The Alpha - Joel Abernathy Page 0,24
human flesh.”
“Tell me about it.”
Andrew looked over. “I take it you regret running for office.”
“Office?” Colt laughed. “It’s more like being the CEO of a company that makes spiky dildos, only you’re a Puritan, so you hate dildos, but you have to keep shoving ‘em up your ass because all of a sudden, it’s your job to test the products, and if you don’t, everyone starves—and the factory’s on fire the whole time. Oh, and you get paid in more dildos.”
Andrew blinked. “If you hate it so much, why don’t you just quit and go live a normal life with Jason?”
“That was the plan. Then along came Evelyn.”
“Right. She’s the one who made you an Alpha, isn’t she?”
“I call her the bitch who ruined my life, but yeah, she’s the one.”
“Bitch or not, she’s industrious. She owns about five percent of the real estate in the city.”
“That little, huh? She must’ve had a slow year.”
Andrew snorted. “For what it’s worth, I hope you don’t quit. Not that I like you,” he added. “It’s just good to know that the fuckers who’ve been pulling the strings all these years finally have someone to give them a run for their money.”
“Yeah, well, it ain’t goin’ so hot at the moment, as you can tell.”
“Who was that on the phone? It sounded like a…”
“Like a freaky haunted house doll come to life? Yeah, that’s a changeling.”
“Do I even want to know what a changeling is?”
“Probably not,” Colt admitted. “It’s a type of Alpha. A variant.”
“Like you. It’s a what, a loup garou?”
Colt rolled his eyes. “Lupine. And no. You wish that thing was one of me. If I’m the ghoul equivalent of a hot rod, that thing’s a fuckin’ loaded Italian sports car, complete with psychic powers and all the trimmings.”
“I see. So there’s as little hope of recovering the missing children as we thought there was.”
Colt clenched his jaw and nodded. “There’s still time for Richie and Jason, but I’ve got one shot to kill that thing.”
“Please tell me you were joking about it being psychic?”
“I wish. It already got in my head once, and lemme tell ya, that’s not a ride you want to go on.”
“How do you kill it?”
“Same way you kill any ghoul, I hope. Grab a blade and swing, hope you get the head clean off on the first strike.”
“You hope? You’ve never fought one before?”
“Nope. They’re killed as soon as they’re born, but when one slips through the cracks, it’s bad. Now you see why.”
“And they feed on…children?” Andrew asked, his voice strained with disgust.
“Yeah. They do.”
“I suppose it should relieve me that even your kind hates them.”
“Do yourself a favor. With ghouls, just be glad we’re not your problem, and don’t even try to sort out the morality of it all. I gave up a long time ago.”
“If that were true, you wouldn’t be here,” said Andrew. He clarified, “It’s obvious you’re not the type to take on responsibility for something unless you feel you have to. Jason always said you lacked motivation.”
Colt set his jaw. Ouch.
“And yet, here you are,” Andrew continued. “Watching ghouls without them knowing they’re being watched has allowed me to pick out the usual qualities. They’re not so different from the people I grew up around. Prone to avarice, ruthless, willing to do anything to scrape to the highest position and possessed by paranoia once they reach it, because they know there’s always someone waiting to take their place. And then there’s you.”
“Yeah. I’m a recovering deadbeat, I get it.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Andrew laughed. “But you lack the thirst for power men like me have built their names on. You remind me of Carver in that way.”
“Oh, sure. I saw his campaigns for DA. Guy was a real shrinking violet.”
“You didn’t know him like I did,” Andrew said thoughtfully. “You didn’t see him behind closed doors. He didn’t take power because he wanted it, he took it because he saw the corruption in the city he loved, and he didn’t trust anyone else to have it.”
“Too bad he’s gone, then.”
“It is. But maybe it’s just as well to have a man like him in your place and a man like me in his.” Andrew’s gaze turned sharp. “I’ll work with you as long as you keep your monsters in line, Colt, but make no mistake. If I ever sense that you’ve changed or think you’ve lost the glimmer of humanity that makes me believe I can trust you, despite