Stalking Death (Sinister 1.30)

Chapter Eight Haunted

Dedicated to LevetteMclaughlin, CristeneMankasingh, and sarissaShy
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July 19, 2010, Désiré Jules Couture's POV, Age 9

    "Get up son." Rho-Nanny Eliza insists she is in a barely controlled panic. I shake my sleep off my body and then I hear it. Tons of people run up and down the compound.

    "What's going on?" I ask her sensing something is going wrong.

    "I wouldn't lie to you kid. The one they call High Alpha is in a rage... he is dropping bombs on all the compounds. Nowhere that we know is safe." She says picking up bags she hastily packed.

    "But my Frog!" I say trying to grab the teddy bear on the fireplace, 'father said it is not dignified for me to have one, he worries it will change my dynamic even more.'

    "Hurry and get it, but you must hold on to it, okay?" She says and I run to get it still in my pajamas. She opens the door and the sirens that were muted are hollering. I try to cover my ears but Leap my frog takes up my whole left hand. Nanny is dragging me down the halls and so I let the ear-splitting sound take my left ear. She turns back and says something to me, but I can't hear her and it's so loud I can't see her lips move. I feel dizzy.

    "Move boy! We can't die here. High Alpha is barbaric. All the women and children who remain will be killed. He will walk on our bones." She yells the fear of this man taking over her. She turns rapidly to the right and enters fathers car room. And it occurs to me.

   "Where is Sir Couture!" I yell over the still screaming sirens, 'I am not allowed to call him father.' Not since I stopped being a Beta. I am less now, less than everyone but the Rho, and they are only worker bees. All they do is serve.

    "He left a few hours ago." She says, 'he didn't take me.' She doesn't get in the car, and I wonder why until I see the helicopter careening towards us. I'd say flying but it's shaky like the pilot isn't any good.

    "Fifty Minutes!" A robotic voice insists, 'fifty minutes until the bomb lands? Or fifty minutes until we see it?'

    "Why is High Alpha trying to kill us?" I ask shakily clutching Leap.

    "He is not trying to kill us, he freed all the compounds of the Elite Race, he is trying to kill the founders. He is angry they imprisoned him. He is a war god." She says with clear respect, 'but earlier she said he will kill us.'

    "But why did you say we will die?" I ask and she nods.

    "He sent a warning that anyone on the ground was an enemy to the True Elite Alpha. He said we must swear loyalty to him." She says carefully, as she waves her arm for the pilot to see us.

    "Then why?" I ask, wanting to know how I angered a war god.

    "Because your father refused to release the woman and children so there would be enough time for the men to escape. He thought that he would show us mercy. But he was wrong." She says over the landing helicopter and rushes us over to it.

    "Fly, we have two more places to go!" She yells over the whirling blades.

    "Nanny what did you do?" I ask her and she looks down at me.

    "Son you have to. -," she pauses then begins again, "High Alpha said that if the Ladies of the Elite Race wish to live, they will bring him children of the empire." She yells.