Stephen barged into JJ’s office, just as JJ stood up from his desk. JJ looked at him calmly. “Yes, Lieutenant?”
Stephen was still sporting bandages all over his body, and there was a new gash on his cheek. “I’ve been waiting for twenty-four hours just to find out who or what kind of werebeing did that. I lost soldiers under my command; I lost A129!”
“We’ve lost men, correction, Lieutenant Caledon,” JJ said in a stoic voice.
“Will you for once treat me as your brother and not as your subordinate?” Stephen snapped, his eyes narrowing.
JJ could see he was becoming irrational. It must have been the medications, or his bionic arm was still rejecting him, despite a cocktail of Alexia’s blood and alpha test subjects’ blood. His younger brother’s eyes harbored danger in them…
“Calm down,” JJ told him. “Would you like me to call Dr. Wallace?”
“What the hell was that announcement that father gave?” Stephen continued. “I just saw the live feed-”
“As did I.”
“Then A129 is our sister?” Stephen said, his eyes were wide and disbelieving. “What ploy is father playing at?”
JJ shook his head. “I’m not sure what he’s doing. This came as a surprise to me as well.”
“You came up with this announcement, didn’t you? You did this behind my back-”
“Lieutenant, may I remind you that you are not part of the board.”
“But I’m part of this goddamned family,” Stephen reasoned. “And we haven’t been one in years.”
“Stephen, this isn’t the time for childish notions. We’re here for a reason, and the reason is that we’re the president’s offspring. We do the work he can’t do-”
“Who is A129?” Stephen insisted. “Who is she?”
“She’s just another lab experiment,” JJ told him. “Why bother?”
“She mentioned someone named Jared. She mentioned we were related, that she was my sister. And then father goes out to the world and shows a photo of him with her. I don’t understand what’s going on.”
“You don’t have to,” JJ said. “I don’t understand a lot of things, either.”
“Don’t lie. I know you’re lying.”
“What makes you say that?”
“I know you. I know what you’re like.”
“You’re being irrational. Have you been taking your medications lately?”
“Don’t treat me like I’m some delusional person,” Stephen seethed. “How can you not react to this at all?”
“There are certain things that require caution before I react,” JJ said. “If I go out there and show how affected I am, it’ll be the beginning of this family’s downfall.”
“Didn’t it already begin years ago?” Stephen whispered, his face near horrified. “How come I don’t remember her? How come I only remember that there were two of us and we only had mother and father-”
“Because there was only the two of us,” JJ said calmly. “We grew up together-”
“Now I think you’re the one that’s delusional,” Stephen said, pacing around, restless. He could actually feel the fibers of the carpeted floor through his shoes. “When did you know?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You must have approached father for this turn of events. She was our sister. I nearly killed our sister countless times.”
“I didn’t say anything about her being our sister.”
“Father claims it!”
“Father claims everything!” JJ bellowed. Then he realized his voice had been too loud, loud enough for others to hear. He breathed in deeply. “There are many things we don’t know; there are many things I’ve been trying to find out.”
“Is she really our sister?” Stephen asked again.
JJ said nothing, and Stephen let out a shaky breath. “Damn it, JJ, she really is our sister, isn’t she? He kept her away from us. She was taken from us. Who is Jared? How come I’ve never seen photos of him?”
“We can’t know everything, but what I know is that I have to survive, like you have to, too. I think it’s best if you rest for now. You’re shook up from what happened yesterday.”
“He kept her in that lab, and we allowed it to happen,” Stephen gasped, his palms on his head.
JJ began to reach for the button on his table, and Stephen’s head shot up.
“Don’t you dare call father or the doctors on me,” Stephen told him, stopping him in his tracks.
“You need rest,” JJ repeated. “You’re in bad shape, and your arm’s bleeding again. The rejection is-”
“I’m fine!” Stephen bellowed. “But this whole situation is not. How do we solve this? They took her away because-” He was motionless, looking at his older brother, the brother he hated and respected at the same time. He took out his gun, pointing it to his brother’s chest. “Tell me, what is going on?”
