Red Light Hero

by Kory Shen

  Alan stopped mid-step and gave her a questioning look.

  Sally turned to yell into the kitchen. "John! I'm taking fifteen!" She ran around the counter to join Alan, then rushed back to the counter. "Make that an hour!" She ran back and held Alan by the arm. "I'm ready."

  Alan grinned.

  Two hours later, Alan was on his third condom, with the others lying discarded on the floor next to the bed. Sally was on all fours before him. Sally had insisted that Alan take her from behind Greek style because she was "a virgin and a good church girl," in her exact words. She rubbed her swollen parts with one hand while Alan thrust in and out, pelvic bone slapping against meaty flesh. He sped up, thrusting even harder, drawing a sharp cry from the girl.

  "Faster, faster, yes…" Sally buried her face into the bedsheets, so he couldn't make out what else she was saying. He pulled on her long brown hair, lifting her head.

  "What did you say?" he asked.

  "Cum inside me this time."

  Alan frowned. "Is that a good idea?"

  "I want to feel what it's like." Sally leaned forward so that he slipped out. She reached back and yanked the condom off before guiding him back inside.

  Alan forgot his objections as a soft yet tight warmth enveloped him. This is what he wanted, not the rubbery texture of a condom. He pumped harder and harder, not caring what happened. She had to be clean. She was a good church girl, right?

  In less than a minute, Alan shot his third load of the day inside Sally.

  "I felt that!" Sally cried as she furiously fingered herself. "I felt you shooting inside me." She laughed.

  Alan pumped himself dry and pulled out to the sound of Sally gasping. A sticky strand dripped out of her.

  "Don't you have to go back to work?" Alan asked, plopping onto his back, still miraculously hard.

  "But I don't want to," Sally whined as she wiped herself with a tissue. "Are you kicking me out?" She pouted.

  "No, but won't, who was it, John be mad?"

  "I don't care. I want to do it again."

  He needed to pick up the car rental and get driving soon. Plus, he was getting a bit sore. He wasn't inexperienced, but three times doing anal wasn't exactly easy. At this point, Alan was having serious doubts that Sally even went to church.

  Sally noticed his reluctance. "I'll let you cum in my pussy this time," she said in a rushed, breathless voice. She bent over again in front of him, pulling herself open with her fingers. "Go ahead. You'll be the first."

  Alan's erection had a mind of its own. It jerked its head, beckoning at Sally's tempting offer.

  "Fucking cock," he muttered.

  Alan gave up resisting. Anyone who said he could think straight in a situation like this was a fucking liar. It was time to be stupid. It was time to get laid again.

  CHAPTER 6

  The black car pulled up to the steps of the new school building. Today, Cover Girl was Page Glory. Page wore plain black flats, black denim, and a gray shirt. Pulling up to the outreach event in a limousine and a red carpet dress would have been tacky.

  She was a few minutes early, so she checked her hair and makeup again with her phone's front camera.

  "Aren't you worried about Alan?" her driver, Escort, asked for the tenth time that trip.

  "He probably slept with the bitch at the burger joint and forgot all about me," Page said while combing her hand through her hair. "I'm sure it's fine."

  Escort wore a neat black suit complete with a tie and hat. She leaned around her seat to make eye contact with Cover Girl. "No, I told you. He knows who you are."

  "That's impossible. Even if he does, so what? We'll deal with it when we have to."

  Escort huffed and turned around to face forward again.

  The truth was that Alan's discovery of her identity terrified her. She didn't want Escort to worry about it, though, or Escort might take matters into her own hands. Literally.

  Alan would be an idiot to show up here, though. He should have learned how far alphas would go to protect their secrets and their kind. He couldn't possibly be that stupid. She had looked him up. He worked at a reputation management firm. He should understand the business.

  Part of her secretly hoped that he would show up. It was dangerous and selfish, but maybe she'd get to see Alan one more time. In private.

  Page looked up. She noticed Escort watching her in the rearview mirror. Escort rolled her eyes.

  "Oh god. You're hoping he shows up, aren't you?" Escort asked.

  "Stop pretending you're Idol," Page snapped. The bitch. It didn't matter if she had been right.

