Read Online Alpha Male by Mike Cooley - Free Book Online Page B

Mel.
    “Come,” said Tala. “Let us show you why Daelius wants us dead.”
    “You trust us?” Silas looked from one Siren to another.  
    “Trust is elusive. Let’s just say that if you prove untrustworthy, you won’t be allowed to leave.” Tala put her hands on her hips, and the beginnings of a smile took the edge off her stern expression.
    “Any enemy of Daelius is a friend of ours,” Vena clarified.  
    “Until proven otherwise,” another Siren said.  
    “That’s Faye,” explained Vena. “She’s a bitch.”
    “You all look the same to me,” said Silas.  
    “Racist.” Tala laughed.
    “What are you…clones?” asked Mel.
    “In a way.” Tala dodged the question.
    Tala led them over to the far end of the chamber and raised her hand, indicating the canisters on the wall. “Behold our life’s work.”
    Against the far wall were rows upon rows of canisters labeled A Minus. Fluids bubbled through transparent pipes that criss-crossed the room like a spiderweb. A whirring of centrifuges filled the air.
    “What is it? What is it for?” Mel asked.
    “A Minus is a nano-virus,” explained Tala. “We are going to use it to eradicate war from the planet. For too long, men have waged wars against each other and destroyed the planet for greed. We are going to end that.”
    “But how? How is that possible?” Mel’s eyes widened.  
    “We have weaponized the A Minus. Once we seed the atmosphere with it, it will affect the whole planet. It works via genetic modification, and it only affects men.”
    “Danny,” said Silas.  
    “Danny?” asked Mel.  
    “They tested it on him. That’s why he acts like a child now.”  
    Silas’ hand tightened on Mel’s. He leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Stay calm; don’t say anything negative or they’ll kill us.”
    “We’ve tested it on a number of subjects. It’s harmless. All it does is remove aggression. The aggression that is leading this planet to Armageddon!” Tala raised her voice.  
    “When? When are you planning on deploying it?” Silas tried to keep his voice steady, showing minimal interest.
    “Tomorrow. Final testing is underway, and the launch tube is being readied. We need to time the launch to coincide with the catalyst. If we deploy it in the atmosphere at the wrong time, it will disperse. We need it to reach the stratosphere at exactly the same time as the solar flare reaches Earth tomorrow.”
    “Recent testing on human subjects has been successful. Fatality is down to ten percent,” said Faye. She walked over to a console full of buttons and pressure indicators, hit several of the buttons in sequence, and pulled a lever. A robotic arm started grabbing canisters of A Minus and loading them into a transparent tube. Then they shot up into the ceiling with a pneumatic pop.  
    “Launch tube?” Silas looked around the room. “Aren’t you too far underground?”
    “This is only part of our complex. We built a rail gun to fire the pressurized containers of A Minus. The top of the gun is in the Hoh Rain Forest. It’s half a mile long.” Tala beamed with pride.  
    “And what about Daelius? Aren’t they going to stop you?” Mel asked.
    “They might try, but we’re ready for them.” Tala pulled a black device from her belt that looked like a toy gun with a silencer on the end. The grip was transparent and held tiny silver darts.  
    Faye punched more buttons, and a digital clock lit up on the console. It was counting down from sixteen hours and twenty-seven minutes. “Almost there, Tala. We just need to hold position until noon tomorrow, then launch.”
    “Daelius is out of time.” Tala looked at Silas. “So you’re the wildcard. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Attack

    The Daelius agent broke the surface of the ocean and pulled the regulator out of his mouth. “I found it. It’s forty feet down and covered with an illusion generator. Their base must be down through the tunnel beneath the rock.”
    Drake stood