“Put it down, Steph,” JJ said, holding up one palm. “You need rest.”
“No, you need rest,” Stephen said, shaking the gun still pointed at his older brother. “People always tell the truth when they’re faced with death. So, what is it, JJ?”
JJ shook his head. “You don’t know how important this all was.”
Stephen nodded, willing for him to go on.
“Yes, she is our sister. Alexia is Alexandra. Jared was taken away because he was a werebeing; he had the misfortune to be born one, even if he was part of the First Family,” JJ admitted, a rush of words beginning to flow. There was no escaping his brother’s emotional state, and he was glad his wife wasn’t here to see it.
“We were old enough to remember everything, but Dr. Wallace and the President—they did that to us. They made us forget. They made our siblings forget. Jared died after a few weeks in the lab. Alexandra survived, and she’s still being used.”
There was horror on Stephen’s face. “We allowed it to happen to our own sister, and I barely remember her. In fact, I don’t remember Jared at all.” JJ raised his hands to show he was reaching into his breast pocket. He took out a photo and showed it to Stephen. Stephen took a step and asked his brother to hand over the photo. He stared at it, his aim faltering, but JJ didn’t move in to take the gun away.
Stephen was staring at the photo, and he closed his eyes momentarily. A smattering of memories crawled inside his head, and then his eyes opened. “We made her suffer.”
“And we didn’t know it. I knew of it too late.”
“How come you remember? How come I don’t?”
JJ shrugged. “It’s different for all of us. Our sister, she remembers. I put Ryker in there to save her, to take her out-”
“Ryker? Ryker Locklear, the last winner of the WereGames?” Stephen was aghast. That young man was someone he desperately wanted to kill. Ryker had killed too many of his men; Ryker had swiped away his arm from him, never to be reattached again.
“You just betrayed our father,” Stephen said, shaking his head. “You betrayed the man who kept you safe.”
“He destroyed our family,” JJ said. “Our own father destroyed our family. He tore us apart; he used his own daughter to keep his military strong. You saw what they did to her, Steph. You saw how they opened her up. The moment I remembered everything, I knew I had to get her out. I helped her get out, with Dr. Delaney’s assistance.”
“You destroyed Sector 12! A129 hurt all my weresoldiers,” Stephen said, still holding the photo in one hand.
“There’s a reason for everything, Steph. I did that to save Alexandra. She’s the future.”
“Not the future leader of this country,” Stephen said. “And you just had to be the heir? How could you not tell me any of this? How long ago was this? It doesn’t matter. You’re corrupted; you’ve conspired with rebels-”
“Steph, it’s not like that.”
“No, you’re the one that let them in. You’ve added fuel to the fire, JJ. You’ve made things worse, instead of helping father. We could have done this another way; we could have saved A129 without you inciting a rebellion-”
There was so much he didn’t know, JJ thought. He had always been the idealist; he had always been on their father’s side. The rebellion had stewed for years, ever since their great-grandfather had killed an Auberon president. It was high time their father was replaced. Each Caledon was more brutal than the previous one, and he had no intention of becoming like his predecessors. There was no preventing that, though. Once a Caledon, always a Caledon. It was expected that he take the reins his father was to leave for him. Stephen would have gladly done it…
“The rebellion existed long before we came into the picture, Steph.”
“Well, let’s not make things worse, shall we?” Stephen responded, cocking the snub-nosed gun in his hands. He had thrown the photo on the floor, and JJ began to walk for it. “Stop right there.”
“I just want the picture,” JJ said. “It’s all I want.”
“I said stop right there.”
“I need this. It took me so long to have this-”
“Don’t move, JJ.” Stephen’s voice had become dangerously low. “I said, don’t move.”
JJ bent down to take the picture, and then the sound of a muffled gunshot came. JJ looked up to his brother and saw the confusion, hatred, and regret in his eyes. The gun smoldered at the end, and Stephen’s steady hands were still aiming for his chest.
“You let sentimentality get the best of you…” Stephen whispered. “Father wouldn’t have wanted that. He would have wanted you to do your duty as a general. You should have told me this when you began to remember things, JJ.”