  "Then stop pretending you're one of them." Escort sighed. "You're an alpha. Remember? You know what we signed up for."

  "Whatever." Page finished brushing her hair and put her phone away. She opened the car door and stepped out, slamming it shut extra hard.

  Several reporters who had been waiting outside jerked their heads toward the loud noise. They converged on Page, prodding her with microphones and camera flashes.

  She smiled and nodded, giving stock responses and playing to the crowd. During the whole time, though, she had only one question on her mind.

  What was Alan going to do?

  * * *

  Alan glanced at the red traffic light, at his watch, then back at the traffic light. It was almost 4:25 p.m. Cover Girl, no, Page Glory was supposed to be at the school ceremony from 4:30 to 5:00. He had finally left a satisfied Sally after three hours of fucking, then scrambled to pick up the car and drive to the school on time. He checked his watch again. It would be close.

  The opening ceremony was underway by the time Alan had parked his car. On the school lawn, parents, teachers, and children gathered around somebody. Cameras flashed. That would be her, in the middle of the group. Alan dashed across the parking lot, then slowed down. He didn't want to make a scene. Maybe he should hang out and approach Page after the crowd died down. It'd be strange to interrupt the ceremony. Plus, there were lots of reporters, and, given his situation, that made him nervous.

  Alan walked over to the edge of the school and leaned against the new brick wall, hiding in the shadows. He glanced over at the crowd from time to time, but nothing much was happening. As he waited, a black car rolled up in front of him, stopping in the drop-off zone. He glanced at the car and went back to browsing his phone.

  A gentle puff of air brushed the left side of his face. He reached up to scratch his cheek, then froze. He wasn't alone.

  On his left was a woman dressed in a chauffeur's uniform. Dark glasses hid her face. Bright blonde hair contrasted sharply with her black outfit.

  "Hi," the woman said.

  "Um, hi. Do I know you?" Alan asked.

  "No, I don't think we've met before. I'm her driver."

  "Her?"

  "Miss Glory." The woman jerked her thumb back at the black car. "I'm her ride."

  Alan perked up. "You know Page. So what's she like?"

  The woman laughed. "You're a fan? I figured you might be."

  Suddenly, Alan was self-conscious. He didn't want to look like a crazy stalker. "Oh, well I didn't know about her until a few days ago. One of my friends mentioned she would be here. He said I had to get her autograph. For his daughter."

  "Aw, that's sweet of you. Hey, the ceremony will take a while. How about you wait in the car with me?"

  The woman took half a step towards Alan. Alan wasn't sure why, but he stepped backward in response.

  Alan tried to chuckle. "Thanks, that's really generous of you, but I don't want to impose. You know, I think I want to see the ceremony up close. Nice meeting you."

  Alan walked towards the ceremony. A surprisingly strong hand gripped his arm. Alan turned to face the woman. She stared back in silence, as if making a decision. She looked at the crowd of children and adults, then back at him.

  "Sorry," the woman said, letting go of his arm. "I forgot to mention. I'm Miss Glory's bodyguard, too. I can't have you disturbing her while she's working."
<
br />   "Oh no, I would never interrupt her. I just want to watch."

  "Sounds exactly like her," the woman muttered.

  "Excuse me?"

  "You sure you don't want to wait in the car? We have music, a television, me." The woman smiled.

  Was she hitting on him? Alan had to admit that the driver looked good, but he was exhausted from his marathon session with Sally. Damn. He should have left something in the tank.

  "I could watch some TV. I'm not really into…maybe you can tell me more about Page while we wait."

  The woman's smile didn't waver. "Great, come on in." She walked over to the car and opened the back passenger door.

  Alan climbed inside the car. A small screen on the back of the driver's seat was playing the local news. A breaking news update scrolled across the bottom of the screen.

  Firefighters are on the scene of a possible gas explosion in Loudoun County…

  Something the news anchor had said caught his attention. He raised the volume. A fast food burger restaurant in Loudoun County had exploded. The suspected cause was a gas leak, and residents were warned to check for the smell of leaking gas.

