Alex sat alone in her living room. Well, Henry's living room. Everything was not hers anymore since Henry wasn't actually dead. She pressed a piece of matching puzzle into place on the table before her. The tour had rattled her. She couldn't help reliving every moment with fake Jack over and over. She tried to pinpoint exactly when things started to go wrong. Was it the tennis courts? Or was it before that?The lock at the door turned from the other side. A man walked through, not a man she recognized, but one that was dressed like someone she did. He had long brown hair tied in a ponytail and a trimmed beard. He was dressed as Henry had been, but when he turned to her, he was a completely different person, a hybrid even."Hi baby, did you miss me?"Alex hesitated a moment. Was this for real? "Hi sweetie," she replied hesitantly."Is something wrong, baby? Are you feeling okay? You look pale. Can I get you something?" He rushed to her side and held his hand up to her forehead.Ale
Alex held her stomach as the pod approached the International Representative Combouya. She was fighting waves of nausea. She wasn't sure if it was nerves, excitement, or the baby. Maybe all three. She hadn't heard from Jack, but he was supposed to be here at the debate.She had been covering her dislike of fake Jack and her complete revulsion of Henry. At least the fake Jack was nice. There were little things that he did that made her forgive herself for not noticing. If it had been Henry the whole time, she was sure she would have noticed something wrong earlier. Probably.Abigail held her hand out to help Alex out of the pod when it finally stopped."Are you feeling okay?" She asked. "You look a little pale"Alex waved her off. "I'm fine. The baby is fine, too. Don't worry so much."Abigail nodded a tight smile on her lips. "We've come to a private entrance, so things should be calmer." She led her down a path from the docking ports to the large complex hall. Alex could hear the
"What the hell is going on here?" Henry's voice echoed through the hall as he approached. His army of guards followed him.Henry stood over them now. "What is going on here?" His voice edged with anger.Jack jumped but thought quickly. They needed to maintain their cover. If Alex wasn't in a state to leave they would have to change their plans. "Sir, your wife has gone into labor," Jack said, still holding Alex's hand. "The doctor was here attending to another patient but isn't with an ambulance. I'm hoping more are on the way.""Someone call an ambulance!" Henry snapped. One of his guards held his earbud and requested it for him.Henry knelt in front of Alex's slumped form, careful not to step near the blood. "How's the baby?" He asked, his question directed towards Brooke."This isn't a good sign. The baby's heartbeat is weak.""James." Henry's green eyes penetrated Jack's. "I need you right now. Can you cover for me in the debate while I deal with these doctors? As soon as I g
Jack slapped his legs nervously as he waited impatiently in the waiting room. The nurses were just finishing up something with Alex and then they would be back to collect him. His stomach was in knots. He didn't know what condition she would be in when he saw her.Finally, the nurse appeared and beckoned him to follow. She led him down the private birthing suites to the room with the patient label of "Truex." He paused a moment and took a deep breath, then pushed the door open."Good morning!" He said cheerfully."Good Morning, James! We're so happy you could visit our little family." Henry said, offering his hand in a welcoming handshake.Jack accepted heartily. "Congratulations! You must be so excited." Jack looked around. "Where is the new mom at?""Oh, Alexandra will be here in just a moment. Just went to relieve herself. Here, come see my boy."Jack stepped over to the crib and looked at the newborn who was just a few days old. His skin was still pink and he was very small,
Jack smiled as Henry entered the crowded room."Are they about to announce it?" Zeven asked."In just a few minutes. They are recounting the last neighborhood," Jack answered."I can't believe how close it is," Fisco said from the other chair.Henry sat in the chair that was decorated as a throne. Four Alphas stood ready to lift it when the announcement came. The room was crowded with everyone who had worked on the campaign and almost as many security guards. The threat of assassination was a serious concern. Jack was a little disappointed he couldn't be the one to do it, but he needed to find out where they had stashed the real Alex.The news correspondent on the TV stood up for the announcement and Zeven increased the volume with a wild flourish of his hand."And now reporting in, all neighborhoods. And Truex has the vote! He will be your next representative. This is history folks! A single man who has both a corporate vote and a people vote!"The sphere exploded with a roar.
Jack sat in his darkened pod as it sped after Henry's. He used the electronic map to scan and locate him every minute so that he would lower his chances of being detected. He'd been following him for about an hour now and was hoping that his prediction wasn't wrong.Over the last three months since the election, he'd been tracking Henry's every move. About once a month he disappeared in an unregistered pod off into the middle of the ocean. This time Jack had been ready. The blip on the map disappeared. Jack guided the pod to the last location and sent out the sonic scanners to map the area. There was a large building in the shape of a volcano in front of him that was completely black. It looked like a giant black tower. The electromagnetic field pushed the water away from it as it stretched down its long surface.This was it! This is where Alex was. A secret research facility that was almost impossible to find out in the middle of nowhere. Of course! Where else would she be! Jack not
Henry slammed his fist into Alex's jaw. The pain spiked through her teeth sending jolts of pain and stars to her brain. She blinked a few times trying to clear them from her vision."I am so sick of your shit." He pinched her chin between his thumb and forefinger to force her eyes to him. "I have no need of you now. I have won. This campaign is over and your efforts to escape have been fruitless. Just submit already."The building shuttered and Henry released his grip. He looked to the ceiling as bits of dust shook loose and floated freely.Alex felt a draw deep in her stomach. Was it him? Had he finally come for her? She pulled at her chains that held her arms behind her back.Henry heard the clink of the chains as she moved and backhanded her. "This is your doing, isn't it?"He unhooked her chains and marched her ahead of him like a human shield. He flung the door open and pushed her through. The guards scattered to find the source of the noise."Move." His hands at her back pr
Alex awoke in the medical bay. Shelves lined the walls with bandages, bottles of pills, and liquids. Her head felt fuzzy and her body ached. She pushed her up off the cot. Every motion was like a battle raging in her aching muscles. The large hospital gown hung off her and made her feel even more thin and frail. She set her foot gingerly on the cold floor and tested her weight, steadying herself by clutching the bed. After her weight settled, she crept forward toward the porthole.Dark blackness drifted by. She could barely tell that they were moving, but there was still a gentle rock to the building that made her feel like she was on a ship. She rubbed the back of her neck where the Vice had been. She remembered Jack's angry face when he saw what it did to her and smiled.The door behind her slid open. "I am so glad to see you awake," a familiar voice said from behind her."Brooke?" Alex swung her gaze from the window.Brooke gave her a gentle smile. "How are you feeling?""A lit