JJ didn’t bother looking down at his military uniform. Stephen had hit him directly to the heart. He felt warm blood trail down his chest and stomach. It trickled slowly, and for a moment, he couldn’t feel the pain. He placed his hand on his chest, and when he withdrew it, it was stained with crimson. He looked up at his brother once more.
Stephen’s vision began to blur, but he aimed at his brother, firing the gun twice. JJ stumbled, but he stood straight. His older brother’s eyes said it all, but it was too late. He felt tears drop on his face as JJ slumped to the floor. He quickly wiped them away, realizing that he had actually killed his brother. The gun fell from his hands. What was he going to do next?
Stephen spun around, leaving JJ in his office, lying on a Persian carpet, with his eyes wide open.
*
The plan was a massive evacuation, one that would take a few days, with Ryker and the rest of what little military power they had. The assault on the capital was ready. Their contact, it turned out, had been the older brother of Alexia. A Caledon was actually helping them bring Magnus Caledon down.
Ryker and Leopold, along with the rest of the Alaskan community had pieced together what they could of Alexia’s family background. The slate had been wiped clean from the memories of the citizens; Alexia, or Alexandra Caledon, was essentially a ghost, a ghost that had come to life to wreak havoc on either her father’s life, or theirs.
She was a ticking bio-weapon, Leopold told Ryker, despite Ryker keeping mum about what she could do to werebeings and humans. It had been a unanimous decision to return Alexia, but it meant risking the community’s actual location. To return her via assault on the capital was their best bet to keep the rest of the community safe.
Ryker was still against it, but he knew he had to end this once and for all. He hadn’t told her of the plans yet, and he hadn’t told her he wanted the current president deposed—or dead, if possible. How would he say it? Hey, Alexia, I love you, but I want you father dead because he killed my whole family.
He was hesitant to go back to her quarters, and even more hesitant to bring her back to a place they had escaped from. She had only been there three days ago. Still, their preparations had begun, and they started to move a few women and the majority of the children first. That would mean at least three hundred out by the end of the morning, then another three hundred in the afternoon.
His hands grew cold as he walked toward her room, and his mouth felt dry. The moment he stepped in, his composure faltered, seeing her seated at the edge of the bed, willing herself to move her feet and legs by stretching them slowly. She looked up and gave him a soft smile, and for a moment, Ryker thought all was well.
“How are you?” he asked her, nearly stammering.
She nodded. “I’m fine. You?” Her voice was still hoarse, but she could talk better now, without holding onto her neck.
He nodded. “I’m okay,” he said, sitting beside her. “Listen, I- I need to bring you back to the capital. They’re looking for you. Your father’s looking for you.”
Her eyes widened for a second, then she closed her eyes. There was no denying that she was the daughter of Caledon. She had heard murmurs from the doctors that her photo had been plastered all across the country, with a substantial reward waiting for anyone who could give information on her whereabouts. She didn’t bother to ask why. Her being here was dangerous to everyone. It was a race against time before her father’s men found out where they were, in this barren and icy wasteland.
“He still hasn’t used me enough,” she finally croaked. “What if you leave me there? I won’t hold it against anyone here. They took care of me, and that’s near saint-like already since they know I’m a Caledon.”
“They don’t hate you because you’re a Caledon.”
“They don’t. But they’re afraid something might happen, and something will,” she told him. “I don’t know who my father is, I just know him as the president, and if I have any regrets, it’s not meeting you sooner.”
It stung his heart somehow, what she said. “What happened to you? What did they do to you there?”
“Tests,” she said simply.
“Your neck. Another test?”
She was quiet. She shook her head. “It’s not important.”
“Don’t ever do that again,” he told her. “Promise me.”
“I don’t-” She wanted to deny what she had done, but she knew he knew already. He held her hand.
“I lost you before; I won’t lose you again. No matter what happens, I’ll be by your side. I’ll keep you away from people who want to hurt you.”
