The ease of her wit in such a position halted Bade's next thought. Gradually, he released her and took a step back. The armed men just behind her finally lowered their blades.
"I told Zeke what I found at the Odin facility. I haven't even told my teammates yet," she confessed with shame, "I just didn't think he'd take it this far."
She wanted Bade to see she was sincere, but his objective was too focused. She had to get right to the point. "If we're gonna find him, we have to form a truce and do it together."
"I'll do no such thing," he protested, "This isn't your war!"
"Our reason to fight is our own!" Alex yelled at him, "But only I know where Zeke went and most of my team is dead! So whether we like it or not, we need each other."
Bade leveled his glaring eyes with hers. Neither of them looked to waver.
* * *
Deep inside the burrowed caves, the clan of the First was discussing what to do next when Bade finally returned.
"We are going to find our leader," he announced.
They all suddenly froze at the sight a glowing lantern following him in, followed by four humans. They recognized the woman they had encountered back in Mississippi.
"This is the human that Zeke has been meeting with," Bade said as he pointed at Alex, "She claims to know how to find him."
Alex felt stiff with so many eyes upon her, each with a nocturnal sheen.
"He went to a laboratory in Montana," she bravely began as she stepped forward, "It's where Odin is currently making the new Chimeras being sent out, a project called Phase Two. The man in charge of it all is Dr. Cray, a genetics engineer. He invented Chimeras. I believe Zeke intends to take out Cray and his compound all on his own."
"Why would he go off alone?" asked Fitz, his hands casually balanced on the hilt of a long katana sheathed on his belt.
His appearance was daunting enough, but it was his question that stalled her.
She took a slow breath before going on, "I thought I knew everything about Chimeras: how fast they run, their striking distance, attack patterns. But I never knew why they were made in the first place… until I met Zeke. He told me how the First hate humans. But, for some reason, he saved my life on that bridge, which was why I saved his in return. When I found out what he was… it helped me understand. So we formed an alliance."
Humans and First alike had gone still as they finally heard the truth.
"But… things have changed. The Chimeras have changed," Alex went on, "If we all want to take down Odin and we all want to get Zeke back in one piece, then we need to put aside our differences. The only path to winning this war will be the one we make together."
A rash of objections erupted from the clan and the humans grew tense with their rude remarks. Finally, Bade stepped between them and the contention was cut short.
"I implore you to consider the reasons we have followed our leader so loyally," he said firmly, stunning Alex, "Zeke put his trust in this human… so we should do the same."
It was nothing short of a miracle, but Bade's point appeared to actually get through to the heated clan. The long journey began without delay.
Father Koen and the gang drove the van on through the night, while Bade led the First in great bounds to follow at nearly matching speed. As Eddy and his laptop struggled for a signal to find one of the priest's many undisclosed contacts for help, Will lounged idly with him in the backseat. Alex could sense his frequent glares. He was stewing in his seat, saying nothing.
As the morning snuck up on them, they were blessed with a heavy rainstorm. The clouds were so thick that not a bit of sun could show through, allowing the warrior clan to remain on course. By midday, Eddy's weather report predicted clear skies were on the way, so Father Koen fiddled with his phone to find shelter. He then slowed to lure their cloaked followers down an unkempt road, to the gutted shell of a century-old logging mill abandoned along a bustling river.
The long structure was dark and damp inside, with a few windowless rooms for the First to hunker down in just before the sun made its appearance. While the humans also tried to get some rest, Alex could only manage a few hours. She got up and snuck past Father Koen and Eddy sleeping soundly and headed out to the long corridor. Halfway down, perched in the open frame of one of the dozens of windows, Will was taking in the view of the wild river. The sun was bright overhead and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Alex coerced her way toward him and quietly leaned to the window just next to his.
Will tried not to notice her at first but, finally, he couldn't take it anymore.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he lastly said, far more calm than either expected.
