Chapter 17
Let's go on a tour of ALIRON! We certainly won't get destroyed!
I had half an hour of sleep before it was time to get travelling. We spent most of the morning reviewing the plan and making sure everything was accurate. At noon we headed to ALIRON headquarters. We got a taxi and drove most of the way. For most of the taxi ride, I thought about Tatia. In some ways, I felt remorse and empathy for her. The flashbacks were constantly hitting me.
"Jamie, it's time to get going," Layla mentioned.
Instantly I stepped out of the taxi and hoped we were going to get out of this alive. I stared at the huge building in front of me. Glass windows covered the towering building shining in the bright, gleaming sun. A couple of scientists were marching out of the building with suitcases towards silver large cars. We walked forward with Aanisah and Layla holding us with ropes around our hands.
"We can do this guys!" Aanisah stated.
"All we have to do is get the Alpha serum and no more hunters tracking us. We're free!" Hazel cheered.
I tried to put on a happy face but I knew that something wicked was going to occur. To my surprise. Electrical tingles started to surge across my body like deja vu. We continued marching towards the building until we reached the entrance.
"Game on guys!" I yelled.
Aanisah and Layla both scanned their keycards on the door and with a hiss, the door slowly opened. We all walked in and were shocked to see what was in front of us. The place was almost empty.
"What the hell!?" Layla shouted.
She then stormed towards the receptionist dragging me along with her.
"Hi, Miss I'm Layla Angelou. Can you please tell me where everyone is?" She asked.
The receptionist kept looking back and forth from me to Layla. She looked like a typical receptionist wearing a standard blue suit with blue single inch heels. Small, gold earrings twinkling ever so slightly contrasting with the brightly flashing piece of jewellery dangling chaotically around her neck. Her brown eyes glittered with curiosity.
"Well due to the announcement occurring earlier, Dr Summers and Mr Josiah decided to evacuate to the secure building. They left a few of us behind just to take care of Mr Madden and Ms Angello," she exclaimed, clearly bemused by Layla's outrage.
In the blink of an eye, the receptionist stealthily leapt off her seat and immediately managed a fighting stance in front of us.
"I'm going to be rewarded highly for you too!" She sneered cunningly.
"LAYLA, AANISAH TAKE THE ROPES OFF QUICKLY!" I screamed. Instantly both of them broke the folds and all took a fighting stance.
At tremendous speeds, we rushed head-on. With all the strength I summoned to my fist she took an almighty blow to her stomach. Her face was scarlet in fury, but undefeated. She roared and slapped me hard in the face tumbling backwards and landing on my back. God that hurt! Aanisah then almost immediately swooped in. She swept her foot under the woman and kicked her in the crotch.
"Ahhhhh you little-!" She screamed. She was paused with a roundhouse kick in the face. We all went around her with Layla's foot pressured on her neck to pelt her. Finally, the defeated woman sprawled on the floor.
"Tell me where they went or I'll press my foot on your throat and you'll never live to see another day !" She demanded.
The woman grinned then let out a twisted laugh and pointed at me.
"I don't know where they went but he does! He's the key to finding them!" She pleaded hysterically.
Layla punched her unconscious before daring to take her foot off of her neck.
"Well one trouble is gone but more are certainly yet to turn up." She huffed.
"Guys let's just get the serum and go! Remember what the woman said," I answered. Everyone then started running up the stairs to Area 2, which was the lab. Through the doors were samples of medicines and an abundance of cabinets filled to the brim with test tubes. The tables were filled with sheets of paper and high tech, expensive electron microscopes. We all split up in our frantic yet thorough search for the serum. But I couldn't find the serum and by the look on everyone else's faces neither did they.
"Damn! All this work for nothing!" Layla roared.
"Guys we can still try ok, don't give up," Hazel calmly said.
The whole room was filled with screams of frustration and everyone was shouting. But I noticed something in the corner of my eye. I went by one of the locked cases that were hidden behind one of the tables. Then I picked it up. Shining inside were tubes of the red Alpha serum and injection by the side.
