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
VOLUME THREE: FLUX: Future"We've been hit!" Azzie shouted over her shoulder. "Around fifty darts coming right for us.""Battle stations," Janice commanded into her headset. "We're under attack."Jack spun on his heel back to the bridge and lunged for a control station. He aimed the ship's turret and started picking off the darts with blasts of energy. The laser fire sliced through the water chasing after the enemy ships. His breath tightened and his heart jumped to his throat. They had to get clear of these. He'd fought too hard and too long to die now."Release the pods," his mother demanded over his shoulder into her comm. "Arrow attack formation. Use the ship as a shield. Claude, buff our energy shields.""Yes, ma'am."The lights dimmed. Jack pressed the button on his large gun to dissipate the energy near its protrusion and began laying down cover fire."Now, attack!" Janice ordered. Her eyes never left the screens as she watched the battle taking place from every view that
Tom led Alex down the hall to the conference room where they took a seat. The look on her face was still that of shock."I can't believe you're alive..." she stammered. "Henry, he showed me the video of you dying in action. I saw your dead body."Tom reached out for her hands. They felt cold and clammy. "I'm okay. I'm here now."Her eyes looked up into his, "Lexi..." she whispered."I know. She's mine. She's half-human."Alex nodded absently. "There was so much I wanted... so much we couldn't. What happened to you?"Tom squeeze her hand. "I got a note from you saying you never wanted to see me again. Of course, I thought it was a ploy, but I messaged, I called, and I got more notes saying horrible things you hated about me. I still didn't give up and after two years I was arrested for tax evasion and woke up in a research facility with my rights stripped away."Alex squeezed his hand back. "What did they do to you?" She asked in a whisper.Tom shrugged. "Genetic research. Looki
Jack strode down the halls of the modified cruise ship. He nodded and waved to people as he went. Several of them tried to stop and talk, but Jack wasn't in the mood. He ducked away from them as politely as he could and took the elevator down to the cafeteria. He didn't really want to walk in on Alex and Tom just when they were finally able to be together for the first time in eight years.He punched " level 10" on the elevator and waited for it to open back up. Jack wasn't paying attention when the elevator door finally opened. He was suddenly flung backward as if being hit by a torpedo. His arms tightened around the small being as he realized who it was."Lexi," he painfully exhaled as he fought for breath."I missed you so much, Dad!" Her arms squeezed him hard around the middle.Jack chuckled. "You don't have to call me Dad anymore."Lexi pulled her head away from his chest and gave him a "don't be stupid" look."Well, you do have a real dad now. How do you think it makes him
Jack lay in bed drifting through sleep at a lovely pace. His dreams touched upon a frantic chase of Alex, but she just always seemed out of reach. He'd chased her to a Surface building. The room was dark, but he knew it was her. He'd cornered her, but this time he knew he had finally caught her."You're mine, rabbit," he said. His body heated as he pressed close to her. Liquid electricity coursed through his limbs as he held her to him. She kissed his neck and traced her fingers across his chest. A voice, a real voice and not a dream voice, whispered in his ear, "Rabbit? That's a new one."He was pulled from sleep like a man pulled from drowning. His body was uncomfortably hard as he fought for coherency. Fingers slid up the inside of his T-shirt tracing the line of his well-formed muscles. Sleep wore off. He was finally able to move. He flattened the hand to his chest. That familiar electricity crackled through his limbs and down to his loins. He forced his eyes open to find the r
Jack woke with a splitting headache. The white tile ceiling above him looked like that of a hospital room. He gave an inward sigh. The last time had been three months. He wondered how long it had been this time.His fingers felt tight and his hand cramped. He looked over to see they were taped together with someone else's hand. He blinked the sleep from his eyes. As his vision cleared, he saw Alex lying on the cot next to him. Their tactical suits had been removed but the tech suit remained. Both of them were layered in blankets strapped to wires. He racked his brain and remembered the nova they had set off. The third one in a row must have taken its toll.He sent heat into Alex's hand. Her eyes blinked opened. She pulled at her taped hand and then used her free hand to rub her eyes. She looked around. "What's going on?""Wish I knew," Jack answered.She quirked a smile, then pushed the covers back. "It's kind of hot in here, isn't it?""Is it? I can't really tell." Jack sat up, l
The rumbling throughout the Sanctuary stilled as the battle above drew silent. Tom turned to Jimmy. Jimmy nodded and the team climbed to the Surface.After the light, the tunnel, and the door, they emptied out onto the street. Their men looked tired but had smiles on their faces. The team leaders directed them on searches to find any survivors, whether they were friend or foe."Has anyone seen Alex?" Jimmy shouted.Several people shook their heads.Jimmy turned to his team. "Let's spread out. Knowing them, they'll be up somewhere high."The team diverged. Tom searched on his own, always keeping at least his pistol at the ready. The sun slipped over the horizon casting the buildings in a deep twilight glow. Tom climbed the stairs on several buildings to the top but didn't find anything except dead bodies and empty bullet casings. After five buildings, the night settled in. The tanks disappeared back down into the tunnel. Jimmy recruited more people to help search. Armor-clad bodies