“I can’t not hurt you…” she said. “As long as I’m alive, you’ll see a Caledon right in front of you.”
“It doesn’t matter. The sins of other people don’t define you,” he said stubbornly. “I didn’t love you because you were free of your past; I love you for your present. The moment I saw you-” he stopped, realizing he was saying too much. It was unlike him.
To his relief, she nodded. “Once we go back, I might not see you again.”
“You will. The end goal of this mission is to see your father stepping down from the presidency.”
“You mean kill him…” she said in a faraway voice. She hadn’t had the fondest memories of him. When she had glimpsed him last, his eyes were devoid of emotion, and he had disregarded her as just another test subject. It was heartless, but she couldn’t find it in herself to hate him.
Ryker almost choked. “I’m sorry,” he finally said.
“I haven’t personally met him, and I don’t want to,” she told him, closing her eyes. “But I guess I have to face him one day. Will that be tomorrow?”
Ryker nodded. “I’m sorry you had to have a family reunion as difficult as this is about to be.”
Alexia closed her eyes again. “Ryker, I’m sorry this happened to us. I’m sorry they killed your family.”
“It’s not your fault. Just promise me, promise me we’ll stay together. I don’t think I can be alone again, not after having you in my life, not after knowing you,” he said, not looking at her. She inched her body closer to his, and he could feel the warmth coming from her.
How had it come to this? In less than a year, his whole perspective on life had changed. He’d hid for years, only to be forced into the cruel games, and all those years of solitude had been replaced with the momentary limelight, tortured for months in a lab and hidden away, only to find that one beautiful person, a person he couldn’t imagine living without anymore. Alexia was essentially a game changer, in a cruel game called life.
“Hey,” he continued. “Remember when I told you we’d have our own place? That we’d have our own paradise? Well, I’m giving it to you. Just let me finish this, once and for all.”
*
Magnus Caledon looked at his eldest son’s body, just mere minutes after someone had killed him. That someone had been his second born. Stephen was in another room, kept out of harm’s way by a few weresoldiers and Dr. Wallace. He had been heavily sedated straightaway.
So, his heir was dead, and somehow, it felt heavy on his shoulders. Stephen’s bravado for leadership and power would not be enough. The boy was far too reckless to be given the country. Magnus had begun tests to extend his lifespan, using his own daughter’s blood as a steroid. Yes, he had become that kind of person. Death was inevitable, but if one could prolong life, then all the better.
No one else was to know of this, Magnus thought. He hadn’t thought it would end this way. He looked at his son’s unseeing gaze, and he chose to close them. What have you done, JJ? he thought. His son had died in the most unglamorous way, unable to put up a fight against his brother—and it was something Magnus would have done himself… still, JJ was a loss. A great loss.
He nodded at the men who were ready with a stretcher to take his eldest son away. His family was dying out, one by one. Now, he only had two children left. Alexia had been reinstated as his child, with the announcement he had concocted with JJ. The public’s sympathy would be with the Caledons once more, but was that going to be all?
He watched as the men quickly wheeled JJ away onto the jet waiting by his office’s veranda. There would be some cleaning up to do now, and JJ would no longer be a part of it. He walked to the room, and he saw Stephen, whose face was distraught as he sat on a chair, with Caliban standing beside him, a soundless sentinel.
“Father, I-” Stephen began.
“Everyone, leave,” Magnus commanded. He watched the men exit, save for his son, who was handcuffed. Stephen looked like he would pose no threat, but the handcuffs were still on, and Magnus couldn’t be bothered to remove them. “What have you done, Stephen?”
“Father, I don’t know what took over me. He was feeding me lies; he told me -- he told me that A129 really was my sister. You two kept it from me? I’ve worked hard for this country, Father; I’ve worked hard for you and for myself.’
“You have done well,” he told his nearly incoherent son. Stephen blinked and looked up; his eyes were red-rimmed, and his mouth was trembling. It was most probably the medications. His bionic arm had been disabled by Dr. Wallace temporarily, as well.
“I have?” Stephen looked disbelieving.
“You’ve killed one of the instigators of the rebellion, Lieutenant.”
