soon as you can tomorrow. I’ll be standing by.”
“Roger that.” I yanked the headset off before slamming it against the instrument panel of the transport.
Worry distracted me from our purpose when our team moved to prison two. My distraction over Emmy worsened as my end of the tendril writhed with Omega distress. We explored the prison. An exact replica of the first prison, it was empty. More recent marks of bullets, and lasers, on the interior, and exterior of the building were visible. Skeletal remains clad in One World jumpsuits. The medical bay was nearly empty. A report lay on a desk near the entrance. A stamped Top Secret in red on the cover drew my attention.
The information contained in the report horrified me. Beta Hemorrhagic Syndrome, or BHS as the report termed it. A fatal disease impacting only Betas. One World had played with the disease, trying to morph it into a biological weapon that could be used on every person in the world. Alphas. Omegas. Betas. Fortune smiled on the world. Their efforts failed. BHS could only infect Betas.
Further investigation into the desk, and other cabinets in the medical bay, revealed the mother lode. One vial, clearly marked BHS Sample BM128. It remained in several zip-locked bags for obvious reasons. I prayed the gods would allow us to use this against One World.
On the way out of the building, near the command center, I spied a map on the wall. A very distinctive map of the area. Two red dots marked locations that I knew were the locations of the prisons. The third green mark was located in what I expected would be near what once was the Virginia-District of Columbia line. I ripped the map from the wall, folded it, and stuffed it into the inner pocket of my fatigues.
Regardless of the small amount of information we gained, our men were headed home with nearly nothing of value. I walked with the commander as we headed toward the transports. The ambush caught us unawares when we walked, single file, through a path in a narrow gulley. Less than a hundred yards from the transports, One World opened fire.
I reacted automatically. Hitting the ground, and crawling for cover. It was a standoff. At least, that’s what I thought until a One World grenade flew through the air toward our location. Rafe ran toward the grenade, covering it with his big body. The muffled detonation brought my roar of grief, and rage. The power of it lifted Rafe’s body a few inches off the ground.
In the confusion that followed, our men narrowly overwhelmed One World’s forces. While my team dispatched each and every one of One World’s men with a shot to the head, I made my way toward Rafe. His body rolled easily. Blood, and viscera, smudged the ground, and Rafe’s shirt. He refused to wear body armor on the mission. It was his choice. It did not ease the grief.
“Rafe, why?” I growled at his ear.
He coughed, bloody sputum frothing on his lips. “To make things right. You have to make it back to Emmy. She needs you.” He caught my hand, fingers digging in as he spoke. “One World. They’re all Betas. Remember that.”
“Hold on, we can make it back to Dr. Morris. You’ll be okay.” My assurances sounded flat. I wondered if Rafe felt the same. There was too much blood pooling on the ground around him. Seeping into the thirsty earth as my friend lay dying. Already, his hand was growing cold.
He coughed again, hand clutching my body armor. “You tell them I died doing the right thing. That’s all any of us can do. Now, get back to Emmy. One World is coming. Never doubt that.” His hand relaxed. It fell onto the ground. The light faded in my friend’s eyes.
There was no night radio transmission. I insisted we bury Rafe at the base of a massive oak tree before the transports took off. The team searched One World’s operatives for any useful items. We came up empty-handed. As always, they were one step in front of us, or two steps behind. But always ou
t of reach. But we had the new map, and the BHS sample. Rafe’s words echoed in my mind.
One World. They’re all Betas. Remember that.
The transports moved through the night air. Frosty fall air made the night ride chilly. I waited until we were a safe distance from the mainland before radioing Baron. Emmy answered, her tear-streaked face appearing on the monitor.
“Evan?” Her voice rose hysterically until she saw my face. Her face disappeared. All I could hear was soft sobs.
“Emmy, we’re on our way back. One World attacked us at the last location. I’m okay. Talk to me, precious.”
Her face reappeared. Her eyes were red. Those spikey, wet lashes were adorable even with the fuzzy image on the COMM screen. “Hailey had a baby boy. That’s one reason Baron isn’t here.”
A chuckle burst free at her statement. “And what’s the other reason?”