Alex's sight was lost to the whitecap rapids, "I wasn't sure how."
"We've known each other since we were kids. It shouldn't be that hard to talk to me."
"I'm sorry, okay?"
"No, it's not okay!" he scolded her, but promptly reined back his anger, "You know… everyone who's ever joined the team had to tell you what happened to them that made them want to fight… but you never said what happened to you. Not even to me."
The breeze off the water gave a faint mist of surf over the windows.
"I only told Father Koen," she said, finding it all oddly easy to tell, "I was born in Boston. My family lived in this nice little suburb, where all the houses looked the same and saplings were lined down the sidewalks. My parents worked for the government, but I was too young to remember what they did exactly. They died in a car accident when I was eight. Then, this guy showed up, said he was our godfather and he took me and my older sister to live in his mansion. He was really weird… kinda creepy. He made us call him Uncle."
Will hadn't heard her talk so candidly. He was enthralled by every word.
"When my sister was thirteen, she got sick. Uncle sent her away and said he got a call that she'd died. There was no funereal. Then, it was about a year later that I noticed almost all of Uncle's servants stopped coming around the house. He said they moved away or that he just couldn't afford to keep them anymore. Pretty soon, the only staff left was the butler, the chef and the grounds keeper. And I was all that was left of my family."
Will got down off the window sill, sensing her words were getting harder for her to say.
"I just knew something wasn't right, so I started snoopin' around the parts of the house Uncle had told us to stay out of. Sometimes I wish I'd just listened to him," she nearly laughed, but then got quite serious. "Hidden in one of the cellars, I found this huge laboratory. And there, in a cage, was this… monster." Alex toiled over the visions she recalled and the fangs of the first Chimera she had ever seen, gnawing on the flesh of a human arm. "I realized he'd been feeding all his servants to it… my sister, too. I was so scared. I just ran away."
Will felt like he was sinking deep into that guilt right along with her. It was all too surreal.
"Uncle…" he then said, "…is Dr. Cray."
Alex's shame only allowed her a few nods in response.
"And that's why the second you found out Father Koen was in the military," he realized, "you started begging him to teach you how to fight. You didn't leave him alone until he did."
"I weren't the only one," she reminded him.
Will lightly laughed, "I only did 'cause you did."
He saw her small grin fade. None of them often spoke of the past.
"Why were Chimeras made in the first place?" Will had to ask.
"Zeke said Odin made them to hunt the First, I assume because no human can match them in battle."
"Why does Odin hate them so much? Just because they have to feed on blood to survive, doesn't mean it has to threaten human lives."
"Look at television, books, urban legends, superstitions, religion… or just look at our history as a whole. It's human nature to fear what we don't understand."
Will wasn't even sure what he understood and he had to admit to himself that the First did frighten him a little. Then again, seeing how Alex dealt with Bade gave him reass
urance.
"You're not all that's left, Alex," he then said, his youth ironically offering her a bit of seasoned advice, "You know we're your family now."
A faint luster returned to her face with the thought, though she knew it was true from the start. As Will headed off down the corridor, Alex felt like her strength could pull at the tides to freeze that precise moment in time. A feeling of empowerment churned through her and she kept it with her for the rest of the sluggish day, letting it reinforce her spirit as the sun finally set. Whatever was next for all of them, she felt ready to face it.
The First soon started to stir in their dark room. They had been relaxing in a meditative state for hours, but rejoined the world well rested and focused. With twilight dimming the surrounding lands, the clan vanished from the old mill and into the surrounding woods without a word.
The humans were left baffled, wondering if they should get going without them.
"They need to feed," said Bade, lingering just inside the doorway.
Standing with the boys as they readied supplies at the van, Alex was slowed by his persistent glare as he headed back into the shadows. Picking up on his silent request, she left the others to go see what he wanted. She still wasn't used to the First's exhaustively subtle ways. A few strides behind, she followed him up a slim staircase to a secluded room. A single, narrow window looked out over the wide river below.