“So it was true; he betrayed us.”
“Execution for treason, no matter his position.”
“So, he lied?”
“He did not. A129 is indeed your sister, our youngest. It was unfortunate that she had to have certain genetics that we desperately needed. Power and order must be maintained. Chaos is only a setback, and you treated your brother as such.”
Stephen’s eyes widened. “What?”
“I would have done the same, Stephen. And for what you did, I am glad to call you my son,” Magnus said calmly. “Not many would have. You’re a Caledon through and through. Your older brother faltered with family, while you did not.”
“I didn’t think you’d-”
“I am leaving the capital, to search for your sister.”
“To Alaska,” Stephen said flatly. “You’re leaving the capital for Alaska.”
Magnus nodded. “Of course.”
“If the seat of the capital is empty, the country will be prone to-”
“It won’t be empty. We’ll come back for it. You’ll come back for it. There are certain things we must finish first, including the destruction of that secret community that’s persisted in gossip for years,” Magnus told him.
“We couldn’t even find it.”
“But they found Ryker Locklear, and now, they’ve taken your sister.”
“Whom you’ve kept away from us,” Stephen said, his eyes narrowing. “Why did you do it, Father? What did she do so terribly wrong?”
“The mere fact that she was born. She was the reason your mother withered away.”
Hadn’t their mother died in an air raid on the capital? He shook his head, trying to come to terms with the fact that what his father had announced had turned out to be true. It was difficult to digest.. He had nearly killed her twice. He had wanted her dead. It seemed like his own father had known of JJ’s treason all along. “And Jared?”
“He had the misfortune to be born a werebeing. He was a threat to us, to himself.”
“So, you just let him die? And you left her to die?”
“She’s still alive, Stephen. I want her alive; that’s why I want her back.”
“So we can be a family again?” Stephen gave a hollow laugh. “Almost all of your children are dead. You did this to us.”
“I gave you back an arm.”
“No, you decided to give me back my arm,” Stephen began, realizing that JJ’s decision to sedate him before he could kill his fiancée had been precise. He was a loose firearm, with all the medications he had been getting. His arm was being rejected by his body, but they had forced it to bond with him via the steroids from his sister’s blood. That was her use, for as long as she lived, and she was the only one who could provide that good of a steroid among all of the other test subjects…
“She didn’t have a choice. Just like how you didn’t give us a choice.”
“My dear boy,” his father said. “I was suspicious of your brother’s activities too late. He acted too rashly when he let your sister escape. He’d remembered for years what had happened to us, and my suspicions only began a few days ago.” He took a step forward, standing in front of his son. “Stephen, you’re either with me or against me. Help me get your sister back, and everything you’ve ever wanted will be yours.”
“I don’t know what I want anymore,” Stephen whispered, horrified that he was considering something from his father.
“Come now. You were born a Caledon,” his father said. “I shall be leaving for Alaska in a few. I’m taking all of the weresoldiers with me, as well. You can stay here with the prime minister if you’d like.”
“Who is Ryker Locklear?” Stephen asked. “What has he done to you to cause you distress?”
“The mere fact that he is the grandson of a man who once was the leader before our family had him killed. He is a threat, and a threat like that cannot be left alone.”
Stephen stood up, and he felt the shackles on his wrists tighten. “I’ll serve you and this country to the best of my ability, father.”
Magnus Caledon nodded. “Good. At least one of my sons has a brain.” His mind was running on to other things now, glad that that was out of the way. Now, the announcement that his eldest had died in a vicious werebeing assassination needed to be put out.
Caliban and the rest of the weresoldiers came in, including a general that Stephen greatly detested. The general stepped in to place his fingerprint on the handcuffs, effectively releasing its hold on Stephen. Stephen rubbed his wrists, a sense of relief stealing through him.
His father nodded. “Lieutenant, get your troops ready.”
Caliban couldn’t help but smile as he heard the exchange between father and son. He would finally get his long overdue revenge on Ryker, the man who had stolen Alexia from him, and the man who still gave him nightmares.