The Falcon Ridge Series Book 3 If Looks Could Kill

(Chapter song ‘It Doesn’t Even Matter’ by Moose Beats)

ALEXI

Three days after Luke captured me, I still feel his kiss. I still hear his words and feel his touch. No amount of cleaning and distraction has been successful in removing these disturbing feelings from me.

This Alpha will need to be eliminated. I have no other choice.

I was developing the plan to do just that when Ollie handed me the keycards with new codes to the lab. This was enough to put my end to Luke aside.

I rise from the couch as he hands them to me. "You're sure you want to do this." He holds them as I put wrap my fingers around them.

"Yes, Ollie. I must." I suck in a breath and meet his eyes.

"You act like you don't have a choice, Alexi.” He removes his hand from the cards and I put them in my pocket.

“You have the choice to not pursue this. I know you, Alexi. I can see your heart wants something else. Your father was honorable, I agree. But, he loved you so much. He didn’t want you wrapped up in the poisons of the world. I really think this struggle you have with the Alliance Alpha is not the struggle you think it is."

I lower my head as Ollie held my arms and spoke softly, but with the guidance of a scholar. I can appreciate his care, but I don’t have time for games. The Alliance must pay for their crimes. If that’s to include Luke, I won’t lose an ounce of sleep over it.

I hold my head up. "Thank you for your help and your advice, but I must complete what I came here to do.”

He sighs. “If you must.”

Leaving the house, I walk down the dark street. I think about everything, handling the key cards in my pocket, as I walk past the dark, dilapidated houses. I eye the overgrown lawns, broken doors and boarded windows.

Luke is not the great Alpha he thinks he is if this is what is allowed in his pack.

My thoughts and memories turn the death of this neighborhood to the streets of my home. The fond memories of walking the streets. Seeing the bright family homes. I hear the children laugh as they play. I remember the smiling faces of my people.

My father built that happiness and the Alliance turned it into this.

My gut turns sick as my memories layer over the reality of my surroundings. Screams fill my ears and pain fills my heart. I close my eyes and quicken my steps.

My father was great man. A leader most could only dream of. The Alpha of love and passion.

I can never be like him. I couldn't rule a pack and command it with such conviction. Our people loved him. What Luke was describing was not who my father was. He destroyed threats. Protected us with all the love he held for us. He fought with bravery. He would never be so cowardice as to kill another wolf without cause. I know this in my heart.

Luke is confused. He, along with everyone else, have only been fed the propaganda the Alliance wanted.

Luke is under the delusion of lies.

My father knew the Alliance was evil. He did what he had to do to save us. He knew what they are capable of.

My father’s fight was to protect his people from them. In time, Luke will see. He will see just how dark and twisted his precious Alliance is.

Once my mission is complete, he will see. He will see how wrong he is and see how I’m freeing him and the people of the Alliance from the poison they drink every day.

As I cross out of the dead rows of houses and into the night life of the town, I think of Luke's interactions with me.

I'm not blind to it. He's definitely not shy in showing what he wants.

He's partly right, though. I do feel something. Maybe not as strong as him, but something.

I also do hate how my mission consumes me and turns my soul black.

I may be seeking justice, but one mustn't be proud to take a life. Each is precious in its own right. That's why we do not kill without making each death an honorable one. It's a fine line between hero and villain. It depends on what you hold in your heart. I know killing Anna Riker is right. Her death will bring justice to my father.

The death of the Alliance Alphas after my revenge is the liberation my father started. I will uphold that.

This is why Luke is something I do not deserve.

I was telling him the truth when I told him I'm not the princess he seeks. His heart is full and it deserves to be held by someone who can appreciate it. I can't do that.

I don't have the privilege of things like relationships and love. My love died with my father. The only thing that resides in my heart now is hate and disdain for the Alliance. I have no room for Luke, no matter how much my heart aches for it.

I stop at a seemingly innocent electrical building, but I know what it really holds.

In the soft light of street light, the small building made of grey metal, and only 10 feet tall and wide, stands. Behind its single grey metal door, are horrors no one should know.

I press my lips together and toss my bag over the 8 foot chain link fence. I climb the fence and jump down inside the 8x8 gravel yard surrounding the building.

I pick up my bag and walk to the door. Beside it is a keypad with a swipe. I take out a key card and swipe it in a keypad. The light on it turns from red to green and I open the door.

In the dark is a set of metal stairs going deep underground. My boot hits the steel landing and lights turn on, flowing down the stair case in succession.

I nervously blow out a breath, put my pack on both shoulders and pull out my gun loaded with normal silver bullets. I won't waste my Alpha bullets here.

I aim my weapon to the steps as I descend cautiously. My eyes are hyper alert to what's around me. Once down, I join a stark white hall.

As I enter the underground facility, I notice how crisp and clean this place is. The walls of the rooms are made of glass. The rooms are filled with medical equipment blinking and beeping. I eyes scan left and right as I hold my gun at my thigh.

I’ve been here before and still can’t believe a place like this even exists. What's worse is they are clueless that it was a place like this that gave my father the heart to do what he did.

As I walk through another doorway, I enter an office area. It’s small. About 10 feet by 15 feet and filled with desks. There’s computers and papers on them.

As I walk my the desk, I spy the papers. Chemical names and medical words are written all over them. I don’t understand any of it, but I’m very well aware of what it means.