"The others didn't notice," he said with his solid stance in the corner, "Fitz had asked you what made Zeke go off on his own the way he did, but you never answered him."
She was almost humored by his perception, but it left a wallowing itch inside her.
"I didn't want them to react the same way he did."
Bade watched her intensely, judging every movement and every breath she took as she spoke. He was searching for any sign of deceit, a trait that he knew all humans possessed.
"Chimeras are fast. Faster than any human," she went on, though she wished for a way to avoid it, "You ever notice how similar Chimera movements are to your own? The First, I mean. The Phase Two even more…?"
She now had his undivided attention and even enticed him to take a step toward her.
"I told Zeke the truth about how Chimeras are made," she said, sensing his temper heating up, "They're a genetic cross of a few predatory mammals, mixed with human… and the First."
The gleam of Bade's glaring eyes was unmistakable.
"Science and technology are always changing, so we have to stop Chimera production as soon as possible," she said, keeping her eyes on his, "Killing Dr. Cray would ensure that."
Bade was annoyed by her resolve, but also humbled. He was starting to see how similar their fights truly were, as well as how different.
"His anger only tires him," he quietly told her, "And he didn't feed with us when he last should have. The harder he fights in battle, the weaker he'll become. Suffering any wounds will only worsen his chances for survival."
Bade saw Alex's stare go stale and her brow furrowed. He couldn't even guess what she must have been thinking.
"Once we have fed, we'll head out," he then said, and nearly brushed by her to leave, "Don't wait for us. We will catch up."
His swift exit left Alex with a lingering doubt. They had to hurry.
Chapter Seven
THE MOON'S SILVER GLOW shimmered over the wild landscape, shining down on Zeke perched on a rocky mountainside. Looking out at the concrete structure miles away, he focused only on his objective. He was ready to end the legacy of the Chimera in one blow, saving billions of First and humans from generations of despair. With the night as his cue, he launched to sprint over the treetops. Drawing his claymore as he reached the front gates, he barreled in at flashing speed, spinning and slicing through armed guards before they even knew they were dead. Various guards patrolling the area dropped one-by-one without ever seeing their attacker. As Zeke made it past the first perimeter, his presence there had still gone undetected.
* * *
Trucking through the dense forest, mountains towering on either side, the van skidded to a stop at the dead end of a weathered road. As the small team piled out, Eddy suddenly gasped.
"Someone replied!" he said, pointing at his open laptop.
"It's from Yale," Father Koen leaned eagerly over to read the message, "He's sending reinforcements to storm in from the north end of the property. He's just not sure they'll get there in time. Eddy, write back that I'll meet them at the north access."
"You're not coming with us?" Alex asked as the boys geared up to head out.
"Like you need some gimpy old man slowing you down," Father Koen lightly laughed, and put his hands on her shoulders to look her right in the eyes, "You can handle any fight that comes your way. I pity anyone who tries to stop you."
Alex reluctantly sighed, but she couldn't help but give him a small smile. Just then, they all startled as the ground rumbled with a distant explosion.
"We gotta move!" called Will, throwing Alex her things.
"Hurry up," said the priest.
The three of them took off into the shadows of the woods. Alex instantly forgot her troubles and finished gearing up as they ran, before Will tossed out her weapon. Her ears then caught the faint whips of wind from behind them. When another explosion rocked the earth, a fleeting glimpse of the First clan soared down and picked each of them up to fly effortlessly over the lofty trees. Alex was stunned to find Bade whirling her onto his back.
"Thanks," she warily said.
"I fear we may be too late," he warned her.
"No," she declared without an ounce of doubt, "We got here just in time."
Sirens then erupted from the compound and the First landed gently to set the humans down. The slaughter was everywhere. They only needed to track the path of blood Zeke left behind, leading them into the structure. Encountering a few guards, the clan easily took them out, letting Alex and Will pilfer a few guns while Eddy snagged security access cards. When they reached an intersection, they split up. Alex ordered Will and Eddy with Fitz and Quin of the clan, while she joined Bade, Tess and Lenn. The two teams each took a corridor.