Someone was calling his name. At least he thought. There it was again. Tom blinked. The room was black and hazy."Tom?" Jimmy's face loomed above him."What happened?""A fireman got to you. Are you alright?"Tom wiggled his fingers. He could feel the skin pulling across his arm as he moved. "I'll be okay, just a few blisters." He pushed back to his feet, climbing up over the top of the dead Alphas.Their power suit clad soldiers surrounded the room with guns drawn. Bullets covered the floor along with bodies of the Alphas and a few of his team members. His stomach twisted at the loss of good men.Jimmy put a hand on the shoulder of his power armor. "They died saving us. We need to get moving. We've gotten ten so far. We'll finish a sweep and then start clearing the level below."Tom nodded. "Let's go."Jimmy led the way. His team fell in behind him as they jogged down the streets checking building to building. The battle had tightened in around the Sanctuary. The noise of it s
The three of them sat dressed in black tactical gear layered over Alpha tech suits. Alex's dirty face watched Jack as he tightened down the straps on her suit."We stick together, okay. No running off and playing hero on your own," Jack warned. He looked at Lexi while he said it."I thought you were going to make me stay in the pod," Lexi said."I would but it won't be safe there.""I don't think it will be any safer with us," Alex said in a low tone.Jack turned to Alex. "At least we will be able to keep an eye on her. She tends to always find trouble when I tell her to stay put."Alex's eyes flashed to Lexi. "Don't I know it."Lexi rolled her eyes. "If it weren't for me, you guys wouldn't be together, or maybe you'd even be dead.""Watch your tone young lady," Alex warned.Lexi grinned. "I know you're trying to be all tough, but it's really good to hear you say that." She stepped forward and gave Alex a hug.Alex melted. She laid her head against Lexi's cheek. "You're so ta
Jack reached over and touched Alex's shoulder. "Wake up, love."Alex squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed at them with the back of her hands smearing the soot across her face. "How long has it been?" She looked over at Lexi sleeping in a reclined chair.He reached his hand out and wiped at a smudge with his thumb. It only made it worse but she smiled at the touch. "About six hours," he said."You shouldn't have let me sleep so long. You need rest, too.""I got a few hours. Don't worry so much."Alex looked out the pod screen. "I can't help it. I'm finally free of Henry's terror, but now I feel like we're on the verge of losing it all."Jack's mouth drew down in a frown. "It's not going to be pretty. Ellie messaged me before we left her range. Looks like the Alphas are ahead of us by a few hours. When we get there, we will have to fight through them to get to the base."Alex nodded. "Did you see much of it when you visited? It's huge.""No, I only really had one thing on my mind at
Tom sat at the table drumming his fingers. "Does anyone actually know how to work these computers other than Ellie?"The five people working the screen didn't look up.Jimmy crossed his arms over his chest. "Just give them time.""General, the ships are in place.""Good," Janice said, leaning over the tech's workstation. "Anyone have a status on the Alphas?""They're closing in. The ships are taking them out now.""It looks like they are floating topside. Orders?""There's nothing the ships can do up there. Tell them to concentrate on as many darts as they can. Send runners topside and tell them to prepare." Janice turned to Jimmy and Tom. "That's your cue. Do your best."Tom saluted and Jimmy nodded. They turned out into the hall. Their teams waited for them, strapped with weapons and power armor. Tom donned the power armor helmet, gave a nod to Jimmy, and led his team away.As they walked down the halls, they passed locked doors to apartments. Their people, the ones that wer
He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly to him as the gunfire continued to rain down on them. She lifted her chin up. Her eyes connected with his and she smiled.He smiled back. They were going to make it. Somehow, they were going to make it. He tilted his face down and pressed his lips to hers. The liquid electricity filled him. He could feel the energy building in them. He held on to it as he kissed her. She parted her soft lips and he slid his tongue inside. Her tongue moved along his, soft, slow, and passionate. He pressed her against him, gathering the energy they created. He could feel the energy sparkling on his fingertips, asking to be released. He held it back until they vibrated. Finally, he let it go.The white-hot fire burst from them. In his mind, he could feel it like an extra sense. He coated the stadium with it. He could tell it what to touch and what not to. Screams of Alphas pierced the gunshots as the white fire flashed into a nova. He could feel the en
Jack turned to Lexi. "You have to stay here. Got it?""But, Dad-""No. Stay. Promise me that you will stay?""Please let me help."Jack shook his head. "There is nothing you can do, muffin. Please. I don't want to worry about you. I have to get your mother and I need you to be safe. So take the pod and go. I will catch up as soon as I can." Jack flicked at the controls, locking them in place.He held his arms out for a hug. She stepped into it, burying her face in his shoulder. He held her tightly."I love you," he whispered. "You've grown into a fine young lady. I couldn't be more proud of you.""Please don't leave me again," she whispered.His heart sank and he hugged her even tighter. "It will be the last time. When this is all over, I will always be at your side. I promise.""You better."He stroked the back of her head. "Please be safe." He stepped back to look at her."Wait." She pulled the sapphire ring off her finger and stuffed it in his shoulder pocket."What's th
Alex stood locked in a small empty room the size of a utility closet. The walls lay bare except for the light switch. She flicked at the walls, but the screens were disabled and didn't respond.She paced back and forth, rubbing the Vice at her neck. Her bare feet didn't make a sound as they worked the white tile of the floor. She had to figure a way out of here. She needed to find Brooke and Tom. They had to be free. They were only here because of her. This was her problem, her world, not theirs. She flicked her palm open and drew a fireball. Her insides were still hot, but the pull of energy from just one fireball was tremendous. The amount of focus it took to wield it was much harder than it had been when she was pregnant.Alex pressed her ear to the door. Two heartbeats from the other side. She had no weapons other than the fire. She may be able to take out one Alpha, but not two. She sighed, then moved to another wall. There was no sound coming from that side. She tapped on it. S