Jack balanced the tray of food on one arm and slid the door open to his cabin. A small light illuminated the room from the nightstand and an eleven-year-old girl looked up from her book where she sat on the bed."Hey kiddo," Jack greeted."Was your mission good?" Lexi asked.Jack set the tray of food down on the table across from the bed and pushed the stack of books out of the way with it. "Yeah, we saved a bunch of huge women.""Huge women?" Lexi asked and set her book down in her lap."They were all the way out to here." He gestured as if he had a very large stomach."How'd you fit them through the door then?""We all ganged up and pushed them through." Jack sat at the little table on the bench seat.Lexi quirked her lips to the side in thought. The expression reminded him of Alex and a small pang struck his heart."You're messing with me again, aren't you?" She asked.Jack nodded. "You caught me. But they were all pretty big, very pregnant.""Pregnant? Were they human?"
He pushed the door to his cabin open again. Lexi sat on the bottom bunk bed reading her book."Hey, kiddo, are you ready for bed?""Can we stay up and watch TV for a little bit?" She asked. Her eyes pleaded with him.Jack paused and thought about it. "Okay, just for a little bit."Lexi smiled and scooted over. Jack sat down next to her, ducking his head beneath the top bunk until he was settled.Lexi flicked her fingers and the TV at the foot of the bed flipped on. She handed the remote over to Jack to let him enter in his passcode. He flicked his fingers quickly over it and a TV channel appeared. Lexi flipped through them at warp speed. Her fingers moved lightning fast as the channels sped by.She stopped on a news channel that had the words "World House Representative Campaign" across the bottom. They watched the newscasters chat back and forth. Lexi finally got bored after five minutes and started flipping through the channels again."Ooh, wait," she said and flipped back a f
Alex woke up to a drilling headache sinking deep in her lower neck. No doubt, it was the Vice doing its dirty work. She sat and stretched her head downward, then rubbed her hand over the sleek metal surface, tracing the outline of the "Y", down where it joined into the thick blub at the bottom. Three small circles down the center of it felt like braille. She assumed they were LED lights, but couldn't be sure. Just below was the large vertebra that stuck out of her neck. She leaned her head back feeling the top of the "V" massage into the bottom part of her brain. It did a pretty good job of poking in there and releasing pressure, despite being the cause for the pain in the first place.Her hand reached out and touched the nightstand, flicking once to illuminate the room. She dimmed it down immediately. Why did the lights always have to start out the brightest? Poor design or intentionally meant to fuck with her?She pushed one foot out on to the floor at a time, slowly testing her we
Tom stretched his aching back. The small bed had been one of his best night sleeps in a long while, maybe because it was comfortable or maybe because he was finally free. A headache started to brew at his temple. He touched the small light that illuminated the cabin and tapped it a few times to make it dim. Two men still slept in their bunks. The last one was empty.He stood and stretched again. He tried to keep the breath escaping his lips from making too much noise, but it just felt so good. He reached towards his toes and stretched again, feeling the pull of his hamstrings. After the first two years of being trapped, he had given up. He felt he would be a lab rat forever, but within the last year, he'd had this feeling. Somewhere deep inside he knew somehow that he was going to be free and when he was, he was going to be needed. Since that moment, he'd been preparing, stretching, doing sit-ups and push-ups. Anything he could do to get his body moving. The food they gave him hadn't
Tom rubbed his naked chin. He had been free for less than a day, just a little taste. He tapped the door to his new cell and it echoed a metal ring through the small room. The room only held a cot and enough room to stand next to it. It was more like a closet than a cell. The last thing he remembered was standing in the bathroom brushing his teeth. In that missing time, he'd shaved his beard, gotten a haircut, and ended up here with a god awful headache.He looked up to see a small camera at the top of the cell. "Can someone tell me what's going on?"As if in response to his question, a beep sounded through the intercom speaker over his head."Hello. This is Captain Elaine Shultz. I have some tragic news to give you. This morning, at nine o'clock, a girl was murdered. We have detained the murderer and all survivors that were rescued on the last mission. We are asking all personnel to please report anything suspicious to the senior officers: Jack Swift, Derek Jefferson, Dr. Daniel Gr
Tom woke suddenly as the door to his closet cell opened. He rose to his feet sleepily. The guard slapped a pair of cuffs around his wrists and chained them to his ankles. He sighed inwardly. This wasn't exactly new to him. The guard led him down the narrow hallway. Doors lined the sides. Some of them stood open revealing identical cells.The guard pushed him forward gently into an area where other small hallways converged. In front of them, the elevator buttons lit up. The guard punched the button and it slid open. After turning around in the elevator, the guard punched the "level 7" button and the lift accelerated quietly upwards.Tom stood contemplating where they were taking him. Why would they be taking him anywhere? Maybe he would be a sacrifice. Like in the old times when they lined all the bad guys up and shot them in front of a firing squad. Only one of them could have done it, but maybe they would take them all out just for good measure.After the door dinged, the lift open
Elaine took a breath and spoke again. "Thank you, everyone." She clicked the microphone off and stepped away from the podium, taking very deliberate steps. Then she did a very particular thing. She pulled some of the loose brown hair from her ponytail back over her ear.Tom's stomach lurched. The guard behind him held him steady. To his left, the other men did the same thing. Elaine turned to look at their sudden movements then quickly glanced to the left at Dr. Grey. He nodded to her and she took a step towards them.Tom's head throbbed. He pulled against the cuffs and tried to shove his body weight forward. The guard clutched his chains and held him in place. He had to get to her. The rest of the men thrashed as well as they fought to get free. The men dragged the guards forward, one step at a time. A deep driving force in Tom's gut wanted to tear her apart. He hated her. Every fiber of his body pulsed with burning hatred. He had to rid the world of her.Elaine stood firm and squa
Jack turned to Tom. "Follow these guys out to the pods. I have to go. Take good care of them."Jack took off at full speed out of the room and down the corridor. Alert alarms blared through the ship. People milled through the hall finding the closest battle pod. The ship rumbled beneath his feet.Elaine's voice rang over the speakers. "This is Captain Shultz. Please prepare for a rough ride. We are going to do some maneuvering. If you have gunner training, please go to your post. Everyone else, follow return lights to your cabin in case of an emergency escape launch. All those not in a cabin will be left to maneuver their section."Jack hit the stairs and spun down them as fast he could. He jumped off at level three then slid open the door to his cabin."Do you have your pack?" He asked, a little winded in his panic."I thought we are supposed to stay in the cabin," Lexi said.Jack shook his head. "We're not leaving without something with guns. Come on."Lexi looked around frant
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