by Piper Stone
“The chancellor wanted the strongest to survive.”
“Perhaps. The rest of us, soldiers, mercenaries, men with families and jobs, we were all banded together. Somehow the men responsible for building our city knew who to select. Don’t ask me how. I think we were all tagged in a certain way. That’s all I can figure out. After we were freed or for those who escaped, there was underground information passed, coordinates given. We figured the rest out from there.” He chuckled, staring off into the sky. “Like cattle going home.”
“But not Gunner.”
He gave me a sly smile. “That should have tipped us off.”
I thought about his words, the way the chancellor had maneuvered everything. The asshole was a brilliant con man.
“You were programmed just like the omegas. Their methods were brutal but effective, breaking you down to little more than human flesh.” I would never forget the horrors.
“My belief is that the rulers of the huntsmen volunteered to take the serum, never planning on being turned into primal beasts,” Montana said, his head held high.
“If they are as educated and powerful as you all seem to believe, then they could have planned your city years before, a refuge against the decisions made by the government.”
Montana winked. “You’re pretty smart for an omega.”
“You forget who my father was and what I did for a living.”
“No, I’ll never forget that, Ms. Attorney.” His laugh was genuine.
“What’s your city like?”
“I’ve stayed there for days at a time, the security packs always moving, but it’s impressive. There are refurbished homes, streams of fresh water, and people are happy. There are gardens, mass productions of other foods as well including livestock. Those in charge also designed certain methods of protection that will surprise you. You will be happy there.”
I heard the hint of hope in Montana’s voice, much like I often heard in Diesel’s. The ugliness of everything they’d been forced to endure hadn’t taken the good out of them. They were decent and kind, loving and honest. I wanted nothing more than a happy and peaceful life with them. There was no need to discuss the worry regarding an upcoming war.
Not yet.
As the day wore on, my mind continued to think about my childhood. There were so many amazing memories, but others I couldn’t remember at all. Maybe the various tragedies had stolen them from me. I was weak and more exhausted than I’d ever been, barely able to keep my eyes open.
I noticed Scorpio slowing, throwing out his arm.
As I lifted my head, I could see through the bank of trees what appeared to be several buildings. “Are we here?”
Rock rode closer, taking my gloved hand into his. Even through the dense material, I could feel his warmth as he brought my hand to his mouth. “Welcome to our little world.” He took the reins of my horse, guiding me into the forest.
I took a deep whiff, appreciating for the first time in so long the scent of the pine trees, the richness of the dirt. I had to admit, I was excited, ready for a warm bath and a good night’s sleep.
What seemed like an hour later, we moved into a clearing. The sight of the massive city just over the knoll was thrilling. I heard Ashley’s squeal and couldn’t help but believe in the very hope that Montana had mentioned.
Scorpio turned on his horse, his eyes searching for mine. For the first time in days, he smiled. As he trotted closer, I could feel his energy, happiness at reaching a destination. But in the next several seconds, I felt something else.
Rage.
There was no time to react, no understanding of what we were facing. There were two sharp cracks.
Then the entire world seemed to explode around us, the sound deafening.
Gunfire erupted, coming from every direction. We were surrounded.
“Get out of here!” Scorpio called, but it was already too late.
As Rock, Montana, and Diesel surrounded Ashley and me, Scorpio jumped off his horse, commanding orders to get us to safety.
As if the man was going to take on the massive group of soldiers himself. Even through the dust and smoke, I was able to see a man walking in between the others.
Gunner.
The asshole was still alive.
Using his sword, Scorpio slashed several of the guards, even as both Diesel and Rock began to fire their weapons. Scorpio grabbed his pistol, prepared to fire several shots. I was aware of the moment he noticed Gunner, the change in his stance and the roar coming from his throat.
There wasn’t a moment to second guess, no ability to turn back time. With the weapon in my hand given to me by Rock, I slipped off the horse, racing toward Scorpio.
Two men.
Two guns.
One act of revenge.
Anger unlike anything I’d ever known swept through me, bolstering my adrenaline. A series of images flashed in front of my eyes. My childhood. My mother. The prison. And the young amazing hero who’d tried to free me.
As I lifted my arm, my hand shaking, I heard a rumble of the earth, coming from behind us as the wind began to pick up. “Gunner!”
Bam!
* * *
Scorpio
The subtle beeping sound was a reminder of the past, surgeries performed on men that I’d come to loathe. I stared in through the glass, cognizant of Alex’s difficult breathing. Her chances of survival were not good.
I noticed a reflection before I felt the hand on my shoulder. “Sergeant Cross.”
“At ease, son. You and your friends have been through a hell of a lot. I don’t think formalities are necessary at this point.” He peered in through the window, his breath shallow. “How is she?”
“I think she’s dying.”
He blinked several times before looking away.
I was surprised at his reaction. He never showed any emotion. “Are they all dead?”
