Alpha

by Daniel Schmidt

  Chapter 30

  Fury built inside me. I strode forward and rained down blows onto Luke. He fought back, again showing strength I didn’t think possible until a few moments ago, but my bombardment finally broke through his defenses and he crumpled to the ground. I stood over him.

  “What did you do to yourself?” I hissed.

  Luke lowered his hands as he realized I was done punching – for the moment. “Like I said, I’m not as lucky as you. I don’t have the genetic makeup of an Alpha or an Alvar. My boss had to modify Christine’s blood for it to react with me. My abilities will be no where near yours, but they’re far beyond anything a normal human can wish for,” Luke said.

  “When did you get your hands on Christine’s blood?”

  “My boss was one of her father’s colleagues. He was able to steal away with a vial in the beginning. From that small vial he was able to modify it, and I was the lucky recipient of his first experiment.”

  “I’m still going to kill you,” I said, grabbing hold of him again.

  Luke’s voice quivered as he spoke. “My boss is the real enemy. Kill me and you’ll never find him until it’s too late.”

  I raised my fist but didn’t strike. “What are you talking about?”

  “He’ll create more just like me, but they will be stronger. Those bottles of Christine’s blood I just sent him will provide more than enough to build an army. He was only able to create a few of us with the vial he originally stole. But with this new batch, he’ll be able to build his army.”

  “He’s building an army?”

  “One born from Christine’s blood and stronger, faster, and smarter than anything around. Not as good as an Alpha, but still immensely smart, strong, and obedient. He’ll be able to make hundreds, if not thousands of powerful soldiers.”

  “Where are they?”

  “Keep me alive and I’ll lead you to them.”

  “I think you’re lying.”

  “Is it worth risking? The drone with Christine’s blood is on its way to him and with that much blood, he’ll be able to create an unstoppable force.”

  I wrapped both hands around Luke’s neck and squeezed. He coughed and wheezed. “You’re just trying to save your own skin.”

  “I can show you his facility so you can destroy it before he becomes a threat.”

  I loosened my grip just a little.

  “Just call the drone back.”

  “I can’t, he has control over it now.”

  I tightened my grip.

  Luke pleaded. “Trust me Paul. He dreams of world conquest and soon he will become even more powerful than the Legion.”

  “You have lied to me before. Why should I believe you?” I hissed.

  “You can’t afford not to believe me. Let me live, and I’ll lead you to him.”

  I stared down into Luke’s completely black eyes and for some reason I thought he was telling the truth, although I couldn’t say why. Maybe it was another gift of the Alvar blood.

  “Where is the Council?” I asked.

  “Second floor basement… So you’re going to let me live?” Luke asked.

  “For now. How many men do you have here?”

  “Fifteen, minus these three,” Luke said, motioning to the men sprawled out on the floor. Two were not moving, while the third with a broken sternum groaned and clutched his chest.

  “Where are the rest?” I asked.

  “There should be five guarding the Alvars. The rest will probably be in their sleeping quarters. Give me one of those radios and I’ll tell them to stand down so we can escape.”

  I let Luke go and went to grab a radio off one of the unconscious men. I heard Luke shuffle and start to get up. When I turned around Luke had a small pistol pointed at me. His right pant leg was pulled up, exposing an ankle holster that had concealed the gun.

  Luke grinned. “As amazing as an Alpha is, without his amour a bullet will still kill him.”

  I instantly dropped to the ground, scooping up a pistol from the same man I had taken the radio from. A bullet from Luke’s gun smacked into the wall behind me. I raised the pistol and fired before Luke got off another round. My bullet struck him square in the chest, toppling him over backward.

  I scrambled to my feet and was standing over Luke’s body just moments after it hit the ground. His pistol lay several feet away from him and both his hands clawed at the wound in his chest. I put my foot onto his chest, pinning him to the ground.

  “Is it true what you told me?”

  Luke couldn’t speak, life was leaking out of him, but he nodded.

  “Where is he?”

  Luke tried to speak but it only produced blood-filled coughs.

  “Is he in the United States?”

  Luke shook his head.

  “Europe?”

  He shook his head again.

  “Asia?”

  He shook his head yet again just before his body went limp.