  A burger restaurant? In Loudoun County? No, that had to be a coincidence.

  "We have confirmed reports of two unidentified dead, one woman and one man," the anchorman said.

  Alan furrowed his brows. It was a coincidence, nothing more.

  The woman in the driver's seat studied Alan. "Something wrong?" she asked.

  "There was an accident. A gas explosion at a fast food joint," Alan said.

  "That's terrible," the woman said. "Anyone hurt?"

  Alan nodded, his face grim. "Two dead."

  "Don't feel bad. People die every day. It happens." The woman reached a hand out to him, as if to comfort him.

  A thumping noise outside grew louder and louder. Alan twisted to look out the window, pulling out of the woman's reach. "What's going on out there?"

  Three black helicopters approached the school. A heavy rope dangled from the closest one, and an armed soldier dressed in gray-brown urban camouflage prepared to descend.

  "Fuck!" the woman cried. "Stay here!"

  Alan looked over, but the driver's seat was empty.

  * * *

  The children around Page pointed in excitement at the hovering helicopters.

  "Is this part of the ceremony?" a parent asked.

  "A bit too much, if you ask me," another parent said. "I don't like them bringing guns here."

  Page's earpiece buzzed. "Cover Girl, Cover Girl, this is Escort. We have a situation. Over."

  Page turned to the ceremony emcee. "Sorry, I need to run inside for a moment. It's an emergency." She ran towards the school, not waiting for him to reply.

  She caught some murmurs as she left.

  "Never liked her that much."

  "You think she's all natural?"

  "Stuck up bitch."

  Page ignored them. Snippy crowds came with the job. She barged through the two front doors, scanning to make sure there were no people or cameras watching. Then, she vanished and turned right back around, squeezing between the front doors before they had finished closing.

  "Escort, this is Cover Girl. I'm operational. What's going on? Is that military? Over."

  By now a group of soldiers had surrounded the ceremony proceedings. Soldiers mingled through the crowd as if searching for someone.

  "Hold on," Escort replied.

  Cover Girl crept closer to one of the helicopters that had landed. She heard a man shouting orders.

  "Kill on sight. I repeat, kill on sight. Black Death Protocol is in effect. We're cleared for bystander casualties. Kill on sight."

  Cover Girl froze in shock. Black Death Protocol was activated for one reason only. A rogue alpha infection. Its aim was to burn anything and everything in order to prevent the alphavirus apocalypse. That meant the soldiers were from PIERCR, the alpha watchdog agency.

  She turned to check the crowd of children and adults. No. They wouldn't kill innocent families and teachers, would they? She knew the truth, though.

  "He's here," Escort said into her ear. "They're after him."

  Escort didn't have to say who it was. Alan. It had to be Alan.

  "Where is he?" Cover Girl whispered.

  "I left him in the car," Escort replied.

  "Do you have a panic hole ready? Can you double jump?"

  Cover Girl knew she was asking a lot from Escort. There was a pause. Shit, maybe Escort was finishing the original job. She moved towards the parked black car.

  "Escort, do you read me?"

  Her earpiece buzzed again. "He's not here. Fuck."

  Cover Girl scanned the school grounds. There. Sneaking between the playground equipment was a lone figure. That had be Alan. She wasn't going to leave this to Escort.

  First, she needed a distraction. She changed course and ran towards the rope ladder dangling from one of the helicopters. She climbed up, still invisible except for the jerky motion of the rope, and swung herself up into the hovering vehicle.

  Once inside, Cover Girl reached into the cockpit and flicked several switches before punching the throttle and control stick forward. She slid down the rope and jumped away as the helicopter lurched forward just above the ground. There were shouts behind her as she ran toward the playground.

  Alan was hiding behind a plastic blue slide when she reached him.

  "Alan!" she hissed.

  Alan spun around.

  "It's me. Cover Girl," she added.

  "Fuck, this is weird. Listen, Page—"

  "I'm Cover Girl. Don't use that name around me."

  "Sorry, Cover Girl. I just had to see you again. I don't know what all of this is. Oh god, they're not looking for me, are they?"

  "Yes, they're here to kill you." Her eyes narrowed. "You didn't sleep with anyone after me, did you?"

