Page 4 of Alpha Infected
Mr. Chang patted him on the back and excused himself, citing an off-site meeting he had to attend.
After the chairman left, Bray made the rounds, accepting the congratulations from the other board members.
About ten minutes into the impromptu cocktail party, the sound of breaking glass followed by a shocked gasp suddenly cut into the celebratory chatter.
“Hey! Let me go!” a woman cried out.
Bray turned to see a shattered champagne flute on the floor and Jun holding one of the board members by the throat. The woman scratched at Jun’s grasp, frantically trying to get him to turn her loose. Several people rushed over to help her. The board vice president reached them first. But Jun swung out with his free hand, slashing his nails across the man’s face. Bright red blood welled up on the vice president’s dark skin, dripping onto the powder blue of his suit. He slapped a hand over the bloody wound, eyes wide with shock as he stared at Jun.
The others who’d tried to help now stumbled back in fear.
Bray looked for his other test subjects. Across the room, Rashad kneeled on the floor facing the wall, moaning and clutching his head with hands curled into claws. He shook, his entire body trembling as if he was in intense pain. Then he abruptly went ominously still and silent.
One of the doctors tentatively called his name. “Rashad? Are you okay?”
Rashad didn’t answer. Instead, he shot to his feet and whipped around to face them. An animalistic growl rumbled in his throat and spit collected in the corners of his mouth. Without speaking a word, he bolted from the room, knocking over several board members on his way out. Seconds later, screams rang out in the hall.
“Damnit!” Bray cursed under his breath. His demonstration was going to shit. Furious at the potential loss of his bonus, Bray strode over to the doctors to demand they fix their mess. Before he reached them however, Jenny stepped in front of him, blocking his path. She stared at him with bloodshot eyes wide with feral rage. Her previously tan complexion had taken on an odd, waxy white tone and the veins in her arms and neck were turning black under the pallid skin. Jenny bared her teeth and snarled, the sound raspy and inhuman. Flecks of white foam bubbled at the corners of her mouth - the same as Rashad.
Bray used the authoritative voice that made his employees flee from him in fear every day. “Jenny, get the hell out of my way!”
She didn’t move.
Out of patience with her antics, he tried to go around her to get to the door and call for security. But in a lightning quick attack, she leaped at him. Her body slammed into his, sending him crashing down to the floor. His back hit the ground, knocking the wind out of him with a hardwhoosh. He barely managed to suck in enough breath to issue an affronted demand.
“Get off me!”
Again Jenny only voiced that ugly, raspy snarl. She leaned down, getting right into his face. Chunks of her long, black hair sloughed off her scalp, falling to blanket the floor on either side of Bray’s head. He pushed at her shoulders, fighting to hold her back, but her enhanced strength easily overpowered him. To his horror, she opened her mouth and sank her teeth into the meat of his cheek. Bray screamed in pain.
“Ahhh! Help!”
No one helped. Above him, the others screamed as well, shoving at each other in their haste to escape the presentation room. Someone tripped over his sprawled legs and fell. Bray tried to reach for them, but they crawled away, making it out along with the others. He was left to deal with Jenny on his own.
Her teeth still in his cheek, Jenny yanked her head back, tearing a hunk of flesh from his face. She swallowed the piece of his face meat without chewing, drool dripping down her chin to land in Bray’s open wound. Her movements jerky and quick, Jenny gripped him by the front of his shirt, lifting him up to a half-sitting position.
“No! Please!” Bray cried as he slapped at Jenny’s grip on his shirt.
As he futilely tried to get free, Bray had a moment’s regret. He knew now that Dr. Burke had been right. Strength enhancer RX-2 wasn’t ready for human trials.
The acrid smell of urine hit Bray’s nose as he pissed himself in fear. But he didn’t care about the humiliation or the ruined pants. He was too busy begging for his life. “Please, let me go!”
A hoarse snarl was his only answer before Jenny slammed his head onto the floor.
A bomb burst of pain exploded in the back of his skull and then
Chapter 2
Friday, October 28th, 1983.
1215
US Legion Base Fort Grove
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
Hazard walked out of the room he shared with his mate and down the hall to the common room. The 448 had recently moved into new, larger barracks. They’d relocated to accommodate living with some of the members of their support team in order to build a bigger pack. The soldiers who’d chosen to house in their pack’s barracks would be moving in with them in the next few days. But for now, it was just Hazard, Ice, Jax, and Ortiz living there.
Their team had a rare day off from their duties, so he, Jax, and Ice were going to relax and watch an early season hockey game. Ortiz had elected to head to her office and use the time to get caught up on paperwork.