"GUYS GET THE HELL OVER HERE!" I cheered.
Everyone surrounded me and stared at the case in absolute hysteria. Hazel cheered the loudest.
"Guys we have the serum!" She encouraged me. Even Layla smiled.
"Well done Jamie now let's get the hell out of here!" She praised me.
We all started going back down the stairs when a group of guards were at the entrance. They all wore black and carried assault rifles in their hands.
"ALL WE WANT ARE JAMIE MADDEN, HAZEL ANGELLO AND THE SERUM. THEN WE'LL LEAVE YOU IN PEACE!" One of them bellowed.
"They're lying. They'll take you and then kill us!" Aanisah quietly said.
"Aanisah is right. Guys, we have to fight," I explained. Even though we were tired and drained we had to fight.
"Guys, we are not going this whole way for nothing ok?" Layla announced.
"SO IS IT THE EASY WAY OR THE HARD AWAY TRAITORS?!" A man roared.
We stood up united as one.
"THE HARD WAY YOU LITTLE BRATS!" We shouted.
We got ready to fight and so did our enemies, when out of surprise a silver arrow came shooting down hitting one of the guards on the ground. All the guards were astounded as to what had just occurred. Before they could act, a dozen more arrows shot each one to the ground whimpering in pain.
"Guys, what just happened?" I asked.
Each one of them had the same baffled expression.
"I appeared!" roared a mysterious voice.
We all turned around to see a man standing on the top of the stairs. He looked no older than eighteen. He wore a black tactical shirt with black camouflage pants. On top of that, he wore a combat jacket and a silver chain around his neck. He also wore very big boots with a bow and arrow behind his back. For some reason, he reminded me of creepy Alex. He walked closer to us and introduced himself.
"Hey I'm Elijah Reyes and I just saved your life, you're welcome" Elijah cheered.
His bright green eyes were filled with praise for himself. He had pale skin and dark auburn hair. He inspected each one of us carefully which I found kind of weird.
"Well, thanks for the save but we got plans to get on with" I replied.
"Of course you have plans! That's why you have the Alpha serum in that case your holding which you will take to your apartment to destroy and in your apartment is…. Tatia Cerise! Did I do good or what?" he asked. Oh god, he was a little weird but I could work with that.
"So you're a stalker?" I stated. I heard a little mumble come from Hazel but she stopped when Layla gave her a shut up glare.
"Ok true I have been following only because of how popular you have been all around the state!" He explained.
"What do you mean by how popular we are?" I demanded. He smiled as the question amused him.
"Well after ALIRON spread the word of how powerful you two are, bounty hunters decided to come after you to hand you over or to keep you for themselves. Just because of the abilities you two possess!" He replied. What the hell was this? People were after us just because of our abilities?
"Are you after us?" Hazel asked.
"No! Would I have killed all these people just to kidnap you? I followed you here and found you guys in trouble so I lent a hand" He laughed. It terrified me how much he reminded me of Alex.
"Anyways we have to go before we get caught. What about you?" I questioned.
"Don't worry about me, I'll just follow you guys from a long distance!" He replied.
"Yeah, that's not creepy at all!" Aanisah whispered.
The statement made me laugh a little.
"Ok so you can tag along but nothing obscure otherwise I'll wish you a death you hope you hadn't gone into!" Layla mentioned.
"Deal," Elijah cheered.
Mutually, we walked out of the building towards our apartment when an announcement roared through the streets. A robotic woman was on the comm saying that the international government had announced the purge was going to take place for two continuous years until it was expired and that any crime or illegal act was legal. It also said that police, ambulance or government services were not in assistance until the purge concludes and was going to start after the siren blared.
First I thought it was a joke but then as the comm declared a loud siren blared across the streets of Massachusets causing me to quiver silently.
"Ummm guys...was that what I thought it was?" I panicked.
"Yes. Everyone, run to the apartment now!" Layla shrieked.
We raced as fast as we could to our apartment acknowledging that the government possibly ALIRON had just declared that any conflict was granted...