  "What?" Alan looked confused. "Come on. That was a hookup. You ditched me, remember?"

  "No, I don't care about that," Cover Girl lied. "This is important. Did you sleep with anyone else since me?"

  Alan looked embarrassed. "Maybe. One girl. I met her at my lunch place."

  "The burger girl!" Cover Girl cried out. "I knew it. That skanky bitch couldn't keep her paws off you."

  "You know her?" Alan was talking to an empty swing.

  "Nevermind."

  Her earpiece crackled. "Cover Girl, this is Escort. I've been in touch with Maiden."

  That was the last name she wanted to hear right now.

  "I had to tell her. She's going to rip my asshole open," Escort said. The electronic distortion of the earpiece couldn't mask the fear in her voice. Escort wasn't exaggerating. Maiden was cruel when they disappointed her.

  "Cover Girl? Cover Girl?" Alan said, this time to the slide ladder.

  Cover Girl had been subvocalizing without making a sound. She spoke out loud. "Give me a second, Alan."

  "We have to get him out of here," Cover Girl whispered.

  "We should turn him over. Or kill him ourselves," Escort said.

  "No! You can't. It's a Black Death Protocol. Once they confirm he's here, they'll kill everyone."

  There was silence. "This is your fault. Their blood is on your hands, not mine." Escort asked the same question on Cover Girl's mind. "How did they find out about him?"

  Someone had tipped off PIERCR. Maiden had no reason to do that. Maybe Electrophile? But anytime the alphas looked bad, it would hurt all of them. Would he risk harming alphas for the sake of their petty power struggles? Of course he would. Sire himself might have given PIERCR the tip to see how they handled themselves.

  Someone shouted, interrupting her train of thought. A soldier was approaching the playground.

  Alan ducked down. "Cover Girl!" he whispered loudly. "A commando guy's coming here. What do I do?"

  "Escort, please. I'm begging you. One last time. I swear, I'll get him out of our hair. Can you double jump?"

  Cover Girl checked he
r thermal band. It read 99.4 degrees. A full double cover was expensive as hell. It would drain most of her viral load. Combat wasn't an option, though, not if she wanted to avoid a school massacre. They needed stealth.

  "I'm going to hold your arm," Cover Girl said. "Hold tight and don't let go until I tell you to, got it?"

  Alan gulped and nodded. "Got it."

  Cover Girl linked her right arm around Alan's left arm, then clasped his hand in hers.

  "Are we holding hands?" Alan whispered.

  "Quiet," Cover Girl whispered back.

  Alan faded from view. Cover Girl felt his arm jerk in surprise, but she held onto him.

  "I disappeared!"

  "Quiet!"

  The soldier had almost reached the playground. He held an assault rifle in his hands, and he panned the barrel of his weapon across the area.

  Cover Girl spoke silently to Escort.

  "Escort, we can't let them find him here."

  Escort's reply was chilling. "I should double jump him into the sewers. No evidence. A clean kill. It solves everything."

  "No! Please, Escort. If they're running a Black Death operation, that means he's one of us."

  "So what? He's an alpha three. He'll be weak and useless."

  "He's innocent. Since when do heroes only protect the strong?"

  "Maiden wants him dead."

  Cover Girl clenched her fists in fury. Alan made a pained sound as she crushed his hand.

  "Sorry," she whispered to him. "Talking to someone."

  "Who cares what that bitch wants? She's not a hero anymore, and you know it," Cover Girl said. "The only reason we stick around is because we have to. All of us. You, me, Pearl, even Idol."

  "Cover Girl…"

  "Come on, Escort. This is it. I promise."

  "She might kill us."

  Maiden wouldn't go that far, would she? Cover Girl wasn't so sure these days.

  "Risk our lives. Protect the weak? Isn't that what we do? Please, Escort."

  "That's simplistic bullshit." There was a pause. "Fine."

  Cover Girl squeezed her fist in triumph.

  "Ow!" Alan said. "Still talking?"

  "Sorry, follow me. I'll lead."

  "Where are you?" Escort asked.

  "By the playground. I have Alan under my cover."