“Because I demanded that he let me talk to you. I miss you. When will you be back?” she sighed, chin coming to rest in the palm of one hand. “It’s cold in the big bed without you. I can’t sleep.”
“We are a few hours offshore. Will you meet me at the landing pad?” I desperately wanted to calm her. Through calming her I could calm myself before telling everyone Rafe was dead.
The remainder of the flight was somber. Some of the men napped. Others maintained their weapons. The rumble of conversation came randomly. The mission commander read through the report on BHS. I kept my eyes forward, watching for the lights of Jade Island, and the mansion.
“Final approach, sir. We’re five minutes out,” the pilot advised me.
Nothing prepared me to see Emmy standing a few feet from the launch pad. Baron, Vito, and Joseph stood with her. They approached only after the transport’s engines shut down. Emmy ran at a furious pace to close the distance between us. She launched herself into my arms. I held her, inhaling the sweet scent of my Omega while her tears wet my chest. The second transport landed not far from the first. After everyone disembarked, Baron glanced at me. The question was clearly visible in his eyes.
“I need to give you some bad news. Rafe didn’t make it. We were ambushed this afternoon. He kept a grenade from taking all of us out. We buried him there.” My response to Baron’s unspoken question was received poorly. None of the men spoke.
Emmy gasped, her hand going to her mouth. “No! Not Rafe!” Tears trickled down her face. I held her hand while the mission commander continued with his report.
“And a fatal disease affecting only Betas has been discovered. Beta Hemorrhagic Syndrome. Apparently, the infected have flu-like symptoms, then begin drowning in their own blood. Death occurs within forty-eight, to seventy-two hours of the onset of symptoms. We didn’t find any evidence of One World, or those held in the prisons. The ambush was our only encounter.”
“That’s what killed my family. The symptoms are spot on,” Emmy offered. “I thought they had a bad cold, or an infection of some kind. They said they couldn’t breathe.”
The remaining crew began to unload the transports. An arm around Emmy’s shoulders communicated my support. She was fond of Rafe after having forgiven him for offenses committed in the past. His death would, no doubt, cause her pain. “We should get into bed, Emmy. Both of us are exhausted.” She obeyed my suggestion, without resistance.
Once in our room, Emmy shared something with me. Her fingers drumming on my chest, the words were leisurely spoken while peeking through long lashes at me. “Will we have our own home one day?”
“We will. I don’t want to place us in any danger until One World is dealt with.” A thumb came to rest on Emmy’s full lower lip. “Does the answer please you?”
“Mmhmm.” A kiss placed in the center of my chest assured me she was content with my response. Emmy shared another tidbit of information. “I felt the baby move. Dr. Morris says you should feel him move, soon.”
“Him?”
“I’m giving you a son first. We can have a daughter later on.” She yawned, head coming to rest on my chest. One slender hand curled around my bicep, possessively.
I wanted nothing more than to sleep with Emmy in my arms. Another realization came when her silken limbs intertwined with mine, an ear pressed against my chest as I purred. I had fallen in love with my Omega.
“Emmy?”
“Yes?” A drowsy, contented Omega raised her head, heavy-lidded eyes finding, and holding, my gaze.
“I love you.”
Chapter 11
Emmy
I love you.
Three words filled my heart with joy. Evan’s eyes were wide. His brows raised. He looked surprised.
“I think I’ve always loved you, Evan.”
Large hands lifted me upward until our faces were within inches. Much smaller hands cupped his face. The differences in our physical stature were vast. Yet, we fit together as if custom made for one another. Nosing Evan’s face, my eyes closed with the utter bliss of the moment. The tendril hummed with pure white energy. The energy only produced by a perfect Alpha, and Omega, couple.
Hailey told me as much. She referred to the massive amount of research she had conducted for our history when speaking of the pair bond. She spoke of its perfection after she and Baron realized their love for one another. Only Vito and Eliane managed to find the phenomenon, without difficulty.
“Why were they different from us?” I asked Hailey.
“Eliane embraced her status as an Omega. She did not fight the natural urges of her estrus. Vito claimed her with her full consent. That is how it should be,” Hailey replied. “All of this was lost when the Omegas went into hiding.”