Entering a new section of the compound, it led them underground, where the heavy strides of armed guards were no longer heard. An eerie quiet now muffled the halls. Suddenly, shrill roars halted every one of them.
"Stay behind us," said Bade, and he and his comrades formed a circle around Alex.
"I can take care of myself, ya' know."
"We can't afford you getting injured!" he barked back. He then grabbed her wrist to hold up her hand, showing off the cut still healing on her palm, "Only your blood can save Zeke!"
Alex had no response – not a single thought of any kind. When another wave of roars echoed loudly through the concrete labyrinth, they rushed to press on and the three First battled fiercely to clear a path. At last, they were given a break as they stormed into a control room, killing the guards inside and sealing the door shut. Alex quickly started to access whatever she could on the enormous computer console.
"We're wasting time," said Tess, the burly female of the clan.
"This will actually save us time," said Alex, typing at great speed as young Lenn hovered over her shoulder in mild interest.
With her final keystroke, various video feeds of the compound appeared on the giant screen.
"We can use this to find him," she said, and she scrolled through different channels.
They saw the other team making their way through the submerged structure, all working together to take down the Chimeras. Next, Alex brought up a visual of a small gathering of armed men and women. They were guarding an aging man in a sleek business suit.
"Who is that?" asked Bade.
Though she loathed the mere sight of him, she dared to speak his name, "Cray."
Spying the young woman's reaction, Bade surprisingly withheld his next remark.
She then spliced the visual on the monitor to show a full blueprint of the entire compo
und and she pinpointed where the Odin scientist was hiding. As Bade leaned on the console to see more closely, a new image flashed onto the monitor, stunning them all.
It was Zeke, unconscious and covered in blood in a locked supply room. Checking the schematics, Alex knew exactly where he was and the four of them tore off in a hurry. Radioing the others, they slaughtered more beasts than they could count before they finally found the storeroom, but it was locked from the inside. Remembering the minor details of the layout of the building, Alex scanned to find an air vent near the ceiling. Just as the others helped her up to reach it, her radio buzzed. Will was calling for backup – they were stuck in a standoff. Pushing Alex up into the tiny duct, Bade quickly led the rest of the team to go and help.
Though the crawlspace was cramped, Alex made her way to the other side and punched out the grate to hop down. Standing up, she felt the air go thin. There was so much blood. Zeke was just lying there, lifeless. In a snap, she threw off her hood and rushed to his side.
"Zeke…?" she called, hauling him up to lean him against the wall, "Zeke!"
Sluggish, he started to come to. When his eyes finally opened, they looked blankly at her.
"Both our teams are here," she proudly told him, "Yours and mine."
His stare of her didn't dare waver. He was in disbelief of all he saw and heard.
"We came to help you," she said, "We can take down Cray together."
"Go on ahead," he plainly said, his entire body littered with deep wounds still desperately trying to heal, "I just need to rest."
"Don't lie to me, damn it! Look at you!" she yelled at him, her hands flailing with her anger, "Bade told me you didn't feed when you were supposed to, which is a pretty dumb move if you're gonna take on an entire army all by yourself."
Zeke suddenly grabbed her by the wrist to stop her.
"Just leave me be," his tone surrendered, and he tossed her arm aside.
"Do you know how hard it must've been for Bade to come to me after you just took off? You owe it to your clan to get back in this fight!" Alex heated with rage as she leaned in and scolded him, "And don't think I'm just gonna sit here and watch another one of my friends die!"
His gleaming eyes then pierced right into her being, just as a tear finally slipped down her cheek. He moved slowly and reached to gently touch and catch it. He thought such a thing was only caused by pain. He wondered how many forms of it she had to bear.