“Four hundred soldiers and at least fifty scavengers and yes, they were killed. You know there’s more coming.”
“No doubt.”
“Don’t worry. We have excellent security,” he said, smiling.
Bristling, I clenched my fist, guilt and anger weighing heavily on my mind. While I was thankful our own soldiers had been prepared, able to handle the ambush, I was sickened by the thought I’d led them to our city. “I’m sorry that I failed.”
He lifted an eyebrow, shifting his gaze in my direction. “You didn’t fail, son. I doubt Gunner was the only huntsman who’d betrayed us. They didn’t need to follow you. We’d been preparing for some time, knowing it would occur at any moment. All their crap about various attacks they allowed to leak we knew were bullshit.”
I was at least grateful for that. “The key. I couldn’t find the key. Even though the girl that was brought in, Josie. She said that Alex is the key. She was just delusional.” Not that it mattered to me in the least. My heart was broken, my soul completely lost.
He ignored the comment, keeping his gaze on Alex.
Finally, the sergeant leaned against the window. “You can save her life.”
“I’m sorry?”
He gave me a comforting smile. “There is no one here of your qualifications. You are a brilliant surgeon as well as a scientist.”
“My skills are gone. They were taken from me when I was injected. You are well aware of that.”
“Were they?” he asked.
I opened my mouth to retort and shook my head, staring down at my shaking hands. “These hands will never be able to operate again.”
“You are a true warrior, a soldier of the highest rank, and a man I’ve respected for years. I’ve been happy to have you by my side, protecting us and keeping the faith.”
Snorting, I stared at the apparatuses keeping her alive, livid inside. I’d killed Gunner after she’d stepped in front of the shot meant to take my life, but that hadn’t been enough. I wanted to burn his body, sending him straight to hell. “I have no faith any longer.”
“You had fai
th enough to follow my command. You had faith enough to allow your heart to feel something for a girl who could have been a traitor herself. You simply lost faith in your abilities. That girl in there needs you. Your decision, but I know you’ll make the right one.” He gave me a single nod before turning away.
I was stunned, shaken.
I heard his shoes slapping against the tile as he walked away, hating him for saying the words. Because they were the truth. Damn him.
Damn this shit.
“I heard this hospital is well equipped with everything a talented surgeon would need.”
As Rock walked closer, his arm in a sling, I had no idea how to answer.
“You patched me up, didn’t you? Did a fine job.”
“Superficial at best.”
“I still had a bullet in me.”
I huffed. “So?”
“So?” He got in my face, pushing my shoulder. “Let me ask you something and I want the damn truth. Do you love her?”
When I hesitated, he sneered at me.
“Yes, I love her.”
“Would you die for her?”
I studied her pale face through the glass, a lump in my throat. “Over and over again.”
“Then why won’t you get that stick out of your ass and save her life? At least you can try,” Rock snapped.
I had no reaction.
“My God,” he whispered as he took a giant step backwards. “You’ve been a leader during a time that most men were only out for themselves. You would have stepped in front of a bullet to save any one of us. I learned to respect you, even though you always pissed me the hell off. But I knew in my gut that you were the natural alpha, a man to be trusted and respected. I happen to love her too. If you fuck with that by letting her down, I will fucking kill you. Do you hear me?”
His vehemence was profound. For a man who’d lost his soul to his own tragedy, he’d come alive. He was ready to fight for what he believed in.
For the woman he loved.
I gave him a respectful nod, the adrenaline pumping. He was damn right. “Tell the others I’ll let them know as soon as she’s out of surgery.”
Rock took a decided step back, giving me a military salute. “Yes, sir.”
When he walked away, I knew I had one shot at this. For the first time since I was a small boy, I said a silent prayer.
I prayed that God was listening.
* * *
The beep-beep sounds no longer terrified me. Although I’d managed to dislodge the bullet without damaging her heart, she’d lost a significant amount of blood. At least there’d been some medicine that had been hoarded away, enough to fight any infection. All that was left was time.
I finally pulled off my surgical cap, almost staggering from exhaustion as I walked out of her room. There were three nurses committed to remaining by her side. They were qualified and I was grateful they’d be around.
As I rounded the corner, all three of my friends jumped to a standing position, their faces ashen.
“Well?” Montana finally asked.
They hovered around me, but instead of suffocation, I was comforted by their friendship. “She’s stable. I think she’s going to be all right.”
When I’d been mostly a scientist, working with an impressive team, we’d had our moments where breakthroughs meant celebrations for hard work done. This was entirely different. I’d never been allowed to grieve the loss of my parents or my fiancée. No one gave a shit. As the three men became overcome with raw emotion, I witnessed perhaps the first hint of true humanity that I’d seen in ten plus years.
And it felt damn good.
When they finally let me go, the sight of the sergeant standing several feet away, a look of relief on his face sent a cold chill trickling down my spine.
The story and the puzzle weren’t over.
Ashley approached, wringing her hands. She opened her mouth but there were no words. I walked closer, pulling her down onto a chair.