The intricacies of Evan’s purr became evident at that moment. A different pitch, and volume, rumbled in his chest. A sigh of complete bliss fell from my lips. We were one, on all levels.
A tender kiss brought our lips together. This was not a kiss of passion. It was one of love, and unity. When it ended, my head came to rest on Evan’s chest. Massive arms tightened around my body, perfectly embracing me.
We fell asleep that way. The warm fuzziness of utter bliss surrounding us. In hindsight, I should have realized things would not remain that way forever.
The next morning a sense of urgency overwhelmed the mansion. After we ate breakfast, Evan insisted that I join the group assembled in the underground bunker, or the UB as the men began calling it.
“It isn’t called the underground bunker any longer. You know how men are with their hip abbreviations.” Evan chuckled at his own humor before coaching me on how to say the bunker’s name properly. “Say it like you would the word you, but add a B at the end. You-b.”
“Youb.” The word rolled off my tongue easily. “But it’s spelled U-B, not y-o-u-b.”
“Exactly,” Evan congratulated. “Now, let’s get to the bunker. I have something I want you all to see.”
Nearly everyone gathered in the bunker. Hailey and Eliane elected to stay in the mansion with the baby. We had scarcely gathered there before Joseph dashed down the steps, his white hair a mess, and blue eyes wide.
“We have a problem, Mr. Michaels,” he announced. “One of the Omegas is demonstrating signs of early estrus. We must do something.”
“Gods! We’ll have a bloodbath on our hands,” Baron growled. “What do you suggest?”
I couldn’t help but speak up. After the utter bliss of finding harmony in my relationship with Evan, I knew how important it was. “You should allow the Omega to select her mate. If you don’t, it will delay the benefit of the pair bond.”
Evan sighed heavily when I spoke. “Forgive Emmy for being overly zealous.”
The fluttering in my belly brought a gasp. A hand placed there did nothing to calm the baby. It did, however, strengthen my resolve to be heard.
“I’m not overly zealous! Don’t treat me like a child.” Facing Evan, I did my best to convince him, as well as Baron. “Think about what happened last night, Evan. Something changed between us. You pushed me away at first. I was lost. I wan
ted to die without you. And you had not claimed me, yet. But I felt it, here.” The palm of one hand slapped against my chest for emphasis. “Then, you claimed me. We’ve grown, and learned how to love each other. Last night proved that. The tendril was different. It was in harmony with our love.”
“Emmy, please,” Evan chided.
“No! I know what I’m talking about.” I whirled on him, eyes narrowed, finger pointed in his direction. “I loved you before, Evan, but I doubted you. After last night, I no longer doubt you.” My eyes pinned him down. Evan shifted his weight from one foot, to the other. “Tell Baron how the tendril feels, now. What is it saying to you?”
Baron chuckled at Evan’s apparent discomfort. “Don’t worry, Evan, I feel the same with Hailey, now. It took us long enough to get there. I feel this gentle white energy. It’s almost as if the sun burrowed into the center of my chest. Is that what you felt last night?”
Evan sniggered before scooping me up in his arms. He held me gently, nuzzling my ear before sighing. “Yes, of course, I did. Something changed. Perhaps, absence does make the heart grow fonder.”
Once standing on my own two feet, I turned toward Baron, again. “You’ll let the Omega select her mate from the men that serve you, and Evan?”
“Absolutely,” Baron agreed. “To do otherwise would sully the work Hailey has completed on our history, and what we all have learned about the Alpha-Omega pair bond.”
Joseph turned as if to leave. He turned to face Baron; hands crossed at his back. “How will we manage a horde of rutting Alphas? The situation could very well end up with unnecessary bloodshed.”
“We will use Beta guards. The Omega will be separated from the Alpha by a sturdy partition. Only one-on-one encounters until the Omega selects her mate. That should manage the situation given there are no feral Alphas among our men,” Baron offered. “Joseph, can you set this up? Use the unused room for the Omega’s room. The area should allow for better control of who enters, or leaves.”
Joseph bowed. “Very good, Mr. Michaels. Thank you. The Omegas will be more at ease when they hear of this development.” The odd Beta everyone grew fond of, vacated the UB to attend to the situation.