My lips shrink as I move through this room slowly. I know where I'm going, I just don't know what I need, yet. I’ll know it when I see and plan accordingly.

The place is surprisingly empty, but it’s night, so most have gone for the day. I’m sure the room I need is still under guard.

The sound of talk and laughter has me duck under an empty desk. A couple of men in lab coats walk by. My eyes narrow from my hiding spot. Their smiling faces are sickening. They truly are disgusting people.

I see them head to the door I came from. I only move when I hear their shoes climb the steal steps.

Slowly, I move from my spot and continue through the room to a white hall. This hall is full of what looks like holding cells. Each one has a small cot and a lavatory. This is where they held him.

Turning from the white halls to blue halls, I see more cells with glass walls. These ones are darker, though. This is where it starts. My lips turn with disgust as I scan each room.

My stomach flips when I see bloody rags on cold metal tables. The medical equipment around the table has me choke back my vomit. I can only imagine the excruciating pain these rooms hold.

I look on the walls as I pass by and see the deep claw marks of desperate wolves gouged into them. Desperate actions to escape the torture.

I close my eyes and try to focus. If I let my feelings take hold, I’m libel to get myself killed.

After navigating my way through this frozen hell, I come to the hall I need. I stop at the corner and press my back against the wall.

This is where things can get messy if im not careful. I slowly peek around to see where the security guard to the room I need is.

At the end of the hall is a set of glass doors. Beside them is a desk with a burly guard in a grey uniform sitting behind it. He's currently distracted by his phone.

I watch him carefully as I reach into my pocket and retrieve my silencer. I carefully screw it on the end of my gun barrel and lean back against the wall. I rest the silencer on the tip of my nose, say a silent prayer and glance again.

With determination, I suck in a breath, turn the corner and stomp toward the guard. My thick boots thump on the linoleum floor when he looks up and stands. He grabs for his gun on his side. I raise my gun as I walk briskly and fire two bullets into his chest. The familiar, quiet shots barely fill the hall. He's thrown backwards, hits the wall and falls to the floor behind the desk. He'll heal if he gets help soon.

I walk to the desk and grab his keycard that was sitting on the desktop. I stride to the door and swipe it in the keypad. Again, the light turns from red to green.

I open the door and close it behind me. As I step in, I look up. Above my head is a lighted sign that reads ‘Experimental Weapons'. My eyes float around the dimly lit red room filled with back lighted shelves.

On these shelves are various guns, contraptions and ammunition. All developed to kill wolves with the best efficiency.

I walk down the middle aisle to a section that's gated and padlocked. I shoot the lock and it breaks open. I throw open the gate and enter this separated section.

Rows upon rows of various vials full of different colored liquids sit in refrigerated cabinets behind glass doors along the walls. In the center are circular tubes that are attached to the floor and ceiling. Vials are in these, too. The fluorescent lighting in these shelves fill my eyes as I scan each shelf for something I can use.

It disgusts me that all of these weapons are being created to be used against us. It further disgusts me that I have to stoop to their level to stop them.

As I make my way around the room, I stop at a vial of glowing blue liquid. I open up the door and white smog surrounds me as the cold air hits the warm air around me.

I reach in and pick out a small glass bottle with silver metal cap. I tilt my head, hold the bottle in my fingertips up to my eyes and turn it around. I read the label.

‘Wolfsbane'. I chew my lip. It’s not the same type of wolfsbane I’m familiar with. I read the ingredient list, but I’m unfamiliar with them, but obviously, this is an enhanced version.

"Excellent." My eyes sparkle in the lights as a grin spreads across my lips. I open the flap of my bag and take all the vials on the shelf.

I close the cabinet, exit the room and head for the ammunition section. I scan the shelves for the liquid silver bullets. Once I find them, I open my bag and take the six boxes present.

Further down, I see a weapon that could prove useful. A tranquilizer gun.

I pick it up, look it over then shove it in my bag. I take all the empty darts with a filling kit. These will definitely come in handy.

When I'm satisfied, I leave the room the way I came. I get to the door and peer through the glass before I exit. I spy the guard, still on the floor. His shirt is soaked in blood. There’s no one else there, so time to leave.

Exiting doesn’t have to be as cautious. I know my skills and if I make these people have a bad day, so be it.

I pull up my bag, heavy with my haul, and stride down the hall. I don't even hide.

As I turn from the blue hall to white, there’s people in lab coats walking toward me.

They see me and stop suddenly. They demand to know who I am, but I raise my gun shoot them without stopping my brisk exit.

“HEY!”

Two more guards run down the hall behind me. I spin around and fire at them. Their bodies hit the floor and slide to a stop.

I spin back around and I see more scientists as I enter the office area. I walk down the middle of the room and fire on the all. They slump over desks and hit the floor.

My face is stone. I have no feelings for these people. If they die down here, I will not mourn them. The evils of this place should be burned to hell.

And it will be when its outgrown its usefulness. For now, I will pick what I want, when I need it. If I have to kill them all doing so, I will.

I race up the metal steps and burst out the front door. I shoot the lock on the fence and walk out.

I look around for anyone coming to their rescue as I walk into the darkness. The shadows hide me as my holster my gun and adjust my pack. The bottles clink inside and I walk into the trees.

I’ll stop for rest then find my target. I may not be able to get to Anna directly, but there’s more ways than one to hunt a murderous bitch.