“She’s going to be fine. You don’t have to worry.”
She cried out, the sound pitiful. “Thank you. She’s all I have left.”
I could see Diesel shrugging, a grin on his face.
“You can go and see her, but just take a few minutes. She needs her rest.”
“I thought I killed the bastard. I really did,” she muttered, raking her shaking hand through her hair.
“What you did was extraordinary. Alex is safe now and so are you.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. I know how they found Alex, or at least her village. The bastard gloated about having someone on the inside. A traitor.”
I inhaled, holding my breath. What I’d thought all along. “Do you have any idea who it is?”
“No, but he seemed to think that whoever it was would never be detected.”
The others had crowded around, including Sergeant Cross.
“We’ll find him. If you think of anything else, let me know.” My hackles were raised, but I wanted some level of proof.
Ashley leaned forward, pressing a single kiss on my cheek. “I could see the love in her eyes when she talked about you. All of you. I hope one day I can find a pack of my own.” The girl seemed much stronger than the one who’d been betrayed by a monster. She held her head high as she walked toward Alex’s room, the same kind of strength building that her sister had.
The sergeant placed his hand on my shoulder, squeezing. “Dr. Canton. I need you to come with me. There are some things that you should know, vital things.”
“First, I think we need to have a discussion with a traitor.”
He lifted a single eyebrow, giving me a slight smile. “Then let’s do.”
* * *
“Stop making a fuss over me. I’m just fine,” Alex commented, although I caught a single grimace as she finished dressing. She stood in front of the mirror, studying my face more than the single dress I’d found, one she already hated.
“You forget, sweetheart. The four of us are in charge.” I offered a grin as she glared at me.
While just days had passed, it seemed like a lifetime. Thank God, Alex’s recovery had gone well.
“Why am I wearing this? Jeans. A sweater. Anything but this.” She fiddled with the bodice, huffing as she twisted from side to side.
“Because you...” I had no way of finishing. There were so many things that she needed to learn. “I need to tell you something. We found the traitor who’d betrayed you.”
“Josie.”
I was honestly taken aback. “You knew.”
“I had my suspicions. How did you find out?”
“Your sister is an amazing woman.”
She kept looking forward, studying me in the mirror. “Why?”
“Because Josie was the chancellor’s daughter.”
“What?” She turned to face me, shock riddling her face. “I don’t understand. What she told me in the truck was meant to help, at least comfort.”
“She said she realized that her father was evil. In truth, he wasn’t her biological father. She was an omega child, one of the first born.”
“Then who is?”
I heard footsteps, the answer still unclear.
Her eyes darted toward the door, shock on her face I followed her gaze, easing away from her.
“Oh. My. God.” She took slow steps toward the sergeant, her face pinched. “Is that really you?”
“Hiya, pumpkin. It’s me. A lot older and uglier, but I’m alive.” Sergeant Cross held open his arms as she raced toward him.
“I can’t believe it. I’m so elated.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him close.
I stood in the background, watching the happy reunion. When the sergeant had told me that he was her godfather, I hadn’t believed him. When he’d explained the reason for his mission, I’d left his office enraged.
When he showed me evidence, I was thrown into a moment of desolation.
When she eased back, the delight still on his face, he took her
hands. “We’ve been expecting you for some time.” The sergeant’s eyes darted in my direction. “We even sent our finest soldier to hunt you down.”
The confusion on her face was horrifying. She narrowed her eyes, shifting them in my direction. “I don’t understand. Scorpio met me by accident.”
“There’s more to it, my sweet goddaughter. He was sent on a mission.”
“Then he lied to me,” she said under her breath. “I trusted you.” Her accusations hit me in the gut.
“Wait a minute. Hold that temper of yours. You remind me so much of your mother. Feisty. Opinionated,” the sergeant laughed. “Scorpio had no idea what his mission entailed, except to find the key.”
“Key. What key?” she demanded. “I think you need to tell me what’s going on.”
Sergeant Cross burst into laughter. “Your father would have been so proud of you.”
“For what? Running? Hiding? Trusting the wrong person?” She kept her hard gaze locked on me, her anger unsettling.
“Keeping yourself alive. You’re very important, vital in fact,” he stated, giving me a respectful nod.
“Whatever is going on, I want no part of it.” She took a step away from both of us, holding out her hands. “This is crazy.”
“Just come with us. I need to show you something.” Sergeant Cross kept his distance, but his eyes were imploring.
She shifted from foot to foot, catching a glimpse of Rock, Montana, and Diesel. “You ambushed me. Why?”
“Please?” The sergeant pointed toward the door.
After a few seconds, she nodded, moving into the hallway. None of us spoke on the way.
We were driven to another part of the city, to a secure compound that they considered their headquarters. I’d been here twice, learning details about the truth involving the huntsmen’s organized war effort against the government.
And in truth, only Alex could hold the key.
